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The Syriac language, also known as Syriac Aramaic and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ, is an Aramaic dialect that emerged during the first century AD from a local Aramaic dialect that was spoken in the ancient region of Osroene, centered in the city of Edessa. During the Early Christian period, it became the main literary language of various Aramaic-speaking Christian communities in the historical region of Ancient Syria and throughout the Near East. As a liturgical language of Syriac Christianity, it gained a prominent role among Eastern Christian communities that used both Eastern Syriac and Western Syriac rites. Following the spread of Syriac Christianity, it also became a liturgical language of eastern Christian communities as far as India and China. It flourished from the 4th to the 8th century, and continued to have an important role during the next centuries, but by the end of the Middle Ages it was gradually reduced to liturgical use, since the role of vernacular language among its native speakers was overtaken by several emerging Neo-Aramaic dialects.
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition, including the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Malabar Independent Syrian Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Syro-Malabar Church.
The School of Nisibis was an educational establishment in Nisibis. It was an important spiritual centre of the early Church of the East, and like the Academy of Gondishapur, it is sometimes referred to as the world's first university. The school had three primary departments teaching: theology, philosophy and medicine. Its most famous teacher was Narsai, formerly head of the School of Edessa.
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Syriac Christianity is a branch of Eastern Christianity of which formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are expressed in the Classical Syriac language, a variation of the old Aramaic language. In a wider sense, the term can also refer to Aramaic Christianity in general, thus encompassing all Christian traditions that are based on liturgical uses of Aramaic language and its variations, both historical and modern.
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Aramaic studies are scientific studies of the Aramaic languages and literature. As a specific field within Semitic studies, Aramaic studies are closely related to similar disciplines, like Hebraic studies and Arabic studies.
The Holy Qurobo or Holy Qurbono refers to the Eucharist as celebrated in Syro-Antiochene Rite and the liturgical books containing rubrics for its celebration. West Syriac Rite includes various descendants of the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches. It consists of two distinct liturgical traditions: the Maronite Rite, and the Jacobite Rite. The major Anaphora of both the traditions is the Divine Liturgy of Saint James in Syriac language. The Churches are primarily based in the Middle East, Africa, and India.
Barsauma was a Syriac-speaking monk and holy man, a leading opponent of the Council of Chalcedon of 451. He is the subject of a biography in Syriac composed about a century after his death. He is regarded as a saint by the Oriental Orthodox.
References
- ↑ Abouzayd 1993, p. 2: "The Syriac heritage owes much to Sebastian Brock and, as in the old adage "all roads lead to Rome", all aspects of Syriac studies lead one way or another to Sebastian Brock ... His voluminous work on Syriac, and related fields, is unique in our modern times."
- ↑ Kiraz 2004, p. 5-8.
- ↑ Fellows of the British Academy: Dr Sebastian Brock FBA
- ↑ Wolfson College: Sebastian Brock
- ↑ Torrance, Iain (2021). "A Sumptuous and Scholarly Edition of the Syriac New Testament". The Expository Times. SAGE Publications. 132 (9): 415–416. doi:10.1177/00145246211017543. ISSN 0014-5246. S2CID 235381388.
- ↑ "Leverhulme Medal and Prize 2009". Prizes and Medals. British Academy. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
