Syriac 1
CH 3P1071/TH 3P1101/OT 3P1111/NT 3P1151
Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic. It is one of the oldest languages in the Middle East. Historically, it has been the language of religion, literature, history, and communication. It was and still is used in many churches as a liturgical and communication language. This course is the first, focusing on learning the Syriac language from the beginning. By the end of the period, students can read, write, and translate classical Syriac with help from a dictionary.
Knowing
- To know Syriac Christianity and its significance in developing Christian theology and spirituality in the early church.
- One can find many essential writers and appreciate Syriac authors in the early church.
Being
- Explore the language to study the Old and New Testaments in the Peshitta and the texts written by the Syriac authors. Also, to enlarge their understanding to witness the Lord’s Word in serving society, glorify the Lord, and comprehend the correct meaning of the Scripture.
Doing
- To develop each student’s ability to read, translate, and understand the texts written in Syriac.
- To make students capable of analyzing these texts written only in Syriac languages by the Syriac authors, e.g., Aphrahat, Ephrem, Jacob of Serug and others.