Jack Tannous: What is Syriac? Explorations in the History of a Name

 Jack Tannous, "What is Syriac? Explorations in the History of a Name," Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 28.1 (2025), 65-153.

 

Abstract

This article looks into various aspects of the history of the name “Syriac,” arguing that this glottonym has had different meanings at different points in history. While scholars today use “Syriac” to refer to the Aramaic dialect of Edessa, historically, it has also been a word that referred more generally to the northwest Semitic language that today is commonly called “Aramaic.” This is true for both “Syriac” as an English word and its various cognates and equivalents in other languages. “Syriac” was a language used by pagans, Jews, Manichees, and a variety of different Christian groups and its association with specific Christian confessions in the Middle East is also a historical development. The article ends by
suggesting possible reasons that Edessene Aramaic—as opposed to some other type of Aramaic—became the linguistic vehicle of choice for many Middle Eastern Christian groups.

  

In addition to being an incredibly useful article about what premodern writers meant when they described someone or something as "Syriac", there is also a lot of information about the much-neglected use of Syriac by Chalcedonian Orthodox communities, such as the following:

"There are more dated Melkite manuscripts from the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, than there are dated manuscripts from the Church of the East."

"Many Christians of Maʻlūlā were of course Chalcedonians and one only need point to the history of this church to further show that liturgical language in a Middle Eastern context does not reflect the language of day-to-day life: in this church, usually regarded as the most Arabophile and Hellenophile and least Syriac of all the Christian communities of Greater Syria and the Fertile Crescent, Syriac was still in use liturgically until the seventeenth century. Indeed, Korolevsky suggested that, apart from international centers like Jerusalem, Alexandria, and the Sinai, places which received a constant-influx of Greek speakers from outside the Middle East, all Chalcedonian liturgical manuscripts from the ninth to seventeenth centuries throughout the region were in fact Syriac ones.72 St. Catherine’s monastery in the Sinai, an institution whose Chalcedonian credentials are impeccable, has one of the most precious collections in existence of Christian Greek manuscripts; it is perhaps less well-known that its collection of Syriac manuscripts is regarded as one of the 'ten most important collections in the language in the world.'"

Download the entire article in open access here. 

Holger Gzella: Christian Palestinian Aramaic between Greek and Arabic

Holger Gzella, "Christian Palestinian Aramaic between Greek and Arabic," in Aaron D. Hornkohl et al. (eds.), Interconnected Traditions: Semitic Languages, Literatures, Cultures—A Festschrift for Geoffrey Khan: Volume 1: Hebrew and the Wider Semitic World (pp. 747–770). 

 

 Among the three Western Aramaic literary traditions of Late Antiquity, Christian Palestinian Aramaic is arguably the one least studied from a historical-linguistic point of view. And yet, it offers a number of insights into the language situation in Byzantine Palestine that cannot easily be gained from Jewish Palestinian and Samaritan Aramaic. A less well-known but significant point is the substrate evidence that, cumulatively, documents a certain presence of Arabic in the region already in pre-Islamic times. Such data ties in with both very recent work on the diversity and diffusion of Old Arabic varieties and ongoing interest in identifying the still under-researched factors that eventually led to the creation of another Christian Aramaic written language besides Greek and Syriac by the fifth century CE at the latest.

[...]

Read the entire article, freely available in open access, here. 

Elie Dannaoui on the Transition from Syriac to Arabic in the Orthodox Liturgy

 

When Scribes Switched Languages: Curious Patterns in Syriac Rūm Orthodox Manuscripts

by Elie Dannaoui

Imagine opening a centuries-old manuscript and finding three different languages woven together on the same page—Syriac prayers in elegant script, Arabic translations squeezed between the lines, and Greek annotations scattered in the margins. This isn't the work of confused scribes, but rather the ingenious solution of a religious community navigating one of history's most significant linguistic transformations.

The Rūm Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch experienced a major linguistic transformation over its first millennium. What began as a Greek-speaking church that also embraced Syriac gradually transformed as Arabic spread throughout the region following Islamic expansion in the 7^th century. By the 19^th century, Syriac had virtually vanished from the church's daily life—a language that had once echoed through monastery halls and parish churches was effectively silenced.

But here's where the story gets fascinating. The manuscripts from the 14^th to 18^th centuries—a period that has received surprisingly little scholarly attention—reveal that this wasn't simply a case of one language bulldozing another. Instead, these documents showcase remarkable creativity: scribes developed sophisticated strategies to preserve ancient traditions while making them accessible to communities whose daily language was shifting to Arabic.

The surviving manuscripts tell a story of adaptation rather than abandonment. Monastic communities emerged as guardians of the Syriac tradition, creating innovative multilingual arrangements and parallel translations. Most intriguingly, they developed a nuanced system where Syriac remained the language of priestly prayers and sacred elements, while Arabic served the growing needs of lay participation.

Read the whole article, with many images of manuscripts, here! 

 

Videos from the Conference "The Orthodox Church of Antioch from the 15th to the 18th Century"

The Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology has just finished conducting a major conference entitled "The Orthodox Church of Antioch from the 15th to the 18th Century: Towards a Proper Understanding of History". They have very graciously put up videos of all the sessions on YouTube. I especially encourage you to watch the presentations by Constantin Panchenko (at the end of the Opening Ceremony), Carsten Walbiner (Session One), Hasan Çolak (Session Three), and Ioana Feodorov (Session Four).

Opening Ceremony:

Opening remarks by Fr Jack Khalil and Prof Elias Warrak [in Arabic]

His Beatitude John X: Opening Remarks [in Arabic]

Constantin Panchenko: Unia of Florence and the Church of Antioch, A Retrospect [in English]

Session One: The Historical and Political Context

Tom Papademetriou: The Ottomans and the Orthodox Patriarchates (15th to 18th Centuries) [in English]

Christos Arambatzis: Méthodes d'instauration de l'union écclesiastique et réactions au Proche Orient pendant le XVe -XVIe siècle [in French]

Carsten Walbiner: The Impact of Greek Thinking and Greek Prelates on the Patriarchate of Antioch in the 17th and Early 18th Centuries

Session Two: Relations with the Other Orthodox Churches

Giannis Bakas: The Historical Relations of the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the Church of Antioch and their Collaboration, the Case of the Metropolis of Aleppo [in Greek]

Vera Tchentsova: The Relations of Athanasius III Dabbas, Patriarch of Antioch, with Moscow [in English]

Session Three: Relations with other Peoples

Fr Chrysostom Nassis: A View from Without, The Church of Antioch through the Eyes of Seventeenth Century Anglican Divines [in English]

Hasan Çolak: Orthodox Responses to Catholic Missions in the Patriarchate of Antioch, Institutionalization and Centralization [in English]

Andreas Müller: The Greek-Orthodox Church of Antiocheia in Modern Western Literature, An Overview [in English]

Session Four: Intellectual Activity and Culture

Martin Lüstraeten: Which Typikon? The Typikon of Malatiyus Karma as an Attempt to Unify a Liturgical Tradition [in English]

Ioana Feodorov: Printing for the Arab Christians in the 18th Century: Antim the Iberian, Athanasios Dabbas, and Sylvestros of Antioch [in English]

Elie Dannaoui: The Syriac-Arabic Liturgical Manuscripts in the Rum Orthodox Church of Antioch, A Survivor of an Extinct Tradition

 

Session Five: Domestic Affairs

Fr Bassam Nassif: Pastoral Renaissance under Three Patriarchs of Antioch: Euthymius Karma, Macarius Zaim, and Athanasius Dabbas [in Arabic]

Fr Saba Nasr: Antiochian Manuscripts of a Historical and Theological Response to the Events and Results of Ferrara-Florence [in Arabic]

Fr Harith Ibrahim: "Cutting Sword": An Apologetic Manuscript by Hieromonk Maximos [in Arabic]

Session Six: Patriarch Sylvestros: Life and Works

Symeon A. Paschalides: "A Living Saint of the Church." Patriarch Sylvestros of Antioch (1724-1766) and the Signs of Sanctity in his Church Ministry [in English]

Archimandrite Policarp (Chițulescu): Patriarch Sylvestros of Antioch as a Defender of Orthodoxy: A Survey of his Anti-Catholic Books Printed in Iași (Moldavia) in the mid-18th Century [in French]

Mihai Țipău: The Rediscovery of the Arabic Book of Psalms Published by the Patriarch Silvestros in 1747 in Bucharest [in English]

Session Seven: Relations with Rome

Fr Spiridon Fayad: Unknown Icons of the Iconographer, Patriarch Sylvestros of Antioch (+1766) [in Arabic]

Fr Michel Najim: Uniatism in Contemporary Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue [in Arabic]

Souad Slim: Three Orthodox Manuscripts from Balamand in Reply to the Catholic Claims [in Arabic]

 Session Eight: Roundtable [multilingual]

Fr Alexander Treiger: The Beginnings of the Graeco-Syro-Arabic Melkite Translation Movement in Antioch

The open access journal Scrinium has just published a very important article by Fr Alexander Treiger detailing the beginnings of a translation movement of Greek into Syriac and Arabic in 10th-11th century Antioch. It can be read and downloaded in full here.

Abstract:

The present article surveys the early stages of the Graeco-Syro-Arabic Melkite translation movement in Antioch, from the first known translation (the Graeco-Syriac version of the Life of St. Symeon the Stylite the Younger, BHG 1689) dating to 827/8 AD to the Antiochene translators Ibrāhīm the protospatharios, Gregory of Dafnūnā, Chariton of Aršāyā, and Yūḥannā ʿAbd al-Masīḥ (the compiler of the Antiochene Menologion), all of them disciples of the martyred patriarch of Antioch Christopher (d.967). It provides new evidence on each of these translators. Significantly, it re-dates Yūḥannā ʿAbd al-Masīḥ to the early eleventh century.

Read the full article here.

Joe Glynias on Syriac Melkite Monasticism at Mount Sinai in the 13th 14th Centuries

This is an extremely valuable article that maps out literary and liturgical use of Syriac among Chalcedonian Orthodox in the Mamluk period.

Abstract:

There are about 80 extant dated Syriac manuscripts, predominately liturgical, from the medieval period that were present in the library of the monastery of Mount Sinai in the modern era. About half were written in the Sinai between 1233 and 1322, while the other half were written elsewhere (10th - 14th centuries) and brought there. I analyze two types of notes found in these manuscripts: the colophons that inform us when, where, and for whom they were written, and the waqf statements that indicate the Sinai monastery’s ownership of them. While previous scholars have analyzed the colophons in isolation and attempted to explain aspects of the Syriac efflorescence on Sinai in the 13th century, I use these notes to provide a more comprehensive picture of the role of Syriac liturgy at the Sinai and of this period of Syriac Melkite monasticism.

Furthermore, I build a model of where Syriac scribes who worked at the Sinai came from over time, in comparison to a model of where the manuscripts from outside the Sinai were produced over time. Because Sinai is such an important modern receptacle for Syriac Melkite manuscripts, I utilize its collection to illustrate the various centers of Melkite Syriac manuscript production from c. 1000- 1300, focusing on the wider regions of Antioch and Mount Lebanon, and monastic sites such as the Black Mountain, Qāra, and Ṣaydnāyā. In conjunction with this, I use the waqf statements that often give the name of a bishop and the institutional beneficiary of the manuscript within Sinai, to reveal the centers of Syriac liturgy at the mountain in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the symbiotic relationship  between Syriac and Arabic manuscripts in locations around the mountain.

Read the whole article here.

Constantin Panchenko on the Sunset of Melkite Syriac

From: Constantin Panchenko, Arabic Orthodox Christians under the Ottomans: 1516-1831 (Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2016), p. 443

The Sunset of Aramaic Writing

In the early Ottoman era came the final decline among the Orthodox of Syriac liturgy and writing. The German semiticist Anton Baumstark presents data about fifty-two Melkite Syriac manuscripts preserved from the sixteenth century, whereas the number of manuscripts is markedly reduced during the last three decades of the century. From the seventeenth century, he reaches a total of nine manuscripts, of which six are from the first two decades, with the latest from 1654.

Some Antiochian hierarchs continued to sign official documents in Syriac or garshuni [i.e., Arabic written in Syriac script]-- examples of this are known until the 1630s. Often, however, this was just a tribute to ancient traditions and the signatories themselves had a weak knowledge of Syriac and poorly remembered the alphabet. In two garshuni signatures on a letter from Antiochian clergy to Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich in 1594, some forgotten Syriac letters are replaced with Arabic.

However, there is evidence indicating that Syriac writing continued in use even after the mid-seventeenth century. The Syriac liturgy was preserved in the area of Maaloula and surrounding villages up to the present day, so accordingly, Syriac liturgical texts were copied. However, the scope of the use of Syriac writing shrank to the narrow limits of liturgical literature and thus acquired a marginal character.

Syriac in Georgian Chant

Here is an amazingly beautiful setting of the Trisagion in East Syriac sung Georgian-style. It seems that part of the Assyrian population of the Republic of Georgia who belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church still use some Syriac liturgically.

Here the same priest, Fr Seraphim, reading the Gospel in East Syriac.

The Paschal Stichera in Syriac

Like my post about the Paschal Canon,  the text  here is based on Sinai Syriac 71 (ca. 11th century), f. 190r-190v. I have compared it with Sinai Syriac 4 (ca. 12th century), f. 56r-56v and Sinai Syriac 77 (1237 AD), ff. 71r-72r. Variant readings from the latter two manuscripts are given in footnotes below the jump. The final verse is only found in Sinai Syr. 77. As per usual, the translation is very free.

ܦܨܚܐ ܟܗܢܝܐ ܠܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܐܬܚܘܝ ܗܘܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܘܩܕܝܫܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܪܐܙܢܝܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܗܘ̇ ܕܠܟܠ ܡܩܕܫ.[1] ܦܨܚܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ ܡܚܪܪܢܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܕܠܐ ܡܘܡܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܪܒܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܕܡܗܝ̈ܡܢܐ. ܦܨܚܐ ܠܬܪ̈ܥܐ[2] ܕܦܪܕܝܣܐ ܦܬ̣ܚ ܗܘܐ ܩܕܡܝܢ. ܦܨܚܐ[3] ܗܘ̇ ܕܠܟܠ ܡܩܕܫ܀

ܬܐܝ̈ܝܢ. ܢܫ̈ܐ ܘܡܕܡ ܕܚܙ̈ܝܬܘܢ ܘܫ̈ܡܥܬܝܢ ܘܫܡ̈ܥܬܝܢ ܣܒܪ̈ܝܢ. ܘܠܨܗܝܘܢ ܕܝܢ ܐܡ̈ܪܝܢ. ܩܒܠܝ[4] ܡܢܢ ܗܫ ܣܒܪܬܐ ܕܚܕܘܬܐ ܫܒܝܚܬܐ. ܩܝܡܬܐ ܢܨܝܚܬܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ. ܘܚܕܝ. ܒܕܝܨܐ ܐܦ ܒܪܘܙܐ ܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ. ܒܡܫܝܚܐ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܠܟܟܝ ܗܘ̇ ܕܐܬܢܚܡ ܘܕܢܚ ܡܢ ܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ. ܐܟܙܢܐ ܕܚܬܢܐ ܡܢ ܐܘܘܢ[5] ܓܢܘܢܐ܀

 ܢܫ̈ܐ[6] ܟܕ ܛܥܝ̈ܢܢ ܗܪ̈ܘܡܐ. ܪ̈ܗܛܝ ܗܘ̈ܝ ܠܘܬ[7] ܩܒܪܐ. ܡܐܚܝܢܐ ܘܡܥܒܕ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܫܪܝܪ̈ܐ ܘܐܫܟܚ̈ܝ. ܡܠܐܟܐ[8] ܕܝ̇ܬܒ ܠܥܠ ܡܢ ܟܐܦܐ ܬܗܝܪܐܝܬ[9] ܟܕ ܡܙܥܩ ܠܘܬܗܝܢ ܚܕܝܐܝܬ ܘܐܡܪ[10] ܡ̇ܢ ܒܥ̈ܝܬܝܢ[11] ܠܝ̇ܗܒ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܒܝܬ ܥܢ̈ܝܕܐ ܠܡ̇ܢ[12] ܒܟ̈ܝܬܝܢ[13] ܠܗܘ̇  ܕܠܐ ܡܬܚܒܠ ܒܝܬ ܚܒܠܐ  ܙ̈ܠܝܢ ܐܟܪ̈ܙܝܢ ܘܣܒܪ̈ܝܢ ܠܬܠܡ̈ܝܕܐ[14] ܟܕ ܐܡܪ̈ܝܬܝܢ[15] ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡ ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܘܦܪܩ ܢܫ̈ܦܬܐ ܕܟܠܢ[16]܀

ܝܘܡܢܐ ܝܘܡܐ ܗܘ ܕܩܝܡܬܐ. ܬܘ ܟܘܠܢ ܡܗ̈ܝܡܢܐ. ܢܦܪܓ ܒܗ ܒܚܓܐ. ܢܬܠ[17] ܫܠܡܐ ܠܚܕ̈ܕܐ ܫܦܝܐܝܬ ܢܐܡܪ[18] ܒܚܘܒܐ ܐܚ̈ܐ. ܐܦ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܬܘܒ ܕܣ̈ܢܝܢ ܠܢ. ܢܫܦ[19] ܒܙܕܩܐ ܘܢܫܒܘܩ ܟܠܡܕܡ ܠܢܘܚܡܐ[20]. ܘܗܟܢܐ ܢܙܥܩ ܘܢܐܡܪ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡ ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܘܒܡܘܬܗ ܕܫܗ ܠܡܘܬܐ ܘܩܛܠܗ ܘܠܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܕܒܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ ܝܗܒ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܘܐܩܝܡ ܐܢܘܢ[21]܀

ܦܨܚܐ ܡܚܕܝܢܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܓܝܪ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܡܝܩܪܐ ܐܦ ܩܕܝܫ ܒܟܠ ܐܨܡܚ ܘܕܢܚ ܠܢ ܦܨܚܐ ܒܚܕܘܬܐ ܬܘ ܢܬܠ ܫܠܡܐ ܟܝܬ ܠܚܕ̈ܕܐ ܕܗܢ ܦܨܚܐ ܡܦܨܝܢܐ ܗܘ ܕܡܢ ܥܡ̈ܩܬܐ ܥܠ ܕܐܨܡܚ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܠܢܫ̈ܐ ܡܢ ܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ ܐܟܙܢܐ ܕܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܓܢܘܢܐ ܘܡܠܠ ܐܢܝ̈ܢ ܪܘܙܐ ܘܐܡܪ ܙܠܝ ܐܟܪ̈ܙܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܠܫ̈ܠܝܚܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡ ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܘܒܡܘܬܗ ܕܫܗ ܠܡܘܬܐ ܘܩܛܠܗ ܘܠܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܕܒܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ ܝܗܒ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܘܐܩܝܡ ܐܢܝܢ[22]܀

The Paschal Canon in Syriac

The Syriac version of Saint John of Damascus' Paschal Canon below is on the basis of Sinai Syriac 71 (ca. 11th century), ff. 186r-189v. I have compared it with Sinai Syriac 4 (ca. 12th century), 51v- 55v and Sinai Syriac 77 (1237 AD), ff. 65v-70r. Variant readings from the latter two manuscripts are given in footnotes below the jump. Because they were written in red and are mostly illegible in the scan, I've left out the rubrics as well as the kontakion between odes 6 and 7. As is typical, the translation is very free. A good English translation from the Greek, with extensive notes can be found here in pdf. 

In both Sinai Syriac 71 and 4, the Paschal Troparion is abbreviated, but the full text is given in ms 77, f. 65r:

ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡ ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܘܒܡܘܬܗ ܕܫܗ ܠܡܘܬܐ ܘܩܛܠܗ ܘܠܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܕܒܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ ܝܗܒ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܘܐܩܝܡ ܐܢܘܢ

Translated literally, it reads:

Christ rose from the dead. By death He trampled death and killed it. To the dead in the tombs He gave life and raised them.



The Paschal Canon of Saint John of Damascus:

ܝܘܡܐ ܗܘ ܕܩܝܡܬܐ ܬܘ ܟܠ ܥܡ̈ܡܐ[1] ܢܦܪܓ[2] ܒܚܓܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܗܘ ܓܝܪ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܡܢ ܡܘܬܐ ܓܝܪ ܠܘܬ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܘܡܢ ܐܪܥܐ ܠܗ̇ ܠܫܡܝܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܟܘܠܢ ܒܢܘܚܡܗ ܐܥܒܪ ܟܕ ܫܘܒܚܐ ܕܙܟܘܬܐ ܡܝܒܒܝܢܢ܀

ܢܬܕܟܐ ܒܪ̈ܓܫܐ ܘܒܗܘܢܐ[3] ܘܢܬܒܩܐ ܒܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܢܘܗܪܐ ܠܐܡܬܩܪܒܢܐ ܕܩܝܡܬܐ ܡܛܠܩܬ ܠܚܒܠܐ ܕܡܨܡܚ ܗܕܝܪܐܝܬ ܘܫܠܡܐ[4] ܥܡܟܘܢ ܡܙܥܩ ܒܚܕܘܬܐ ܓܠܝܐܝܬ ܢܫܡܥ ܟܕ ܫܘܒܚܐ ܕܙܟܘܬܐ ܡܝܒܒܝܢ܀

ܫܡܝܐ ܕܠܥܠ ܥܡ ܟܠ ܕܒܗܘܢ ܙܕܩܐܝܬ ܢܚܕܘܢ ܬܪܘܙ ܕܝܢ[5] ܐܪܥܐ ܕܠܬܚܬ ܢܥܕܥܕ ܬܘܒ[6] ܥܠܡܐ ܘܢܚܓܐ ܡܬܚܙܝܢܐ ܐܟܚܕܐ ܥܡ ܠܐܡܬܚܙܝܢܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܓܝܪ ܩܡ ܘܐܬܢܚܡ ܙܟܘܬܐ ܫܪܝܪܬܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ܀

ܬܘ ܡܗܝ̈ܡܢܐ ܢܫܬܐ ܫܩܝܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܠܘ ܡܢ ܟܐܦܐ ܒܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ ܪܕܐ ܠܐܡܦܪܝܢܝܬܐ[7] ܐܠܐ ܡܥܝܢܐ ܕܠܐ ܚܒܠܐ ܕܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ ܐܬܡܛܪܬ ܥܠܝܢ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܕܒܗ ܟܘܠܢ ܡܬܥܫܢܝܢܢ܀

ܗܫܐ ܟܘܠܐ ܐܬܡܠܝ ܚܕܘܬܐ ܫܡܝܐ ܘܐܪܥܐ ܐܟܚܕܐ ܘܐܦ ܗܠܝܢ ܕܬܚܝܬ ܐܪܥܐ ܢܥܕܥܕ ܕܝܢ ܥܠܡܐ ܘܢܚܓܐ ܒܝܘܡ ܩܝܡܬܗ ܡܫܒܚܬܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ ܕܒܗ̇ ܟܘܠܢ[8] ܡܬܥܫܢܝܢܢ܀

ܐܬܡܠ ܥܡܟ ܡܨܛܠܒ ܗܘܝܬ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܐܟܚܕܐ ܩ̇ܐܡ ܐܢܐ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܒܩܝܡܬܐ ܕܝܠܟ ܥܡܟ ܡܬܩܒܪ ܗܘܝܬ ܐܬܡܠ ܐܫܘܢܝ ܡܪܝ ܕܐܦ ܥܡܟ ܐܫܬܒܚ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܟ ܫܡܝܢܝܬܐ܀

ܥܠ ܡܛܪܬܐ ܐܠܗܝܬܐ ܗܘ̇ ܡܡܠܠ ܟܗ̈ܢܝܬܐ ܚܒܩܘܩ ܢܩܘܡ ܗܫܐ ܥܡܢ ܘܢܚܘܐ ܠܢ ܡܠܐܟܐ ܡܥܛܦ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܕܬܩܝܦܐܝܬ ܡܙܥܩ ܟܕ ܐܡ̇ܪ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܦܘܪܩܢܐ ܠܟܠܗ ܥܠܡܐ ܡܛܠ ܕܩܡ ܠܗ ܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܓܢܒܪ ܥ̈ܠܡܐ܀

ܕܟܪܐ ܡ̇ܢ ܐܝܟ[9] ܐܝܢܐ ܕܦ̇ܬܚ ܡܪܒܥܐ ܗܘ̇[10] ܒܬܘܠܝܐ ܕܐܡܗ ܐܬܚܘܝ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܐܝܟ ܐܪܥܢܐ ܡܬܐܟܠܢܐ ܐܡܪܐ ܐܬܟܢܝ ܕܠܐ ܡܘܡ ܕܝܢ ܐܟܡܢ[11] ܕܠܐ ܛܥܡܗ̇ ܠܚܛܝܬܐ ܗܘ̇ ܦܨܚܐ ܚܝܐ ܕܝܠܢ ܘܐܝܟ ܐܠܗܐ ܫܪܝܪܐ 

 ܡܫܡܠܝܐ ܬܘܒ ܡܬܐܡܪ܀

 ܐܝܟ ܐܡܪܐ ܒܪ ܫܢܬܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܟܠܝܠܐ ܕܨܒܬܢ ܗܘ̇ ܕܡܒܪܟ ܟܠܝܠ ܫܢܬܐ ܒܪ̈ܚܡܘܗܝ ܨܒܝܢܐܝܬ ܐܬܕܒܚ ܚܠܦ ܟܠܗ ܥܠܡܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܚܝܐ ܘܡܕܟܝܢܐ ܘܬܘܒ ܡܢܕܪܝܫ ܒܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܐܠܗܝܬܐ ܡܢ ܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ ܐܬܢܚܡ ܫܡܫܐ ܕܙܕܝܩܘܬܐ܀

ܗܘ̇ ܐܒܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ[12] ܕܘܝܕ ܩܕܡ ܩܐܒܘܬܐ ܛܠܠܝܬܐ ܪܩ̇ܕ ܟܕ ܕ̇ܐܨ ܚܢܢ ܕܝܢ ܡܗܝ̈ܡܢܐ ܥܡܐ ܡܩܕܫܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܟܕ ܠܡܦܩܢܐ ܕܫܘܕܥܐ ܕܪ̈ܐܙܐ ܚܙܝܢܢ ܬܘ ܢܚܕܐ ܐܠܗܐܝܬ ܡܛܠ ܕܩܡ ܠܗ ܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܓܢܒܪ ܥ̈ܠܡܐ܀

ܡܗܝ̈ܡܢܐ ܢܩܕܡ ܒܫܦܪܐ ܥܡܝܩܐ ܘܚܠܦ ܗܪ̈ܘܡܐ ܬܫܒ̈ܚܬܐ ܪܘܚ̈ܢܝܬܐ ܠܡܪܢ ܢܩܪܒ ܘܠܡܫܝܚܐ ܢܚܙܐ ܒܗܘܢܐ ܫܡܫܐ ܪܒܐ ܕܙܕܝܩܘܬܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܐ ܚ̈ܕܬܐ ܡܕܢܚ ܥܠ ܥܠܡܐ܀

ܬܘ ܢܬܩܪܒ ܫܩ̈ܝܠܝ ܠܡܦ̈ܝܕܐ ܠܡܫܝܚܐ ܕܢܦܩ ܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ ܐܝܟ[13] ܕܠܚܬܢܐ[14] ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܓܢܘܢܐ ܘܢܥܕܥܕ ܐܠܗܐܝܬ ܥܡ ܬܓ̈ܡܐ ܪ̈ܚܡܝ ܥ̈ܐܕܐ ܕܠܥܠ ܦܨܚܐ ܦܪܘܩܝܐ ܕܐܠܗܢ[15]܀

 ܪ̈ܚܡܐ ܫܦ̈ܝܥܐ ܠܟ ܕܠܐܡܬܬܟ̈ܝܠܝܢ ܡܝ̈ܬܐ ܕܐܚܝ̈ܕܝܢ ܒܐܣܘܪ̈ܐ ܩܫ̈ܝܐ ܕܫܝܘܠ ܟܕ ܚܙܘ ܒܐܬܪܗܘܢ ܠܘܬ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܐܣܬܪܗܒܘ ܗܘܘ ܒܪܓܠܐ ܕܡܩܝܙܐ ܘܢܩܫܘ ܟܦܐ ܦܨܚܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ܀

ܢܚܬܬ ܒܢܦܫܐ ܠܥܘܡ̈ܩܐ ܕܬܚ̈ܬܝܬܗ̇ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܘܬܒܪܬ ܣܘܟܪ̈ܐ ܐܦ ܡܘܟ̈ܠܐ ܐܚ̈ܘܕܝܗܘܢ ܕܡܢ ܥܠܡ ܕܐܣܝܪ̈ܐ[16] ܕܫܝܘܠ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܠܬ̈ܠܬܐ ܝܘ̈ܡܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܡܢ ܡܥ̈ܝ ܢܘܢܐ ܝܘܢܢ ܐܬܩܝ̣ܡܬ[17] ܡܢ ܓܘ ܩܒܪܐ܀

ܟܕ ܡܫܘ̈ܙܒܐ ܢܛܪܬ ܠܚܬܡ̈ܐ ܕܩܒܪܐ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡܬ ܒܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܡܢ ܓܘܗ ܐܢܬ ܕܠܛܒ̈ܥܐ ܕܒܬܘܠܬܐ ܠܐ ܐܟܝܬ ܒܡܘܠܕܟ ܕܗܘܐ ܒܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ ܘܦܬܚܬ ܠܢ ܒܝܕ ܢܘܚܡܟ ܬܪ̈ܥܐ ܫܒܝ̈ܚܐ ܕܦܪܕܝܣܐ܀

ܦܪܘܩܝ ܕܝܠܝ ܗܘ̇ ܦܨܚܐ ܚܝܐ ܒܟܠܙܒܢ ܘܠܐܩܛܝܠܐ[18] ܐܝܟ ܐܠܗܐ ܨܒܝܢܐܝܬ ܟܕ ܩܪܒܬ ܢܦܫܟ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܐܒܐ ܐܟܚܕܐ ܐܩܝܡܬܝܗܝ ܠܟܠܗ ܓܢܣܗ ܕܐܕܡ ܟܕ ܐܬܢܚܡܬ ܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ܀

ܗܘ̇ ܕܒܙܒܢ ܫܘܙܒ[19] ܒܐܬܘܢܐ ܠܛ̈ܠܝܐ ܟܕ ܨܒ̣ܐ ܘܗܘܐ ܒܪܢܫܐ ܚܫ[20] ܐܝܟ ܡܝܘܬܐ ܘܒܝܕ ܚܫܗ ܠܡ̈ܝܘܬܐ ܦܐܝܘܬܐ[21] ܐܠܒܫ[22] ܕܠܐܡܬܚܒܠܢܘܬܐ[23] ܗܘ̇ ܟܝܬ ܕܒܠܚܘܕܘܗܝ ܡܒܪܟܐ ܘܡܥܠܝ ܒܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܐܒܗ̈ܬܢ܀

ܢܫ̈ܐ ܒܨܦܪܐ ܟܕ ܛܥܝ̈ܢܢ ܗܪ̈ܘܡܐ ܒܬܪܟ ܪ̈ܗܛܝ ܗ̈ܘܝ ܦܪܘܩܢ ܠܗܘ̇ ܕܝܢ ܕܐܝܟ ܡܝܬܐ ܒܕܡܥ̈ܐ ܒܥ̈ܝܢ ܗܘ̈ܝ ܐܦ ܒܟ̈ܝܢ ܗ̈ܦܟܝ ܣܓ̈ܕܝ ܟܕ ܚܕ̈ܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܠܐܗܐ ܚܝܐ ܘܦܨܚܐ ܬܘܒ ܪܐܙܢܝܐ ܠܬܠܡ̈ܝܕܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ ܣܒ̈ܪܝ ܗܘ̈ܝ ܟܕ ܚܕ̈ܝܢ܀

ܡܝܬܘܬܗ ܕܡܘܬܐ ܡܥܕܥܕܝܢܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܣܬܘܪܝܗ̇[24] ܕܫܝܘܠ ܕܘܝܬܐ ܘܪܝܫܝܬܐ[25] ܚܕܬܐ ܕܕܘܒܪ[26] ܚܝ̈ܐ ܕܠܐ ܣܟܐ ܘܟܕ ܕܝ̈ܨܝܢܢ ܕܝܢ ܢܫܒܚܘܗܝ ܠܥܠܬܐ ܕܗܠܝܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܗܘ̇[27] ܕܒܠܚܘܕܘܗܝ ܡܒܪܟܐ ܘܡܥܠܝ[28]܀

ܡܐ ܒܫܪܪܐ ܟܗܢܝ ܒܟܠ ܘܥܐܕܐܢܝܐ[29] ܠܠܝܐ ܗܢܐ ܡܐܚܝܢܐ ܘܡܨܡܚܢܐ ܕܢܘܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܡܐ ܡܥܛܦ ܟܠ[30] ܡܒܪܩܘܬܐ ܕܡܩܕܡ ܡܫܘܕܥ ܠܩܝܡܬܐ ܡܫܒܚܬܐ ܕܒܗ̇ ܗܘ̣ ܢܘܗܪܐ ܕܠܐ ܙܒܢܐ ܠܬܠܡܝ̈ܕܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܬܗܪܐ ܡܣܬܒܪ ܗܘܐ܀

ܗܢܘ ܝܘܡܐ ܩܪܝܐ ܘܩܕܝܫܐ ܘܡܥܒܕ ܚܝ̈ܐ ܚܕ ܒܫܒܐ ܡܠܝ[31] ܟܠ ܫܘܦܪ̈ܝܢ ܡܠܟܐ ܘܡܪܐ ܕܟܠ ܝܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܥܕܥܐܕܐ ܕܥܕܥ̈ܐܕܐ ܘܚܓܐ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܕܟܠ ܚܓ̈ܝܢ ܕܦܘܪܩܢܐ ܕܓܢܣܢ ܕܒܗ ܗܘ̣ ܡܒܪ̈ܟܝܢܢ ܠܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܟܠܙܒܢ ܘܠܥܠܡܝܢ܀

ܬܘ ܗܫ ܕܠܝܠܕܐ ܕܓܦܬܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܢܫܬܐ ܒܚܕܘܬܐ ܐܠܗܝܬܐ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܝܕܥܐ ܕܥܕܥܐܕܐ ܕܩܝܡܬܐ ܡܫܒܚܬܐ ܕܒܡܟܘܬܗ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ ܢܫܬܘܐ ܟܕ ܕܝ̈ܨܝܢܢ ܘܡܒܪ̈ܟܝܢܢ ܠܗ ܠܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܟܠܙܒܢ ܘܠܥܠܡܝܢ[32]܀

ܐܪܝܡܝ ܥܝ̈ܢܝܟܝ ܠܚܕܪ̈ܝܟܝ ܥܕܬܐ ܨܗܝܘܢ ܘܚܙܝ ܗܐ ܓܝܪ ܐܬܝ̈ܢ ܠܟܝ ܒܫܘܒܚܐ ܢܗܝܪ̈ܐ ܡܨܡܚ̈ܝ ܒܐܠܗܐ ܡܢ ܡܕܢܚܐ ܘܡܢ ܡܥܪܒܐ ܘܡܢ ܓܪܒܝܐ ܐܦ ܡܢ ܝܡܐ ܬܘܒ ܒܢ̈ܝܐ ܥܡܝ̈ܕܐ ܕܒܟܝ ܢܒܪ̈ܟܘܢ ܠܦܪܘܩܗܘܢ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܟܠܙܒܢ ܘܠܥܠܡܝܢ܀

ܐܒܐ ܐܚܝܕ ܟܠ ܘܒܪܐ ܝ̣ܚܝܕܝܐ ܘܪܘܚܩܘܕܫܐ ܟܝܢܐ ܕܒ̈ܬܠܬܐ ܩܢܘ̈ܡܐ ܡܬܝܚܕ ܠܥܠ ܡܢ ܪܥܝܢܐ ܡܥܠܝ ܒܗ̇ ܒܐܘܣܝܐ ܘܡܥܠܝ ܬܘܒ ܒܐܠܗܘܬܐ ܒܟ ܥܡܝ̈ܕܝܢܢ ܘܠܟ ܒܠܚܘܕܝܟ ܡܒܪ̈ܟܝܢܢ ܒܟܠܙܒܢ ܘܠܥܠܡ 
ܥܠܡܝܢ[33]܀

ܩܘܡܝ ܐܢܗܪܝ ܩܘܡܝ ܐܢܗܪܝ ܥܕܬܐ ܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܗܝ̇ ܚܕܬܐ ܗܐ ܓܝܪ ܬܫܒܘܚܬܗ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܥܠܝܟܝ ܫܒܝܚܐܝܬ ܗܫ ܕܢܚܬ ܚܕܝ[34] ܘܪܘܙܝ ܘܐܬܦܨܚܝ ܨܗܝܘܢ ܫܒܝܚܬܐ ܐܢܬܝ ܕܝܢ ܕܟܝܬܐ ܚܕܝ ܝܠܕܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܒܩܝܡܬܗ ܕܝܠܕܟܝ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܣܒܪܢ܀

ܐܘ ܠܒܪܬ ܩܠܐ ܫܒܝܚܬܐ ܚܠܝܬܐ ܟܝܬ ܐܦ ܐܠܗܝܬܐ ܥܡܢ ܓܝܪ ܫܪܝܪܐܝܬ ܐܫܬܘܕܝܬ ܕܬܗܘܐ ܟܠܝܘܡ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܫܘܠܡܗ ܕܥܠܡܐ ܐܘ[35] ܡܫܝܚܐ ܕܠܗ ܚܢܢ ܡܗܝ̈ܡܢܐ ܐܝܟ ܐܘܩܝܢܐ ܕܣܒܪܐ ܟܕ ܐܚܝܕܝܢܢ ܟܘܠܢ[36] ܡܘܪ̈ܒܝܢܢ܀

ܐܘ ܦܨܚܐ ܗܘ̇ ܪܒܐ ܘܟܗܢܝ ܒܟܠ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܡܐܚܝܢܢ ܐܘ ܡܠܬܐ ܘܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܨܡܚܐ ܘܚܝܠܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܐܒܐ ܐܫܘܐ ܠܢ ܡܪܝܐ ܕܝܬܝܪ ܓܠܝܐܝܬ ܒܦܨܚܟ ܢܫܬܘ ܐܦ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܗܘ̇ ܕܠܐ ܪܡܫܐ ܒܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܝܠܟ ܫܡܝܢܝܬܐ܀

"Today is Hung upon the Tree" in Syriac

The Syriac text below, is taken from Sinai Syriac 77, ff. 54v-55r. This manuscript was copied at Sinai by Shem'on bar Ma'la bar Abu Fadl from the town of Maaloula, who finished it on July 5, 1237. 

ܝܘܡܢܐ ܐܬܬܠܝ ܒܩܝܣܐ ܕܨܠܝܒܐ ܗܘ̇ ܕܬܠܹܐ ܠܐܪܥܐ ܥܠ ܡ̈ܝܐ.

ܟܠܝܠܐ ܚܣܕܐ ܕܡ̣ܢ ܟܘܒ̈ܐ ܐܬܬܣܝ̣ܡ ܗܘܐ ܒܪܝܫܗ̣ ܕܗܘ̇ ܡ̇ܠܟܐ ܓܢܝܙܐ ܕܡ̈ܠܐܟܐ.

ܘܢܚ̈ܬܐ ܕܐܪ̈ܓܘܢܐ ܒܒܙܚܐ ܐܬܥܛܦ ܗܘܐ ܗܘ̇ ܡ̇ܪܐ ܕܡܟ̇ܣܐ ܫܡܝܐ ܒܥ̈ܢܢܐ.

ܫܘܩܦ ܦܟܐ ܘܪܘܩܐ ܩ̇ܒ̣ܠ ܗܘ̇ ܕܒܝܘܪܕܢܢ ܢܗܪܐ ܚܪܪ ܠܐܕܡ ܡ̣ܢ ܥܒܕܘܬܐ.

ܩܘܒܥ ܨܨ̈ܐ ܣܝܒܪ ܗܘ̇ ܪܥܝܐ ܡܪܐ ܕܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ.

ܘܐܦ ܕܩܝܪܘܬ ܪܘܡܚܐ ܐܡܪܐ ܕܚ̈ܝܐ ܒܪܗ̇ ܕܒܬܘܠܬܐ.

ܣ̈ܓܕܝܢܢ ܠܚ̈ܫܝܟ ܕܚܠܦܝܢ ܡܫܝܚܐ.

ܚ̇ܘܢ ܒܪ̈ܚܡܝܟ ܠܩܝܡܬܟ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܘܡܫܒܚܬܐ.

As is common with many Syriac versions of Greek hymns the translation is not entirely literal in order to fit the Greek meter. The Syriac reads:

Today is hung on the wood of the cross He who hung the earth on the water.

A shameful crown of thorns was placed upon the head of the invisible King of angels.

ܑHe was mockingly wrapped in robes of purple, the Lord who hides the heavens with clouds.

He received a blow on the cheek and spit, He who in the River Jordan freed Adam from slavery.

He endured the driving of nails, the Shepherd, Lord of Praise.

Also the spear's stab, the Lamb of Life, Son of the Virgin.

We worship Your sufferings for our sake, Christ.

Show us in Your mercy Your praised and holy resurrection.

Downloadable Articles on Arab Orthodox History

Academia.edu has done a lot to democratize access to academic articles. Linked below are recent articles pertinent to Arab Orthodoxy that can be viewed and downloaded there....



André Binggeli
--Un ancien calendrier melkite de Jérusalem (Sinaï syr. M52N)

Carlos Martínez Carrasco
--La visión inicial del Islam por el Cristianismo oriental. Siglos VII-X

Géraldine Chatelard
--The Constitution of Christian Communal Boundaries and Spheres in Jordan

Elie Dannaoui
--The Arabic Translations of the Lectionary

Daniel Galadza
 Liturgical Byzantinization in Jerusalem: Al-Biruni’s Melkite Calendar in Context
 Worship of the Holy City in Captivity: The Liturgical Byzantinization of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem After the Arab Conquest (8th-13th c.)

Aurélien Girard
--Quand les « grecs-catholiques » dénonçaient les « grecs-orthodoxes » : la controverse confessionnelle au Proche-Orient arabe après le schisme de 1724

Grigory Kessel
--Bibliography of Syriac and Christian Arabic Studies in Russian, 2010-2012

Paolo Maria Leo Cesare Maggiolini
--The Influence of Latin-Melkite Relations in the Land of Transjordan From the Rebirth of the Latin --Patriarchate to the Foundation of the Archdiocese of Petra and Philadelphia (1866-1930)
--Religious communities and tribal culture in Ottoman Transjordan The overlap of two different cultural horizons
--Transjordan during the 19th century. Reconsidering the relation between Arab tribes and Christian religious communities
--The Modern Image of the Holy Land Through the Manuscripts of Some Christian Missionaries

Samuel Noble
--Handlist of Manuscripts at the Antiochian Heritage Library, Ligonier PA
--The Concept of God's Unity according to Abdallah ibn al-Fadl al-Antaki
--(with Alexander Treiger) Christian Arabic Theology in Byzantine Antioch 'Abdallāh ibn al-Faḍl al-Anṭākī and his Discourse on the Holy Trinity

Arietta Papaconstantinou
--Between umma and dhimma. The Christians of the Middle East under the Umayyads

Scott Parker
--The Indigenous Christians of the Arabic Middle East in an Age of Crusaders, Mongols, and Mamlūks (1244-1366)

Tamara Pataridze
--Christian Literature Translated from Arabic into Georgian

Paolo La Spisa
--Fonti indirette e nuove fonti manoscritte nell'opera teologica di Sulayman al-Ghazzi
--Les versions arabes du Martyre de Saint Aréthas
--UN TRATTATO SUL MICROCOSMO DI SULAYMĀN IBN ḤASAN AL-ĠAZZĪ


Jakub Sypiański
--Arabo-Byzantine Traffic of Manuscripts and the Connection between the Greco-Arabic Translation --Movement and the First Byzantine ‘Renaissance’ (9th–10th Centuries)

Vera Tchentsova
--La correspondance du patriarche d’Antioche Athanase IV Dabbâs avec la cour russe : à propos de l’imprimerie arabe d’Alep
--Le premier voyage du patriarche d’Antioche Macaire III Ibn al-Zaʽîm à Moscou et dans les Pays roumains : 1652-1659


Berge Traboulsi
--Some Aspects of Protestant-Orthodox Relations in Modern Times, a Historical Analysis

Alexander Treiger
--A Unified Bibliography on Christian Arabic (2000-2012)
--‘Abdallāh ibn al-Faḍl al-Anṭākī (11th-century translator and Arab Christian Theologian)

--Ṣāliḥ ibn Sa‘īd al-Masīḥī (Christodoulos) (11th-century Arab Christian author of Marginal Notes)
--Michael al-Sim‘ānī, The Arabic Vita of St. John of Damascus

Ronny Vollandt
--Some Historiographical Remarks on Medieval and Early-Modern Scholarship of Biblical Versions in Arabic: A Status Quo