Aug. 20, 2012
Two academic events held back-to-back in July at the University of Malta in Valetta, Malta, brought together scholars in Syriac and Christian Arabic studies from around the world. Among the more than 300 attendees, the contingent representing The Catholic University of America's Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures was the largest.
Led by lecturer Shawqi Talia, the group included three graduate students. Catholic University was also represented by three alumni of the Semitics department.
Doctoral students Seonyoung Kim and Nathan Gibson presented papers. Doctoral student Lisa Bataresh was an attendee. Semitics department alumni Jonathon Loopstra, a faculty member at Capital University in Ohio; David Bertaina, a faculty member at the University of Illinois, Springfield; and Mark Meyer, a faculty member at Capital Bible Seminary in Maryland, also presented papers.
Talia said the reception that Catholic University received at The XIth Symposium Syriacum and the IXth Christian Arabic Conference was a source of pride for the group. "We were constantly asked about our program. Many spoke of their high respect for our faculty and the importance of our Semitics collection, and expressed their desire to come visit our department," noted Talia.
The Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures offers programs in Ancient Near East and Christian Near East studies that lead to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The department offers more different forms of Aramaic than any other program in North America. Students in Christian Near East studies can specialize in Classical Arabic, Coptic, and Syriac with crossover studies among these specialties. The department's Semitics/Institute of Christian Oriental Research Library contains some 50,000 books and monographs. "It is one of the most important libraries in this field in the world," said Talia, who served as chairperson of a session at each of the conferences.
He also presented a paper titled "The Story of Ahiqar in Syriac and Neo-Aramaic: A Textual, Linguistic, and Historical Comparison" at the Symposium Syriacum. The paper offered a comparative analysis of the Syriac and Neo-Aramaic texts, with special emphasis on the "Christianization" of the proverbs of Ahiqar. "It's very important to go back to the original manuscripts to see how the texts of these proverbs have changed as a result of editing. Over time, many of these proverbs have lost the feel of the seventh century B.C., the accepted date for the composition of these stories, through the various recensions," said Talia.
He said he was particularly proud to have two students from the Semitics department present papers.
"The conferences were a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with Syriac and Arabic scholars from all over the world," said Gibson, who presented two papers.
"Everyone I met was very supportive and encouraging of me as a student, and a few professors went out of their way to help make me comfortable. Senior scholars seemed to be encouraged by the number of students in attendance and interested in the field," he added.
The Republic of Malta, a southern European country located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, has a rich Christian history. "Malta and the city of Valetta provided a rich and unique venue full of history and beautiful vistas," said Gibson. "The incredible history of this small island was the perfect backdrop for these meetings," added Talia.
-30- #005