East Syriac Tradition and its sacred language Syriac
East Syriac Tradition and its sacred language Syriac
Dr Martin Thomas Antony
Catholic Church and traditions
The Catholic Church is the Universal Church comprising 24 sui iuris Churches. The mother Church is the Universal Church, and these 24 particular Churches are sister churches. The particular Church of Rome is a sister Church to other Eastern particular Churches[1]. These 24 particular Churches together as 24 expressions of faith. Thus, the Catholic Church represents the fullness of mysteries of God revealed to different cultures and languages and traditions.
There are 6 traditions in the Catholic Church. They are Roman, Alexandrian, Antiochene(West Syriac), Armenian, Chaldean(East Syriac) and Constantinopolitan traditions[2].
Three streams of Christianity.
Christianity is the continuation of the Judeo-Christian movement of the Sleehe. The Church was born in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Aramaic was the language that Our Lord Isho M’shiha, the Sleehe, Marth Maryam, the Mother of M’shiha spoke. The culture of the Judeo-Christian movement was Jewish and Aramaic. Christian Aramaic evolved into Syriac in and around Edessa. Thus Syriac stream of Christianity evolved.
Greek was the imperial language at the time. Christianity evolved in the Greek language and culture in the Roman Empire, beginning from Antioch. Later, in the western Roman Empire, Latin stream of Christianity evolved around Rome.
Thus, Christianity evolved in three streams Syriac, Greek and Latin in the beginning.
Syriac stream of Christianity
Disciples of M’shiha were called Christians for the first time in Antioch.They were a sect in Judaism. The Acts of the Apostles comments about early Christians being Nazerites, a sect with a certain vow. ( Numbers 6: 1-21) Acts 24:5 narrates that Paul was accused as a ring leader of Nazerenes. Acts 18:18 suggests about a vow for Paul, and he cut his hair. Acts 21:23 also mentions about vows among the disciples.
Early Syriac Church was prominently ascetic[3]. At the time of Mar Aphrahat, The Syriac Christians were a group of baptised celebates with adherents[4]. This seems to be related to the origin of Christianity as a Nazirite sect in the Jewish religion. Even today, Christians are called Nazarenes. East Syriac tradition was isolated from the Churches of the West- Greco-Roman Churches due to political reasons; they were in the Persian Empire, who was in constant war with the Roman Empire. Due to Theological reasons and related to the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, the West Syriac tradition-Antiochene tradition -evolved from the early Syriac tradition by the 5th century, imbibing elements of spirituality and theology from the Greek Church of Antioch while the East Syriac tradition continued in the Persian Empire.
Aramaic and Syriac
Aramaic language was the Chosen language. Abraham was chosen by God to be the Father of many nations and to establish a covenant as the chosen people of Israelites. Abraham was an Aramean. In the Book of Deuteronomy, 26:5, Yakkob stated that his father was a wandering Aramaean. Israelites were taken to Egypt and then back to Canaan. During this time period in various places, they imbibed many linguistic elements and their language became Hebrew. But at the time of Isho M’shiha, their language was Aramaic- the Palestinian Jewish Aramaic. During the Babylonian exile in BC 597- 537, the Israelites were taken to Babylon for a lifetime and the new generation learned Aramaic and forgot Hebrew. Nehemiah 8:7-8 narrates that when the Jews were taken back to Jerusalem from Babylon, they needed help to understand the book of Law read in the temple, proving that they could not understand Hebrew.
This was also God’s will that God wanted Isho M’shiha to speak in the same language of Abraham. Thus Aramaic was the language spoken by M’shiha and his disciples, Marth Maryam and Mar Yawseph. Therefore, it would have been the same language that broke out from heaven at the river Yordnan at the time of the Mamodeesa of Isho M’shiha, the language in which the Malakhe spoke to Zacharias, Marth Maryam and Mar Yawseph. Thus, Aramaic was the language of revelations.
This Aramaic evolved into Syriac language in and around Edessa. East Syriac language is a direct descendant of the dialect of Aramaic that was spoken by Isho M’shiha and his disciples. There is a strong lobby in the Syro-Malabar Church to refute the fact that today’s East Syriac is the direct descendant of the language of Isho M’shiha. But God has left several proofs for us.
Many transliterated words and phrases still preserved in the Bible like, Amen, Abba, Rabbi, Rabboni ( Yohannan 20:16) , Hosana (Mark 11:9) , Korban ( Mark 7:11), Talitha Qum (Mark 5:41), Ephatha ( Mark 7:34) Eli Eli Lama na shabakthani ( Mathai 27: 46), Maran Atha ( 1 Cor 16:22) shows that they are still pronounced same in East Syriac today. The place names in the Bible, like Hakkel Dma, Beth Lahem, Beth saida, Beth Anya, Golgotha,( Mathew 27:33, Mark 15:34, Yohannan 19:17) are similar examples.
Names mentioned in the Holy Bible like Bar Thulmi, Bar Nabas, Bar Abbas, Bar Timeus (Mark 10:46), Bar Sabbath ( Acts 1:23) confirm that these words are not Hebrew, as Bar Nabas would have been Ben Nabas if it were in Hebrew and Bin Nabas if it were in Arabic. Thus, we can conclude that today’ s East Syriac is the direct descendant of the Christian Aramaic that was spoken by our Lord Isho M’shiha and his disciples.
Early Syriac Christianity and its evolution
Early Syriac Christianity and the East Syriac tradition were devoid of Hellenistic characteristics and were purely Judeo-Christian or Semitic. Therefore, spirituality and theology evolved in a Semitic culture, especially during the period before AD 400. Writings of Mar Aphrahat and Mar Aprem, works like Odes of Solomon of the late second century, Acts of Thomas of the third century are examples[5]. Aphrahat witnesses the early ascetic spirituality of the East Syriac tradition. Anaphora of Mar Addai and Mar Mari evolved in this period with little possibility of Hellenistic influence.
Later, during the 5th to 7th centuries, Hellenistic influence began with the writings of Philoxenus of Mabbug. Creative fusion of Greek and native elements is seen in this period. Syriac Christianity benefited from the influence of the Greek tradition of spirituality on the native Syriac spirituality led to an enrichment and thus the wonderful blossoming of the East Syriac mystical tradition in the 7th and 8th centuries[6]. Isahak of Nineveh is an example of this influence.
Western Christianity also benefited from this mutual influence, as many of the works of Mar Aprem were translated into Greek and Latin. The works of Isahak of Nineveh were translated to Greek and later to Georgian, Latin, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, and Japanese making it widely popularised across ecclesiastical and linguistic boundaries[7].
Prominent themes of Syriac spirituality
1 Descent of M’shiha into Sheol. This is a prominent theme in the Nicene Creed. Seen in Odes of Solomon and writings of Mar Aprem. Sheol is considered a non-geographic space with non-historical time- sacred time- no past, present or future. This shows the victory of M’shiha over death.
2 Recovery of Paradise: M’shiha is considered as the second Adam and the hope to re-enter paradise through M’shiha. Adam lost his glory and became naked, but M’shiha, through his sufferings, healed Adam and provided a garment of Glory. The Tree of Life was made accessible to humanity and elevated humanity to immortality through the sacramental life[8].
3 M’shiha, the heavenly bridegroom: This is also a Biblical theme based from Yohannan 3:29- and Mathai 9:15. Mar Aprem portrays Mamoodeesa as a betrothal of every Christian to the bridegroom the M’shiha, celebration of Holy Qurbana as a wedding feast and the kingdom of heaven as bridal chamber (gnona)[9].
4 Salvation as healing: Mar Aprem narrates M’shiha as a healer to heal the wounds of Adam . M’shiha has been portrayed as a Good Doctor and the medicine of Life[10]. Syriac writers like Aphrahat see sin as a wound and the medicine to heal the wound as penitence[11].
5 Divine Fire: Mar Aprem uses the image of fire to M’shiha[12]. Fire burns up and consumes as in Old Testament description of the fate of sinners, and it purifies and sanctifies. In the New Testament, fire appears as an image of Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Syriac writers narrate the divine fire in the womb of Marth Maryam B’thultha (the Virgin Mary) and in the river Yordnan at the time of Baptism of M’shiha[13]. This concept of fire parallels divine fire in the sacraments of Mamodeesa and Eucharist as described in the tenth Hymn of Faith of Mar Aprem
‘Fire and spirit are in our baptismal font
In the bread and cup are fire and Holy Spirit’
6 The luminous eye: Mar Aprem describes the inner eye of faith that can only perceive the types and symbols of God hidden in the nature and the scriptures. Inner eye. (Luminous eye- shafiltha) needs faith as light for the normal eye and it needs lucid and clear through purity from sin[14].
7 The three fold church: The concept of the threefold church is seen in the Book of Steps. The heavenly Church, the visible church on earth, with its sacraments and the interior church of the heart of the faithful[15]. The body and heart in which our Lord Isho M’shiha dwells is in fact an altar. The visible church nurtures the faithful through the sacraments, and they enter the heavenly Church after death.
8 Monasticism and asceticism
The early Syriac Christianity was inherently ascetic and monastic. The Church at the time of Mar Aphrahat was a group of baptised celebates and adherents. Baptism was given only to adults with a vow of celibacy[16]. They were called Ihidaye. Bnai Qyama, virgins(B’thule) and Qaddishe were the perfect members of the Church. They lived in the community rather than monasteries and nurtured the spiritual life of the community.
9 Divine Love:
Syriac authors of all time narrate about God’s boundless Love. Love is the reason for the economy of salvation. Isahak of Nineveh expresses that the prime purpose of incarnation and crucifixion was God’s love for humanity[17].
10 Self emptying and humility.
‘ For us men and for our salvation, God the Word, who is the only begotten Son and your image, did not regard his equality with you as something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, took the likeness of a servant and descended from heaven[18].
This prayer in the Holy Qurbana of the Syro-Malabar Church in the third G’hantha cycle of the Anaphora of Theodore(Second Qudasha) is self-explanatory. God’s self-emptying (msarrqutha) Love needs to be reciprocated. Humility of the Kahna and the community is a prominent theme in the Liturgical prayers of the East Syriac tradition. Self emptying and humility are prominent themes in the writings of East Syriac Fathers like Yohannan the Ihidaya(John the Solitary) and Isahak of Nineveh[19].
11 Interior Virginity: Isahak of Antioch writes about Interior virginity. It is the aspect of virginity as a state of betrothal to M’shiha, the heavenly bridegroom at Mamodeesa. When a pagan poet wrote about restoring virginity, Isahak of Antioch replied that regaining lost virginity is possible through M’shiha through Mamodeesa. It is rebuilding the virginity by the Grace of God. Isahak of Antioch also describes Mamodeesa as a miraculous virgin birth in which, without a womb or pregnancy a person is reborn to virginity. Isahak also comments that marriage is not the destroyer of virginity: intercourse in accordance with God’s law does not corrupt virginity[20].
12 The pierced side of M’shiha: Syriac tradition through liturgical poetry, mystically describes the piercing of the side of M’shiha with the pouring of water and blood as pouring of graces through sacraments of Mamodeesa (water) and Eucharist( blood) . Mar Aprem describes the pierced wound as a passage of entry to heaven guarded by the sword[21]. Hebrews 10:20 describes the body of M’shiha as a veil as a passage to life. The altar veil in the East Syriac tradition represents the body of M’shiha, which is cut open, through which the faithful get the graces and as a passage to heaven.
Yakkob of Sarugh describes that as the Bridegroom slept on the Cross, his side was pierced and gave birth to the bride, the Church, as Eve was created from the rib on the side of Adam while in deep sleep[22]. It also reminds us that all the Graces are made available through the Church that came from His pierced side.
This can be interpreted as a parallel to the veneration of the Sacred Heart in the Latin tradition.
13 Interior offering of prayer: Prayer represents replacement of Old Testament sacrifices[23]. These sacrifices takes place in the new temples where God dwells(1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16) – heart, Biblical centre of human intellect and emotion as narrated by Mar Aphrahat in his demonstration IV[24]. Aphrahat teaches that internal prayers need to be from a pure heart. Sahadona also emphasise the need for clensing the heart of resentment, prode, deceitfulness, ingratitude, and hypocrisy before proceeding to make an offering of prayer[25].This is related to the concept of threefold churches in the Book of Steps.
Syriac, the Chosen language, language of revelations and the Sacred language
Aramaic was the Chosen language. Abraham Isahak and Yakkob spoke Aramaic. God wanted the Son of God to talk in the same language. Therefore, God allowed the Israelites to be in exile in Babylon for a full generation to learn Aramaic as their common language. The Syro-Malabar people are so lucky that they could preserve the language of revelations through their liturgy as pronounced in the first century. It is the Sacred language through which mysteries of salvation were revealed. When the theological and spiritual matters are translated into other languages, the coherence and sweetness are often lost. Therefore, it would be our duty not to allow the Syriac language to be lost forever but to use a semantic sense to keep some words and phrases in the translations for understanding the richness and fullness of the revelations. Translation of words and phrases such as Ruha D Khudsha, Qurbana, Mamodeesa etc, are to be avoided and promoting this Syriac vocabulary in our spiritual life is essential.
[1] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of faith, a letter to the presidents of the Conferences of Bishops, 30 June 2000, note no. 8-12.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000630_chiese-sorelle_en.html accessed on 24/10/25
[2] CCEO Canon 28
[3] Barnard, the origins and emergence of the church in Edessa 175, Josua D Settles, an examination of the teachings of Ephraim the Syrian and Aphrahat the Persian sage and their implications for Christian discipleship in Africa E journal of religious and theological studies ERATS vol 8 issue 3 march 22 pp 68-88
[4] Early Eastern Christianity p 127
[5] Bishop Abraham D Mattom, Historic setting of the East Syriac Theology, in Pauly Maniyattu, (Ed.) East Syriac Theology, as Introduction, 2007, p 25-26
[6] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam,p 2
[7] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam,p 3
[8] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam,
[9] Mar Aprem, Hymns of Faith XIV 5, cited by Sebastian Broke,Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p40-41
[10] Mar Aprem, Hymns of Nativity 13.2, cited by Sebastian Broke,Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p40- 41
[11] Mar Aphrahat, Demonstration VII 3 cited by Sebastian Broke,Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p42
[12] Mar Aprem, Hymn on Faith, X 17 cited by Sebastian Broke,Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p42
[13] Mar Aprem, Hymn on Faith, X 17 cited by Sebastian Broke,Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p42
[14] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam, p 45-46
[15] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 47-48
[16] F C Burkitt, Early Eastern Christianity, St Margaret Lectures on the Syriac-speaking Church 1904, New York, p 127
[17] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 85
[18] Holy Qurbana of Syro Malabar Church, Order of the RAZA, Sept 2025 (English)Second Anaphora, third g’hantha cycle p 177-178
[19] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 87-89
[20] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p90
[21] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 91
[22] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 94
[23] Psalms 141:2
[24] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam p 96
[25] Sebastian Brock, Spirituality in Syriac Tradition, SEERI, Kottayam , p 97