아람인 역사ㅣARAMEAN HISTORY

ARAMEAN HISTORY

 

THE Arameans

   The Aramean people have lived at their traditional area in the Middle East “Aramea” since three thousand years. The cultural contributions of the Arameans have had great significance thru the history. During the ancient times the Arameans were known as prominent merchants and culture and alphabet spreaders. They dominated the trade along the old “Silk Road”. Their relatively easy language, the Aramaic,

 and its easy alphabet with 22 letters were spread fast over great areas in Asia. Many other languages were by this time written by the Aramaic alphabet. Most of the world's alphabets today are originally derived from Aramaic alphabet and its vowel system.  

    Since 4th century AD the Arameans have been without any state of their own. During the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire, after the First World War, the victorious states established a new order in the Middle East. The colonial powers France and Great Britain divided the area of the Middle East without any respect to the ethnic groups. They drew a new map over the area and created new countries like Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan etc. The new borders they drew didn’t take any consideration to the “national states”. On the contrary the borders were drawn across ethnic groups rather than between them. The modern borders of the Middle East have divided “Aramea” and split the Arameans, who today live under hard conditions in these countries. A Syriac-Aramaic delegation was sent to the conference in Sèvres 1920 with the hope to regain the historical rights in areas that by history were Aramaic. But the super powers refused the Arameans these rights. Since the foundation of the new states in the Middle East, all the regimes try to force the Arameans to abandon their culture, language and ethnic belonging. The Arabizing and Turkizing attempts continue among them on a high level. For example thousands of Aramaic names of villages, fields, rivers and areas have been changed into Turkish and Arabic names.

THE SYRIACS/ARAMEANS HAD AN OLDER NAME

   The Syriacs were earlier called Aramean and their language Aramaic. The oldest preserved documents where the name Aram is mentioned is dated to 2300 BC. The Greeks were probably the first ones who named the Arameans by the Syrian name in the 5th century BC. The famous Greek geographer and historian Strabo (dead 23 AD)

says in his book “Geography”: “Those who call themselves Arameans, we call them Syrians”.Even in the “Septuagint”, the old translation of the Old Testament into Greek achieved in the 3rd century B.C., the name Aram was translated into Syria, Aramean into Syrian, and Aramaic into Syriac. The Arameans continued to call themselves Aramean. But gradually they started to use the Greek term Syriac/Syrian as a synonymous to the appellation Aramean, and Syriac as a synonymous to Aramaic. During the first century A.D. most of the Arameans were convereted to Christianity. During that period they called themselves Syrian-Arameans.During the time the term "Syriac/Syrian" took bigger place and the Aramaic term was left in the shadow. But authors still used the double term Syriac/Aramaic as synonymous for the same people and language. All the ancient Syriac historians that searched in the history of the Syriacs mentions that the Syrians earlier were called Arameans and their language Aramaic. So when we want to do some research about early history about Syrians we have to search under the term Aramean. In the following chapters we are using the terms Aramean, Syriac and Syrian for the same people.

THE ARAMEANS

   The old Syriacs, the Arameans, had a city-state system. From the 13th century B.C. onwards they had tens of states spread over a big area that today consists of Syria, Lebanon, north of Israel and north of Jordan, Iraq and the whole area of south Turkey. This area is today called "Fertile

 Crescent", but we can call it "Aramea". Most of the Aramean states had their own proper local names with the addition of the name Aram, like Aram-Soba(in Libanon,) Aram-Damascus,

 Aram-Maaka, etc., or carried the addition "Beth" like Beth Adini, Beth Zamani, Beth Bakhiani, etc. After the Assyrian state breakdown in the year 612 B.C. at the hands of the the Babylonian Arameans and their allies the Medes, The Arameans of Babylon established a big empire, that is known under as the second Babylonian state, or the New Babylonian Epire, and the "Chaldean" state, named after the Aramean tribe Kaldu which was originally settled around the Persian Gulf and then moved to Babel and Aramacized it. Known from this state is King Nebuchadnessar who set the Palestinian Jews in exile in Babylon. But this powerful state couldn’t continue to live through any longer time. It was captured by the Persians in 539 B.C. In the Old Testament there is a lot to read about the Jews relation to the Arameans. Even the Jews were Arameans, especially during their early history. The great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Arameans (In the Deuteronomy book 26:5 it says: "My ancestor was a wandering Aramean). But after departure from Egypt and during the influence of closely allied people like Canaanites and Hettites and because of the conflicts with the Aramean ancestors, the Israelites became a special national group and their Aramaic language was changed into Canaanite.

   During 200-100 B.C. the Arameans reestablished several Aramean national states. They didn`t survive for a long time because they lost their independence in the 3rd century A.D. Among the Aramean states in this period we mention the Nabataen and its capitol Petra (in Jordan) Damascus, Emesa, Palmyra (in Syria), Hatra, Singara (in Iraq), Edessa, Malatya, and Amed (in Turkey). Thereafter and until today the Arameans have been ruled by other people like Romans, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks etc.

THE ARAMEANS AND CHRISTIANITY 

   According to the early Christian traditions the Aramean King Abgar V Ukomo (the black) of Edessa (Urhoy) was Christianized already during the lifetime of Jesus Christ. King Abgar suffered from leprosy and his doctor couldn’t cure him. He had heard of a certain wise man (Jesus) in

Palestine and that this man had effective remedy for illness. He sent a delegation with a letter to Jesus and invited him to Edessa to cure King Abgar. Jesus responded the request and wrote that he couldn’t attend to Edessa because he had other missions. But he sent one of his followers, Taddeus, who cured King Abgar and this was followed by the Kings conversion to Christianity. His state Edessa became later famous for this event and for the possession of the mentioned letters that were exchanged between Abgar and Jesus. Visitors from almost all the Christian countries came to Edessa to see the letters and to get a transcription of them. This is according to Eusebius of Caesarea, who wrote about this in his church history in the first half of the 4th century. Edessa later became an important centre for Syriac Christian culture as well as the city of Antiochia became the centre of the Greek speaking church.

  The Aramaic dialect that was spoken in Edessa, which is called Syriac, became the standard language in the young Aramean Christian church. In this language thousands of books were written and it is this language Syriac-Aramaic, that today is used in the teaching and in the churches that use Syriac. The Christian Arameans missioned in a lot of countries; India, Tibet, Mongolia and China. Many Central Asian ethnic groups like Mongols and the Turks converted to Christianity and used the Syriac-Aramaic liturgy. But after a few centuries they converted to Islam. The name Syriac became thereafter totally connected to Christian Arameans. In Kerala in southern India there are still Syrian churches with almost 10-12 million adherents who have Syriac-Aramaic as church language.In the 5th century the church was divided and the following Syriac-Aramean churches arised:

 

1. East-Syriac church, the Nestorian part. It was founded in the 5th century with almost all eastern Christian Arameans as adherents (especially in Iraq and Iran) it has since 1960s been divided in two parts each with its own patriarch, one in USA and the other in Iraq.  

 

2. The Syriac church in west. All the Christian Arameans west of the Euphrates were adherents to this church. The western church was divided in the year of 451 A.D. into two parts: 2a   Syriac orthodox Church which exists mostly in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq with its patriarch in Damascus. 2b          Syriac Orthodox  "Rum", called also the Greek Orthodox, in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, with its patriarch in Damascus.

 

3. Syriac Maronite, 7th and 8th century (In Lebanon where the patriarch has his seat, it’s the biggest among the Aramean churches).

 

4. Eastern Syriac, Chaldean catholic part, 16th century (mostly in Iraq with patriarch in Baghdad)

 

5. Syriac Catholic, 17th – 18th century (Lebanon, Syria and Iraq with patriarch in Beirut).

 

6. Greek Catholic  "Rum" 18th century (mostly in Syria and Lebanon with patriarch in Damascus).

 

7. Protestant churches, 19th century (mostly in Syria and Lebanon with seat in both countries).

 

8. Other small Christian groups, and other religious ethnic Aramean groups like Mandeans in Iraq and Iran.

ARAMEANS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES

   In the 7th century Islam was spread in the Aramean area “Aramea”. According to Islamic law the society was divided into four groups. The Christian Arameans became the third grade citizens and were forced to pay double taxes to the state, while the Muslims were released from paying the tax. Many Arameans were obliged to convert to Islam trough hard perscutions and when they couldn`t pay the taxes. They were oppressed and discriminated economically, socially, ethnically and culturally and they were forced to convert to the new religion because they wanted to live like free citizens. With the time passing the religious oppression and persecution increased and the Syriac Christians conversion to Islam increased a lot. Islam elevated Arabic to a divine language and it become necessary for the citizens to learn Arabic. Many of the Arameans/Syriacs adopted Arabic language and forgot their Aramaic/Syriac language as time passed. Today a big part of the Aramean people speaks Arabic only while a smaller amount of them can talk their Aramaic language in its modern dialects. Until the end of the 13th century the Arameans were a majority in “Aramea” (Middle East) but at the end if that century the area was conquered by the Mongolian Timur Lenk. Big parts of the Aramean population were obliterated and the ones that were left became a minority. During the last 700 years the Arameans/Syriacs have been constantly victimised for different religious massacres mostly executed by fundamentalistic Kurds and Turks. The last large massacre took place 1915 when almost 300.000-500.000 Christian Arameans were killed in a brutal way in south east of Turkey.

ARAMAIC LANGUAGES

  Aramaic is one of the oldest language that still is used. It’s the only Semitic language in the World that has been used verbally and in writing without breaks for 3000 years. The oldest known Aramaic inscriptions are from the 10th century BC. In its long history you can split up Aramaic in five phases:

1. Old Aramaic, 925-700 BC. Here you can find the first found inscriptions. It represents an archaic form of Aramaic.

2. Official Aramaic, 700-200 BC. During this period the language had a big geographical spread from Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, Syria and Bablon, Assyria, Armenia, the Indus valley in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

3. Middle Aramaic, 200 BC – 200 A.D.

4. Late Aramaic, 200 – 1300 A.D., at this period the language had western and eastern dialects, the latter in a further western and eastern dialects.

5. Modern Aramaic from, this period covers all forms of Aramaic which are spoken until these days.

  At the first century A.D. different Aramaic dialects were spoken in the area called the Fertile Crescent. The Aramaic dialect which has been spoken inside the Assyrian and Babylonian borders since the 700 century BC superseded all other Aramaic dialects. In the end of the 7th century BC the Aramaic was an international language among diplomacy, administration and trading and continued in its Syriac form to be a cultural mean of communication in the Middle East until 600 A.D.

  When the Persian Achaemeans, led by Cyrus in the year 539 B.C, conquered Babylon and put an end to the Aramean Babylonian empire, they founded a large Achaemenidic empire that stretched from the Indus valley in the north to the Nile in the south. The Persians continued to use the Aramaic as a written means of communication in their administration. Since Aramaic already has been a lingua franca in the Babylonian Aramean Empire, the Persians were obliged to take over the language in the whole state. Aramaic was then the dominating spoken language in Mesopotamia and Syria. When Alexander the Great conquered the whole area in 333 B.C. he made the Greek into official language. The Persian parthians on the other hand that established a big empire during the centuries around Christ’s birth reinstalled Aramaic as the official language in their state. In the beginning of our era Aramaic consisted of different dialectal forms, was the dominated spoken language in Syria and Mesopotamia. The Aramaic developed a number of literary dialects. The most famous are the western parts: Palestinian-Jewish Aramaic, Samaritan, Syro-Palestinian Christian Aramaic, all of them along the eastern border of the Mediterranean see and further more the eastern parts: Babylonian Talmudic Aramaic, Mandaic, and Syriac in Mesopotamia. The Syriac language was the Aramaic language that was used in the Aramean states Edessa (Urfa) and Nisibis. Because of political, social, cultural and churchly causes the language was spread on the behalf of all other Aramaic dialects.

 

아람인
   아랍인들은 3천년 전부터 중동의 전통적인 지역인 "아람아"에서 살아왔다. 시리아인들의 문화적 기여는 역사를 통해 큰 의미를 가지고 있다. 고대 시대에 시리아인들은 저명한 상인과 문화, 알파벳 전파자로 알려져 있었다. 그들은 옛 실크로드를 따라 무역을 지배했다. 그들의 비교적 쉬운 언어인 아람어는,


 그리고 22글자의 쉬운 알파벳은 아시아의 큰 지역에 빠르게 퍼져나갔다. 많은 다른 언어들이 이 시기에 아람 문자에 의해 쓰여졌다. 오늘날 세계의 대부분의 알파벳은 원래 아람 문자와 그 모음 체계에서 유래되었다.  

    서기 4세기 이래로 시리아는 그들만의 국가가 없었다. 오스만 제국의 붕괴 동안, 제1차 세계 대전 이후, 승리한 국가들은 중동에 새로운 질서를 세웠다. 식민지 열강 프랑스와 영국은 민족에 대한 존중 없이 중동 지역을 분할했다. 그들은 그 지역에 새로운 지도를 그렸고 튀르키예, 시리아, 이라크, 레바논, 요르단 등과 같은 새로운 나라들을 만들었다. 그들이 그린 새로운 국경은 "국가"를 고려하지 않았다. 반대로 국경은 그들 사이가 아니라 민족 집단 사이에 그려졌다. 중동의 현대적인 국경은 "아라메아"를 분열시켰고, 오늘날 이 나라들에서 어려운 환경 속에서 살고 있는 시리아인들을 분열시켰다. 1920년 세브르 회의에는 시리아-아람인 대표단이 파견되어 역사적으로 아람인 지역의 역사적 권리를 되찾기를 희망했다. 그러나 강대국들은 아람인들의 이러한 권리를 거부했다. 중동에 새로운 국가들이 세워진 이래로, 모든 정권들은 그들의 문화, 언어, 민족적 소속을 버리도록 강요하려고 노력한다. 아랍화와 터키화 시도는 그들 사이에서 높은 수준에서 계속되고 있다. 예를 들어 마을, 들판, 강, 지역의 수천 개의 아람어 이름이 터키어와 아랍어 이름으로 바뀌었다.

시리아인들은 더 오래된 이름을 가지고 있었다
   시리아인들은 일찍이 아람어와 그들의 언어인 아람어로 불렸다. 아람이라는 이름이 언급된 가장 오래된 문서는 기원전 2300년으로 거슬러 올라간다. 그리스인들은 아마도 기원전 5세기에 시리아 이름으로 시리아 이름을 지은 최초의 사람들일 것이다. 유명한 그리스 지리학자이자 역사가 스트라보 (서기 23년 사망)


그의 저서 《지리학》에서 "자신을 시리아인이라고 부르는 사람들, 우리는 그들을 시리아인이라고 부른다."라고 말한다.기원전 3세기에 달성된 구약성경을 그리스어로 번역한 《셉투아긴트》에서도 아람이라는 이름은 시리아어로, 아람어는 시리아어로, 아람어는 시리아어로, 아람어는 시리아어로 번역되었다. 아람인들은 계속해서 자신들을 아람인이라고 불렀다. 그러나 점차 그들은 그리스어를 아람어라는 명칭의 동의어로 사용하기 시작했고, 시리아어를 아람어의 동의어로 사용하기 시작했다. 서기 1세기 동안 대부분의 시리아인들은 기독교로 개종했다. 그 기간 동안 그들은 스스로를 시리아-아람인이라고 불렀다.이 시기에 "시리아인/시리아인"이라는 용어는 더 크게 자리 잡았고 아람어라는 용어는 그늘에 남겨졌다. 그러나 저자들은 여전히 같은 민족과 언어의 동의어로 시리아어/아람어라는 이중 용어를 사용했다. 시리아 역사를 조사한 모든 고대 시리아 역사학자들은 초기 시리아인들이 아람인과 그들의 언어인 아람어로 불렸다고 언급한다. 그래서 우리가 시리아인들에 대한 초기 역사에 대해 연구하고 싶을 때, 우리는 아람이라는 용어로 검색해야 합니다. 다음 장에서 우리는 같은 사람들을 위해 시리아어, 시리아어라는 용어를 사용하고 있다.

아람인
   오래된 시리아인들, 시리아인들은 도시국가 체제를 가지고 있었다. 기원전 13세기부터 그들은 시리아, 레바논, 이스라엘의 북쪽, 요르단의 북쪽, 이라크, 그리고 튀르키예 남부의 전체 지역으로 구성된 넓은 지역에 수십 개의 국가가 퍼져 있었다. 이 지역은 오늘날 "수정"이라고 불린다

 '초승달'이지만 '아라메아'라고 부를 수 있어요. 대부분의 시리아 국가들은 아람소바(리바논어) 아람다마스쿠스와 같이 아람이라는 이름이 추가된 고유한 지역 이름을 가지고 있었다,


 아람마카 등은 베스 아디니, 베스 자마니, 베스 바키아니 등과 같은 "베스"를 추가했다. 기원전 612년에 바빌로니아 시리아인들과 그들의 동맹인 메데스의 손에 의해 아시리아 국가가 붕괴된 후, 바빌로니아의 시리아인들은 제2의 바빌로니아 국가 또는 신 바빌로니아 제국, 그리고 원래 정착했던 아라메안 부족 칼두의 이름을 딴 "칼데인" 국가로 알려진 큰 제국을 세웠다 페르시아만 주변을 돌다가 바벨로 이동했고 아람은 그곳을 점령했다. 이 주에서는 팔레스타인 유대인들을 바빌론으로 망명시킨 네부카드네사르 왕이 알려져 있다. 그러나 이 강력한 국가는 더 이상 오래 살 수 없었다. 그것은 기원전 539년에 페르시아인들에 의해 점령되었습니다. 구약성경에는 유대인과 시리아인의 관계에 대해 읽을 것이 많다. 심지어 유대인들도, 특히 그들의 초기 역사 동안에는, 시리아인이었다.

 

그녀는 베다 문헌에서 다른 베다 신들과 함께 바루나와 미트라의 어머니로 묘사되며, 후대 힌두교 신화에서 그녀는 모든 신들의 어머니로 묘사된다.[27][28]

야주르베다에서는 "사실 바루나는 비슈누이고 비슈누는 바루나이므로 이 신들에게 상서로운 제물을 바쳐야 한다." || 8.59 || [29]

우파니샤드
바루니가 타이티리야 우파니에서 브라만에게 브리구를 현자라고 설명한 바루나. 브리구 계곡의 최초 6개의 아누바카는 "브리구가 (그의 아버지) 바루니로부터 얻은 지식"을 의미하는 바르가비 바루니 비디아라고 불린다. 현자 바루니가 브라만에 대해 자주 언급되는 정의 중 하나로 브리구에게 "어떤 존재가 기원하고, 어떤 존재를 통해 살고, 죽은 후에 다시 들어가는가, 그것이 브라만이기 때문에 그것을 탐구하라"고 조언하는 것은 이러한 아누바에서이다.[30] 현실과 존재의 이 주제, 모든 것을 포괄하는 영원한 본성은 영적 자기 지식의 가장 깊은 핵심에 도달하고 실현하기 위해 지식의 외부 껍질을 벗기는 것을 돕는 브리구의 강조의 기초로 발전한다.[30]

라마야나

바루나 자신도 바다 깊은 곳에서 일어나 라마에게 용서를 빌었다.
라마는 힌두교 서사시 라마야나에서 바루나와 교류한다. 예를 들어 납치된 아내 시타가 악마왕 라바나에게 포로로 잡혀 있는 스리랑카로 어떻게 바다를 건너야 할지 딜레마에 빠진 라마(비슈누의 아바타)는 3박 3일 동안 바다의 신 바루나에게 프라바베샤(기도, 타파스야)를 선보인다고 라메시 메논은 말한다.[31] 바루나는 대답하지 않았고, 라마는 나흘째 아침에 분노하며 일어났다. 그는 그의 형제 락샤마나에게 "원소의 영주들도 폭력에만 귀를 기울이고, 바루나는 온화함을 존중하지 않으며, 평화로운 기도는 듣지 않는다"고 말한다.[31]

라마는 활과 화살로 바다를 공격하여 물을 말리고 원숭이 군대가 건너갈 수 있는 모래밭을 만들 준비를 한다. 라크슈마나는 라마에게 "우리 조상들의 평화로운 길로 돌아가라, 당신은 바다를 낭비하지 않고 이 전쟁에서 이길 수 있다"고 호소한다.[31] 라마는 그의 무기를 쏘아서 바다를 화염으로 만든다. 라마가 그의 무기의 포악함을 증가시키면서, 바루나는 바다에서 나온다. 그는 바다가 깊고 넓으며 바다의 본성을 바꿀 수 없기 때문에 자신도 라마를 도울 방법을 몰랐다고 말하면서 라마에게 고개를 숙인다. 바루나는 라마에게 그가 "평화와 사랑의 영혼, 분노는 그에게 어울리지 않는다"는 것을 기억해달라고 부탁했다. 바루나는 라마에게 다리를 건설하고 스리랑카로 건너갈 때 그나 그의 군대를 방해하지 않겠다고 약속했다. 그러나, 대부분의 자료들은 물의 신 바루나가 아닌 라마를 만난 것은 바다의 신 사무드라였다고 주장한다.[31]

톨카피얌에서
기원전 3세기의 타밀어 문법서인 톨카피얌은 고대 타밀라캄의 사람들을 쿠린지, 물라이, 파알라이, 마루탐, 니탈의 다섯 개의 상암 경관으로 나눈다.[32] 각각의 풍경은 다른 신들과 함께 지정된다. 네이탈은 어부들과 바다와 비의 신 바루난 또는 카달론과 함께 바다와 바다를 건너는 사람들이 사는 해안 풍경으로 묘사된다.[7][33] "바루나"는 타밀어로 바다를 나타내는 물을 의미한다.[34]

축제
주요 기사: 체티 찬드와 찰리오
체티 찬드
힌두교의 달 차이트라[35]의 체티 찬드 축제는 봄과 수확의 도착을 기념하지만, 신디 힌두 공동체에서는 1007년에 우데롤랄의 신화적 탄생을 기념하기도 한다.[36][37][38] 우데롤랄은 이슬람교도와 힌두교도는 같은 종교적 자유를 누릴 자격이 있다고 미르크샤를 설교하고 질책하는 전사이자 노인으로 변모했다. 그는 줄렐랄로서 [38] 신디 힌두교도의 구원자가 되었으며, 전설에 따르면 우데롤랄의 생일로 새해를 기념한다고 한다.[38][36]

찰리야사헵
찰리오(Chalio) 또는 찰리호(Chaliho Sahib)는 신디 힌두교도들이 임박한 이슬람 개종으로부터 그들을 구해준 것에 대한 감사를 표하기 위해 40일간의 축제이다. 이 축제는 매년 7월에서 8월 사이에 열린다.[39][40] 그것은 바루나 데바가 그들의 기도를 들어준 것에 대한 감사의 축하이다.[39][40]

나랄리 푸오르니마
주요 기사: Narali Poornima
나랄리 푸르니마(Nárali Pornima)는 인도의 마하라슈트라 섬, 특히 뭄바이와 콘칸 해안 주변의 힌두교 공동체들에 의해 기념되는 의식적인 날이다. 이 축제는 힌두교의 달인 슈라반의 보름달 날에 열리며, 7월이나 8월경에 열린다. 이 날에는 바다와 물의 신 바루나 경에게 바쳐진 쌀, 꽃, 코코넛과 같은 제물들이 바쳐진다.[42]

힌두교와 인도를 넘어서
스리랑카 타밀스(카라이야르 카스트)
카라이야르(Karaiyar)는 스리랑카 북부와 동부 해안 지역에서 주로 발견되는 타밀족 카스트이다. 그들은 전통적으로 어업, 선적, 해상 무역에 종사하는 해상 공동체이다. 그들은 주로 심해에서 낚시를 하고, 자망과 센 낚시 방법을 사용한다.

 

아브라함과 이삭과 야곱의 위대한 총대주교는 시리아인이었다(신명기 26장 5절에 "나의 조상은 방랑하는 시리아인이었다"고 기록되어 있다). 그러나 이집트를 떠난 후 가나안 사람들과 헤티 사람들과 같은 밀접한 동맹을 맺은 사람들의 영향력과 시리아 조상들과의 갈등으로 이스라엘 사람들은 특별한 민족 집단이 되었고 그들의 아람어는 가나안 사람들로 바뀌었다.


   기원전 200년에서 100년 사이에 아람인들은 몇몇 아람 국가들을 재건했다. 그들은 3세기에 독립을 잃었기 때문에 오랫동안 살아남지 못했다. 이 시기의 시리아 국가들 중에서 우리는 나바타엔과 그 수도 페트라(요르단), 다마스쿠스, 에메사, 팔미라(시리아), 하트라, 싱가라(이라크), 에데사, 말라티아, 아메드(튀르키예)를 언급한다. 그 이후로 그리고 오늘날까지 시리아인들은 로마인, 페르시아인, 아랍인, 몽골인, 터키인 등과 같은 다른 사람들에 의해 통치되었다.


시리아와 기독교 
   초기 기독교 전통에 따르면, 에데사의 왕 아브가르 5세 우코모(흑인)는 예수 그리스도의 생전에 이미 기독교화되었다. 아바르 왕은 나병으로 고통받았고 그의 의사는 그를 치료할 수 없었다. 그는 어떤 현명한 사람(예수)에 대해 들었다

팔레스타인과 이 남자는 병에 대한 효과적인 치료법을 가지고 있었다. 그는 예수님께 편지와 함께 사절단을 보내어 아바르 왕을 치료하기 위해 에데사로 그를 초대했다. 예수님은 그 요청에 응하여 다른 임무가 있어서 에데사를 돌볼 수 없다고 썼다. 그러나 그는 그의 추종자 중 한 명인 타데우스를 보내어 압가르 왕을 치료했고, 그 후 왕들은 기독교로 개종했다. 그의 국가 에데사는 나중에 이 사건과 아브가와 예수 사이에 주고받은 언급된 편지들의 소유로 유명해졌다. 거의 모든 기독교 국가에서 온 방문객들은 편지들을 보고 그것들의 필사본을 얻기 위해 에데사로 왔다. 이것은 카이사레아의 에우세비오에 따르면, 4세기 전반에 그의 교회 역사에 이것에 대해 썼다. 에데사는 나중에 안티오키아와 더불어 시리아 기독교 문화의 중요한 중심지가 되었다.


  시리아어라고 불리는 에데사에서 사용되었던 아람어 방언은 젊은 아람 기독교 교회에서 표준어가 되었다. 이 언어로 수천 권의 책이 쓰여졌고, 오늘날 시리아어를 사용하는 교회와 가르침에서 사용되는 것이 시리아-아람어이다. 기독교 시리아인들은 인도, 티베트, 몽골, 중국 등 많은 나라에서 선교 활동을 했다. 몽골과 터키와 같은 중앙아시아의 많은 민족들은 기독교로 개종했고 시리아-아람 전례를 사용했다. 그러나 몇 세기 후에 그들은 이슬람교로 개종했다. 시리아라는 이름은 그 후 기독교의 시리아인들과 완전히 연결되었다. 인도 남부 케랄라에는 아직도 시리아-아람어를 교회 언어로 사용하는 거의 1,000만에서 1,200만 명의 신자를 가진 시리아 교회들이 있다.5세기에 교회는 분열되었고 다음과 같은 시리아-아람 교회들이 생겨났다:

 

1. 네스토리우스파의 동시리아 교회. 5세기에 거의 모든 동부 기독교 시리아인들이 (특히 이라크와 이란에서) 신자로 설립되었으며, 1960년대부터 미국과 이라크에서 각각 두 부분으로 나뉘었다.  

 
2. 서쪽에 있는 시리아 교회. 유프라테스 강 서쪽의 모든 기독교 시리아인들은 이 교회의 신자들이었다. 서기 451년에 서방 교회는 두 부분으로 나뉘었다: 2a 시리아 정교회는 시리아, 레바논, 이라크에 주로 존재하고, 2b 시리아 정교회는 시리아, 레바논, 요르단, 이스라엘에 총대주교와 함께 있다.


3. 시리아 마론파, 7세기와 8세기 (총대주교가 자리를 잡고 있는 레바논에서는 시리아 교회 중에서 가장 크다.).


4. 동부 시리아, 칼데아 가톨릭 지역, 16세기 (대부분 이라크에서 바그다드에 총대주교가 있다)

 
5. 시리아 가톨릭, 17-18세기 (베이루트에 총대주교가 있는 레바논, 시리아, 이라크).

 
6. 18세기 그리스 가톨릭 "룸" (대부분 다마스쿠스에 총대주교가 있는 시리아와 레바논).

 
7. 19세기 개신교 교회 (주로 시리아와 레바논에 있으며 두 나라에 모두 자리 잡고 있다).


8. 다른 소규모 기독교 단체들과 이라크와 이란의 만데인과 같은 다른 종교적인 아랍계 단체들.

중세의 아람인

   7세기에 이슬람교가 아람 지역에 전파되었다. 이슬람 율법에 따르면 사회는 네 개의 그룹으로 나뉘었다. 

기독교계 시리아인들은 3등급 시민이 되어 국가에 이중 세금을 내야 했고, 반면 이슬람교도들은 세금을 내지 않았다. 많은 시리아인들은 가혹한 박해와 세금을 낼 수 없을 때 이슬람으로 개종해야 했다. 그들은 경제적, 사회적, 인종적, 문화적으로 억압받고 차별을 받았고 자유 시민처럼 살기를 원했기 때문에 새로운 종교로 개종할 수밖에 없었다.

시간이 지남에 따라 종교적 억압과 박해가 증가했고 시리아 기독교인들의 이슬람 개종이 많이 증가했다. 이슬람은 아랍어를 신성한 언어로 격상시켰고 시민들이 아랍어를 배우는 것은 필수가 되었다. 많은 아람인/시리아인들은 아랍어를 채택했고 시간이 지남에 따라 그들의 아람어/시리아어를 잊어버렸다. 오늘날 아람인의 대부분은 아랍어를 사용하는 반면 소수의 사람들은 현대 방언으로 아람어를 말할 수 있다. 13세기 말까지 아람인들은 중동에서 다수를 차지했지만, 그 세기 말에 이 지역은 몽골의 티무르 렝크에 의해 정복되었다. 시리아 인구의 많은 부분이 사라졌고 남은 사람들은 소수가 되었다. 지난 700년 동안 시리아인들은 대부분 근본주의 쿠르드족과 터키인들에 의해 처형된 다양한 종교적 학살로 인해 끊임없이 희생되었다. 마지막 대규모 학살은 1915년 튀르키예 남동부에서 거의 300,000-500,000명의 기독교 시리아인들이 잔인한 방법으로 살해되었을 때 일어났다.

아람어족

  아람어는 여전히 사용되는 가장 오래된 언어 중 하나이다. 그것은 3000년 동안 쉬지 않고 구두와 서면으로 사용된 세계 유일의 셈족 언어이다. 가장 오래된 것으로 알려진 아람어 비문은 기원전 10세기의 것이다. 아람어의 긴 역사에서 당신은 아람어를 다섯 단계로 나눌 수 있다:

1. 고대 아람어, 기원전 925년-700년. 여기서 당신은 처음으로 발견된 비문을 찾을 수 있다. 그것은 고대 아람어의 형태를 나타낸다.

2. 공식적인 아람어, 기원전 700-200년. 이 시기에 이 언어는 이집트, 아라비아, 팔레스타인, 시리아, 바블론, 아시리아, 아르메니아, 아프가니스탄의 인더스 계곡, 파키스탄에서 지리적으로 크게 퍼져나갔다.

3. 중세 아람어, 기원전 200년 – 기원후 200년.d.

4. 후기 아람어는 서기 200년에서 1300년 사이에 서부와 동부 방언을 가지고 있었으며, 후자는 서부와 동부 방언을 가지고 있었다.

5. 현대 아람어는 오늘날까지 사용되는 모든 형태의 아람어를 포함한다.

  서기 1세기에 비옥한 초승달이라고 불리는 지역에서 다른 아람어 방언들이 사용되었다. 기원전 700년부터 아시리아와 바빌로니아 국경 안에서 사용된 아람어 방언은 다른 모든 아람어 방언을 대체했다. 기원전 7세기 말에 아람어는 외교, 행정, 무역에서 국제적인 언어였으며, 시리아어 형태로 600년까지 중동에서 문화적인 의사소통 수단으로 지속되었다.d.


  기원전 539년 키루스가 이끄는 페르시아의 아케메아인들이 바빌론을 정복하고 아람의 바빌로니아 제국에 종지부를 찍었을 때, 그들은 북쪽의 인더스 계곡에서 남쪽의 나일강에 이르는 거대한 아케메네스 제국을 세웠다. 페르시아인들은 아람어를 그들의 행정부에서 서면으로 전달하는 수단으로 계속 사용했다. 아람어는 바빌로니아의 아람 제국에서 이미 공용어였기 때문에, 페르시아인들은 아람어 전체를 차지할 의무가 있었다. 아람어는 당시 메소포타미아와 시리아에서 지배적인 구어였다. 알렉산더 대왕이 기원전 333년에 그 지역 전체를 정복했을 때 그는 그리스어를 공식 언어로 만들었습니다. 반면에 그리스도의 탄생을 전후한 수세기 동안 큰 제국을 세운 페르시아의 파르티아인들은 아람어를 그들의 국가에 공식 언어로 재설치했다. 우리 시대 초기에 아람어는 다른 방언 형태로 구성되어 있었으며, 시리아와 메소포타미아에서 지배적인 구어였다. 아람어족은 많은 문학적 방언을 발전시켰다. 가장 유명한 것은 서쪽 지역이다: 팔레스타인-유대인 아람어, 사마리아인, 시로-팔레스타인 기독교인 아람어, 지중해의 동쪽 경계를 따라 있는 모든 지역들, 더 나아가 동쪽 지역인 바빌로니아 탈무드어 아람어, 만다이아어, 메소포타미아의 시리아어이다. 시리아어는 시리아의 에데사와 니시비스에서 사용된 아람어이다. 정치적, 사회적, 문화적, 교회적 이유로 인해 다른 모든 아람어 방언을 대신하여 언어가 전파되었다.

 

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