Syriac Resources

sample syriac script

Unless you have background in Hebrew (a least a year) I would not recommend starting with Syriac. Not that you can’t do it, just that there aren’t as many good grammars for Syriac as there are for Hebrew. In fact, having attempted Syriac before Aramaic, I strongly recommend learning Aramaic before learning Syriac. The few Aramaic grammars are better than the few Syriac grammars.

Syriac is basically a later Christian form of Aramaic written in a different script (a precursor of the Nabatean script, which was a precursor of the Arabic script).

Learning Grammars:

There are two learning grammars I’d recommend. If you can afford both (or find one in the library) I recommend using them together.

Introduction to Syriac: An Elementary Grammar With Readings from Syriac Literature by Wheeler M. Thackston

Thackston’s grammar is slightly better (in my opinion) than Healy’s.

Pros:

  • It’s much cheaper than Healy
  • It covers the material more in depth

Cons:

  • Contains some obvious typos
  • It uses unvowelled Estrangela script with transliterations. (I like Serto, but to be honest, it doesn’t matter that much.) For those of you with only Biblical Hebrew background, it may take awhile to adjust to vowellessness. But since many non-Biblical Syriac texts are not vowelled, it might help to learn without. It’s kind of like learning to ride a bike without training wheels–it can be done.

Leshono Suryoyo: First Studies in Syriac by John F. Healey

Pros:

  • Contains an audio CD of passages being read
  • Serto script with vowels

Cons:

  • Can be confusing, as he doesn’t always explain all the concepts. Not the best for self-taught learning.

Other learning grammars:

Syriac Grammar by Eberhard Nestle

An old school grammar. Instead of buying it, find a copy of it here.

Another old school grammar (1906) The Elements of Syriac Grammar by Benjamin Davidson is available through Google Books.
classicalsyriacx.jpg

Classical Syriac for Hebraists and Classical Syriac: A basic grammar with a chrestomathy by Takamitsu Muraoka

As much as I appreciate his work, I’ve never been very fond of Muraoka’s grammars. You can find both at Eisenbrauns for $49 and $51 respectively. I recommend looking for them in the library before purchasing.

Intermediate resources:

After working through a grammar, consider

Robinson’s Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar by J. F. Coakley

Fairly expensive for its size. This is essentially a learning grammar, but I think it is better after you’ve gone through something like Healy first.

A Compendious Syriac Dictionary by J. Payne Smith and Jessie Payne Smith

Tyndale house maintains an online version with navigation links here.
Also available with better image quality, but less navigation through Net Bible Library here.

Compendious Syriac Grammar by Theodor Noldeke

Introductory Syriac Method and Manual by Robert Dick Wilson

This appears to be a reprint (2007) of Wilson’s 1891 grammar. I haven’t looked at it, so I don’t know if it’s been updated. You can find the original 1891 Introductory Syriac Method and Manual here. It looks like it has a nice chrestomathy.

Lexicon to the Syriac New Testament (Peshitta) by William Jennings, M.A.

You can access the original online through the Net Bible Library here.

Fonts

The only fonts I’d recommend using are Beth Mardutho’s Meltho fonts. They are free Open Types fonts in a variety of scripts.

Basic online lessons:

The Syriac Maronites offer introductory Syriac lessons on their site, Beith Souryoyé Morounoyé

Other basic lessons can be found at Learn Assyrian Online

CAL

Online texts:

  • CAL’s electronic Syriac Texts

    Large collection of texts (with lexical analysis), including letters, inscriptions, coins, and the OT and NT books (this is the only place I could find the books of the OT online). Note: the site is originally in frames. To access the frames version, click here and choose “Search the CAL Textual Databases”

  • Syriac Studies Reference Library

    The results of Brigham Young University & The Catholic University of America’s digital imaging of an enormous amount of Syriac texts. An amazing collection.

My Stuff:

Some handouts, etc I’ve created on Syriac while working through Healy’s grammar.