Syriac literature

Sons of the Resurrection: Inaugurated eschatology as a structural key to Aphrahat’s Demonstrations.

by John D'Alton

for a conference and journal soon

The rationale for the structure of Aphrahat’s 23 Demonstrations continues to elude scholars, but a close reading of... more The rationale for the structure of Aphrahat’s 23 Demonstrations continues to elude scholars, but a close reading of Demonstration 6 and its emphasis on the resurrection provides a way to understand the place of many other of the unexplained inclusions. Discussions of the bnay qyama have tended to sideline the relevance of the qyamtha. This paper uses metaphor analysis and close reading techniques to elucidate the core themes and rationale of Demonstration 6 and its links to the chapters on war, virginity, penitence, and death and the last things etc. Rather than being “out of place” (Lehto 2010:25), “On the Resurrection” and “On Wars” are shown to be closely related to the theme of the virginal state of the angelic life of the sons of the resurrection. This paper fills a gap in the understanding of Aphrahat’s thematic structuring, and also demonstrates that the Sons of the Covenant should also be understood as the Sons of the Resurrection.

La verità visibile nella natura e nella scrittura: Sul baco da seta di Khamis bar Qardaḥe (fine del XIII secolo)

by Alessandro Mengozzi

Co-authored with A. Barotto, P. Riberi e M. Volpicelli, in "Kervan. International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies" 13/14 (2011): 47-55

Khamis bar Qardaḥe was an East Syrian author active in the last decades of the 13th century, probably a representative... more Khamis bar Qardaḥe was an East Syrian author active in the last decades of the 13th century, probably a representative member of the East-Syrian community at the court camp of the Il-Khans, and somehow connected with the town of Arbela. In the present article, his poetic work is presented in the broader context of the so-called ‘Syriac Renaissance’, as an example of late East-Syriac literature profoundly influenced by Persian poetry. The poem On the Silk-Worm is here critically edited and translated for the first time into a European language. Its complicated imagery turns out to be an interesting mélange of philosophical concepts, meta-literary reflection – poetry as a way to knowledge and salvation –, Christian themes – including the virginal conception of Mary –, and Persian, possibly Sufic, motifs. The monorhyme poem is rich with sound figures such as alliteration and etymological play.

“He loves drinking old wine from the jug”: Some Remarks on Alcoholic Beverages in Syriac Literature Based on Secular and Religious Texts

by Adam McCollum

For a lecture at Saint John's University, Jan 26, 2012. To be published in the future in a fuller form.

The history of alcoholic beverages in various cultures, including our own, has often been written. These... more The history of alcoholic beverages in various cultures, including our own, has often been written. These investigations have looked at viticulture, brewing, distillation, and the economic and religious uses and effects of alcoholic beverages. Syriac literature, being somewhat of an arcane area of interest, has rarely—if ever!—entered into any of the discussions. It is, nevertheless, a corpus with a breadth wide both in size and subject matter, and there is no dearth of references to alcoholic beverages, their preparation, and use. This paper, based on both secular and religious texts in Syriac, most of them composed in a Muslim-majority culture, will touch on questions of what kinds of alcohol were drunk, how these drinks were made, who did the drinking and what was thought of their drinks (including acknowledgement of its detriments), and finally we will ask what Syriac literature contributes to the history of drinking.

New Manuscript Witnesses to the 'Second Part' of Isaac of Nineveh

by Grigory Kessel

In Markus Vinzent (ed.) Studia Patristica: Papers presented at the Sixteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2011, vols. 55-62. Leuven: Peeters.

Reflections on Jewish and Christian Liturgical Poetry in Late Antiquity

by Ophir Münz-Manor

Peamim: A Quarterly for the Study of Oriental Jews 119 (2009), pp. 131-172 (Hebrew)

Ophir Münz-Manor presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish poetry of late... more Ophir Münz-Manor presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish poetry of late antiquity (in Hebrew and Aramaic) was closely related to Christian liturgical poetry (both Syriac and Greek) and with Samaritan liturgy. These relations were expressed primarily by common poetic and prosodic characteristics, derived on the one hand from ancient Semitic poetry (mainly biblical poetry), and on the other from innovations of the period. The significant connections of content between the different genres of poetry reveal the importance of comparative study.Thus the poetry composed in late antiquity provides additional evidence for the lively cultural dialogue that took place at that time.

Liturgical Poetry in the Late Antique Near East: A Comparative Approach

by Ophir Münz-Manor

Journal of Ancient Judaism 1:3 (2010), pp. 336-361
An English version of the Hebrew article from Pe'amim

The article presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish po- etry of late antiquity... more The article presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish po- etry of late antiquity (in Hebrew and Aramaic) was closely related to Christian liturgical poetry (both Syriac and Greek) and Samaritan liturgy. These relations were expressed primarily by common poetic and prosodic characteristics, derived on the one hand from ancient Semitic poetry (mainly biblical poetry), and on the other from innovations of the period. The significant connections of content between the different genres of poetry reveal the importance of com- parative study. Thus the poetry composed in late antiquity provides additional evidence for the lively cultural dialogue that took place at that time.

Syrian Christianity: Recent Bibliography in Russian

by Grigory Kessel

with N. Seleznyov
Scrinium 4 (2008) 394-402

Syrian Christianity: Recent Bibliography in Russian

by Grigory Kessel

with N. Seleznyov.
Scrinium 2 (2006) 481-487

Translation: 10 Excellent Qualities of the Dog Which a Good Servant of God Should Possess

by Elizabeth (Liza) Anderson

Petit guide bibliographique dans la littérature ascétique et mystique syriaque

by Grigory Kessel

In A. Desreumaux (ed.), Les mystiques syriaques (Études syriaques 8). Paris: Geuthner, 2011

La position de Simon de Taibuteh dans l’éventail de la tradition mystique syriaque

by Grigory Kessel

In A. Desreumaux (ed.), Les mystiques syriaques (Études syriaques 8). Paris: Geuthner, 2011

The Mikhail Sado Collection of Syriac Manuscripts in St. Petersburg

by Grigory Kessel

with Herman Teule.
forthcoming in Monferrer-Sala J.P., Teule H.G.B., Torallas Tovar S. (eds.), Eastern Christians and their Written Heritage. Manuscripts, Scribes and Context (Eastern Christian Studies, 14). Leuven: Peeters.

Letter of Thomas the Monk. A Study of the Syriac Text and its Author

by Grigory Kessel

The Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 61 (2009), pp. 43-100

A Note on One Borrowing from Aphrahat: St. Petersburg, Institute of Oriental Studies, Diettrich 2

by Grigory Kessel

Actes du 9e Symposium syriacum, Kaslik, septembre 2004 [Parole de l’Orient 31 (2006)], pp. 295-307

A List of East Syriac Ecclesiastical Authors in the “Book of Considerations on the Order of Church Services and Its Succession” of Abrāhām Šekwānā (AD 1849-1931)

by Grigory Kessel

Parole de l'Orient 36 (2011) 39-65

Friday Veneration in the Sixth- and Seventh-Century Christianity and the Christian Legends on Conversion of Nağrān

by Basil Lourié

The final version is uploaded in the proofs. To appear in:

A. Segovia, B. Lourié (eds.), The Coming of the Comforter: When, Where, and to Whom? Studies on the Rise of Islam in Memory
of John Wansbrough (Orientalia Judaica Christiana, 3; Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press)

CONTENTS



Introduction: a Lost Epistle on Friday 2
Part One: The Calendars of the “Twelve... more CONTENTS



Introduction: a Lost Epistle on Friday 2
Part One: The Calendars of the “Twelve Fridays” 5
1.1. The Twelve Fridays Texts: an Introduction 5
1.2. The Clement Recension of the Twelve Fridays 6
1.3. Eleutherius Recension of the Twelve Fridays: an Introduction 9
1.4. The Twelve Fridays Calendar of the Eleutherius Recension 10
1.5. Eleutherius Recension as a Seventh-Century Apocalyptic Writing 11
1.6. A Jewish Tradition Shared with the Early Islam 14
1.7. Twelve-Friday Tradition in Palestine: John Zosimos 16
1.8. 12-Friday Calendar: a Preliminary Conclusion 17
1.9. A Syriac Legend on the Secret Bishop John and Personified Friday 17
Part Two: St Eleutherius and the Legends on Nağrān 18
2.1. The Text of the Slavonic Story of Eleutherius 18
2.2. Syriac as the Original Language 20
2.2.1. A Friday which is временная (“temporary”) 20
2.2.2. внидоста въ глубокою повѣсть 21
2.2.3. Како ми ся дана сила 21
2.2.4. “Laura” means “Illyria” 22
Note 1: “Šeptail” and a Possibility of Slavonic Translation from Syriac 23
2.3. Hagiographical Dossier of Eleutherius of Illyricum: an Introduction 24
2.3.1. The Byzantine Tradition and Constantinople 24
2.3.2. Hierapolis 26
2.4. “Wolf of Arabia” and Arabian Connexions of Eleutherius 29
2.5. Hierapolis and Arabia in a Peculiar Tradition on Apostle Philippe 30
2.6. The Legends on Conversion of Nağrān: an Introduction 32
2.6.1. A Legend with an East Syrian Background 33
2.6.2. Two Legends with a West Syrian Background and Their Common Source 34
2.7. The *Fymywn Legend, Eleutherius’ Dossier, and the Legend on John and Friday 36
2.8. Eleutherius and the Gädlä Azqir 37
2.9. The Personal Names in Eleutherius’ Dossier 39
2.9.1. Eleutherius’ Companion 40
2.9.2. Eleutherius’ Mother 41
2.9.3. Eleutherius 41
Part Three: Eleutherius and Friday 42
3.1. Friday Veneration in Bostra: St Parasceve and Baḥīrā 42
3.1.1. St Parasceve’s Dossier: Introduction 42
3.1.2. St Parasceve’s Dossier: Arabic Connexions 44
3.1.3. Bostra, the Teaching of Baḥīrā, and the Lost Revelation on Friday 45
3.1.4. Sitz im Leben of the Parasceve Legend 46
Note 2: The Baḥīrā legend, Its Sources, and the Hagiographical Substrate 47
3.2. The Anti-Jewish Polemics in Parasceve’s Dossier and in Eleutherius 48
3.3. Concluding Remarks on the Cult of Eleutherius 48
3.3.1. Commemoration Dates of Eleutherius 48

Jacob of Serug’s Homily on Jephtah’s Daughter

by Ophir Münz-Manor

Co-authored with Susan Ashbrook Harvey; in the series Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, New Jersey: Gorgias Press 2010, 73p. 
Translation from the Syriac and introduction

Review essay on Brent Landau, The Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men’s Journey to Bethlehem

by Annette Yoshiko Reed

Sino Platonic Papers 208 (2011): 36-54.

The manuscript tradition of the 'First Part' of Isaac of Nineveh. Preliminary observation [in Russian]

by Grigory Kessel

"Beyond the Land of Nod: Syriac Images of Asia and the Historiography of ‘the West’”

by Annette Yoshiko Reed

History of Religions 49.1 (2009) 48–87.