Aramean-Syriac people

The Aramean-Syriac people (Syriac: _ar. , IPA-all|'Sūryōyɛ Orōmōyɛ) are an ethnic group who are widely spread into countries such as Syria, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq and speak a variant of Aramaic. In later times, many of them fled into Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland. Today hundreds of thousands Syriacs live in diaspora.

For the most part, they speak the Syriac language, which is known as Suryoyo ( _ar. ) in their native tongue, but a large part also speak a dialect of the Neo-Aramaic language called Turoyo ( _ar. ). Syriacs mostly call themselves Suryoye ( _ar. ) in their native tongue, but a large part also tend to use Oromoye ( _ar. ), since Syriacs are descendants to the Aramaeans. [http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?rop3=210540]

Being adherents of the West Syrian Rite, they belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church and Syriac Catholic Church, for which reason they are also known as Jacobites (named after Jacob Baradaeus). They are known as one of the first people to accept Christianity. [http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=VI342856CI279]

Their original homeland, which is known as Beth Nahrain ( _ar. ) in the Syriac language, lies in what is now Syria, Iraq and Turkey, specifically in the Turabdin ( _ar. ) region in Turkey, and in the Al Hasakah region in Syria. The strongest Syriac community in the world is found in the city of Kamishli ( _ar. ) in Syria where a large Syriac community live. Following the Syriac genocide ( _ar. ) in the early 20th century, many fled abroad, and a large portion today lives in diaspora.

Identity

The Syriac people were earlier named as Arameans and their language Aramaic. The first ones that named the Arameans as Syrians (note the old name "Syrians", today known as "Syriacs") was the Greek geographer and historian Strabo (died AD 24) who said in his work Geography: "Those who call themselves Arameans, are called Syrians by us". [Geography, book 1, chapter 2, nr34] Even in the Septuagint, the first translation of the Old Testament, the term "Aram" was translated into Syrian, "Arameans" into "Syrians" and "Aramaic" into "Syrian".

The Septuagint contributed to the spread on the term Syrian, on those who called them selves for Arameans. However the Arameans themselves continued to call them selves for Arameans, but by their surroundings, they where called "Syrians".

Gradually, the Arameans started to use the Greek term Syrian as a synonym to Aramean, and Syrian language as a synonom to Aramaic language.

During the first centuries after Christ, most Arameans got Christianized, and during that period, the people often called themselves for Syrians rather than Arameans. As other people mentioned and called them for Syrians, almost everyone started to call themselves for Syrians.

The term "Aramaeans" got overcovered by the term "Syrians", and the Syrians started to call themselves for "Suryoye" (Syrians) instead of "Oromoye" (Aramaeans). [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14399a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Syria ] ] [http://www.kaldaya.net/DailyNews_Nov2006/Nov07_Articles_E1.html kaldalya.net ] ] The Syrian-Orthodox Mor Jacob of Edessa (Urhoy) (present-day Urfa in Turkey, †708) says: "It is in this same way also we the Arameans, that is to say the Syrians"] Another East-Syrian lexicographer Bar Bahlul from Bagdad (†963) explains in his Syriac (Aramaic) dictionary the name "Syria": "And the Syrians were formerly called Arameans, (but) when Cyrus ruled over them, from then on they were called Syrians."] *cite book
last = Brock
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title = The Hidden Pearl: The Aramaic Heritage
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ref = http://www.gorgiaspress.com/BOOKSHOP/pc-151-25-brock-et-al-sebastian-the-hidden-pearl-the-aramaic-heritage.aspx ] Dionoysius Bar Salibi the Syrian-Orthodox bishop of Amid (Diyarbekir, Turkey, †1171), also called the star from the 12th century, says in his book ‘Against the Armenians": "The Armenians say: "From whom do you descend - you who are Syriacs by race?" Against them we will say: Neither do you know from whom you descend....It is we (Syrians) who have enlightened your authors and revealed to them that you are descending from Togarma....As to us Syrians, we descend racially from Shem, and our father is Kemuel (the) son of Aram, and from this name of Aram we are also called sometimes in the books by the name of "Aramaeans".] The Syrian-Orthodox Patriarch Mor Michael the Great of Militene (Malatya, Turkey, † 1199 AD) writes: "The Children of Shem are the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Ludians and the Arameans who are the Syrians, the Hebrew and the Persians".". The same author says about the Mesopotamian history” The kingdoms which have been established in antiquity by our race, (that of) the Aramaeans, namely the descendants of Aram, who were called Syrians”. ] [http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Syriacs.html Syriacs ] ] [The Greek writer Posidonius (150 BC) says in his work.. "The people that we (The Greeks) call Syrians, are called by themselves Arameans..........Because the people in Syra are the Arameans"] :The term was changed from "Syrian" to "Syriac" in referring to the (Syrian Christian) people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria. For information on Syrian nationals see the Demographics of Syria.]

The term "Syrian" was changed to "Syriac" by the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1950s, in reference to the (Syrian Christian) people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria.

The division has its roots in the Early Middle Ages, when Western Syriacs were located in Roman (Byzantine) territory (Roman Syria), and looked to the Patriarchate of Antioch, rather than to the Church of the East, originally on Sassanid territory, whence the Assyrian and Chaldean communities derive. These Christians tend to see themselves as Syrians or Aramaeans.

The Syriac flag has it history when André Dupont-Sommer made diggings in the historical Aramaean village Tell-Khalaf,Syria in the beginning of the 20th century.

He found a relief that shows three demons carrying the bewinged sunrelief.
The Syriacs in Syria started to use this symbol as an honour to their Aramaean origin.

The sun is representing the universe, the wings as symbol for everything between the universe and earth, the flowers (that looks as stars) is a symbol for the four cardinal points and all life in earth. These three symbolize the universe.

The red background was chosen because of all blood that has been spilled out due to all suffering and persecutions. The yellow color is symbolizing the hope for a own country, since Syriacs are a people living without their own state. [ [http://flags-of-the-world.net/flags/sy%7Darama.html#des flag of Syriac-Aramaic People (Syria) flags ] ] [ [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/sy%7Darama.html Syriac-Aramaic People (Syria) ] ]

Polyonymy

Throughout the centuries, the Syriacs have been known by a number of names, including:
*Aramaeans (ܐܪܡܝܐ) - The Syriacs originate from the Aramaeans and was in former times called for Aramaeans and their language Aramaic.
*Jacobites - Sometimes the Syriac people is incorrectly known as "Jacobites", named after Jacob Baradaeus who travelled around and organized the Syriac Orthodox Church in the middle of the 500s.
*Syrians
*Syriacs (ܣܘܪܝܝܐ) - The term "Syrian" was changed to "Syriac" by the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1950s, in reference to the (Syrian Christian) people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria.

Culture

Music

At early times of Syriac Christianity, the Syriac music was only used within the churches. In later times, the Syriac people felt that they wanted a new musical culture, to express the Syriac people´s feelings, ideas and sufferings without associating to the church. Great Syriac music writers studied the music used in the church, and established new styles of music. [http://www.syriacmusic.com/history.asp?menuid=mm&type=history&purpose=modernmusic Syriac Music: History ] ]

In 1962 a Syriac called Chabo Bahé, wrote lyrics for Syriac music. The first song he wrote was "Grishlah Idi", translated into English: "She pulled my hand", and this song was the ground for the new style of Syriac music. Most early Syriacs songs was written and performed by Syriacs in Syria, Al Qamishli that reached out to the whole world. Syriac music is very impressive and has been a inspiration for many cultures.

The most known Syriac singers in modern time is Ishok Yakub, Josef Özer, Jean Karat and Habib Mousa.

The first International Aramaic Music Festival was held in Lebanon year 2008, 1-4 August for the Aramean-Syriac people around the world. [ [http://www.ankawa.com/english/?p=1096 ankawa.com » Blog Archive » The First Aramaic International Music Festival in the Open Air ] ]

Dance

Syriac dance (Syriac: Dabke) is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. It is a form of round dancing, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical centre of the dancing circle.

Syriacs sing and dance in all of their festivals, birthdays, and marriage ceremonies. There are several types of Syriac dances, depending on with ceremony or which song is played.

Several instruments such as Oud, Zurna and Davul is used within singing or dancing.

Religion

Most Syriacs belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church "unicode|(ʿIdto Suryoyto Triṣaṯ Šuḇḥo)" which got 4,000,000 members around the world. [ [http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_622.html Adherents.com ] ] The current Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church is Ignatius Zakka I Iwas.The Syriac Orthodox Church's headquarters are located in Damascus, Syria.

About 161,000 Syriacs are members of the Syriac Catholic Church, which has its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. In the eighteenth century many Syriacs left the Syriac Orthodox Church and joined the Roman Catholic Church, and later the Syriac Catholic Church.

In the 19th century there were anglican missionary activities in the Middle East. And they spread protestantism among the Syriac orthodox community and some of them founded their own protestant fractions but many of them returned to the orthodox denomination a few years later.

The Syriac-maronites are named after a hermit named Mar Maroun (died 410).The exact worldwide Maronite population is not known, although it is at least 8 million according to CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association). It is estimated that 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 remain in Lebanon where they constitute up to 25% of the population.The current Patriarch and also Cardinal (since 1986) is Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir who resides in Bkirki, north of Beirut (the Maronite Patriarch resides in the northern town of Dimane during the summer months).

Most known Syriac Doctors of the church are the following: Ephrem the Syrian, Jacob of Edessa, Bar-Hebraeus, Bardaisan and Jacob of Serug.

Traditions

Easter

The Syriac people celebrates Easter the first sunday after full moon that occurs on vernal equinox or afterwards. The Syriac people is following an older calendar than the calendar that the Western Churches is following, therefore their Easter occures a bit later.

The Syriacs are fasting normally 50 days, and the fast is voluntary. In the modern society, many Syriacs are chooses to only fast on the first and the last week.

During Maundy Thursday all Syriacs takes the Eucharist on their first churchvisit in the morning and on afternoon is it Foot washing. Twelve persons in the parish, which symbolizes Twelve Apostles are choosen to perform the Foot washing.

The Good Friday is the big mourning ceremony. A crucifix is washed, which is a symbol for Jesus body, with water and dries it of and then wrap it in a piece of material. Then the crucifix is placed in a flower-decorated coffin. The coffin is carried around in the church and finally, the coffin gets hanged over the church-door so all church-visitors can walk beneath it and show reverence for Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the coffin is carried down and the crucifix is placed in a smaller coffin with a seal, just like when Jesus was placed in his coffin.

Then the water, where the crucifix was washed, gets mixed up with vinegar and myrrh is dealt out to the the visitors. The bitter taste is a sign of participation of Jesus suffering.

Holy Saturday is a day of peace and quietness. There is only a Service of worship at night, but the big day is Easter Sunday. During Easter Sunday, the little coffin gets opened and the crucifix is held up as a sign that Jesus is alive. [http://www.na.se/artikel.asp?intId=1323753]

Language

Most Syriacs speaks a modern form of Syriac, which is an eastern Aramaic language, and spoken by 1,500,000 speakers in the homeland and the diaspora. [Beyer, Klaus (1986). "The Aramaic language: its distribution and subdivisions". Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. ISBN 3-525-53573-2] [Brock, Sebastian (2006). "An Introduction to Syriac Studies". Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-349-8] To the native speaker, "Syriac" is usually called "Suryoyo". A wide variety of dialects exist, including Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, and Turoyo.

The Turoyo language, which is a dialect of Aramaic, is a West Syriac language. It is spoken by approx. 1,000,000 speakers. cite web |title=Turoyo |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tru |publisher=ethnologue.com |accessdate=2008-01-05 |language=English ] Turoyo is spoken in eastern Turkey, Mardin province and north-eastern Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate by members of the Syriac Orthodox Church. In Turoyo, the language is frequently called "Suryoyo".

What remains of actual Western Neo-Aramaic, sometimes noted as the surviving language that would be the closest to the language spoken by Jesus, Western Neo-Aramaic is still spoken in Syria, but with only three villages left; Ma`loula, Bakh'a, and Jubb'adin, lie about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Damascus.

Being stateless, many Syriacs speak second languages such as Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish.

Sports

The Syriac people have made a great success within the sports world, especially within the soccer world.

The teams Syrianska FC, Valsta Syrianska IK and Arameiska/Syrianska KIF, plays at present in the third highest level in Sweden, Division 1 Norra. Also there is Syrianska IF Kerburan, playing in the fourth highest level, Division 2 Norra Svealand, and Örebro Syrianska IF in the fifth highest level, Division 3 Västra Svealand. Among these Syriac soccer teams, there are also another 21 Syriac soccer teams playing in Sweden.

Syriac soccer players like Daniel Unal, Abgar Barsom, Suleyman Sleyman, Kennedy Bakircioglu, Louay Chanko, Sharbel Touma, Stefan Batan and Gabriel Özkan have made great success within the soccer world.

The Syriac soccer is very popular for many Syriacs all around the world, especially in Sweden. The fight between the two rivals Syrianska FC and Assyriska Föreningen which was played at 2007 drew 7 146 spectators. [ [http://www.syrianskafc.com/files/news/news.asp?id=157 : Syrianska FC : ] ] The match was broadcasted to over 80 countries through the Syriac channel Suryoyo Sat and drew much interest in Swedish media.

Because of the increasing interest for the Syriac football, and the great Syriac players, the newly Aramean Syriac Football Association has been established for the Aramean-Syriac people all around the world. [ [http://www.syrianska.se/society.php?page=start_society&coid=386 Syrianska Föreningen i Södertälje ] ]

The Aramean Syriac football team Arameans Suryoye attended in 2008 VIVA World Cup, and reached the final, but lost against Padania with 2-0. [http://www.vivaworldcup.info/vwc2008/en/index.htm VIVA World Cup Official Website ] ]

In 2008 the Syriac team Syrianska FC reaches the second highest division in Sweden, Superettan for the first time in the history. [http://www.lt.se/index.asp?kat=st&i1=index_red_2007.asp&i2=1&Id=29332&isp2=hela] [http://www.syrianskafc.com]

Demographics

Homeland

The Syriacs are considered to be one of the indigenous people in the Middle East and specifically located in the area around Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The largest Syriac community is in Syria, where an estimated 1,500,000 Syriacs live. In Tur Abdin, mostly known as the homeland, there are only 3,000 left,* [http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/index.html SOC News report ,] "He was documenting life in the Tur Abdin, where about 3,000 members of the Aramean minority still live".""] and an estimated 15,000 in all of Turkey. [http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/2002/20021201EUPStmt.html Statement on Assyrians/Syriacs in Turkey/Iraq ] ] After the Syriac genocide many Syriacs also fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and into the Western world.

Syria

The strongest Syriac stronghold in the Middle East is in Syria, specifically in the cities of Qamishli and Al-Hassakeh. Syriacs who fled from the Seyfo, fled into the newly formed country known as Syria.

Qamishli was from the 1920s to 1980s known as the Capital for the Syriacs.

Turkey

In Tur Abdin, mostly known as the homeland, there are only 3,000 left, [http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/index.html SOC News report] "He was documenting life in the Tur Abdin, where about 3,000 members of the Aramean minority still live".] and an estimated 15,000–50,000 in all of Turkey. Syriacs is ranked as the largest Christian denomination in Turkey. [http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/countries/bl_TurkeyMinorities.htm Religion in Turkey - Religious Minorities ] ]

The name "Tur Abdin" has the meaning of "The mountains of servants of God". This area was known as the world's most church and monastery closed area.

After the Syriac genocide many Syriacs also fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and the Western world.

In 1995 there were still 50,000 Syriacs left in Tur Abdin.

In later years, many Syriacs have quit their homes in Europe for good and moved back into Tur Abdin. Many Syriacs are returning to villages such as Kafro Tahtejto, Enhil, and villages in Mardin province. With almost 1000 Syriacs who already have returned back to their homeland in Tur Abdin, another 5,000 are expected to return. [http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=142805 Mardin’s Bakok Mountain draws Syriac diaspora back home ] ] [http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/2001/00102501.html SOCNews - Syriacs Migrating Home to SE Turkey ] ]

Iraq

There are currently 90,000-150,000 Syriacs living in Iraq. The Syriacs, togheter with Assyrians and Chaldeans made a majority in many villages in Iraq but have, since the Iraq invasion, fled into nearby countries such as Syria, and into Europe. [ [http://www.friesian.com/notes/note-n.htm Note on the Modern Assyrians, & Other Nationalistic Issues ] ] [http://www.themesopotamian.org/magazine/mesopotamian_v1_i4_jan05.pdf] [http://www.kristdemokraterna.se/PressOchMedia/Pressmeddelanden/Internationellt/~/media/DBB059D6B89C42C1B8CB49B55C7CAC49.ashx]

Diaspora

In 1967 the first large group of Syriacs left Lebanon and moved into Sweden. Since that time over houndred of thousands Syriacs have left their original homeland and moved into Europe, the Americas and Australia. The Syriacs has created large diaspora communities.

Europe

A total of 550,000 Syriacs is currently living in Europe. [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70134] Large Syriac diaspora communities can be found in Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland. The largest Syriac diaspora community can be found Södertälje, Sweden, where approx. 40,000 Syriacs live.

Many Syriacs in Europe has made great success, many of them is famous politicians, entertainers, journalists, athletes and other. Also 4 Syriac soccerteam is playing in elitelevel in Sweden.

The international TV-channels Suryoyo Sat and Suroyo TV are also based in Europe, Södertälje in Sweden.

Americas

Australia

History

Prehistoric time

The Aramaeans was a semitic ethnic group that lived in Mesopotamia and in Syria from around 1100 BC. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9009188/Aramaean Aramaean - Britannica Online Encyclopedia ] ]

Their language, Aramaic, was a north Semitic language that had its time of greatness in the bigger part of the Near East during the first millennium before our time of counting; much as a result of the new Assyrian empire, that assumed the language as its national language, that led to the big spread of the Aramaic language in that area in the Middle East, today known as the Fertile Crescent [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/a/108?sr=1 Bible Dictionary: Aram, Aramaeans ] ] .

Later, even the Persians and the Jews came to talk different accents of Aramaic . In the Old Testament, the Aramaeans are described as with the Jews, a close related ethnic group .

The Aramaeans along with the Hittite rulers came to rule Syro-Hittite states from about 1000 BC. The Aramaeans ruled cities such as Bit-Adini, Bit-Bahiani, Bit Agusi, Hatarikka-Luhuti and Hama. . ["Tübinger Bibelatlas / Tübingen Bible Atlas". Siegfried Mittmann, Götz Schmitt (eds.), Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2001, Map B IV 13-14] [O.R. Gurney, "The Hittites". Harmondsworth: Pelican, 2nd ed., 1976 = 1954. p. 39-46.]

The Aramean expansion continues and in the second half of the second century BCE, Edessa became the capital of the Abgar dynasty, who founded the Kingdom of Osroene, the first Christian state under Abgar IX. [cite book |title=China in World History |last=Adshead |first=Samuel Adrian Miles |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2000 |publisher=Macmillan |location= |isbn=0312225652 |pages=27 ] cite book |title=Rome in the East: The Transformation of an Empire |last=Ball |first=Warwick |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2000 |publisher=Routledge |location=Rome |isbn=0415113768 |pages=95 ] cite book |title=A History of the Christian Church During the First Six Centuries |last=Cheetham |first=Samuel |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1905 |publisher=Macmillan and Co |location= |isbn= |pages=58 ] cite book |title=All the Apostles of the Bible |last=Lockyer |first=Herbert |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1988 |publisher=Zondervan |location= |isbn=0310280117 |pages=260 ]

The Aramaeans were, in the 11th century BC, dominating the area in Syria. The Aramaeans established kingdoms across the northern frontier of Israel, such as Aram-Sobah, Aram-Bêt-Rehob and Aram-Ma’akah around Mount Hermon, Aram-Geshur in the Hauran, and Aram-Damascus which became the strongest and largest one.

In 900 BC the Arameans reaches the culmination of their political power. A large group of Aramaeans moved to the east of the Euphrates, where they settled in such numbers that the whole region became known as Aram-Naharaim or "Aram of the two rivers". One of their earliest kingdoms in Mesopotamia was Bît-bahiâni (Tell Halaf). North of Sam'al was the Aramaean state of Bit-Gabari, sandwiched between the Neo-Hittite states of Carchemish, Gurgum, Tabal, Khattina and Unqi.

The Arameans was dominating great areas in the southern Levant, whit states such as Aram-Damascus. Other Aramean tribes lived around the areas today known as Syria.

Aram-Damascus falls in 723 BC, with Resin as the last king in throne.

In 720 BC the Assyrian emperor Sargon II dispersed the last Aramaean kingdoms independence . Some people mean that the Chaldeans that occupied Babylon, was of Aramaic extraction cite book
last =
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author = Watson E. Mills
coauthors = Roger Aubrey Bullard
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title = Mercer Dictionary of the Bible
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123 BC the great Aramean king Abgar Aryo founds the kingdom of Osroene with Urhoy as capital city.

Between the years 267–272 BC the Aramean queen Bath Zabbai of Palmyra conquers the Orient.

Christian time

Between the years 0–100 AD the terms "Arameans" and "Aram" were replaced by the terms "Syrians" (which today are known as "Syriacs") and "Syria". [ [http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/syriacs/ethnicity.html Syriacs - Ethnicity ] ] [The Greek writer Posidonius (150 BC) says in his work.. "The people that we (The Greeks) call Syrians, are called by themselves Arameans..........Because the people in Syra are the Arameans"]

The Syriacs were Christianized in the 1st to 3rd centuries, at the time subject to the Roman Empire in the Osroene and Syria provinces. According to legend already during the lifetime of Jesus, as king Abgar V of Edessa asked to be cured of leprosy and was healed by Thaddeus.This event is described in Eusebius' "Church-history" (I.13;II.1) "] .

Edessa became an important center of Early Christianity, and the local Syriac language came to be the liturgical language of Syriac Christianity. The Antiochene Rite developed at the time evolved into the West Syrian Rite followed by Western Syriacs.

The great king Abgar V the Black (Syriac; Abgar u Komo), son of the Araméans S:t Jakob from Serug in a poem about the martyrs Guria and Shamuna, he says that Abgar V is son of the Araméans:"Two precious pearls, which were an ornament for the bride of my lord Abgar, the Aramaean's son.""(Text tr. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson (eds.), Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8 (1886);) (See Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library: Volume 1, VatSyr. 117, number 224:On Shmona and Gurya. Fol. 551a, p. 1099)"] , suffered from a leprosy sickness, that even his own doctor not could cure him from.

Abgar V of Edessa had been told about a wise man in Palestine (Jesus) that this person had effective cures against sicknesses. He send a delegation with a letter to Jesus and invited him to Edessa, to cure Abgar V of Edessa. Jesus answered that could not come to Edessa, because he was on other duties. But he sent one of his followers, Thaddeus of Edessa and this Thaddeus cured king Abgar V and not long after, Abgar V of Edessa and the Aramean population converted into Christianity.

The kingdom of Abgar V, Edessa, got famous because of this event, and many people visited Edessa to look at the letters that was exchanged between Abgar V and Jesus This event is described in Eusebios from Caesares work "Church-history" (I.13;II.1) ( 300 AD) "] .

Later, Edessa became a important centre for the Christian Arameans (Syriacs) and for their Syriac-Christian culture. The Aramaic dialect that was spoken in Edessa, became standard language in the new Syriac-Christian church.

With the rise of Sassanid Persia in the 3rd century, the Western Syriacs were divided from their Eastern cousins, who found themselves in the Sassanid province of Asuristan. The division deepened with the Nestorian and Monophsite schism in the 5th century.

After the Council of Ephesus (431), the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, which had hitherto been governed by a catholicos under Antioch, refused to accept the condemnation of Nestorius, cut itself and the Church to the East of it off from both the Roman Catholic Church and the Syriac Church of Antioch. The Church of Antioch remained in communion with Rome until the East-West Schism of the 11th century.

The first Syriac documents come from about the end of the 5th century. ["Testamentum Domini", ed. by Ignatius Rahmani II, "Life of Severus of Antioch", sixth century.] The oldest Jacobite Liturgy extant is the one ascribed (as in its Greek form) to Saint James. It is in the dialect of Edessa.

During the Fifth century, Many Syriacs moved from Urhoy to Gundeshapur in Iran, as medical doctors. During that time, Urhoy was the leading medical centre. [http://rnb.uin.googlepages.com/v22n2spring2005.pdf]

The first Jacobite writer on their rite is James of Edessa (d. 708), who wrote a letter to a priest Thomas comparing the Syrian Liturgy with that of Egypt.

With the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate in the 650s, both the Eastern and the Western Syriac Churches fell under Islamic rule, their followers receiving the status of Dhimmi. Syriac Christianity has held the status of a minority religion in the Arab world ever since.

Nevertheless, the Syriacs remained a significant majority in various areas of the Middle East until the late 13th century.

After this century, the Syriacs never succeeded in recovering, and this was the start on oppressions, persecutions and constant massacres on the Syriacs. During the 14th-century Timurid rule, however, large numbers of Syriacs were killed, and many of the survivors fled into the mountains of Tur Abdin. This area became the center of Syriac culture. The Syriacs built villages, churches and monasteries.

Modern

During the years 1843, 1846 and 1860 there was three mass murders committed against the Syriac population, which led to new emigrations, where many of the Syriac population fled into the mountains of Tur Abdin which already was dominated by Syriacs.

In 1911 a winged sun relief was found in the Aramean village Tell-Khalaf, and there after the Syriacs in Syria started to use this relief as an honour to their Aramaic origin.

In 1914 a genocide, also known as "The Syriac genocide" was committed against the Syriac population in the Ottoman Empire near the end of the First World War by Young Turks. [Assyrians: The Continuous Saga - Page 40 by Frederick A. Aprim] The Syriac population of northern Mesopotamia (Tur Abdin, Hakkari, Van, Siirt region in modern-day southeastern Turkey and Urmia region in northwestern Iran) was forcibly relocated and massacred by Ottoman (Turkish and Kurdish) forces between 1914 and 1920 under the regime of the Young Turks. [cite book
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=PK-TPKvmG7UC&printsec=frontcover#PPA148,M1
title = Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide
accessdate =
accessdaymonth =
accessmonthday =
accessyear =
author = Ye'or, Bat
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors = Miriam Kochan, David Littman
date =
year = 2002
month =
format =
work =
publisher = Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
pages = pp. 148-149
language = English
isbn = 0838639437
oclc = 47054791
doi =
archiveurl =
archivedate =
quote = ] This genocide is considered by some scholars to be a part of the same policy of extermination as the Armenian Genocide and Pontic Greek Genocide [Schaller, Dominik J. and Zimmerer, Jürgen (2008) 'Late Ottoman genocides: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and Young Turkish population and extermination policies - introduction', Journal of Genocide Research, 10:1, 7 - 14] .

During the years 1915-1923, Aramean finds were discovered by German archeologists in the Aramean village Zincirli, Turkey. This finds were brought by the Syriacs from Syria when they fled into Turkey. Today they can be found in the Berlin Museum.

In 1920 a large amount of Syriacs emigrated into the plains in North Eastern Syria, especially in Al Qamishli and Al-Hasakah. Large Syriac communities could also be found in Beirut.http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v1/jastrow.pdf] [ [http://mideastimage.com/result.aspx?hiddenImageAttributes=0,3,0&search=1 MIDEASTIMAGE :: Image Search Results ] ]

In [1923] , at the Ottoman Empire's fall after the first world war, the Syriac homeland fell under the French Mandate of Syria in the west and the British Mandate of Iraq in the east, and many Syriac Christians were dispersed in the Syriac diaspora.

During the fifties and the sixties another large wave of immigration set in. Syriac communities moved into larger urban areas in western part of Turkey. 20,000 Syriacs settled in Istanbul until the sixties.´

In year 1968, Syriacs moved from Lebanon to Sweden. The group contained a total of 200 Syriacs. At this time, many Syriacs left Lebanon, Syria and Turkey and moved to Europe and the United States. [ [http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_411397.svd SvD » Inrikes » "Nu visar vi världen vilka vi är" ] ]

The first Syriac soccer team in the diaspora was Syrianska FC, which currently plays in the third highest division in Sweden, was established in 1977. The first name on the soccer team was Suryoye, but was changed in 1986 to Syrianska SK, and finally to Syrianska FC. [ [http://www.syrianskafc.com/files/club/fact.asp : Syrianska FC : ] ]

In 1988 the Aramean-Syriac party Aramaic Democratic Organization was established in Lebanon.

Syriacs were still the largest Christian denomination in Turkey, with more than 100,000 Syriacs still left in Tur Abdin. In later years many Syriacs started to move from Tur Abdin, especially to Sweden, USA and Germany. In the mid 1980s there were still 70,000 Syriacs left in Turkey. During this time many Syriacs fled abroad due to unrest in the border region and concerns for their security. [ [http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=138167 [SPIRITUAL SITES Mor Jacob Monastery: a Syriac oasis in Nusaybin ] ] In 1995 they were still a majority as the largest Christian denomination in Turkey, with around 50,000 Syriacs. Today in Tur Abdin, there remain about 3,000 Syriacs.* [http://sor.cua.edu/SOCNews/index.html SOC News report ,] "He was documenting life in the Tur Abdin, where about 3,000 members of the Aramean minority still live in".] . However, after the turn of the century, many Syriacs have started to move back.

The Syriac party Syriac Union of Lebanon, also known as SUL, is established in 29 of March, 2005 in Lebanon. The current leader for the party is Brahim Murat. [ [http://www.qenneshrin.com/se/sul-har-blivit.htm sul-har-blivit ] ]

In 2008 the national team for the Aramean-Syriac people all over the world was established. The football team is named Arameans Suryoye and attended for the first time in 2008 VIVA World Cup. The football team reached the final, but lost against Padania with 2-0.

At the end of 2008, the Syriac team Syrianska FC reaches the second highest division in Sweden, Superettan for the first time in the history. [http://www.lt.se/index.asp?kat=st&i1=index_red_2007.asp&i2=1&Id=29332&isp2=hela] [http://www.syrianskafc.com]

Institutions

Political institutions

*Aramaic Democratic Organization (Politic party in Lebanon)
*Syriac Independent Unified Movement (Politic party in Iraq)
*Syriac Union of Lebanon (Politic party in Lebanon)
*Syriac Universal Alliance (Umbrella organization for all Syriac organizations)
*European Syriac Union
*Platform Aram

Other institutions

*Aramean Syriac Football Association
*Syrianska FC
*Arameiska/Syrianska KIF
*Syrianska IF Kerburan
*Valsta Syrianska IK
*Suroyo TV
*Suryoyo Sat

ee also

columns
width=240px
col1 =
*Aramaeans
*Aramaic language
*Aramaic Music Festival
*Aramaean kings
*Aramaean kingdoms
*Aramaic Democratic Organization
*Aramean Syriac Football Association
*Bahro Suryoyo
*Beth Nahrin
*Syriac Orthodox Church
*Syriac Catholic Church
*Syriac Christianity
*Syriac Diaspora
*Syriac Dance
*Syriac Genocide
*Syriac Language
*Syriac Music
*Syriac Flag
*Syriac Sports
col2 =
*Syriac Universal Alliance
*Suryoyo Sat
*List of Syriacs
*List of Syriac settlements
*Neo-Aramaic languages
*Turoyo Language
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Australia
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Sweden
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Germany
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Georgia
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Lebanon
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Syria
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Iraq
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Israel
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Turkey
*Assyrians and Syriacs in Netherlands
*Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs in the United States‎

Further reading

*cite book
last = Ephrem I Barsaum
first = Ignatius
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = De spridda pärlorna - En historia om syriansk litteratur och vetenskap
origdate =
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edition =
series =
date =
year = 2006
month =
publisher = Anastasis Media AB
location = Sweden
language = Swedish
isbn = 9197575143
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://www.bokrecension.se/9197575143
*cite book
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=4mug9LrpLKcC&printsec=frontcover
title = Massacres, resistance, protectors: Muslim-Christian relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I
accessdate =
accessdaymonth =
accessmonthday =
accessyear =
author = David Gaunt
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 2006
month =
format =
work =
publisher = Gorgias Press LLC
pages =
language = English
isbn = 1593333013
oclc = 85766950
doi =
archiveurl =
archivedate =
quote =
*cite book
last = Aphram I Barsoum
first = Patriarch
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = The Scattered Pearls
origdate =
origyear =
origmonth =
url =
format =
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edition =
series =
date =
year = 1943
month =
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location =
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isbn =
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://sor.cua.edu/Pub/PAphrem1/ScatteredPearlsIntro.html
*cite book
last = De Courtis
first = Sėbastien
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = The Forgotten Genocide: Eastern Christians, the Last Arameans
origdate =
origyear =
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url =
format =
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edition = 1st Gorgias Press ed
series =
date =
year = 2004
month =
publisher = Piscataway, NJ : Gorgias Press
location =
language = English
isbn = 1593330774 9781593330774
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://worldcat.org/wcpa/isbn/1593330774
*cite book
last = Brock
first = Sebastian
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title =
origdate =
origyear =
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url =
format =
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edition =
series =
date =
year = 9/9/2002
month =
publisher = Trans World Film
location =
language = English
isbn = 1-931956-99-5
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://www.gorgiaspress.com/BOOKSHOP/pc-151-25-brock-et-al-sebastian-the-hidden-pearl-the-aramaic-heritage.aspx
*cite book
last = Sebastian Brock
first = David Taylor,
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Vol. I: The Ancient Aramaic Heritage
origdate =
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url =
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year = 9/9/2002
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publisher = Trans World Film
location =
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isbn =
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chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://www.gorgiaspress.com/BOOKSHOP/pc-151-25-brock-et-al-sebastian-the-hidden-pearl-the-aramaic-heritage.aspx
*cite book
last = Sebastian Brock
first = David Taylor,
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Vol. II: The Heirs of the Ancient Aramaic Heritage
origdate =
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url =
format =
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date =
year = 9/9/2002
month =
publisher = Trans World Film
location =
language = English
isbn =
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://www.gorgiaspress.com/BOOKSHOP/pc-151-25-brock-et-al-sebastian-the-hidden-pearl-the-aramaic-heritage.aspx
*cite book
last = Sebastian Brock
first = David Taylor,
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Vol. III: At the Turn of the Third Millennium; The Syrian Orthodox Witness
origdate =
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format =
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year = 9/9/2002
month =
publisher = Trans World Film
location =
language = English
isbn =
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id =
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chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref = http://www.gorgiaspress.com/BOOKSHOP/pc-151-25-brock-et-al-sebastian-the-hidden-pearl-the-aramaic-heritage.aspx
*cite book
last = Hollerweger
first = Hans
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Tur Abdin - A Homeland of Ancient Syro-Aramaean Culture
origdate =
origyear =
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url =
format =
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series =
date =
year = 1999
month =
publisher = ?
location = Österreich
language = English, German, Turkish
isbn = 3-9501039-0-2
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages =
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref =

Further reading

References