Syriac Liturgy in English

[Shanghaiski]

Hello,

I've really enjoyed watching You Tube videos of Syriac liturgy--a couple in English, and I have a nice CD of liturgy at St. Mark's in Jerusalem. But I was wondering if anyone here knew of a video or CD and text of Syriac Liturgy in English.

I have seen several East Syriac liturgy texts from the Church of the East in English. I would be interested in knowing of the differences between East and West Syriac litury, and would also like to know more of the native Antiochian liturgy, which I presume was West Syriac before the Crusades.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[dhinuus]

I was wondering if anyone here knew of a video or CD and text of Syriac Liturgy in English.

The text of the Syriac Liturgy in English is available at:
http://sor.cua.edu/Liturgy/Anaphora/index.html
Or
http://www.malankaraorthodox.tv/Books/Holy%20Qurbana%20English.pdf
These are both English translations of the same West Syriac liturgy, the former done by the American Archdiocise of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the latter by the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syriac Church.

I am not aware of any English CD of the Syriac liturgy. The best youtube videos of the Syriac liturgy that I have seen online are:
Beginning (Little Entrance and Trisagion)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV02fnCvoGE

Trisagion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HesmTrV4XjI
parts of the liturgy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNE8URlONIk
Anaphora
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWChywFF9eQ

I would be interested in knowing of the differences between East and West Syriac litury.

West Syriac used to be prevalent in modern day Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Western Iraq. While East Syriac used to be more prevalent in modern day Iran (Persia) and eastern part of Iraq.

Most of the Syriac Christians in the East (Persia) are members of the Church of the East, which rejects the third ecumenical council, and is known as Nestorian. While most of the Syriac Christians in the West (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq), accepts the third ecumenical council but rejects the fourth council (Chalcedion).

So the West Syriac liturgy will reflect the Oriental Orthodox (mia phyte) theology and the East Syriac liturgy reflects the Nestorian theology.  This is the biggest difference between the West Syriac and East Syriac liturgy. There is also differences in vestments of priests and bishops.

But please don’t misunderstand that there were no Oriental Orthodox Christians in the East. The oriental orthodox in the East were under the Maphrian of the East (also known as the Catholicose of the East). As the Syriac Orthodox population in Persia dwindled, the relevance of Maphrian of the East declined and the Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church abolished the position in 1860 and the administration was consolidated directly under the Patriarch of Antioch.  This position was later revived and relocated in India in 1912 or 1964 based on whom you ask.

 

[CoptoGeek]

Are there any Syriac and/or Aramaic hymns or prayers preserved in the EO Antiochian Church? Have any efforts been made to restore some of that heritage? 

I understand there are some villages where Aramaic is still spoken. Wouldn't they have preserved some of that heritage or was it completely replaced by Greek and later Arabic?