Syriac studies is the study of the Syriac language and

Syriac Christianity Syriac Christianity ( syr, ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ / ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a distinctive branch of Eastern Christianity, whose formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are e ...

. A specialist in Syriac studies is known as a Syriacist. Specifically, British, French, and German scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries who were involved in the study of Syriac/Aramaic language and literature were commonly known by this designation, at a time when the Syriac language was little understood outside Assyrian,

Syriac Christian Syriac Christianity ( syr, ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ / ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a distinctive branch of Eastern Christianity, whose formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are exp ...

and Maronite Christian communities. In Germany the field of study is distinguished between ''Aramaistik'' (Aramaic studies) and ''Neuaramaistik'' (Neo-Aramaic (Syriac) studies). At universities Syriac studies are mostly incorporated into a more 'general' field of studies, such as

Eastern Christianity Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent a ...

at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Aramaic studies at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

and

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of L ...

at Duke University, or

Semitic studies Semitic studies, or Semitology, is the academic field dedicated to the studies of Semitic languages and literatures and the history of the Semitic-speaking peoples. A person may be called a ''Semiticist'' or a ''Semitist'', both terms being equi ...

at the

Freie Universität Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

. Most students learn the Syriac language within a biblical studies program. Conferences for Syriac studies include the Symposium Syriacum, the Section "Bible and Syriac Studies in Context" at the International Meetings of the

Society of Biblical Literature The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), founded in 1880 as the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, is an American-based learned society dedicated to the academic study of the Bible and related ancient literature. Its current stated mis ...

, and the Section "Syriac Literature and Interpretations of Sacred Texts" at the Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature. Syriac academic journals include the annual ''Oriens Christianus'' (

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

) and ''Syriac Studies Today''. ''

Syriaca.org ''Syriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portal'' is a digital portal for the academic study of the Syriac language and culture. The portal is maintained by Princeton and Vanderbilt Universities, and aims to link together information relating to Syria ...

'' is a centralized academic portal for Syriac studies.

References

External links

* Sebastian P. Brock
The Contribution of Departed Syriacists, 1997-2006†
HUGOYE: JOURNAL OF SYRIAC STUDIES {{Regional Cultural Studies * Syriac Christianity Middle Eastern studies Aramaic languages Cultural studies Semitic studies

See also

References

External links