MALULA, Syria, Sept. 6, 2007
Preserving The Language Of Jesus
A Tiny Syrian Village Is Working To Keep Aramaic Alive
-
Play CBS Video Video Border Security Scrutinized
Tonight Katie Couric sits down with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to discuss why terrorists can easily cross the border into Syria.
-
Video The Language Of Jesus Lives
Katie Couric visits a small village in Syria where the ancient, biblical language of Aramaic is being preserved and passed on.
-
Photo
For centuries Malula's geographic isolation protected it from invasion, warding off the influx of Arabic and other languages. (CBS)
-
Fast Facts
Syria
Learn about the people, economy and history.
-
Special Report
The Road Ahead
Katie Couric reports from Iraq on the future of U.S. involvement there.
Aramaic was a thriving language during the time of Jesus and his disciples. Many of the gospels were written in the Semitic language, along with sections of the Talmud and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
People who come to Malula take in a piece of history and hear in its purest tones the 3,000-year-old language closely related to Hebrew. For the religious here, keeping Aramaic alive is nothing less than a calling.
"Of course we are interested to maintain this language, because at the end, this is the language of Jesus Christ," says Father Toufic Eid of St. Sergius Church.
The locals and the Syrian government are taking conservation of this national treasure very seriously. They have opened a special school where students from 5 to 50 brush up on their Aramaic, and, for the first time in their history, learn to write this traditionally oral language.Complete Coverage: America In Iraq: The Road Ahead
It's a sense of pride for the village children.
"They want to know their grandfathers' language, and speaking it and writing," says student Yousef Sanjar.
For centuries Malula's geographic isolation protected it from invasion, warding off the influx of Arabic and other languages.
For a time, Aramaic was the global language of trade, commerce and communication reaching as far east as China. Then the advent of modern technology began to chip away at Aramaic's existence.
But somehow, the 5,000 residents continue to tell their stories in their special language. It’s a never-ending union between Malulans and Aramaic - a marriage sure to preserve the language of Jesus.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Video and Galleries from CBS Evening News
- Latest in CBS Evening News
- A Dealership at the Heart of a Town
- Rethinking Strategy in Afghanistan
- Complex Kidney Exchange Offers Hope





The dialect of Ma`loula is completely different from the Old Judean dialect that Jesus would have spoken.
To put this in perspective, "The Aramaic Language" is a bit of a misnomer. Aramaic in and of itself is not a single tongue, but a large group of very closely related languages. Where many of the "dialects" of Aramaic can exchange words with little difficulty (as British English is to American English), some are further removed (as Spanish is to Portuguese) and many are even mutually incomprehensible to an untrained ear (as English is to German).
Although I personally believe that it is awesome that Ma`loula has preserved its language (it''s a true rare find!), I find articles like this that claim that modern dialects of Syriac are "-the- language of Jesus" very misleading.
Peace,
--
Steve Caruso
Translator and Artisan
http://www.AramaicDesigns.com
http://aramaicdesigns.blogspot.com
Posted by oakishpines at 05:13 AM : Sep 07, 2007
Are you and seven-pesos twin you sound so much alike?
And I''m beyond atheist, I''m non-theist. My disbelieve isn''t restricted to the christian world.
And as far as this being something "right wing" only a gradeschooler would make such a childish remark about a language. History is history and should be perserved, just like the native american languages, that is if you don''t mind
degress: because people are looking for a better way than what is now being practiced.
The wise search for a better way, and all the rest settle for the misery they find.
-
by luvcomments
September 7, 2007 5:11 PM PDT
- degress12 - "How wonderous that some people have no life other than to preserve a dead and useless language. jesus christ has no relavence in the modern world, why does anyone care what he said?"
-
Reply to this comment
-
See all 11 CommentsWell, degress12, at least we know you are intellectually dishonest (among other things)i.e. if this whole topic is so boring to you, why did you even read the article in the first place? And I don''t find it "wondrous" at all if people wish to include in their lives the preservation of a language; it''s their business. And exactly what is your fantastic life''s work and contribution that you''ll be able to look back upon?
You are right, though - Jesus Christ has no relevance in the "modern" world - any more than He did in the "ancient" world - for those who will not hear Him. For the rest of us He has relevance far more than any other word, especially the drivel spewed out by hatred-filled idiots we not only pity but also are relieved we do not know.