Syriac Christianity in Context – Course Outline Day July Mon 14 Tue 15 9.00‐11.00 Instructor Prof. Wido van Peursen Topic Introduction. A Bird’s eye view on the Syriac tradition The stories of biblical manuscripts The Peshitta: its origin and its role in Syriac literature The Peshitta as a translation: what a comparison of the Hebrew and Syriac texts reveal Other Syriac versions of the Bible The Peshitta in the context of Aramaic/Syriac Bible translations Greek and Syriac exegetical traditions 11.00‐13.00 9.00‐11.00 Prof. Wido van Peursen Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny (Leiden) 11.00‐13.00 Dr Janet Dyk Wed 16 9.00‐11.00 11.00‐13.00 Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny (Leiden) Dr. Eveline van Staalduine‐Sulman Thu 17 9.00‐13.00 Fri 18 9.00‐11.00 Dr Hagit Amirav; Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny (Leiden); Maya Goldberg, MA (Leiden) Prof. Wido van Peursen 11.00‐13.00 Sat 19 Case Study — Reading — Biblical manuscripts Story of Thecla Books of Kings The earliest responses to the Arab conquest Apocalypses from the 7th cent. Dr Jan van Ginkel Historiography and Identity Michael Syrus and Bar Hebraeus Mon 21 9.00‐11.00 Dr Dirk Bakker Excursion: Vesper in Syriac Orthodox Church in Amsterdam The formative period: Orthodoxy and heresies 11.00‐13.00 Dr Hagit Amirav The Council of Chalcedon and its Aftermath Tue 22 9.00‐11.00 Dr Dirk Bakker 11.00‐13.00 Prof. Wido van Peursen The Bible as a source for creative poetic writings Tracing liturgical and narrative traditions Wed 23 9.00‐11.00 Prof. Faustina Doufikar‐Aerts 11.00‐13.00 Thu 24 Bardaisan’s Dialogue on Fate and Ephrem’s Prose Refutations The Cherub and the Thief King Manasseh in the bull Gog and Magog Dr Jan van Ginkel Literary motifs crossing the borders of Judaism, Christianity and Islam philosophical works: Translation and reception 9.00‐11.00 Prof. Peter Ben Smit Syriac Christianity in the 21st century Ecumenical dialogues 11.00‐13.00 Examination Fri 25 9.00‐11.00 Concluding Seminar 11.00‐13.00 Dr Jan van Ginkel and Prof. Wido van Peursen Guest lecture H.E. Mor Polycarpus The Bible in the monastic tradition Pseudo‐Ephrem, On the end Job of Edessa and Bar Hebraeus Prayer of Manasseh