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Description
Syriac, the Aramaic dialect originating in Edessa (today鈥檚 Urfa, in SE Turkey) at around the turn of the eras, is important for both Jews and Christians.
For most Christians, its main interest is that it is still used in the liturgy of the Syriac Orthodox Church and certain other communities, members of whose diasporas are spread world-wide. The early literature is vast, and is important for those interested in the history of eastern Christianity.
For Jews, there are two main fields of interest - (i) as part of the background to the early development of Judaism; and (ii) the Syriac translation of the Hebrew Bible. This was written early in the CE; this Version, the Peshitta, was probably begun by Jews, and completed by Jewish converts to Christianity. It is close to the Hebrew Bible, but there are interesting differences, from which we may learn about translation technique, scribal practice, and the transmission of the Hebrew Bible itself.
Most students know no Syriac when we begin. The aim of the course is that, by the end, students will be sufficiently competent to read a Syriac text independently. Each week, we study some grammar, and building on that we also always read some original text. The texts cover a wide range, secular, pagan, Jewish, and Christian.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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