Symbolic Interpretations in Ethiopic and Early Syriac Literature

By Ralph Lee

The palimpsest of Ethiopian Christianity reveals the possible impact andinfluence of several hands: Judaic, Egyptian, and Syrian. This bookinvestigates the influence of Syrian Christianity upon the trajectory ofEthiopian Christianity, proposing that many of the so-called 'Judaic'practices may have arisen through interaction with Judeo-ChristianSyriac Christianity, rather than from an Old Testament context, exploring Ethiopic and Syrian literary links using Ge'ez, Amharic andSyriac sources to show how Syrian and Ethiopic traditions relate. Thesymbolic motifs of the Ark and the Cross, as well as the perception ofParadise are explored in Ethiopic hymnody or Deggwa of St Yared, the andemta Bible commentaries, and the national epic, theKebr N g st, compared with Syriac works of the fourth centurySyriac theologian-poet Ephrem, his later devotee Jacob of Serugh, andthe earlier Syriac Odes to Solomon. The material common toEthiopic and Syriac literature demonstrates the complexity of theJudeo-Christian thought-worlds from which they derived, implying morenuanced influences than have previously been postulated.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9042933364
• ISBN13: 9789042933361
• Release Date: October 2017
• Publisher: Peeters
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.