A Cultural History of Aramaic

A Cultural History of Aramaic PDF

Author: Holger Gzella

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2015-01-08

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 9004285105

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Aramaic is a constant thread running through the various civilizations of the Near East, ancient and modern, from 1000 BCE to the present, and has been the language of small principalities, world empires, and a fair share of the Jewish-Christian tradition. Holger Gzella describes its cultural and linguistic history as a continuous evolution from its beginnings to the advent of Islam. For the first time the individual phases of the language, their socio-historical underpinnings, and the textual sources are discussed comprehensively in light of the latest linguistic and historical research and with ample attention to scribal traditions, multilingualism, and language as a marker of cultural self-awareness. Many new observations on Aramaic are thereby integrated into a coherent historical framework.

Aramaic

Aramaic PDF

Author: Holger Gzella

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2021-05-27

Total Pages: 495

ISBN-13: 1467461423

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this volume—the first complete history of Aramaic from its origins to the present day—Holger Gzella provides an accessible overview of the language perhaps most well known for being spoken by Jesus of Nazareth. Gzella, one of the world’s foremost Aramaicists, begins with the earliest evidence of Aramaic in inscriptions from the beginning of the first millennium BCE, then traces its emergence as the first world language when it became the administrative tongue of the great ancient Near Eastern empires. He also pays due diligence to the sacred role of Aramaic within Judaism, its place in the Islamic world, and its contact with other regional languages, before concluding with a glimpse into modern uses of Aramaic. Although Aramaic never had a unified political or cultural context in which to gain traction, it nevertheless flourished in the Middle East for an extensive period, allowing for widespread cultural exchange between diverse groups of people. In tracing the historical thread of the Aramaic language, readers can also gain a stronger understanding of the rise and fall of civilizations, religions, and cultures in that region over the course of three millennia. Aramaic: A History of the First World Language is visually supplemented by maps, charts, and other images for an immersive reading experience, providing scholars and casual readers alike with an engaging overview of one of the most consequential world languages in history.

A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages

A Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages PDF

Author: Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-03-31

Total Pages: 560

ISBN-13: 111919329X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies. Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more. Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing) Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them Written by leading experts on the languages and topics The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.

The Neo-Aramaic Oral Heritage of the Jews of Zakho

The Neo-Aramaic Oral Heritage of the Jews of Zakho PDF

Author: Oz Aloni

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2022-02-10

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 1800643047

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In 1951, the secluded Neo-Aramaic-speaking Jewish community of Zakho migrated collectively to Israel. It carried with it its unique language, culture and customs, many of which bore resemblance to those found in classical rabbinic literature. Like others in Kurdistan, for example, the Jews of Zakho retained a vibrant tradition of creating and performing songs based on embellishing biblical stories with Aggadic traditions. Despite the recent growth of scholarly interest into Neo-Aramaic communities, however, studies have to this point almost exclusively focused on the linguistic analysis of their critically endangered dialects and little attention has been paid to the sociological, historical and literary analysis of the cultural output of the diverse and isolated Neo-Aramaic communities of Kurdistan. In this innovative book, Oz Aloni seeks to redress this balance. Aloni focuses on three genres of the Zakho community’s oral heritage: the proverb, the enriched biblical narrative and the folktale. Each chapter draws on the author's own fieldwork among members of the Zakho community now living in Jerusalem. He examines the proverb in its performative context, the rewritten biblical narrative of Ruth, Naomi and King David, and a folktale with the unusual theme of magical gender transformation. Insightfully breaking down these examples with analysis drawn from a variety of conceptual fields, Aloni succeeds in his mission to put the speakers of the language and their culture on equal footing with their speech. The Martin Buber Society of Fellows at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have kindly supported the publication of this volume

The Wisdom of the Aramaic Book of Ahiqar

The Wisdom of the Aramaic Book of Ahiqar PDF

Author: Seth Bledsoe

Publisher: Supplements to the Journal for

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 9789004473119

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

"This book offers fresh readings of the Aramaic book of Ahiqar, an oft underappreciated ancient wisdom text. In undertaking a comprehensive literary analysis, incorporating both the drama and the sayings together, Bledsoe shows that Ahiqar's didactic impulse is founded on a sense of uncertainty about life, offering advice for those in times of distress, much like the titular character himself. While Ahiqar shares many features with instructional literature like Proverbs, the ambiguous cosmic and social order imagined in the text resonate more strongly with the likes of Qoheleth or Job. Bledsoe also takes seriously the Elephantine context, suggesting that the social and political ethic evinced by the work would have resonated strongly with the Judean community in Achaemenid Egypt"--

Did You Know? Jesus Spoke Aramaic

Did You Know? Jesus Spoke Aramaic PDF

Author: Simon Aydin

Publisher:

Published: 2017-03

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781946300010

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Learn all about Jesus' native language and cultural background in this brightly-illustrated book written by 10-year-old writer Simon Aydin, with original illustrations by 16-year-old Syrian refugee Marva Hanna.

A Cultural History of the Arabic Language

A Cultural History of the Arabic Language PDF

Author: Sharron Gu

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2013-10-17

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0786470593

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This history of literary Arabic describes the evolution of Arabic poetry and prose in the context of music, ritual performance, the arts and architecture. The thousands-of-years-old language is perhaps more highly developed and refined than any other on earth. This book focuses on what is unique about Arabic compared to other major languages of the world (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, English and Spanish) and how the distinct characteristics of Arabic took shape at various points in its history. The book provides a cultural background for understanding social and political institutions and religious beliefs--more influenced by the rhythms and depths of poetic language than other cultures--in the Middle East today.

Aramaic Graffiti from Hatra

Aramaic Graffiti from Hatra PDF

Author: Marco Moriggi

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2019-05-07

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 9004397647

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In Aramaic Graffiti from Hatra Moriggi and Bucci provide an effective and thorough study of these texts, where epigraphy and archaeology jointly work to shed new light on Hatra’s everyday life and language.

Lanterna Rally - Theme by Grace Themes