Classical Aramaic: Book 1 [Paperback]

Rocco A. Errico (Author), Michael Bazzi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 096312921X | ISBN-13: 978-0963129215 | Publication Date: December 1992

Dr. Errico and Fr. Bazzi take the beginning student through the early stages of instruction in the classical Aramaic language. The book is part workbook, part textbook, as the authors introduce the reader to the Aramaic alphabet; along the way, they discuss the meaning and shapes of the letters and the proper techniques for writing them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A unique and invaluable contribution to the emerging field of Aramaic Bible scholarship and explication. -- Richard Leviton, author of The Imagination of Pentacost

About the Author

Rocco A. Errico, Th.D., D.D., is an ordained minister, author and lecturer and one of the nation's leading biblical scholars working from the original Aramaic texts. Dr. Errico is the recipient of numerous awards and academic degrees, including a doctorate in Letters from the College of Seminarians, The Apostolic Succession of Antioch and the Church of the East—American See, a doctorate in Divinity from St. Ephrem's Institute in Sweden, and a doctorate in Philosophy from the School of Christianity in Los Angeles. For ten years he studied intensively with Dr. George M. Lamsa, world-renowned native Assyrian scholar of the Scriptures. In 1970 Dr. Errico established the Noohra Foundation, which is dedicated to helping people of all faiths to understand the Near Eastern background and Aramaic interpretation of the Bible.

The Rev. Fr. Michael J. Bazzi, L.S.T., pastor of St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Church of San Diego, Aramaic instructor for Cuyamaca College, El Cajon, both in California, is also an author, teacher, linguist, translator, Bible authority, and pastoral counselor. He was born in Telkepe, a suburb of ancient Nineveh and has been in the United States since 1974.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Noohra Foundation (December 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096312921X
• ISBN-13: 978-0963129215
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,176,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to the script, October 18, 2000

By 

Richard A. Weaver (lawrenceville, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Classical Aramaic: Book 1 (Paperback)

If you're looking for an introductory grammar of Aramaic, this is not the book for you. (Try Greenspahn's "An Introduction to Aramaic")

A better title for this book would have been "An introduction to Syriac Scripts". And it does it well. The bulk of the book concerns itself with the Eastern Syriac (Nestorian) script. For each letter, the stroke order is shown, and room is alloted for practice. After the alphabet has been introduced, the Estrangela letters that differ from the Nestorian are given. (The Serta script is not given). There is a small section on vocalization, and rules for spirantization. There is little or no grammar given.

All in all, a good introduction to the script. Valuable as a "pre-primer" to more advanced Syriac grammars such as Thackston or Muraoka.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An O.K. book, May 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Classical Aramaic: Book 1 (Paperback)

Pros: This book does a great job of teaching the reader how to write the various syriac/aramaic scripts (Eastern, Estrangelo) and it also includes vocabulary.

Cons: There is very little to no grammar included. It is a good book for beginners, but for the more advanced I would recommend "Introduction to Syriac" by Wheeler M. Thackston.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit deceiving, May 1, 2002

By 

MPR "MPR" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classical Aramaic: Book 1 (Paperback)

This is a great book for those who wish to study Syriac script. I say that it is deceiving only because the title simply states "Classical Aramaic" and does not hint at what period is involved here (until you buy it of course). This book seems to lump the evolution of Aramaic and its periods together, then making the reader believe that it is spoken today just as it was in "Jesus' time" (which is false). It does outline the periods, but doesn't tell where this book fits in to it all. Great for Syriac script study, but that's about it.