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i ORAN EtHO A BRIEF OUTLINE OF SYRIAC LITERATURE by Sebastian Paul Brock St. EPHREM ECUMENICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SEERI) BAKER HILL, KOTTAYAM - 686 001 INDIA 2009 (Revised Edition) ^ Iic^vvm t.\ ILibns il'»rtl) i+lartuitlio ILibiatP The Malphono George Anton Kiraz Collection Ls'i'i Lo h>N-iX c*^. . v.. Ll.1 °\ llcilov Sv»~> 1 -X m v loou V>_*5 ftlV . .V m °i 0| .10 Ol*k*M L.S.CPJ 1 ' °lX CL. ^ L_3Oj0 I.\m >S>. looo ?iA.i l«\to oSs. \>N. v c-^v_aoc*S>. f °i.->■. Lia^. -Vi'-'' ^ Anyone who asks tor tins volume, to read, collate, or cop\ from it, and who appropriates it to himselt or herself, or cuts anything out ot it, should realize that (s)he will have to give answer before CkhTs awesome tribunal as it (s)he had robbed a sanctuary. Let such a person be held anathema and receive no forgiveness until the book is returned. So be it, \men! \nd anyone who removes these anathemas, digitally or otherwise, shall himselt receive them in double. Moran ’Eth’o - 9 A BRIEF OUTLINE OF SYRIAC LITERATURE by Sebastian Paul Brock St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute (SEERI) Baker Hill, Kottayam 686 001, Kerala, India 2008 Moran 'Eth'd - 9 A Brief Outline of Syriac Literature Ss Sebastian Paul 5rock XC\V 0 E '0 z st Eo t o' o. o s^eo ■' ‘EE' >ooo ' no : o ' os <oo.\ o ' o coo o. o o^oo ' EECS w r. o <"eo o\ St Eol" ;?’" Eo.-e-'oo ao<oo o" 'st tJte SEE^ Soso - \otto\a- S5S.\"‘ \e'o o o '0 E Vo to <oo o'o<' ' -oo oEootoo'o ' \NoOS to >\\sss <00 0 0 . ^< :s: 00 ' ><• ; . \ - . . ....... V n. o ‘5 - oostooo oo ooo Sts o os o. t *s or ro sooot s o \ortos o " r ' ; * » V V v* » . . . . . St 's*3 s - .0' » Vo ' 'o 'o — \ortoso CONTENTS PREFACE I A BIRD’S EYE VIEW: THE MAIN PERIODS 1 II THE SECULAR AND ECCLESIASTICAL 2 BACKGROUND a) Periods A-C (2nd to 7th cent.) b) Periods D-F (7th to 21st cent.) III MAIN AUTHORS AND WRITINGS OF THE SIX PERIODS 7 A. 2nd to 3rd centuries B. 4th century C. 5th to mid 7th century a) 5th century b) 5th/6th century c) 6th century d) 6th/7th century D. Mid 7th to 13th century a) second half 7th century b) 7th/8th century c) 8th century d) 8th/9th century e) 9th century f) 1 Oth century g) 11th century h) 12th century i) 13th century E. 14th to 19th century F. 20th and 21 st century Appendix: Chronological list IV TRANSLATIONS INTO SYRIAC 79 V SUMMARY GUIDE TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS 84 VI PARTICULAR TOPICS 102 a) Bible b) Exegesis c) Liturgy d) Canon Law e) Monastic literature and spirituality f) Chronicles g) Secular literature VII SELECT GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 131 a) Introductions to Svriac literature r J b) Monographs on some important Syriac authors c) Specific topics: Early history' of the Syriac Churches Topography Spirituality Hagiography d) Series of texts, main relevant periodicals and encyclopaedias e) Collected volumes 0 History of Syriac studies g) Bibiography h) Syriac manuscript collections i) Grammars and dictionaries j) Anthologies VIII SAMPLE PASSAGES FROM SOME MORE IMPORTANT WRITINGS 150 a) Syriac authors b) Translations into Syriac INDEX OF NAMES (to III) 281 Preface This outline of Syriac literature aims to provide no more than an initial orientation to the subject. The number of authors covered has deliberately been limited to the more important (or, in some cases, the more accessible); furthermore, although it is emphasised that the history of Syriac literature is a continuous one, right up to the present day, the focus of this outline has been on the period up to the early fourteenth century. The reasons for this limitation are largely practical ones: Syriac literature of the period up to about 1300 is often of particular significance and importance, and accordingly the editing of Syriac texts has largely been confined to authors of this period; but it should be noted that even here many important works remain unpublished, and reference has on occasion been made to these. On the whole, however, the writers selected and the works specifically mentioned in Chapters III (Syriac authors) and IV (translations into Syriac) are for the most part confined to those which are available in published form; in Chapter III (and likewise VIII) the most important authors are mdicated by means of an asterisk1. Indication is also given of the availability of an English translation (and/or, on occasion, of translations into other modem European languages): thus ET=English translation, FT = French tr., GT = German tr., etc.; details of these are given 1 It should be noted that in Chapters IV and V the asterisk serves a differ¬ ent purpose: in Chapter IV (Translations into Syriac) it indicates that the Greek original is wholly or largely lost, while in Chapter V (Summary guide to English translations), it indicates that the Syriac original is also provided, as well as the English translation. later, in Chapter V. In Chapter VI preliminary guidance is given to certain specific types of Syriac literature, while Chapter VII provides a selection of more general secondary literature. In order to give the reader a first impression of the variety to be found within Syriac literature, a selection of short samples in translation is offered in Chapter VI11. This Brief Outline, first published in 1997, was written primarily in order to meet the needs of students taking the M A course in Syriac language and literature at SEERI, though it was hoped that it might at the same time prove to be of some interest to a wider readership as well. In this second edition the bibliographical infoimation in Chapters V-VII has been updated, and at the same time the opportunity has been taken to re-order certain of the chapters, in order to provide a more logical sequence. Once again, I am most grateful to the indefatigable Director of SEERI, the Revd Dr Jacob Thekeparampil, for undertaking the publication of this new edition. Sebastian Paul Brock Oxford, England Commemoration of Mor Gregorios 30th July, 2008 Yuhanon bar'Ebroyo