History of Scholarship

Notes to Readers

  • **A brief and useful discussion of the history of Syriac studies in Europe can be found here.
  • The story behind the editio princeps of the Syriac NT can be found in the following:
  • Nestle’s bibliography is the quickest and easiest guide to early Syriac printed material.
  • A list of Syriac grammars and lexica contained in the New York Public Library can be found here.
  • A history of the printing of the Syriac NT is here. (''The Printed Editions of the Syriac New Testament'', Church Quarterly Review 26 (1888): 257–294.)
  • A list of editions of the Syriac NT is here.

Works Cited

Early-Modern Publications on Syriac (in chronological order)

G. Postel, Linguarum duodecim characteribus differentium alphabetum: introductio, ac legendi modus longè facilimus: linguarum nomina sequens proximè pagella offeret . Paris: Dionysium Lescuier, 1538.

 

T. A. Albonesius, Introductio in Chaldaicam linguā, Syriacā, atque Armenicā, & decē alias linguas. Rome: J.M. Simoneta, 1539. 

 

A. Canini, Institutiones linguae syriacae, assyriacae atque thalmudicae, una cum aethiopicae atque arabicae collatione. Paris: Carol Stephan, 1554.

 

J. A. Widmannstetter, Ed., Liber sacrosancti evangelii de Jesu Christo, Domino & Deo nostro. Vienna: Zimmerman, 1555.  

[Editio princeps of the Syriac New Testament].

 

J. A. Widmannstetter, Syriacae Linguae Iesu Christo eiusque Matri Virgini atque Iudaeis omnibus, Christianae redemptionis Evangelicaeque praedicationis tempore, Vernaculae & popularis, idioque à Novi Testamenti Scriptoribus quibusdam Hebraicae dictae. Prima Elementa. Vienna: Zimmerman, 1556.

 

J. Mercier, Tabulae in grammaticen linguae Chaldaeae, quae et Syriaca dicitur: multa enim de rabbinico et talmudico stilo traduntur; accessit ad calcem libellus de abbreviaturis Hebraeorum, quibus et in Masora, et talmudicis atque alijs scriptis passim vtuntur. Paris: Guillaume Morel, 1560. 

 

J. A. Widmannstetter, Ed., Liber Sacrosancti Evangelii De Iesu Christo Domino & Deo nostro . Vienna: Zimmerman, 1562. 

[This is the second issue/variant B of the editio princeps of the New Testament. For more about it, see here]

 

I. Tremellius, Grammatica chaldaea et syra. Geneva: Henri Stephanus, 1569.

 

J. A. Widmannstetter, Syriacae linguae prima elementa. Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, 1572.

Volume 5 of the Antwerp/Plantin Polyglot (1572), containing the Syriac NT

 

G. L. F. D. L. Boderie, Dictionarium Syro-Chaldaicum Guidone Fabricio Boderiano collectore et auctore. Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, 1573.

From Volume 6 of the Antwerp/Plantin Polyglot (1572)

 

A. Masius, Syrorum peculium. Hoc est, vocabula apud Syros scriptores passim vsurpata. Antwerp: Christophor Plantin, 1572.

 

A. Masius, Grammatica linguae Syriacae. Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, 1571.

 

G. Amira, Grammatica syriaca, sive chaldaica Amirae. Rome: Luna, 1596.

 

F. Naironus, Sacrosancta Jesu Christi Evangelia jussu Sacrae Congregationis de propaganda fide ad usum Ecclesiae nationis Maronitarum edita .. Rome: Sacred congregation for the propagation of the faith, 1703.

Arabic-Syriac NT. Karshuni is Arabic written in the Syriac script. This volume contains an early discussion of the origins of Karshuni.

 

C. M. Agrell, Otiola Syriaca. Lund: Berlingianis, 1816.

 

C. M. Agrell, Caroli Magni Agrelli appendicula: ad supplementa sua syntaxeos syriacae. Griefswald: Sumtu E. Mauritius, 1834.

 

C. M. Agrell, Supplementa ad Lexicon Syriacum Castellianum. Uppsala: Royal Academy, 1839.

  

Photographs of Famous Syriac Scholars

baumstark2.jpeg

Anton Baumstark (1872–1948)

 

 

 

Anton1

Anton Baumstark (1872–1948)

 

 

Brockelmann

Carl Brockelmann (1868-1956)

 

 

Guidi

Ignazio Guidi (1844-1935)

 

 

Sachau

Eduard Sachau (1845–1930)

 

 

Noeldeke

Theodor Nöldeke (1836–1930)

 

 

youngnoeldeke

Theodor Nöldeke (1836–1930)

 

 

land

Jan Pieter Nicolaas Land (1834–1897)

 

 

wright

William Wright (1830–1889)

 

 

Paul Anton de Lagarde

Paul Anton de Lagarde (1827—1891)

 

 

jsassemani

J.S. Assemani (1687–1768)

 

 

assemanti copyofClementXI

J.S. Assemani before Pope Clement XI (from M. Mercati, Metallotheca, 1717, on Google Books)