This study provides an English translation of the texts for initiation in the Byzantine tradition, drawing on early manuscripts of the euchology and the typikon of the Great Church (Hagia Sophia). This includes texts for the enrollment of children in the rites of the eighth and fortieth days, catechesis and prayers during Lent, final preparations, including consecration of Chrism and the rites of apotaxis and syntaxis on Good Friday, Baptism at the Easter Vigil, postbaptismal rites and rites of closure, and provisions for the other baptismal feasts.

The History of Syriac Dioceses, by the late Patriarch Aphram I of Antioch and all the East, is a synopsis of a much larger study still in manuscript form. This selected portion of this history, published for the first time in English translation (volume 1) along with the original Arabic text (volume 2), offers the reader an in-depth treatment of the conditions of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Abdisho bar Brikha (d. 1318) was a prominent East Syriac writer. While many of his works did not survive, his The Paradise of Eden, a collection of theological poetry, reached us. This edition is based on the rare Urmia (1916) and Mosul (1928) text editions by J. de Kelaita.

This collection of essays offers an innovative exploration by an Asian theologian on various issues and themes that engaged the early teachers of faith. It gives special focus to the ongoing relevance of these issues for Christian theological discourse and praxis today.

The continuing developments in Islam since Wismar’s time make this book as relevant today as it was when it was published. The question explored here is what the approach of Islam is towards religious tolerance. To get at the answer, Wismar went back to the Quran and the practice of Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the first two Caliphs, in order to determine what the primary sources taught on the issue.

In the first English attempt to address the Syriac homilies of Aphraates, Gavin sets a context for the material by considering the church and the sermons themselves. The topic of how the Jews are treated in the homilies is given special attention.

Written in the scholarly Latin of his day, Lagarde considers in this brief study the questions Jerome raises on the Hebrew of the book of Genesis. In an abridged commentary form, Lagarde follows the questions in the order in which the book of Genesis presents the material. Beginning with the creation, Lagarde skips along to the phrases of Jerome’s text that raise questions and provides his insights about them. Presuming that the reader of the Vulgate will understand the Latin of the original, the comments on the material are likewise written in Latin.

Originally published in two volumes, this edition of the Arabic translation of the Pentateuch stands as one of Lagarde’s lasting contributions to biblical scholarship. Critical editions make frequent reference to this work. Included are two translations of Genesis into Arabic, along with a single version of the remaining pentateuchal books, also in Arabic. The first translation of Genesis represents the tradition of the Paris Polyglot, translated directly from the Hebrew, while the second is a cantena text from the Syriac tradition, representing two-thirds of Genesis. Lagarde’s study provides a valuable text-critical tool and easy access to the Arabic versions of the material.

Concerned that many in his day did not understand basic Muslim teaching led Shukri to produce this brief monograph. In it he explores the various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and the teachings concerning the legal issues of marriage and divorce, including the topic of the equalities of the partners.

Considering both the Assyrian and biblical sources for the description of Sennacherib’s devastating invasion on Palestine, Honor tests the records to see if he can develop an historical account. He makes use of the Annals of Sennacherib and the biblical books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicle, and Isaiah.

Believing that a firm basis for understanding Jesus could be found in the sources of the Bible, Purinton undertook to justify such sources as Paul’s letters and the gospels as authentic source material for the life of Jesus. He examined all the books of the New Testament, but with the realization that not all of the Epistles add to our knowledge of who Jesus was. Purinton wished to make Jesus accessible by means of a scholarly study of his life, in this venture his book has few equals even today.

Frothingham presents an ambitious overview of the development of orientation, or the directionality of sacrifice, prayer, and ritual, played a key role in ancient ceremonies, in the practice of ancient religions.

Scrinium: Revue de Patrologie, d’Hagiographie Critique et d’Histoire Ecclésiastique, established in 2005, is an international multilingual scholarly periodical devoted to patristics, critical hagiography, and Church history. This volume contains a partial publication of the papers of the 3rd Conference of the Asian Pacific Early Christian Studies Society which was focused on patrology, with special attention paid to patristic biblical interpretation.

One of the most enduring of the saints, Saint George has seldom failed to capture the imagination of Christian readers, both ancient and modern. The Acts of Saint George, originally written in Greek, quickly spread to many linguistic traditions in the church of late antiquity. Presented here in vocalized Syriac and Arabic, the original text of the Acts is made easily accessible to readers of these languages. A detailed introduction in English summarizes the hagiography for those unacquainted with the Semitic languages. The account follows the hagiographic practice of describing the trials, steadfast faith, and martyrdom of the saint. Also included is the story of the father of Saint George, recorded in Syriac.

Twenty-four contributions on matters dealing with Byzantine and Oriental lands, people, and cultures through different perspectives, including history, maritime trade, documents, travelers, and art. These essays trace the history of the relations between the Greeks and the peoples of the Middle East from Late Antiquity up to the seventeenth century.

Widely regarded as a premier journal dedicated to the study of Syriac, Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies was established in 1998 as a venue devoted exclusively to the discipline. An organ of Beth Mardutho, the Syriac Institute, the journal appears semi-annually and will be printed in annual editions. A peer-reviewed journal, Hugoye is a respected academic source for up-to-date information about the state of Syriac studies and for discovering what is going on in the field. Contributors include some of the most respected names in the world of Syriac today. This is Volume 12 of the journal from 2009.