The Syriac Version of the Pseudo-Nonnos Mythological Scholia (University of Cambridge Oriental Publications, Series Number 20)

Literature & Fiction

Brock, Sebastian

History & Criticism

Cambridge University Press

This fourth collection by Sebastian Brock focuses on three areas: the christology of the Church of the East, the distinctive phraseology of the invocations to the Holy Spirit in the Syriac liturgical tradition, and two important early Commentaries on the Liturgy. The inclusion of the Church of the East into ecumenical dialogue in recent years has stimulated a renewed study of its christology, which has often been badly misunderstood. A close study of the formative texts of the fifth to seventh centuries indicates that the traditional characterisation of this Church as 'Nestorian' is not only unsatisfactory, but also thoroughly misleading. There follows a series of studies of the wording of the many invocations to the Holy Spirit to be found in Syriac liturgical texts. These bring to light a number of intriguing features, some of which can be traced back to the Jewish roots of one strand of early Syriac Christianity. Syriac also preserves one of the earliest Commentaries on the Liturgy; dating from the fifth century, it proved influential in all three Syriac liturgical traditions, and was even translated into Sogdian. This short text, and another longer work by Gabriel of Qatar (fl. c. 600), are introduced and translated in full.

Fire from Heaven (Variorum Collected Studies)

History

Africa

Routledge

All but unknown outside the Syrian tradition, Ephrem's rich theology of symbol, asceticism, and prayer amply deserves to stand beside his more famous Greek contemporaries.

The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem the Syrian (Volume 124) (Cistercian Studies Series)

World

Liturgical Press

Brock provides an indispensable bibliographic resource for Jacob of Serugh scholarship. This guide lists Jacob's mimre by biblical passage and liturgical events, uplifted saints and topics for reflection, as well as other works including prose and letters. Attention is given to helpful information about the mimre's present publication, editions, and available translations. Recommendations for secondary sources refer to genre and topic, such as biographies, general introductions to Jacob of Serugh, and narrowed interests for analysis. While this guide is written in English, indexed sources extend through Jacob of Serugh studies in other languages (French, German, Italian, and Syriac transcriptions).

Jacob of Serugh (Analecta Gorgiana)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Gorgias Press

The Martyrs of Mount Ber'ain provides important evidence for enduring concerns of Christian self-definition in the framework of the Sasanian Empire, especially as represented by the Zoroastrian priesthood. The three children, Adarparwa, Mihrnarse, and Mahdukht, work to forget their education by the Magi, with whom they soon find themselves engaged in battle; and yet some key features of the narrative, especially Mihrnarse's vision, reflect shared idioms between Christians and their Zoroastrian rivals. This rivalry was committed to writing and commemorated even after the Arab conquest, and one of these three sibling-martyrs, the sister Sultana Mahdukht, is still memorialized in both Iraq and the United States.

The Martyrs of Mount Ber'ain

Middle East

This introduction aims to provide basic guidance to important areas of Syriac studies. This second edition (the first was published in 1980) has been considerably expanded and parts completely rewritten in view of the many developments in the field during the last twenty-five years.After a brief first chapter indicating how Syriac is still very much alive in the twenty-first century, chapter II looks at how Syriac studies are of relevance to a variety of other fields, notably Biblical studies, Patristics, and the general history of the Near East, especially in Late Antiquity and the early Arab period. A brief orientation to the history of Syriac literature is offered in chapter III, while chapter IV sets Syriac within the context of the other Aramaic dialects.Nearly half the book is taken up by chapter V, on important tools, or Instrumenta Studiorum. This should prove invaluable both for the student commencing on study in the field and for scholars working in adjacent areas who need some guidance in an area that may be less familiar. Topics covered include Grammars, Dictionaries, the Bible in Syriac, Histories of Syriac Literature, bibliographical aids and relevant series, periodicals, and encyclopedias. Chapter VI, written in a more light-hearted vein, describes some of the delights of working with Syriac manuscripts. Finally, an Appendix explains how the different Churches of Syriac tradition are related to one another and how they fit into the Christian tradition as a whole. It also sorts out the confusing variety of terms by which they are known.

An Introduction to Syriac Studies (Gorgias Handbooks)

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Gorgias Pr Llc

Dialogue poetry is a genre that began in ancient Sumer and continues in rich fashion in the Syriac tradition. Sebastian Brock has selected an edition of twenty six dialogue poems: between the Church and Zion; Abraham and Isaac; Joseph and Benjamin; the body and the soul; Joseph and Mary; the thief and the cherub; Mary and the Magi; the church and the believers; the angel and Mary; among the months of the year; between the angel and Zachariah; death and Satan; Jesus and the faithful; the two thieves; Jesus and John; the sinful woman and Satan; Abel and Cain; and wheat and gold.

Selected Dialogue Poems [Sugyotho Mgabyotho] (Bar Ebroyo Kloster Publications)

Jacob of Sarug (451-521) was a prolific writer of the Syriac Church and was known as "the flute of the Holy Spirit and the harp of the believing church". Sebastian Brock gives the Syriac edition of six homilies written by Jacob: on the birth of our Lord; on the baptism of our Lord; on the Great Lent; on Palm Sunday; on Good Friday; on Easter Sunday. The text is based on an ancient manuscripts preserved in London and dated 609.

Six Homilies by Jacob of Sarug (Syriac Edition)

A fitting contribution to Gorgias Liturgical Studies, Sebastian Brock's The Holy Spirit in the Syrian Baptismal Tradition is a sensitive and evocative treatment of an issue key to any liturgical tradition-that of the role of the Holy Spirit in worship. With a keen awareness of the tradition of Syrian Christianity, Brock begins his exploration with the concept and the role of the Holy Spirit in the Syriac Bible, symbols of the Spirit, the sources used to glean this information, and how it ties in with the Eucharist and Pentecost, as well as baptism itself and the subsequent practice of anointing.

The Holy Spirit in the Syrian Baptismal Tradition (Gorgias Liturgical Studies)

The Sinai peninsula emerged in late antiquity as a distinct region of the Christian holy land, identified from the fourth century onward as the Old Testament place where the Hebrews had wandered, Moses received the Law, and 'God's Majesty descended'. At the same time it was part of the late Roman province of Third Palestine and located deep in the heart of 'Saracen Country'. The historical essay and accompanying texts in this book enable readers to explore the particular ideals and dangers associated with this remote political and religious frontier. At its core are three Greek narratives previously unavailable in English: Pseudo-Nilus' Narrations, Ammonius' Report Concerning the Slaughter of the Monks of Sinai and Rhaithou, and Anastasius' Tales of the Sinai Fathers. Long known to historians, these narratives, all written c. 400-650, have long been used to reconstruct pilgrimage, monasticism, and Roman-Saracen relations in this area. However, each poses challenging questions of date, origin, and interpretation. In particular, Pseudo-Nilus' Narrations represents an innovative blend of Greco-Roman (Achilles Tatius), Jewish (Fourth Maccabees) and Christian (Gregory Nazianzene) models, standing out as the last great example of ancient romance. Detailed introductions and commentaries highlight unusual features and shared problems of each text. Readers will also find a comprehensive collection of travel accounts and other documents written on or about the late antique Sinai. Intended for specialists and students alike, this book makes an original contribution to the understanding of these texts and their place in the late antique development of the Sinai.

History and Hagiography from the Late Antique Sinai (Translated Texts for Historians, 53) (Volume 53)

Price, Richard M.

Van Bladel, Kevin

Ancient Civilizations

Liverpool University Press

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