Mgr. Hanna Dolabani: His Love For the Aramean Nation

The great Metropolitan Philoxenos Yuhanun Dolabani (1885-1969), born in Mardin [Turkey], was one of the outstanding scholars that the Church has seen in the near past. He wrote many books, in which he expressed his relationship with the Aramaeandom.

In his hymn "Love towards the Aramaeandom" he says: "Because of love towards you, O Aramaeandom, I have been deeply in love since childhood. During weakness and strength I will serve you faithfully." (Source: Hikmet, Vol. 8, Nr. 4/86 (Mardin, 1954), p.85)

In his book of the bee, written 1914 in the monastery of Deyrulzafaran [Turkey]:

"My dear and beloved Aramean, in many ways I am indebted to you on account of the racial love of Adam and the Semitic one of Aram (that burns in my heart)."

"I think, my dear one, . . . that you long for the Aramaic tongue, the tongue which my ancestors spoke – the lordly and ancient language. That (language) in which our Lord spoke when he was dwelling on the earth." (preface of kthobo d-deburitho, published by Verlag Bar Hebräus, Losser-Holland, 1986)

"The Aramaic language is more important to us Arameans than any other language, because it is the tongue of our race."(ibid, p. 16)

"And as a careful examination by scholars (shows), the art of writing was a discovery of the Arameans; and among those who received it were the Greeks and the Romans, and the Saracens (i.e. Arabs), and the Persians, and the Armenians. Therefore, for the Arameans it is a blessing without equal among all mankind."(ibid, p. 22)

"Aramean teachers give advice about this and say: do not talk too much, neither words of wisdom" "For the fear of God and the love of mankind by the Arameans." (ibid, p. 46)

"Be therefore similar like these Arameans: in the fear of God, and in abundance and in philanthropy toward your brethren and the members of your race, so that a good remembrance (of that) is written down for you in books and in the hearts of the Aramaeandom." (ibid, p. 47)

"With the help of our Lord I have arrived at the end. And as a miracle provides the sweetness of the essence of the Aramaeandom, I have arranged (only) the beginnings for you (and) I ask you to be very careful with it." (ibid, p. 58)

In Bar Hebraeus' "Book of the Dove" written by Dolabani in the monastery of Deyrulzafaran in 1916:

"To you our Aramean reader is this book dedicated, bearing (many) advantages."

(preface of kthobo d-yawno, published by Verlag Bar Hebräus, Losser-Holland 1983)

In Bar Hebraeus' book "Mush'hotho" written by Dolabani in 1929 in the monastery of St. Marc in Jerusalem: "Bar Hebraeus has left to the Aramaeandom an incomparable preface whose propositions are excellent;" (kthobo d-Mush'hotho, published by Verlag Bar Hebräus, Losser-Holland 1983, C)

"I beseech the Lord to make them mighty supports for the exaltation of the Aramaeandom!"(ibid, O)

In the book of the poems of Patriarch Yuhanon Bar Ma‘dani written in Jerusalem in 1929:

"For the benefit of those who love the Aramaeandom, we were careful to publish this book of memre and verse homilies of Mor Yuhanon Bar Ma‘dani."

(preface of Mimre d-Bar Maadani, ND Holland 1980)

In his poem of mourning about the death of Naum Faik († 1930):

"He was a trombone who raised his voice for our nation and because of the Aramean language of our fathers he did not stop blowing in our group."

(published in Naoum Fayeq: Dhikra wa-Takhlid, by Murad Cheqqe, p. 129-130, Damascus 1936)

In the book of the letters of David Bar Faulus, which he wrote 1953 in Mardin:

"All who love the Aramaeandom are eager to familiarise themselves concerning his instruction."

(preface of kthobo d-egrothe d-david bar faulus, published by the syriac printing of wisdom, Mardin, 1953)

"I set out to publish it, and see, with the Lord's help it is finished; I offer it to dear Aramean readers!" (ibid, p. 1)

In the book of the poems of Patriarch Noah from Lebanon, written 1956 in Mardin:

"That it may it be immediate gain in the hands of those who love Aramaic learning."

"See, I offer it today as a tasteful gift to those who love Aramaic learning."

(preface of kthobo d-mush'hotho d-fateryarkho nuh lebnonoyo, published by the syriac printing of wisdom, Mardin, 1956)

"As the patriarch Noah grew up, he was was educated in our orthodox faith, and loved humility. He was instructed in the sciences and learnt the Aramaeandom and the teaching of the faith." (ibid, p. 2)

In the history book of the anonymous from Edessa about the afflictions in Edessa, Amid and Mesopotamia, written in 1959 in Mardin:

"We loved to disseminate it in Syriac, in the language of its author, so that we might render service with good pronunciation to our own Aramaic language, and to the writers of our own regions of Mesopotamia, Nisibis, I mean, and Amid, and Edessa and the rest."

(preface of makthbonuth zabne ulsone, published by Verlag Bar Hebräus. Losser-Holland 1984)

In the book of the wisdoms of the Aramean sage Ahiqar written in 1962 in Mardin:

"The primacy of the ancient writings in the Aramaic language is undeniable, because before all languages its culture advanced and its wisdom was disseminated."

"The story of Ahikar is said to be from the beginning of Aramean culture...and Aramean pupils should read it because of its benefits" (preface of Ahikar sofro w hakimo published in Holland, 1981)

.  المطران العظيم مار فيلوكسينوس يوحنا دولاباني (1885-1969)، ولد في ماردين (تركيا) وهو واحد من عمالقة العلماء الذي شهدته الكنيسة في الماضي القريب.

وكتب العديد من الكتب، وصف فيها علاقته بالآراميّة. في ترتيله "حب للآراميّة" يقول  "من أجل حبّي لك، يا آراميّة أنا منذ الطفولة متعمقا في حبّك. في ضعفي وقوتي سوف أخدمك بأمانة".

في كتابه النحلة، كتبه عام 1914 في دير

الزعفران (تركيا)، يقول عن الآراميين واللغة الآرامية  : "عزيزي وحبيبي آرام، في نواح كثيرة أنا مدين لك بسبب أنّ الحب العنصري لآدم وسامية آرام (مشتعل في قلبي)".

أعتقد، يا عزيزي،... أنك كنت مشتاقا للغة الآرامية، اللغة التي تكلم بها أجدادي-  اللغة الربانية والقديمة. (اللغة) التي تكلم بها ربنا عندما كان يعيش على الأرض"

 "اللغة الآرامية هي أكثر أهمية لنا من أي لغة أخرى، لأن هذه هي لغة سلالتنا(عرقنا)"

" كما أن الفحص الدقيق من قبل العلماء يبين، أن فن الكتابة هو من اختراع الآراميين،

وبين الذين أخذوها عنهم كانوا اليونانيون والرومان، وساراكاين((Saracens)أي العرب)، والفرس، والأرمن

ولذلك، فهي بَركة للآراميين لا يوجد مثلها بين جميع البشر"

" المدرسين الآراميين يعطون نصيحة ويقولون:

لا تتكلم كثيرا، ولا تتفوه بكلمات الحكمة. لأن مخافة الله ومحبة البشرية نابعة من الآراميين".

"  بسبب هذا  كن مماثلاً للسريان:

في مخافة الله، وفي وفرة العمل الخيري تجاه أشقائك وأعضاء عرقك،

حتى يَبقى لك تذكار جيد في الكتب وفي قلوب الآراميين".

 بفضل مساعدة ربنا لقد وصلتُ إلى نهاية المطاف.

مثل المعجزة التي توفر حلاوة الجوهر للآراميين،

لقد أعددت لكم البداية فقط وأطلب منكم أن تكونوا حذرين جدا معه".

في إبن العبري (Bar Hebraeus)  "كتاب الحمامة" الذي كُتب على يد المطران دولاباني في دير الزعفران في عام 1916، يقول : قارئنا الآرامي لك هذا الكتاب ُكرِّس،  وهو مفيد جدا، وله  عِدّة مزايا".

 في كتاب إبن العبري  (Bar Hebraeus) "موشحوثو" كتب على يد مطران دولاباني في عام 1929 بدير مار مرقس في أورشليم يقول  : ابن العبري ترك مقدمة للآراميّة لا شبيهَ لها، بها مقترحات ممتازة"

 أتضرع إلى الرب لكي يجعلهم دعم قوي لتمجيد ولتعزيز الآراميّة"

 في كتاب قصائد البطريرك يوحنا ابن معدني، كتب في أورشليم في عام 1929، يقول :

لمصلحة الذين يحبون الآراميّة كنّا نحرص على نشر  كتاب الشعر هذا والمواعظ الشعرية ليوحنا ابن معدني"

 في قصيدته المحزنة عن وفاة نعوم فايق 930 يقول : هو كان البوق، الذي سمّع صوته لأمتنا وبسبب الآرامية لغة آبائنا أنه لم يتوقف عن الهتاف في مجموعتنا".

 في كتاب الرسائل داود بار بولوس، الذي كتبه في عام 1953 في ماردين   يقول:

جميع الذين يحبون الآراميّة هم متحمّسون (توّاقون) لمعرفة  أنفسهم فيما يتعلق بالإطلاع على تعليماته".

أنا جهزته للنشر، ومع مساعدة الرب ها أنه قد أكمِل، وأقدِّمه إلى القراء الأعزاء

في كتاب الشعر للبطريرك نوح، كُتب  عام 1956 في ماردين، يقول:

"أنه سوف يكون الربح فوري في أيدي الذين يحبون تعلّم الآرامية"

"انظر، أقدمه (أعرضه) اليوم باعتباره هدية لذيذة للذين يحبون تعاليم الآرامية "

 البطريرك نوح لما كان يكبر، كان يتلقى تعليمه في عقيدتنا الأرثوذكسية (إيماننا الأرثوذكسي)، أحب التواضع. وكان يدرس العلوم والآرامية وتعليم الإيمان"

في كتاب تاريخ كاتبه مجهول من الرها (Edessa) يحكي عن آلام الرها وأمد وما بين النهرين، كُتِب (هذا الكتاب) في ماردين في 1959 يقول  : أحببنا أن ننشره في السريانية، في لغة المؤلف، حتى نتمكن أن نقدم خدمة جيدة للغتنا الخاصة بلفظ صحيح النطق، وإلى المؤلفين في مناطقنا من بلاد ما بين النهرين، يعني نصيبين، أمد، رها وإلى آخره"...

 في كتاب الأحكام للعبقري الآرامي أحيقار، كُتِب في 1962 في ماردين، يقول  :

" للكتابات القديمة في اللغة الآرامية أهمية كبيرة لا يمكن إنكارها، لأن ثقافتها المتقدمة وحكمتها كانت منتشرة قبل كل اللغات

Click here the Website of Zeki Joseph for more.........

 Mgr. Yahkub Avgin Manna (1867-1928), the East- Aramean Chaldean Metropolitan of Basra, on the the Aramean nation.

The East- Aramean Chaldean Metropolitan of Basra, Yahkub Avgin Manna (1867-1928) is the writer of many books and dictionary Aramaic- Arabic.

In his book "Beautiful gardens" he says: "All the East and West Syrians were called Arameans, that is to say children of Aram"

In his dictionary Aramaic-Arabic he says:

1. "What induced us to dedicate to the mentioned topic a special chapter is to end the controversy between many Chaldeans and Syrians. Everyone of them claims the origin for himself and to be the older one, without having a reliable evidence or a funded scientific proof. In order to clarify the actualness of this problem and avoid the controversy, we say: All tribes, which lived in ancient times in the expanded countries, which were limited in the east by Persia, in the west by the Mediterranean, in the north by Asia Minor, by the countries of the Armenians and Greeks and in the south by the Arab peninsula, were known as children of Arams or as Arameans.."

2. The countries of Babylon and Assur were at all times, even after the Arab conquest, called Beth Aramaye, that is countries of the Arameans. It is not necessary to demonstrate the innumerable testimonies in order to prove this fact; it is a truth, which is known for everybody, who has the slightest idea of the informations about the Church of the East, because the books of our ancestors are full of them. Likewise the countries of Mesopotamia were well-known as the countries of Arams.

3. You will realize from the mentioned testimonies here and also from others, that the inhabitants of Edessa and Jazira all of them were Arameans by nation and language. Regarding the dwellers of Syria, it is even more evident.

4. You will receive testimonies of the church authors, who confirm this position. It became clear that all countries, which are known today under the designation Syrian is, whether in the east or in the west, were since time immemorial known as Aramean, and this is the correct designation.

5. The Syrian authors whether in the East or in the West, state that the term [Syrian] comes from Suros. Suros was a man of Aramean origin, who founded according to their opinion the city of Antiochia and conquered the countries of Syria and Mesopotamia. Following him these countries were called Syria and their inhabitants Syrians, as today the inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire are called Ottomans.

6. "The Syrians generally, whether from the East or from the West were not called Syrians in former times, but Arameans in dependance on their progenitor Aram, the son of Shem, the son of Noah. The name 'Syrian' dates from a time about 400 or 500 B.C."

7. "The term Syrian was adopted by the East-Arameans (Chaldeans and Assyrians) after Christ through the apostles, who had proselytized these countries."

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.    يعقوب أوجين (=يوجين) منّا (1867-1928) ولد في بيت   قوبة Qopa (العراق) وكان مطرانا (أسقفا) للبصرة (العراق) وكتب العديد من الكتب

(على سبيل المثال : في عام 1901 كتب في الموصل كتاب "قطعة مختارة من الأدب الآرامي) وقاموس سرياني – عربي. في كتابه "الحدائق الجميلة" ([22]) يقول : "كل السريان الشرقيين  والغربيين، سُمِّيوا آراميين؛ أي أبناء آرام". 

  في قاموسه  الآرامي- العربي  يقول  :