The Renaissance of Syriac Literature in the Twelfth– Thirteenth Centuries

The period of the Syriac renaissance was a decisive time, and its heritage is still part of the life of the Syriac churches. Although a large part of the output of the period is no longer extant and not all is edited, it is clear that the writers of that time did not merely compile and repeat. They are united in their common efforts to renew the Syriac tradition by every means possible. Writings in philosophy, science, law, and theology give testimony to their linguistic creativity. In theology, poetry, grammar, linguistics, and historiography, the originality of the writers of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries set new standards.