As Gorgias Press prepares for its 15th anniversary this summer, there have been a number of exciting changes and updates occurring!

The "News" section is jam-packed with information about some of these updates, including new avenues of availability for Gorgias Press books, and a few different sales and other ways (such as the annual Book Grant) to receive Gorgias books at a lower price.

Also, our Enthusiast of the Month column features Mary Lansbury, and our Conference Section includes upcoming conferences. Check out these sections for more information!

Happy reading!

• Recently Released
• Coming Soon
• From the Acquisitions Desk
• Enthusiast of the Month: Mary Lansbury
• News
• Conference Report
• A Birthday Tribute: George Kiraz

For the complete list of recent releases, please visit our Just Published page.

Here is a select list of forthcoming publications. Click here for a complete list.

Gorgias Concise English-Syriac, Syriac-English Dictionary By Sebastian P. Brock & George A. Kiraz
As the first two-way Syriac-English/English-Syriac dictionary, the Concise Dictionary is both a convenient academic resource and a door into the world of Modern Literary Syriac. With 13,000 entries drawn from the major existing works, the Syriac-English section is a practical tool for all but the most specialized Classical Syriac texts, while the English-Syriac entries open up new opportunities for scholars to compose their own texts and to participate in modern Syriac usage.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0224-8, Paperback, $48 (Gorgias BiblioPerks $43.20)

Samuel 1 & 2 According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation Samuel: English Translation by Donald M. Walter & Gillian Greenberg; Text Prepared by George Anton Kiraz
This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshitta along with the Syriac text carried out by an international team of scholars.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0423-5, Cloth, $150 (Gorgias BiblioPerks $135.00)

The Syriac Dot By George A. Kiraz
The dot is used for everything in Syriac from tense to gender, number, and pronunciation, and unsurprisingly represents one of the biggest obstacles to learning the language. Using inscriptions, early grammars, and experiments with modern scribes, Dr. Kiraz peels back the evolution of the dot layer by layer to explain each of its uses in detail and to show how it adopted the wide range of uses it has today.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0425-9, Hardback, $38 (Gorgias BiblioPerks $34.20)

An East Syrian Manuscript of the Syriac 'Masora' Dated to 899 CE Volume 2: Prepared by Jonathan Loopstra
This unique manuscript of the East Syrian Syriac ‘Masora’ is essential for any study of early Syriac vocalization, accentuation, and punctuation. In Volume 1, Gorgias Press has published a facsimile reproduction of this unique ‘masoretic’ manuscript. This volume (Volume 2) includes an introduction and comprehensive lists of all scriptural sample texts and marginal notes in this compilation.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0391-7, Hardback, $228.09 (Gorgias BiblioPerks $205.28)

This month we’re pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of monographs in the fields of Syriac Studies and Masoretic Studies.

In the Masoretic apparatus of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Gérard E. Weil marked certain Masorah parva notes as sub loco in order to refer the reader to the corresponding commentary that was to be found in the third volume of Massorah Gedolah. Due to Weil’s passing, however, this commentary was never realized. Daniel S. Mynatt’s 1994 monograph listed, analyzed, and classified the Pentateuch’s 297 sub loco notes with a view to determining how and why BHS’s Masora parva differs from that of the Leningrad Codex, but since that time, no analysis of the sub loco notes of the Prophets or the Writings has been published. In The Sub-Loco Notes in the Former Prophets of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Christopher Dost builds on Mynatt’s analysis and classification of the Pentateuch’s sub loco notes by incorporating the Aleppo and Cairo Codices. Dost evaluates all 414 sub loco notes in the corpus of the Former Prophets, and evaluates Weil’s contribution by comparing Weil’s revision of the Leningrad Codex’s Masorah against the Masorah of the Aleppo Codex.

The next two volumes of the Antioch Bible are now in production. Numbers, translated by Edward M. Cook, and Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, translated by Gillian Greenberg and Donald M. Walter, will bring the total number of Antioch Bible volumes either in print or in press to eighteen!

To see the full list of titles in different series, visit our series page.

Melonie Schmierer-Lee

Acquisitions Editor

The Sub-Loco Notes in the Former Prophets of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia By Christopher Dost
In BHS’s Masoretic apparatus, certain Masorah parva notes are marked “sub loco” in order to refer the reader to the corresponding commentary that was to be found in the third volume of Massorah Gedolah. Due to Weil’s passing, however, this commentary was never realized. This volume builds on Mynatt’s 1994 analysis and classification of the Pentateuch’s 297 sub loco notes by incorporating the Aleppo and Cairo Codices. Dost evaluates all 414 sub loco notes in the corpus of the Former Prophets, and evaluates Weil’s contribution by comparing Weil's revision of the Leningrad Codex’s Masorah against the Masorah of the Aleppo Codex.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0531-7, Hardback

Numbers According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation English Translation by Edward M. Cook; Text Prepared by George Anton Kiraz
This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshitta along with the Syriac text carried out by an international team of scholars.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0529-4, Cloth, $150 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $135.00)

Joshua, Judges, and Ruth According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation English Translation by Gillian Greenberg & Donald M. Walter; Text Prepared by George Anton Kiraz
This volume is part of a series of English translations of the Syriac Peshi?ta along with the Syriac text carried out by an international team of scholars.
ISBN ISBN_NOT_ASSIGNED_59853, Cloth, $150 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $135.00)

New: Recommendation Form for Libraries

Gorgias has just released a new program that will let students and faculty recommend books to their collection development librarians. Under each book title, you'll see the text: "E-mail this product to your librarian or to a friend." All you have to do is click on the link, enter the appropriate email address and a short note to explain why the book would help you in your research, and hit "send."

Book Grant

A last reminder to students who are interested in our Book Grant program - if you have not yet applied, there is still time to apply by March 1! Each year we award $500 worth of books to two lucky winners. Will you be one of them? Click here to find out more.

Overstock Sale (February 23-March 6)

Our first overstock sale of the year will take place from Monday, February 23rd through Monday, March 2. This is a great opportunity to find Gorgias books at prices you'll see nowhere else! The books found at this like are up to 60% off! As books are purchased, new books will be put on sale to fill their place, so check back regularly to see our latest offerings.

Sayfo Books

To commemorate the centennial anniversary of Sayfo, and to spread awareness about the genocide, we are marking down two of our bestselling books: The Hidden Pearl: The Aramaic Heritage and Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I. You can use your exclusive e-Gorgias coupon to claim a 50% discount! The coupon code is 02GB33H3.

Summer Syriac Program

Building off the success of our first ever Syriac Summer course in 2014, Beth Mardutho (The Syriac Institute) in collaboration with Rutgers University (Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literature) will be holding two intensive Syriac summer courses from July 20-Aug 7, 2015. Visit this website for more information, and pass the word and the website along to your friends, students, and interested colleagues.

Book Launch Lecture: Travels to Jerusalem and Mount Athos

On the occasion of a launch of the new book Travels to Jerusalem and Mount Athos by Petre Konchoshvili, translated by Mzia Ebanoidze & John Wilkinson, The Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), in association with the Friends of Academic Research in Georgia (FaRiG), is hosting a lecture entitled "Revisiting Jerusalem Pilgrims: debates for the coming generation," followed by a book signing. If you find yourself in London on March 25, you may be interested in attending!

Mary Hansbury received her Ph.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia, specializing in Early Christian Studies in a World Religions context. Although her family hails from the west of Ireland, Mary grew up in Philadelphia and, after finishing her course work at Temple, she was able to study for two years at Hebrew University while teaching at Bethlehem University in Palestine. She has also taught at La Salle University in Philadelphia, studied Syriac at Princeton University, and spent six months in China focusing on the early Syriac presence in Xian. Mary's academic interests include studying iconography, both for its Byzantine aspect and also for insight into word and image in Jacob of Serug.

I am grateful to Gorgias for publishing two of my translations. I also appreciate its commitment to publish the homilies of Jacob of Serug. After enduring an incorrect label of esoteric, Jacob’s work has now taken its rightful place in scholarship. Gorgias does much for us, not the least being the Hugoye email list. Friends in Greek and Latin patristics say they wish they had something similar!

Her publications with Gorgias Press include The Letters of John of Dalyatha, John the Solitary on the Soul, and Jacob of Sarug’s Homily on Zacchaeus the Tax Collector Fascicle 30.

Gorgias Press will be exhibiting at the fourth annual Hugoye Symposium at Rutgers University from March 6-7. We hope you can join us!

“Where Would We Be Without You, George?” A Tribute to Dr. George A. Kiraz on His Birthday

“George through his press and series has made possible the publication of my work on Kings (accepting for publication in the course of a day of emails a monograph that Brill had previously accepted but could not print using the format as Konrad Jenner put it into) and made possible the work of Gillian Greenberg and myself translating for the Antioch Bible (7 volumes submitted; 2 literally in process) beginning with the first volume in that series to be actually published (Isaiah). His generosity in supplying us both with the books we needed for our work has been most helpful. His immediate responsiveness to emails and quickness in moving things into print has been refreshing. Working on things he will publish for us keeps me mentally alert, I being 30 years older than he is.”
-Dr. Donald M. Walter, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy and Religion, Davis and Elkins College

“It is difficult to summarize all the ways that George has influenced my scholarship and academic career thus far. First and foremost, his labor of love in creating and running Gorgias Press has made countless works of scholarship available that might otherwise never have been published by other publishers. Likewise, his stewardship of Hugoye has produced some of the finest scholarship on Syriac Studies available anywhere, and done so through an open-access journal. More personally, George has had a tremendous impact on my scholarship by hiring me first as an intern, and then as an administrator for Beth Mardutho. Through working closely with George in this capacity, I have witnessed firsthand his passion for Syriac, and that passion is infectious. George’s most significant influence on my scholarship, though, has been his constant encouragement, for which I am grateful.”
-James Walters, Ph.D candidate, Princeton Theological Seminary

“George Kiraz has tread upon the dragon of forgetfulness, heralding for a generation of scholars and laypeople alike the delights, mundanities, and even paradoxes of the life and literature of the Syriac tradition.”
-Adam Becker, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, New York University

“A smart malfono will learn by teaching his students. A resilient malfono will challenge his limits and seek more. A humble malfono will let his students grow in knowledge in the hope that they will become leaders one day. A disciplined malfono will keep seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Malfono George Kiraz is a smart, resilient, humble, disciplined and great malfono. Tawdi for all what you have taught us and continue to teach. . . God bless you.”
-Dayroyo Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary, Media Office Director, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate

“I first met George in 1999, at the 27th North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics (NACAL 27) in Baltimore, Maryland. We have kept up a correspondence ever since, and when I was first hired to work at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey seven years later, we became neighbors. During that time and ever since, I've grown more and more appreciative of George's pioneering and entrepreneurial efforts to grow the field of Syriac studies and Middle Eastern area studies in general, from central New Jersey to the greater world at large.”
-Charles Häberl, Associate Professor and Chair, African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

“Among the many hospitalities of George Kiraz, I have been most blessed to benefit from his vision, along with Christine, to foster and encourage new scholars in the field of Syriac studies. Their generosity in opening their home and their lives has helped me to see how my work preserving ancient Syriac texts benefits not only a wide variety of modern cultural and religious communities but also serves all who care about the world's diverse cultural heritage."
-David A. Michelson, Vanderbilt University

“Warmest wishes George for your 50th birthday. In addition to admiring your great achievements in Syriac studies, which have greatly advanced the field, I would like to express my thanks to you for the wonderful enterprise of Gorgias Press, which has played an important role in developing the general fields of Syriac and Semitic studies over the last few years.”
-Geoffrey Khan, Regius Professor of Hebrew, Cambridge University

“Congratulations on the big ٥٠! Given that the ‘zero’ may have originated as a punctuation mark, this is a perfect time for your new book about the points and twists of Syriac ‘Dottology’ to come out. Thanks again for your friendship and support over the years.”
-Jonathan Loopstra

“George is someone motivated by a profound sense of vision for Syriac studies: thanks to his unique combination of skills in computing technology and in Syriac language and linguistics, on the one hand, and on the other, to his problem-solving inventiveness, and his sheer persitence and hard work, he has achieved wonders for Syriac studies, benefiting and advancing the field in so many different ways, binging to fruition one important project after another, thus amply deserving the title of maphryono dhugoye suryoye. Where would we be without you, George?”
-Sebastian Brock, Retired Reader, Oriental Institute, Oxford University

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