June has been "the month of Syriac" here at Gorgias Press. Our lists of Recently Released and Forthcoming publications feature a number of exciting books in Syriac studies, we attended the quadrennial North American Syriac Symposium this month (see the Conference Section), and registration for our Syriac Summer Courses closes soon! (So if you’re on the fence, don’t wait! For more information, see the News Section.)

In honor of Dr. Odisho, our featured guest in the Author’s Corner column this month, we are holding a 25% off sale on titles in linguistics, exclusive to members of e-Gorgias. See the News Section for more information.

As always, we hope you are aware of our deal regarding a subscription to the Antioch Bible, 50%-off for a limited-time only (originally $150/volume, $75/volume with subscription discount). Please note that the 50% discount applies only to subscribers to the series and not to the individual books. Subscribe now!

Happy reading!

• Recently Released
• Coming Soon
• From the Acquisitions Desk
• News
• Author's Corner: Edward Odisho
• Conferences

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.

Numbers According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation Numbers: English Translation by Edward M. Cook; Text Prepared by George Anton Kiraz & Joseph Bali
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

The Gnomai of the Council of Nicaea (CC 0021) Edited and Translated by Alistair C. Stewart
The first English translation and first complete critical text of a neglected moral treatise from fourth-century Egypt, throwing fresh light on the social history of Egyptian Christianity and on the growth of the church-order tradition.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0260-6, Paperback, $41.6 (Gorgias BiblioPerks $37.44)

Joshua According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation Joshua: Translated by Gillian Greenberg & Donald M. Walter; Text Prepared by George A. Kiraz & Joseph Bali
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 978-1-4632-0549-2, Cloth, $150

Daniel According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation Daniel: Translated by Donald M. Walter & Gillian Greenberg; Text Prepared by George A. Kiraz & Joseph Bali
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 978-1-4632-0546-1, Cloth, $150

June has been a productive month for both Syriac and Biblical Studies, and we have two important new volumes that will soon be ready to go to press.

Bar Hebraeus The Ecclesiastical Chronicle: An English Translation, by David Wilmshurst, is the first complete English translation of one of the most important historical documents written in Syriac. Bar Hebraeus, a thirteenth century polymath of the Syriac Orthodox Church, wrote extensively on the Roman-Persian wars, the Arab Conquest, Crusades and the Mongol invasions, providing invaluable information on these events from a Middle Eastern lens. This elegant translation of the Ecclesiastical Chronicle, six years in the making, captures the flavor of Bar Hebraeus’s style and is complemented by a facing Syriac text. Additionally, it includes a detailed introduction to the text and maps that show the dioceses of the Jacobite and Nestorian Churches and the towns, villages and monasteries of Tur ‘Abdin and the Mosul Plain.

We are also pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of Judges According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation, the latest volume in the Antioch Bible series. Translated by Donald Walter and Gillian Greenberg, the publication of Judges will mark the halfway point in this project to publish a new translation of the Peshitta.

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

Melonie Schmierer-Lee

Acquisitions Editor

Bar Hebraeus The Ecclesiastical Chronicle Translated by David John Wilmshurst
The Ecclesiastical History of Bar Hebraeus is an important source for the history of the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Church of the East. It deserves to be widely read, but has hitherto but has never before been fully translated into English. David Wilmshurst, a noted historian of the Church of the East, has now provided a graceful and accurate English translation of the Ecclesiastical History, with the aim of winning this important text the readership it deserves. Wilmshurst's elegant translation is complemented by a well-informed and helpful introduction, several pages of maps and a comprehensive index of places and persons.
ISBN 978-1-4632-0535-5, Hardback, $140 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $126.00)

Judges According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation Judges: English Translation by Donald M. Walter & Gillian Greenberg; Text Prepared by George Anton Kiraz & Joseph Bali
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 978-1-4632-0555-3, Cloth, $150

Job Opening at Gorgias Press: Associate Acquisitions Editor

Gorgias Press is seeking to hire an Associate Acquisitions Editor in Islamic Studies. The Associate Acquisitions Editor will work on a part-time basis alongside the Senior Acquisitions Editor on an active acquisitions program in the field of Islamic Studies. This part-time and flexible role would suit a self-motivated and detail-oriented individual working in an academic setting. Work can be done remotely. Previous publishing experience is beneficial but not required. For more information, see the full job description at this link. To apply for this position, send your CV, cover letter, and contact details for two referees to Jeff Haines. The position will remain open until filled.

Summer Syriac Program: Registration Now Open

Now is your last chance to sign up for our annual Syriac Summer Course! Registration will close soon – so if you’re on the fence, don’t wait! For the second year in a row, George Kiraz (president of Gorgias Press, director of Beth Mardutho, and PhD in Computational Linguistics) will be teaching two Syriac language courses at Beth Mardutho (Gorgias' sister institute) this summer from July 20-August 7.

• Introductory Syriac (reading/writing) - Students with no prior experience in Syriac will learn introductory reading, writing, grammar, and should be able to translate introductory texts by the end of the course. A hybrid method of teaching will be used drawing from both traditional reading/writing and immersion (conversational) models. Classes will be held Mon–Thursday, 3-4 hours per day. Students are expected to spend the rest of the day doing homework and preparing for the next day lesson. For more information and to register, visit Beth Mardutho.
• Intermediate-Advanced Syriac (grammar, advanced reading) - This course is geared toward students who have already done Syriac and would like to dig deeper into the grammar and nuances of the language. A hybrid method of teaching will be used drawing from both traditional reading/writing and immersion (conversational) models which will allow the student to get a better command of the language. Intermediate-advanced texts will be read.

For more information and to register, visit this website to register or for more information, and pass the word and the website along to your friends, students, and interested colleagues.

Other

In honor of Dr. Edward Odisho, our guest in Author’s Corner this month, we are holding a 25% off sale on titles in linguistics, exclusive to members of e-Gorgias. To claim your discount, select any book under the category “linguistics” and enter the following code at checkout: LINGUIST.

Welcome to the second "Distinguished Author Corner" column. This column will temporarily replace the "Enthusiast of the Month" column. The Author Corner will have a slightly different focus, which is providing authors an opportunity to share current research projects and their importance for other fields, for academics as well as for laypeople. For the next few monthly issues of eGorgias, we’ll feature this column to give it a solid initiation. Then starting in the fall, we’ll be alternating between Authors and Enthusiasts.

So, without further ado, here is a column by Edward Odisho:

As a child I grew up in a multilingual environment in the city of Kirkuk,Iraq, acquiring Assyrian (Aramaic), Turkmani and Arabic. All three languages functioned as my ‘native’ languages except for the fact that Aramaic distinguished itself as my historical mother tongue.

• First, the sound system (phonology) of the first language (L1) is cognitively internalized (neuroronized) early in life to develop a subconscious phonological filter that often fails to perceive recognize and produce sounds that are alien to the filter.
• Second, since the enhancement of L1 phonology with L2 alien sounds is a cognitive process, instructors cannot impress the brains of the learners exclusively via the auditory channel. To achieve ‘L1 phonology +’, instructor has to manipulate multisensory (hear, see and feel sounds) and multicognitive (think, associate, compare, contrast sounds) strategies to authorize the brain to issue the new sound an ‘entry visa’.
• Third, the process of neuronizing the alien sounds should abide by three processes in the following order: perception, recognition and production. The approach has been extremely successful in my classes and I am elated that it is gradually being recognized in different parts of the world.

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  World War I and Beyond: The Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Minorities

  In May, we attended a conference on "World War I and Beyond: The Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Minorities," hosted by the Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center, part of the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. Two Gorgias authors were speaking – David Gaunt, author of Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I and Stavros Stavridis, author of The Greek-Turkish War 1919–23 and co-editor of The Assyrians in Australian Archives: Documents from the National Archives of Australia and Australian War Memorial, 1914–1947. The conference was an important step in commemorating the 1915 genocide, and we were able to connect several scholars with our books on Sayfo. Additionally, many thanks are due to our hosts at CUNY, whose hospitality made our time there very enjoyable.

   

  ATLA 2015

  

  Last week, we attended the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) conference in Denver. It was a great opportunity for us to connect in person with many of our library customers and to hear about their visions for their schools.

  As usual, our Syriac materials attracted a lot of interest, including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians and Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century because of their implications for world Christianity. However, many others were interested in the new books that we are putting out in Biblical Studies and the Ancient Near East, like “I Will Be King Over You”: The Rhetoric of Divine Kingship in the Book of Ezekiel” and “As for Me, I Will Dwell at Mizpah”: The Tell en-Nasbeh Excavations after 85 Years.

  A lot of libraries were also interested in our Antioch Bible series, which includes samples and detailed information on the project.

  Finally, we raffled off a copy of Jason Silverman’s Opening Heaven’s Floodgates: The Genesis Flood Narrative, its Context and Reception to a lucky winner: Robert Burgess of Southwestern Baptist Seminary (Robert was gracious enough to pose for a picture afterwards). All in all, it was a wonderful time, and we look forward to seeing you next year!

   

  NASS 2015

  

  The North American Syriac Symposium [NASS] is only held every four years, but is well worth the wait. Roughly a hundred scholars, either Syriacists or specialists who work in related fields, gathered at the Catholic University of America to discuss topics ranging from hagiography and philology to preserving modern oral history. Needless to say, we were in our element.

  We were delighted to hear talks from several Gorgias authors – in fact, too many to list! (But you can see their names and the titles of their talks here.) Our bestsellers were our two most recent books: The Gorgias Concise Syriac-English, English-Syriac Dictionary and The Syriac Dot: A Short History. We also received a lot of interest in our Persian Martyr Acts series, especially The Martyrdom and History of Simeon Bar Sabba’e and The Martyrs of Mount Ber’ain.

  NASS is a truly fantastic group of people, and it was great to reconnect with so many of our authors and friends. Until next time!

  Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I   By David Gaunt ISBN 1-59333-301-3  Paperback, $63 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $56.70)

  This is a pioneering historical investigation of the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syrian Christian minorities during World War I, who suffered the same fate as the Armenians. Ethnic cleansing and large-scale massacres occurred throughout northern Mesopotamia and parts of Ottoman-occupied Iran. Based on primary sources from official archives, as well as hitherto unused manuscript sources and oral histories published here for the first time, this book attempts to give a full picture of the events of 1915. The book concentrates on the Assyrians of Urmia and Hakkari and on the Syrians of Diyarbekir province, particularly in Tur Abdin.

  The Greek-Turkish War 1919–23   By Stavros T. Stavridis ISBN 978-1-59333-967-8  Hardback, $131.25 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $118.13)

  The book describes different facets of the Greek-Turkish conflict (1919-23) through the eyes of of the Australian press. Australia’s national identity was forged on the shores of the Gallipoli Peninsula fighting against the Ottoman Empire in 1915. After the war, Australia stayed involved with that area of the world as it sought to chart an 'independent' foreign policy within the framework of the British Empire. This book discusses the role that Australia's press played during that conflict and how it shaped Australian nationalism and identity going forward.

  The Assyrians in Australian Archives   Edited by Stavros T. Stavridis & David Chibo ISBN 978-1-60724-993-1  Hardback, $177.85 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $160.07)

  The small Assyrian community proved to be loyal, dedicated and hard-working citizens of Australia during the years 1914–1947. For the first time the Assyrian issue will be seen through the eyes of Australian official documents and it is hoped that this monograph will raise awareness of these people within Australia and abroad.

  Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians   Edited by Geoffrey Herman ISBN 978-1-4632-0250-7  Hardback, $95 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $85.50)

  The Sasanian Empire was home to many religious communities. It was also a place of meeting and transformation. The studies in this volume encompass a diverse array of topics concerning these religious communities inhabiting the Sasanian Empire. Some include the Roman East in their deliberations. Most, however, deal with the interaction of one or other religious community based in the Sasanian Empire with the dominant religion of the empire, Zoroastrianism.

  The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century   Edited by Mario Kozah, Abdulrahim Abu-Husayn, Saif Shaheen Al-Murikhi & Haya Al Thani ISBN 978-1-4632-0355-9  Paperback, $25 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $22.50)

  The Syriac writers of Qatar themselves produced some of the best and most sophisticated writing to be found in all Syriac literature of the seventh century, but they have not received the scholarly attention that they deserve in the last half century. This volume seeks to redress this underdevelopment by setting the standard for further research in the sub-field of Beth Qatraye studies.

  "I will be King over you!"   By Terry R. Clark ISBN 978-1-4632-0286-6  Hardback, $95 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $85.50)

  This book examines various rhetorical ways in which the motif of Yahweh’s Kingship functions in the Book of Ezekiel and explores what these arguments contribute to our understanding of the prophetic book as a whole.

  "As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah …": The Tell en-Nasbeh Excavations after 85 Years   Edited by Jeffrey R. Zorn & Aaron J. Brody ISBN 978-1-4632-0416-7  Hardback, $95 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $85.50)

  Collected essays on aspects of daily life at the Israelite site of Tell en-Nasbeh (biblical Mizpah of Benjamin). These include: trade and economy, death and burial, metals, cooking, water management, curation of the site’s materials, and a site bibliography.

  Opening Heaven's Floodgates   Edited by Jason M. Silverman ISBN 978-1-61143-894-9  Hardback, $150 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $135.00)

  The narrative of Noah’s flood in Genesis draws perennial interest from scholars and the general public. Too often, however, historical and exegetical studies of the text, the story’s reception, and discussion of theological appropriation remain aloof from each other, if not at odds. This volume takes the influential nature of the flood story as an ideal opportunity to bring some of these methods into dialogue.

  Gorgias Concise Syriac-English, English-Syriac Dictionary   By Sebastian P. Brock & George A. Kiraz ISBN 978-1-4632-0224-8  Hardback, $48 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $43.20)

  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.

  The Syriac Dot   By George A. Kiraz ISBN 978-1-4632-0425-9  Hardback, $42 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $37.80)

  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.

  The Martyrdom and History of Blessed Simeon bar Sabba'e   By Kyle Smith ISBN 978-1-4632-0245-3  Paperback, $63.8 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $57.42)

  The Martyrdom, and the later History, of Simeon bar Sabba’e narrate the death of the bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon who was killed around the year 340 C.E. at the beginning of King Shapur II’s “Great Persecution” of Christians in Sasanian Persia.

  The Martyrs of Mount Ber'ain   Edited and Translated by Sebastian P. Brock; Introduction by Paul C. Dilley ISBN 978-1-4632-0421-1  Paperback, $51.155 (Gorgias BiblioPerks™ $46.04)

  The Martyrs of Mount Ber’ain is the poignant tale of three noble Iranian siblings who are martyred under Shapur II. Composed in the seventh century, it demonstrates enduring concerns of Christian self-definition in Iran, especially with respect to the Zoroastrian priesthood.

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