Originally published as the Hibbert Lectures of 1887, this series of essays covers more than the title suggests. The work of an early explorer of Assyriology, this book traces many of the more familiar motifs and themes from ancient religion back to the ancient Babylonians.

A translator of Aristotle and friend of Jacob of Edessa and Athanasios of Balad, George, Bishop of the Arab Tribes (d. AD 724) was an important figure in the history of the life and thought of the Syrian Orthodox Church. This article offers a study of the first three of George’s eleven extant letters and relates them to the larger Christian and Islamic context of his day. It will be of interest to students of Greek patristics, Syriac Christianity, and early Islamic history.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This eighth lecture in the series addresses Marcion. Burkitt focuses on how this early Christian thinker remained ahead of his time while also falling out of the mainstream of what was an emerging Christianity.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This ninth lecture in the series concerns itself with the non-canonical, or apocryphal gospels. Written before the discovery of the Nag-Hammadi library, this study considers the Testamentum Domini, Pistis Sophia, the Gospel and Apocalypse of St. Peter, the Protevangelium of James, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel According to the Hebrews, and the Oxyrhynchus Logia..

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This sixth lecture in the series turns to the Gospel of John. Burkitt addresses the enduring questions of authorship and historicity, comparing the Gospel of John to the Synoptics, Philo, the Gnostics, and the Stoics.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This seventh lecture in the series traces the origin of the authoritative four-fold Gospels to about 150 of the Common Era when they are amply attested together. Positing a three-stage evolution to the canonical Gospels, Burkitt notes that other Gospels did not measure up to the same standard.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This fifth lecture in the series examines the concept of gospel in Matthew and Luke. Burkitt notes the special emphases and concerns of these two Gospel writers, calling attention to how they differ from each other and also from Mark.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This fourth lecture in the series begins by noting that in early Christianity it was Jesus that was preached and not Jesus’ sayings. Burkitt thus suggests some criteria for finding Jesus’ original words and then applies them in order to reconstruct the teachings of Jesus.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This third lecture in the series addresses the composition and literary characteristics of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This second lecture in the series addresses the historical value of the Gospel of Mark. Here Burkitt considers the historical questions of how accurately Mark may portray his limited life of Jesus.

Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This first lecture in the series addresses the literary originality of the Gospel of Mark. Here Burkitt surveys the priority of Mark, the shared Synoptic material, and the literarily unique sections of Mark.

One of the classic works of hagiography, Paul Bedjan’s seven volume work on collected acts of martyrs and saints is an invaluable Syraic resource. Containing many foundational stories of early Christianity, this work is approved by the Roman Catholic Church and is highly valued in the Syrian Orthodox tradition.

The exposition of the Liturgy of St. James, which is basically the Celebration of the Holy Eucahrist, is most significant for the understanding of the mystery of God in offering His only Son a vicarious sacrifice for the redemption of man. To make it understandable, Rev. Saka explains not only the meaning of terms connected with the liturgy but of all the components of the vessels, the vesting, the censoring, the candles and the propitiatory prayers associated with them. This exposition should benefit both church and liturgical scholars and lay people interested in the profound spiritual meaning of their faith.

Am Beispiel der Initiationssakramente (Taufe, Firmung, Eucharistiefeier) und der Priesterweihe wird einerseits die Konsekration der Materie (Wasser, Myronöl, Brot und Wein) und des Empfängers dargestellt, anderseits das Konsekrationsgeschehen der einzelnen liturgischen Vollzüge nach der syrisch antiochenischen Liturgie miteinander verglichen, analysiert und kommentiert.

This monograph examines the manuscript variants of the Peshitta (the standard Syriac translation) of Kings, with special attention to the manuscript 9a1. Manuscript 9a1 is of critical importance for the textual history of Kings, and Walter argues that there is overwhelming evidence that the non-9a1 Mss attest to an extensive revision. This monograph also discusses translation features of the Peshitta of Kings with special attention paid to harmonization and the leveling and dissimulation of vocabulary. Walter also treats the vorlage for the translation and treats its relation to the LXX and the Targumim.

The present volume contains a collection of papers on different aspects of Aramaic linguistics, history and culture. These diverse papers are specifically intended for an informed Aramaic readership interested in raising awareness of their own culture. A fresh range of topics is therefore presented in this flagship volume of the series, offering a renewed vision of Aramaic and Syriac studies even for the specialists in the field.