This course aims to provide an introduction to the world of Syriac texts in editions and manuscripts. It focuses both on texts that were originally written in Syriac, and texts that are translations from the Greek. After two lessons on editions, we will examine mostly manuscripts. The classes last 90 minutes, on Thursdays, from 12.30 pm.
Before the reading classes, there is an introduction to the text, author, or topic.
The lessons are conceived as a workshop and laboratory, in which the students exercise their Syriac, learn to read manuscripts, raise questions about them, discuss them as a group, become acquainted with the main offline and online resources, with secondary literature, and methodology.
The assignments to be completed outside class include translating texts, deciphering manuscripts and identify their main features, exploring online resources, comparing material, and reading literature indicated in the bibliography. We translate parts of the texts together, while the students translate other parts by themselves, outside class.
[Mandatory readings: *]
1. Thursday 9 May
A) Introduction to the course.
Description of the aim of the course. Brief introduction to the Syriac world and literature, and the main Syriac authors. Description of the main series which publish editions of Syriac texts (CSCO, PO, SC, GO). Syriac scripts. Brief introduction to manuscripts with pictures of the different manuscripts that we will use (this will be done in more detail later). Presentation of the bibliography. Questions.
B) John the Solitary: his identity, edited and unedited works, influence on later mysticism. His work On Prayer. We translate together the paragraphs 1-2.
Homework: translate paragraphs 3-4.
Texts:
S.P. Brock (ed.),“John the Solitary. On Prayer”, Journal of Theological Studies 30:1(1979), pp. 84-101.
Literature:
P. Bettiolo, “Syriac Literature”, in di Berardino (ed.) Patrology: The Eastern Fathers from the Council of Chalcedon (451) to John of Damascus (†750), Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, 2006, pp. 407-490.
* B. Bitton-Ashkelony, “‘More Interior than the Lips and the Tongue’: John of Apamea and Silent Prayer in Late Antiquity”, Journal of Early Christian Studies, 20:2 (2012), pp. 303-331.
* S.P Brock, An Introduction to Syriac Studies (Gorgias Handbooks), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2017 (give special attention to the chapter “The Delight of Manuscripts”, pp. 75-80)
* P. Borbone, F. Briquel-Chatonnet, “Syriac Manuscripts”, in A. Bausi at al. (eds), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 57-59.
F. Briquel-Chatonnet, “Writing Syriac: Manuscripts and Inscriptions”, in D. King (ed.), The Syriac World (Routledge Worlds), London and New York: Routledge, 2019, pp. 243-265.
M. Mundell Mango, “The Production of Syriac Manuscripts, 400-700 AD” in G. Cavallo, G. de Gregorio and M. Maniaci (eds), Scritture, libri e testi nelle aree provinciali di Bisanzio, vol. 1, Spoleto, 1991, pp. 161-179 + figs.
2. Thursday 16 May
A) East-Syriac ascetic-mystical literature; the heritage of Abraham of Kashkar; between Greek and Syriac influences (John the Solitary and Evagrius Ponticus). Introduction to Evagrius and his On Prayer.
B) Syriac translations from Greek; trends, epochs, translation styles.
C) Reading of Evagrius, On Prayer, chapters 1-10.
Homework: continue translation (chapters 11-20), read literature, explore resources.
Texts:
I. Hausherr, “Le De oratione d’Évagre le Pontique en syriaque et en arabe”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica 5, pp. 7-71 (1939).
P. Géhin (ed.), Évagre le Pontique. Chapitres sur la prière (Sources chrétiennes 589), Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 2017.
R.E. Sinkewicz, Evagrius of Pontus. The Greek Ascetic Corpus, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 193-195.
Literature :
S.P. Brock, Spirituality in the Syriac Tradition (Mōrān ’Eth’ō 2), Kottayam: St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute, 1989.
S. Chialà, “Les mystiques syro-orientaux: une école ou une époque?”, in A. Desreumaux (ed.) Les mystiques syriaques (Études syriaques 8), Paris: Geuthner, 2011, pp. 63-78.
R. Beulay, La lumière sans forme. Introduction à l’étude de la mystique chrétienne syro-orientale, Chevetogne: Éditions de Chevetogne, 1987.
* B. Bitton-Ashkelony, The Ladder of Prayer and the Ship of Stirrings: The Praying Self in Late Antique East Syrian Christianity (Late Antique History and Religion 22), Leuven: Peeters, 2019 (read one chapter of your choice).
G. Kessel, K. Pinggéra, A Bibliography of Syriac Ascetic and Mystical Literature (Eastern Christian Studies 11), Leuven: Peeters, 2011.
A. Guillaumont, “Un philosophe au désert: Évagre le Pontique”, in Revue de l'histoire des religions 181:1, 1972. pp. 29-56.
* J. Kalvesmaki, evagriusponticus.net (online resource on Evagrius’ life, writings, bibliography).
L. Dysinger, http://www.ldysinger.com/Evagrius/00_Introd/00a_start.htm (online resource on Evagrius with several of his works)
* Sebastian P. Brock, “Towards a History of Syriac Translation Technique” in R. Lavenant (ed.), III Symposium Syriacum, 1980: Les contacts du monde syriaque avec les autres cultures (Goslar 7–11 Septembre 1980), Orientalia Christiana Analecta 221 (1983), pp. 1-14.
3. Thursday 23 May
A) Evagrius: the literary genre of the kephalaia; the “Gnostic Trilogy”, the crucial ideas of Praktikos and its modernity, the main manuscripts of Praktikos.
B) Reading of a selection from Praktikos in BL Add 14578 (manuscript used by Frankenberg and Guillaumont): the first 10 chapters.
C) Hints from Hatch: we identify together characteristics of the manuscript according to Hatch.
Homework: continue the translation: up to chapter 15 (the “eight thoughts”); can you find additional characteristics according to Hatch? Do you notice peculiarities that are not found in Hatch?
Texts:
A. Guillaumont, C. Guillaumont (eds), Évagre Le Pontique. Traité Pratique (Sources Chrétiennes 171), Paris: Les Édition du Cerf, 1971.
R.E. Sinkewicz, Evagrius of Pontus. The Greek Ascetic Corpus, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 97-100.
Literature:
A. Guillaumont, C. Guillaumont (eds), Évagre Le Pontique. Traité Pratique (Sources Chrétiennes 170), Paris : Les Édition du Cerf, 1971, pp. 21-113 (introduction).
* W.H.P. Hatch, An Album of Dated Syriac Manuscripts (with a new forward by Lucas Van Rompay), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2002 (first edition: Boston, Massachusetts: The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1946), i-ix (preface by Lucas Van Rompay); v-viii; 3-47 + figs.
* A. Schmidt, “Syriac paleography” in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, p. 317.
4. Thursday 30 May
A) The world of Syriac manuscripts: presentation of the main collections, catalogs, online resources, and of COMSt; http://syri.ac/manuscripts.
B) Introduction to Isaac; Isaac’s Centuries of Knowledge; overview of the manuscripts that we will read in the ensuing lessons and discussion of their script, date, and church denomination: Syr. e. 7 (Bodleian Library, Oxford), 11th-13th c.; Or 1144 (Cambridge University Library), 12th-13th c.; Paris syr. 298 (BNF, Paris), 12th-13th c.; Sinai syr. 14 (Library of Congress, Washington); Mingana Syr 86 (Mingana Collection, Birmingham), 14th c.; Mardin 420 (Mardin, Church of the Forty Martyrs), 1471; Sharfeh Rahmani 181 (Sharfeh, Syriac Catholic Patriarcate), 15th-16th c.; Issayi 4 (Issayi Collection, Tehran), 1895.
C) We translate two chapters from Syr e 7.
Homework: explore Syr e 7 in the Bodleian online library (https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/9ac2c301-7518-4552-b234-7d17744b54d5/surfaces/f929c836-2da8-4dcd-9dfe-196709d5fb88/) and write two characteristics of your choice; locate in catalogs BL Add 14578 (Evagrius), and Sinai syr. 14, Mingana Syr 86, Paris syr. 298, and Or 1144 (Isaac; for Or 1144 use Kessel’s description in his “New Manuscript Witnesses”), read and compare the descriptions.
Texts:
S. Brock (transl.), Saint Isaac of Nineveh. Headings on Spiritual Knowledge (Popular Patristic Series 63), Yonkers, New York: Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2022.
P. Bettiolo (transl.), Isacco di Ninive. Discorsi spirituali: Capitoli sulla conoscenza, Preghiere, Contemplazione sull’argomento della Gehenna, altri opuscoli, Magnano: Qiqajon, 1985 (reprint: 1990).
Literature:
G. Kessel, “The Manuscript Heritage of Isaac of Nineveh: A Survey of Syriac Manuscripts”, in M. Kozah, A. Abu-Husayn, S.S. Al-Murikhi, H. Al Thani (eds), The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century (Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies, 38), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2014, pp. 71-92.
G. Kessel, “New Manuscript Witnesses to the ‘Second Part’ of Isaac of Nineveh”, Studia Patristica 64 [12] (2013), pp. 245-257
* S.P. Brock, “Without Mushe of Nisibis, Where Would We Be? Some Reflections on the Transmission of Syriac Literature”, Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 56 (2004), pp. 15-24.
S.P. Brock, “A Tentative Checklist of Dated Syriac Manuscripts up to 1300”, Hugoye 15:1 (2012), pp. 21-48.
Kristian S. Heal, "Catalogues and the Poetics of Syriac Manuscript Cultures," Hugoye 20 (2017), 375-417.
* P. Buzi, W. Witakowski, A. Binggeli, P. Andrist, “Cataloguing”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt 2015, pp. 467-470; 502-504; 506-537.
5. Thursday 06 June
A) Online resources for Syriac Studies and main online resources for finding Syriac manuscripts, visiting together vHMML to get a general idea of the material (with Noam Maeir).
B) Isaac: we read together a selection of sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Mardin 420 (Mardin, Church of the Forty Martyrs), which is in vHMML.
Homework: explore further vHMML, the Mingana collection, and the Vatical Library digital collection; transcribe and translate three chapters from Centuries from Mardin 420.
Websites:
https://syriacorpus.org/index.html;
https://syriaca.org/index.html;
https://simtho.bethmardutho.org/bonito/run.cgi/first_form; https://digitalorientalist.com/category/topics/syriac-studies/
Also see at the end. Additional material will be indicated by Noam Maeir.
6. Thursday 13 June
A) Introduction to codicology.
B) We examine Syr e 7; we read Brock’s description of the manuscript, focusing on codicological aspects; we identify codicological aspects in the description of other manuscripts.
C) We read a selection of Isaac’s sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7.
Homework: read Kessel’s descriptions of the newly discovered manuscripts of the Centuries of Knowledge and Brock’s description of Mingana Syr 86, and with the help of these readings and of the catalogs, identify the codicological aspects of Or 1144, Mardin 420 (also refer to vHMML), and Mingana Syr 86; transcribe and translate three chapters from the Centuries in Syr e 7.
Literature:
* G. Kessel, “New Manuscript Witnesses to the ‘Second Part’ of Isaac of Nineveh”, Studia Patristica 64 [12] (2013), pp. 245-257.
* M. Maniaci, N. Sarris, K. Scheper, P. Borbone, F. Briquel-Chatonnet and E. Balicka-Witakowska, “Codicology”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 69-88; 252-266.
* S. Brock (ed.), Isaac of Nineveh (Isaac the Syrian). “The Second Part”, Chapters IV-XLI, 2 vols. (CSCO 554-555; Scr. Syri 224-225), Louvain: Peeters, 1995, Scr. Syri 224, pp. xii-xviii (introduction).
7. Thursday 20 June
A) Introduction to paleography.
B) We analyze the paleographical aspects of Syr e 7, Or 1144 (Cambridge University Library) and Issayi 4, reading Brock’s and Kessel’s descriptions.
C) We read a selection of sayings from Isaac’s Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7.
Homework: with the help of catalogs and Brock’s and Kessel’s descriptions, analyze the paleographical characteristics of Paris syr. 298, Mingana Syr 86, and Mardin 420, focusing on two features each; transcribe and translate three chapters from the Centuries of Knowledge in Paris syr. 298.
Literature:
* P. Buzi, M. Maniaci, A. Schmidt, “Paleography” in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 267-270; 316-320.
M. Penn, R.J. Crouser, Philip Abbott, “Serto before Serto: Reexamining the Earliest Development of Syriac Script”, Aramaic Studies 18 (2020), pp. 46-63.
8. Thursday 27 June
A) Critical editing: what is a critical edition, aspects to consider, and steps to take. The classics of textual criticism and reading suggestions. New philology.
B) Isaac, selection of sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86. Examples of editing work: slight differences, a difficult choice, the displacement of nuhare.
Homework: transcribe, translate (from Syr e 7), and compare three new chapters from the Centuries in Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86; work as if this were your critical edition.
Literature:
* C. Macé et al., “Textual Criticism and Text Editing”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 321-362.
* A. Mengozzi, “Past and Present Trends in the Edition of Classical Syriac Texts”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 435-439.
M. Bäckvall, “Description and Reconstruction: An Alternative Categorization of Philological Approaches”, in H. Lönnroth (ed.), Philology Matters! Essays on the Art of Reading Slowly, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017, pp. 21-34.
L.I. Lied, H. Lundhaug (eds.), Snapshots of Evolving Traditions Jewish and Christian Manuscript Culture, Textual Fluidity, and New Philology, Berlin and New York: De Gruyter, pp. 221-240.
9. Thursday 04 July
A) Critical editing: the introduction and indexes.
B) We continue our exercise on Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86. We add other witnesses.
Homework: transcribe and translate three chapters from Syr e 7. Try to hypothesize relationships between witnesses. Is it possible? Do we have enough material? Can we create a stemma with this material? Read Brock’s remarks at the end of the edited portion of the Second Part.
Literature:
* To read after the exercise: S. Brock (ed.), Isaac of Nineveh (Isaac the Syrian). “The Second Part”, Chapters IV-XLI, 2 vols. (CSCO, 554-555; Scr. Syri, 224-225), Louvain: Peeters, 1995, Scr. Syri 224, pp. xl (introduction).
10. Thursday 11 July
A) Finding references to previous sources: its essential value. Implicit and explicit quotations. The importance of examining the texts in Syriac, even when these are originally Greek. The example of Mark the Monk in Isaac of Nineveh. Intertwining of different sources.
B) Introduction to Mark the Monk. His identity, his Syriac corpus, his influence on East-Syriac mysticism. The main Syriac witnesses, overview. We look together at BL Add 12175 (British Library) and Vat sir 122 (Vatican Library).
C) The example of the “two faiths” and ܦܝܣܐ, “persuasion”: Isaac, Mark, and Paul.
Homework: translate this new passage of Isaac from edition: II 10,16 p. 34 (Syr.); pp. 41-42 (ET). Here we have an implicit quotation of Mark. In the three folios of BL Add 12175 (the oldest mss of Mark’s corpus, dated 533-534), that are provided, identify Mark’s source-passage, transcribe it, and translate it.
Texts:
G.-M. de Durand (ed.), Marc le Moine. Traités, vol. 1 (Sources Chrétiennes 445), Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1999, pp. 13-49.
T. Vivian, A. Casiday (transl.), Mark the Monk. Counsels on the Spiritual Life I-II, Crestwood Ny: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2009.
Literature:
G.-M. de Durand, Études sur Marc le Moine IV. Une double définition de la foi, Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique 89:1 (1988), pp. 23-40.
L. d’Ayala Valva (transl.), Marco il Monaco. Custodisci il dono di Dio, Bose: Qiqajon, 2023, pp. 5-117 (introduction).
11. Thursday 18 July
A) A Journey to India: presentation of the different expressions of Christianity in India and Kerala and of its manuscript tradition (with Dr Radu Mustata).
B) Overview of exemplars of Indian Syriac manuscripts.
12. Thursday 25 July
Final questions on the course; suggestions for further study.
Before the reading classes, there is an introduction to the text, author, or topic.
The lessons are conceived as a workshop and laboratory, in which the students exercise their Syriac, learn to read manuscripts, raise questions about them, discuss them as a group, become acquainted with the main offline and online resources, with secondary literature, and methodology.
The assignments to be completed outside class include translating texts, deciphering manuscripts and identify their main features, exploring online resources, comparing material, and reading literature indicated in the bibliography. We translate parts of the texts together, while the students translate other parts by themselves, outside class.
[Mandatory readings: *]
1. Thursday 9 May
A) Introduction to the course.
Description of the aim of the course. Brief introduction to the Syriac world and literature, and the main Syriac authors. Description of the main series which publish editions of Syriac texts (CSCO, PO, SC, GO). Syriac scripts. Brief introduction to manuscripts with pictures of the different manuscripts that we will use (this will be done in more detail later). Presentation of the bibliography. Questions.
B) John the Solitary: his identity, edited and unedited works, influence on later mysticism. His work On Prayer. We translate together the paragraphs 1-2.
Homework: translate paragraphs 3-4.
Texts:
S.P. Brock (ed.),“John the Solitary. On Prayer”, Journal of Theological Studies 30:1(1979), pp. 84-101.
Literature:
P. Bettiolo, “Syriac Literature”, in di Berardino (ed.) Patrology: The Eastern Fathers from the Council of Chalcedon (451) to John of Damascus (†750), Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, 2006, pp. 407-490.
* B. Bitton-Ashkelony, “‘More Interior than the Lips and the Tongue’: John of Apamea and Silent Prayer in Late Antiquity”, Journal of Early Christian Studies, 20:2 (2012), pp. 303-331.
* S.P Brock, An Introduction to Syriac Studies (Gorgias Handbooks), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2017 (give special attention to the chapter “The Delight of Manuscripts”, pp. 75-80)
* P. Borbone, F. Briquel-Chatonnet, “Syriac Manuscripts”, in A. Bausi at al. (eds), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 57-59.
F. Briquel-Chatonnet, “Writing Syriac: Manuscripts and Inscriptions”, in D. King (ed.), The Syriac World (Routledge Worlds), London and New York: Routledge, 2019, pp. 243-265.
M. Mundell Mango, “The Production of Syriac Manuscripts, 400-700 AD” in G. Cavallo, G. de Gregorio and M. Maniaci (eds), Scritture, libri e testi nelle aree provinciali di Bisanzio, vol. 1, Spoleto, 1991, pp. 161-179 + figs.
2. Thursday 16 May
A) East-Syriac ascetic-mystical literature; the heritage of Abraham of Kashkar; between Greek and Syriac influences (John the Solitary and Evagrius Ponticus). Introduction to Evagrius and his On Prayer.
B) Syriac translations from Greek; trends, epochs, translation styles.
C) Reading of Evagrius, On Prayer, chapters 1-10.
Homework: continue translation (chapters 11-20), read literature, explore resources.
Texts:
I. Hausherr, “Le De oratione d’Évagre le Pontique en syriaque et en arabe”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica 5, pp. 7-71 (1939).
P. Géhin (ed.), Évagre le Pontique. Chapitres sur la prière (Sources chrétiennes 589), Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 2017.
R.E. Sinkewicz, Evagrius of Pontus. The Greek Ascetic Corpus, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 193-195.
Literature :
S.P. Brock, Spirituality in the Syriac Tradition (Mōrān ’Eth’ō 2), Kottayam: St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute, 1989.
S. Chialà, “Les mystiques syro-orientaux: une école ou une époque?”, in A. Desreumaux (ed.) Les mystiques syriaques (Études syriaques 8), Paris: Geuthner, 2011, pp. 63-78.
R. Beulay, La lumière sans forme. Introduction à l’étude de la mystique chrétienne syro-orientale, Chevetogne: Éditions de Chevetogne, 1987.
* B. Bitton-Ashkelony, The Ladder of Prayer and the Ship of Stirrings: The Praying Self in Late Antique East Syrian Christianity (Late Antique History and Religion 22), Leuven: Peeters, 2019 (read one chapter of your choice).
G. Kessel, K. Pinggéra, A Bibliography of Syriac Ascetic and Mystical Literature (Eastern Christian Studies 11), Leuven: Peeters, 2011.
A. Guillaumont, “Un philosophe au désert: Évagre le Pontique”, in Revue de l'histoire des religions 181:1, 1972. pp. 29-56.
* J. Kalvesmaki, evagriusponticus.net (online resource on Evagrius’ life, writings, bibliography).
L. Dysinger, http://www.ldysinger.com/Evagrius/00_Introd/00a_start.htm (online resource on Evagrius with several of his works)
* Sebastian P. Brock, “Towards a History of Syriac Translation Technique” in R. Lavenant (ed.), III Symposium Syriacum, 1980: Les contacts du monde syriaque avec les autres cultures (Goslar 7–11 Septembre 1980), Orientalia Christiana Analecta 221 (1983), pp. 1-14.
3. Thursday 23 May
A) Evagrius: the literary genre of the kephalaia; the “Gnostic Trilogy”, the crucial ideas of Praktikos and its modernity, the main manuscripts of Praktikos.
B) Reading of a selection from Praktikos in BL Add 14578 (manuscript used by Frankenberg and Guillaumont): the first 10 chapters.
C) Hints from Hatch: we identify together characteristics of the manuscript according to Hatch.
Homework: continue the translation: up to chapter 15 (the “eight thoughts”); can you find additional characteristics according to Hatch? Do you notice peculiarities that are not found in Hatch?
Texts:
A. Guillaumont, C. Guillaumont (eds), Évagre Le Pontique. Traité Pratique (Sources Chrétiennes 171), Paris: Les Édition du Cerf, 1971.
R.E. Sinkewicz, Evagrius of Pontus. The Greek Ascetic Corpus, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 97-100.
Literature:
A. Guillaumont, C. Guillaumont (eds), Évagre Le Pontique. Traité Pratique (Sources Chrétiennes 170), Paris : Les Édition du Cerf, 1971, pp. 21-113 (introduction).
* W.H.P. Hatch, An Album of Dated Syriac Manuscripts (with a new forward by Lucas Van Rompay), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2002 (first edition: Boston, Massachusetts: The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1946), i-ix (preface by Lucas Van Rompay); v-viii; 3-47 + figs.
* A. Schmidt, “Syriac paleography” in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, p. 317.
4. Thursday 30 May
A) The world of Syriac manuscripts: presentation of the main collections, catalogs, online resources, and of COMSt; http://syri.ac/manuscripts.
B) Introduction to Isaac; Isaac’s Centuries of Knowledge; overview of the manuscripts that we will read in the ensuing lessons and discussion of their script, date, and church denomination: Syr. e. 7 (Bodleian Library, Oxford), 11th-13th c.; Or 1144 (Cambridge University Library), 12th-13th c.; Paris syr. 298 (BNF, Paris), 12th-13th c.; Sinai syr. 14 (Library of Congress, Washington); Mingana Syr 86 (Mingana Collection, Birmingham), 14th c.; Mardin 420 (Mardin, Church of the Forty Martyrs), 1471; Sharfeh Rahmani 181 (Sharfeh, Syriac Catholic Patriarcate), 15th-16th c.; Issayi 4 (Issayi Collection, Tehran), 1895.
C) We translate two chapters from Syr e 7.
Homework: explore Syr e 7 in the Bodleian online library (https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/9ac2c301-7518-4552-b234-7d17744b54d5/surfaces/f929c836-2da8-4dcd-9dfe-196709d5fb88/) and write two characteristics of your choice; locate in catalogs BL Add 14578 (Evagrius), and Sinai syr. 14, Mingana Syr 86, Paris syr. 298, and Or 1144 (Isaac; for Or 1144 use Kessel’s description in his “New Manuscript Witnesses”), read and compare the descriptions.
Texts:
S. Brock (transl.), Saint Isaac of Nineveh. Headings on Spiritual Knowledge (Popular Patristic Series 63), Yonkers, New York: Saint Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2022.
P. Bettiolo (transl.), Isacco di Ninive. Discorsi spirituali: Capitoli sulla conoscenza, Preghiere, Contemplazione sull’argomento della Gehenna, altri opuscoli, Magnano: Qiqajon, 1985 (reprint: 1990).
Literature:
G. Kessel, “The Manuscript Heritage of Isaac of Nineveh: A Survey of Syriac Manuscripts”, in M. Kozah, A. Abu-Husayn, S.S. Al-Murikhi, H. Al Thani (eds), The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century (Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies, 38), Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2014, pp. 71-92.
G. Kessel, “New Manuscript Witnesses to the ‘Second Part’ of Isaac of Nineveh”, Studia Patristica 64 [12] (2013), pp. 245-257
* S.P. Brock, “Without Mushe of Nisibis, Where Would We Be? Some Reflections on the Transmission of Syriac Literature”, Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 56 (2004), pp. 15-24.
S.P. Brock, “A Tentative Checklist of Dated Syriac Manuscripts up to 1300”, Hugoye 15:1 (2012), pp. 21-48.
Kristian S. Heal, "Catalogues and the Poetics of Syriac Manuscript Cultures," Hugoye 20 (2017), 375-417.
* P. Buzi, W. Witakowski, A. Binggeli, P. Andrist, “Cataloguing”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt 2015, pp. 467-470; 502-504; 506-537.
5. Thursday 06 June
A) Online resources for Syriac Studies and main online resources for finding Syriac manuscripts, visiting together vHMML to get a general idea of the material (with Noam Maeir).
B) Isaac: we read together a selection of sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Mardin 420 (Mardin, Church of the Forty Martyrs), which is in vHMML.
Homework: explore further vHMML, the Mingana collection, and the Vatical Library digital collection; transcribe and translate three chapters from Centuries from Mardin 420.
Websites:
https://syriacorpus.org/index.html;
https://syriaca.org/index.html;
https://simtho.bethmardutho.org/bonito/run.cgi/first_form; https://digitalorientalist.com/category/topics/syriac-studies/
Also see at the end. Additional material will be indicated by Noam Maeir.
6. Thursday 13 June
A) Introduction to codicology.
B) We examine Syr e 7; we read Brock’s description of the manuscript, focusing on codicological aspects; we identify codicological aspects in the description of other manuscripts.
C) We read a selection of Isaac’s sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7.
Homework: read Kessel’s descriptions of the newly discovered manuscripts of the Centuries of Knowledge and Brock’s description of Mingana Syr 86, and with the help of these readings and of the catalogs, identify the codicological aspects of Or 1144, Mardin 420 (also refer to vHMML), and Mingana Syr 86; transcribe and translate three chapters from the Centuries in Syr e 7.
Literature:
* G. Kessel, “New Manuscript Witnesses to the ‘Second Part’ of Isaac of Nineveh”, Studia Patristica 64 [12] (2013), pp. 245-257.
* M. Maniaci, N. Sarris, K. Scheper, P. Borbone, F. Briquel-Chatonnet and E. Balicka-Witakowska, “Codicology”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 69-88; 252-266.
* S. Brock (ed.), Isaac of Nineveh (Isaac the Syrian). “The Second Part”, Chapters IV-XLI, 2 vols. (CSCO 554-555; Scr. Syri 224-225), Louvain: Peeters, 1995, Scr. Syri 224, pp. xii-xviii (introduction).
7. Thursday 20 June
A) Introduction to paleography.
B) We analyze the paleographical aspects of Syr e 7, Or 1144 (Cambridge University Library) and Issayi 4, reading Brock’s and Kessel’s descriptions.
C) We read a selection of sayings from Isaac’s Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7.
Homework: with the help of catalogs and Brock’s and Kessel’s descriptions, analyze the paleographical characteristics of Paris syr. 298, Mingana Syr 86, and Mardin 420, focusing on two features each; transcribe and translate three chapters from the Centuries of Knowledge in Paris syr. 298.
Literature:
* P. Buzi, M. Maniaci, A. Schmidt, “Paleography” in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 267-270; 316-320.
M. Penn, R.J. Crouser, Philip Abbott, “Serto before Serto: Reexamining the Earliest Development of Syriac Script”, Aramaic Studies 18 (2020), pp. 46-63.
8. Thursday 27 June
A) Critical editing: what is a critical edition, aspects to consider, and steps to take. The classics of textual criticism and reading suggestions. New philology.
B) Isaac, selection of sayings from the Centuries of Knowledge in Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86. Examples of editing work: slight differences, a difficult choice, the displacement of nuhare.
Homework: transcribe, translate (from Syr e 7), and compare three new chapters from the Centuries in Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86; work as if this were your critical edition.
Literature:
* C. Macé et al., “Textual Criticism and Text Editing”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 321-362.
* A. Mengozzi, “Past and Present Trends in the Edition of Classical Syriac Texts”, in A. Bausi (ed.), Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies: An Introduction [=COMSt], Hamburg: COMSt, 2015, pp. 435-439.
M. Bäckvall, “Description and Reconstruction: An Alternative Categorization of Philological Approaches”, in H. Lönnroth (ed.), Philology Matters! Essays on the Art of Reading Slowly, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017, pp. 21-34.
L.I. Lied, H. Lundhaug (eds.), Snapshots of Evolving Traditions Jewish and Christian Manuscript Culture, Textual Fluidity, and New Philology, Berlin and New York: De Gruyter, pp. 221-240.
9. Thursday 04 July
A) Critical editing: the introduction and indexes.
B) We continue our exercise on Syr e 7, Or 1144, and Mingana Syr 86. We add other witnesses.
Homework: transcribe and translate three chapters from Syr e 7. Try to hypothesize relationships between witnesses. Is it possible? Do we have enough material? Can we create a stemma with this material? Read Brock’s remarks at the end of the edited portion of the Second Part.
Literature:
* To read after the exercise: S. Brock (ed.), Isaac of Nineveh (Isaac the Syrian). “The Second Part”, Chapters IV-XLI, 2 vols. (CSCO, 554-555; Scr. Syri, 224-225), Louvain: Peeters, 1995, Scr. Syri 224, pp. xl (introduction).
10. Thursday 11 July
A) Finding references to previous sources: its essential value. Implicit and explicit quotations. The importance of examining the texts in Syriac, even when these are originally Greek. The example of Mark the Monk in Isaac of Nineveh. Intertwining of different sources.
B) Introduction to Mark the Monk. His identity, his Syriac corpus, his influence on East-Syriac mysticism. The main Syriac witnesses, overview. We look together at BL Add 12175 (British Library) and Vat sir 122 (Vatican Library).
C) The example of the “two faiths” and ܦܝܣܐ, “persuasion”: Isaac, Mark, and Paul.
Homework: translate this new passage of Isaac from edition: II 10,16 p. 34 (Syr.); pp. 41-42 (ET). Here we have an implicit quotation of Mark. In the three folios of BL Add 12175 (the oldest mss of Mark’s corpus, dated 533-534), that are provided, identify Mark’s source-passage, transcribe it, and translate it.
Texts:
G.-M. de Durand (ed.), Marc le Moine. Traités, vol. 1 (Sources Chrétiennes 445), Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1999, pp. 13-49.
T. Vivian, A. Casiday (transl.), Mark the Monk. Counsels on the Spiritual Life I-II, Crestwood Ny: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2009.
Literature:
G.-M. de Durand, Études sur Marc le Moine IV. Une double définition de la foi, Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique 89:1 (1988), pp. 23-40.
L. d’Ayala Valva (transl.), Marco il Monaco. Custodisci il dono di Dio, Bose: Qiqajon, 2023, pp. 5-117 (introduction).
11. Thursday 18 July
A) A Journey to India: presentation of the different expressions of Christianity in India and Kerala and of its manuscript tradition (with Dr Radu Mustata).
B) Overview of exemplars of Indian Syriac manuscripts.
12. Thursday 25 July
Final questions on the course; suggestions for further study.
- Teacher: Valentin Duca
- Teacher: Yonatan Moss