Syriac and Eastern Christianity

The exposition of the Liturgy of St. James, which is basically the Celebration of the Holy Eucahrist, is most significant for the understanding of the mystery of God in offering His only Son a vicarious sacrifice for the redemption of man. To make it understandable, Rev. Saka explains not only the meaning of terms connected with the liturgy but of all the components of the vessels, the vesting, the censoring, the candles and the propitiatory prayers associated with them. This exposition should benefit both church and liturgical scholars and lay people interested in the profound spiritual meaning of their faith.

Published for the first time by Paul de Lagarde in the extant Syriac, this volume reproduces the initial edition of the Didascalia Apostolorum. This important document, which purports to have been written by the apostles is a third-century pseudepigraphon. Presenting a view of the Catholic doctrine as it was believed to have been held by the original apostles, the topics addressed include worship, doctrine, and Christian discipline. For the Syriac scholar wishing to engage a foundational document in the early history of the church, this publication represents an excellent starting point.

Lagarde’s edition of the British Museum manuscript of an abridged version of the Geoponica is here made available again for the use of scholars and interested historians. Originally composed by Vindonius Anatolius of Beirut, a fourth-century Greek author, the Geoponica is an example of early natural science, a collection of agricultural tracts. Published here with Lagarde’s Latin commentary on the material from his Gesammelte Abhandlungen, this obscure and difficult text is now available for the first time with the insightful comments of the linguist who edited the Syriac text.

Turning his keen linguistic eye toward various influences on the Syriac language, Lagarde he addresses the various Persian, Armenian, and Indic words that occur in Syriac literature. Arranged alphabetically according to the Syriac spelling of the words, Lagarde ably addresses 222 loan words with frequently detailed entries tracing roots of the words back through their linguistic pedigree. For the scholar of comparative Semitic philology who is interested in the wider background and origins of these specific words, this booklet will prove to be a powerful and much-used tool.

In this set of articles originally published together in his booklet Orientalia, Lagarde addresses several issues concerning Hebrew studies. The first article, Explanation of Hebrew Words, addresses the use of twelve significant lexemes. Added to this essay is a contribution of Lagarde to the Hebrew reflected in Ephraim the Syrian’s work on Genesis, extant in Armenian. Select passages from Genesis 2 through 38 are given consideration in the light of philological investigation. Together these pieces represent a useful collection of insights into the Hebrew language both through classic philology and through the ecclesiastical interpretation of a scholar in the tradition of Syriac Christianity.

This set of essays originate in Lagarde’s printed collection Orientalia. The first contribution to this booklet is Lagarde’s analysis of the Coptic manuscripts of the Göttingen library. In addition to describing the manuscripts, he provides data concerning the content, including the biblical passages slated for various liturgical seasons, in keeping with the character of the material. To this is attached an article on selections of the Coptic translation of the Old Testament. Here annotated extracts of the Bible are presented in their original Coptic script, along with relevant apparatus by the author.

Taken from the collection of studies published under the collective title Mémoires de l'histoire et de Ia geographie orientales, Mémoire sur la Conquête de la Syrie stands as a monument to the insight of M. J. de Goeje on the Arabic conquest of Syria. This brief account of an important phase of Syria’s history will be sure to please those interested in the general history of the Middle East as well as scholars studying the rise of Islam.

As a scholar of the languages of early Christianity, including Ethiopic and Syriac, Johannes Flemming felt a debt to the learned scholar of the seventeenth century, Job Leutholf (also Hiob Ludolf). Still cited as one of the essential pieces of Leutholf’s biography, this article is required reading for those interested in the life of this remarkable scholar. After sketching an outline of Leutholf’s life, Flemming then moves on to focus on his Ethiopic studies. Flemming concludes his articles with the correspondence between Leutholf and the abbot Gregorius who initially taught him the Ethiopic language.

This extract from Michael G. Morony’s Iraq After The Muslim Conquest presents a brief yet through presentation of the complex language and political history of the Aramaeans of that region. The interaction of the Aramaeans and the Arabs during the period of the Islamic conquest is sketched out, citing the important families and individuals that stand out in this situation. The somewhat uneasy mutual relationship between the Arabs and Aramaeans is briefly explored.

This brief introduction to the state of Christianity in Iraq during the ascendancy of Islam begins with a discussion of the friction between Christians and Magians. The political role of the church among the Sassanians, both internally and externally, is addressed. With the Islamic conquest various traditions circulated regarding the tolerance of Christianity within Muslim jurisdiction. Morony skillfully navigates these traditions, providing a plausible historical view. The formation of the Assyrian Church of the East’s doctrine and identity as well as their schools, monasteries, laws, and their sense of community and separateness are considered. The contrast with Monophysites with their “Nestorian” competitors rounds out the discussion.

A collection of studies on the Syriac sixth century writer Jacob of Sarug by a team of international scholars, including Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Sebastian P. Brock, Sharbil Iskandar Bcheiry, Khalid Dinno, Sidney Griffith, Mary Hansbury, Amir Harrak, George A. Kiraz, Edward Matthews, Aho Shemunkasho, and Lucas Van Rompay.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Lucas Van Rompay, Craig E. Morrison, Cor-bishop David Royel, Mary T. Hansbury, Narmen Muhamad Amen Ali, and Khalid Dinno.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Judith H. Newman, Frederick McLeod, George Bevan, Sidney H. Griffith, Mat Immerzeel, Mary Hansbury, and George Kiraz.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Adil al-Jadir, Muriel Debié, Richard Burgess, Geoffrey Greatrex, Jan van Ginkel, and Witold Witakowski

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Sebastian Brock, Hidemi Takahashi, Jan van Ginkel, NIU Ruji, Debra Foran, and Amir Harrak.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Sebastian Brock, John W. Watt, George Saliba, Marina Greatrex, Adam Lehto, Amir Harrak, and NIU Ruji.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include John H. Corbett, Herman Teule, Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Kathleen E. McVey, and Geoffrey Greatrex.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include James Reilly, Sidney H. Griffith, Paul-Hubert Poirier, Robert A. Kitchen, Amir Harrak, and Marica Cassis.

The JCSSS is an annual refereed journal containing the transcripts of public lectures presented at the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies Inc. It focuses on the literature, art, and archaeology of Syriac Christianity from the 2nd century to modern times. Contributors include Sebastian Brock, Amir Harrak, Lucas van Rompay, Andrea B. Schmidt, Erica C. Dodd, and Wassilios Klein.

This edition of Mar Jacob of Sarug's (d. 521) homily on Jephthah’s daughter invisages this single, virginal female as a prefiguration of Christ. Jacob also discusses the history of blood sacrifice and on the qualities that render Jephthah’s action priestly. The volume constitutes a fascicle of The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain the original Syriac text of Jacob's surviving sermons, fully vocalized, alongside an annotated English translation.

Common Heritage, Divided Communion examines the various religious and secular events related to the Council of Chalcedon (451) and the so-called “Monophysite” schism. It includes a detailed overview and analysis of contemporary Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox ecumenical efforts to re-establish ecclesial communion.

This volume is part of a series that addresses issues of Classical Syriac lexicography, and the lexicography of other ancient languages. The international team of authors invited to participate represents a wide range of disciplines and opens new horizons in lexical thinking. Essays in this volume discuss the place for enclitics in lexica, the grammatical classification of words, translation technique, and using new technologies to aid in the lexicographer’s task. This book represents the forefront of Syriac lexical studies, and has much to offer those studying Greek and other Semitic languages as well.

Origen’s construal of the Bible as a textual incarnation of the Word encourages an assimilationist interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures as a proto-Christian gospel. Although in partial agreement with this thesis, this study suggests a non-assimilationist reading of Origen’s biblical exegesis.

Scrinium: Revue de Patrologie, d’Hagiographie Critique et d’Histoire Ecclésiastique, established in 2005, is an international multilingual scholarly periodical devoted to patristics, critical hagiography, and Church history. This volume is dedicated to Ethiopian Christianity and Ethiopian linguistics.

Scrinium: Revue de Patrologie, d’Hagiographie Critique et d’Histoire Ecclésiastique, established in 2005, is an international multilingual scholarly periodical devoted to patristics, critical hagiography, and Church history. This volume is dedicated to the memory of R. P. Michel van Esbroeck who studied hagiography of the Christian East and West. However, in keeping with van Esbroeck's broad academic interests, the volume explores other areas of patristics as well.