Aramaic: the language of the Christ, and the stolen Icon
Regional-Syria, History, 2/16/1998

The Aramaic language is the language of the Aramaens. It has many dialects that were spoken in Syria and Mesopotamia before the first millennium BC.

It survived the fall of Nineveh and Babylon in Iraq and remained the official language of the Persian empire. Aramaic inscriptions were also dug out in certain areas in Egypt and China.

The Syrian dialect of Aramaic known to philologists as "Western Aramaic", or "Christian Aramaic", is usually called Syriac. By the beginning of the Arab conquests of the region, Aramaic began to decline in favor of the Arabic language. Nevertheless the language still survives in the Syrian village of Maaloula (Ma'aloula), 50 Km. to the north of Damascus and efforts are being made to preserve it.

In December, Syrian Culture Minister Najah al-Attar handed Bishop Fayez Freijat, head of Saint Sarkis convent in Maaloula, a unique 18th-century icon depicting the "last supper and the cross," stolen on May 17, 1995 from the convent and restored by the Syrian authorities.

This icon, however, is but one of 25 rare icons which are the main attraction for 350,000 foreign tourists to Syria every year.

Two books of the bible, Daniel and Esdras, were written in Western Aramaic. It was also the language of the Christ. The lord's prayer, the prayer of Christians all over the world, was first spoken in Aramaic; the monks of Mar (Saint) Sarkis have made a recording of it in this language for visitors.

Previous Stories:
  Archeological discovery in Sakkara   (12/9/1997)
  New finds in the Euphrates archaeological sites   (12/6/1997)
  Antiquities found in Aleppo   (10/8/1997)

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