A comparative work on the nature and various roles of the lesser deities, the so-called angels, in the Ugaritic texts and the Hebrew Bible. Sang Youl Cho insists on the necessity for a comparative study between the two religious literatures from Ugarit and ancient Israel. The present study is interested in their membership in the heavenly council, their kinship among the deities, and their roles such as messengers, warriors, mediators, or servants, which have numerous similarities in the Ugaritic texts and the Old Testament.

An examination of the ethics of violence in the Ugaritic story of Aqhat using the conventions of characterization and the conflicting points of view. The points of view of the divine characters El, Baal, Anat, Yatpan, are contrasted with the points of view of the human characters, Aqhat, Dan'il and Pughat, in order to bring out the multi-dimensional aspect of Anat's violence.

A sensitive and evocative treatment 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 role of the Holy Spirit in the Syriac Bible. A striking aspect of this tradition is the imagery used for the Spirit, including: compassionate mother, fire, olive oil, as well as the more common image of dove. Brock also summarizes commentaries and other literature on the baptismal rite, touching on Syriac literature and works translated from the Greek.

A selection of essays on magic and divination in relation to the biblical world, including Mesopotamian demonology, Akkadian literary influences, exorcism, healing, calendars, astrology, bibliomancy, dreams, ritual magic, priestly divination, prophecy, magic in the Christian Apocrypha and the New Testament, magic in rabbinic literature, and Jewish Aramaic magic bowls.

Athas challenges the past assumptions by Book of Daniel scholars, especially with regard to the symbolism in Chapter 9. This exegesis provides a theory for chronological interpretation that includes dates for calculating the seventy weeks mentioned in Daniel's vision.

William Wright presents here the Syriac text and English translation of extracts from a manuscript containing a previously unknown recension of the text “Secular Laws of the Emperors Constantine, Theodosius, and Leo.”

This work contains a full description of the Nestorian Stone in English.

This pamphlet contains 206 Syriac inscriptions, sorted by date, attesting to the Nestorian presence in Central Asia

Understanding Differently considers the four main religions – Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism – that, along with Christianity, represent ancient and vibrant visions of God at work in the world and in peoples. Showing the particular radiance, rationality and spirituality of each tradition and Christianity’s relationship and dialogue with them, Jo O’Donovan explores what it means to be Christian in a multi-religious world.

This edition of Mar Jacob of Sarug's (d. 521) homily on Partaking in the Holy Mysteries is one of Jacob’s memre on the sacraments. In this homily, Jacob is shocked that some of his congregants are leaving the service early, before the eucharist has been celebrated. He emphasizes the importance of the liturgical celebrations for a Christian life in a message still applicable today. The volume constitutes a fascicle of The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain the original Syriac text of Jacob's surviving sermons, fully vocalized, alongside an annotated English translation.

This article presents the ascription of physical disability as a strategy to communicate disapproval of icons in various passages of the Hebrew Bible. Idols are characterized as unable to interact with worshipers and unable to function independently.

This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshitta along with the Syriac text carried out by an international team of scholars.

This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshitta carried out by an international team of scholars. The fully vocalized and pointed Syriac text, and the English translation, are presented on facing pages so that both can be studied together. Much supplementary information is given in annotations, Addenda, and Appendices.

This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshitta carried out by an international team of scholars. The fully vocalized and pointed Syriac text, and the English translation, are presented on facing pages so that both can be studied together. Supplementary information is given in annotations, Addenda, and Appendices.

This volume incorporates all the articles and reviews published in Volume 11 (2011) of the Journal of Hebrew Scriptures.

In this treatise, John the Solitary (ca. 390) enters into a dialogue with two disciples who have come past the beginning stage of the spiritual life and have brought him their struggle against the passions in the life of the inner person (barnâšâ gawwâyâ). John’s description of the life of the soul is outlined here in a framework of the stages of the spiritual life. Included is his analysis of the passions, showing very little if any Evagrian influence. The Dialogue on the Soul is a difficult text. It is hoped that this Syriac-English presentation will enable others to take the discussion forward. John’s genial thought merits this.