Translated into English by Matti Moosa.

This book is an extensive survey of Syriac literature. In his capacity as a Syriac clergyman, the author was able to extensively examine hundreds of Syriac manuscripts throughout the Middle East, many of which did not survive World War I. While most Western accounts of Syriac literature end around the thirteenth century, Barsoum covers almost 2000 years of Syriac literature up to the writers of the early twentieth century.

Patriarch Ignatius Aphram Barsoum (1887-1957) was born in Iraq and studied many languages, including Syriac, Arabic, French, and Turkish. He taught at the Deir al-Za’faran monastery before being consecrated Bishop of Syria and eventually Patriarch of Antioch. Known as both a churchman and a scholar, he wrote several published works, including the present volume.