FROM THE GENERAL EDITOR
George A.
Kiraz
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
George A. Kiraz
James E. Walters
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Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
2005
Vol. 8, No. 1
For this publication, a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
license has been granted by the author(s), who retain full
copyright.
https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/article/hv8n1issuededication
George A. Kiraz
FROM THE GENERAL EDITOR
https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/pdf/vol8/HV8N1IssueDedication.pdf
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute,
vol 8
issue 1
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies is an electronic journal dedicated to the study
of the Syriac tradition, published semi-annually (in January and July) by Beth
Mardutho: The Syriac Institute. Published since 1998, Hugoye seeks to offer the
best scholarship available in the field of Syriac studies.
Syriac Studies
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[1] Just a
few weeks back, the community of Syriac scholarship heard about
the untimely death of one of its foremost scholars, David John
Lane. David had arrived in India on January 5 on a routine
visit to the St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute (SEERI).
On January 10, he had a cardiac arrest and was admitted to the
hospital; he passed away at 9:50 PM. David Lane's
autobiography, which he prepared for SEERI, is published in
this issue. He will be remembered by all of us for his
scholarship, but also for his interest in Syriac not only as an
academic subject, but as a living heritage.
[2] The
funeral service took place at 2:30 pm on Friday, January 14, at
the church situated in the SEERI campus and the burial followed
at the cemetery of the Malankara Catholic Church at Kalathipady
near Kottayam. The service was presided over by Mar Cleemis of
Tiruvalla (Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and SEERI's
President), Thomas Mor Themotheos (Syrian Orthodox Church), and
Thomas Mar Koorilose (Syro-Malankara Catholic Church). Fr. M.P.
George of the Malankara Orthodox Seminary led the chanting in
Syriac and in Malayalam. Other priests, mostly David's
students, from the various other traditions took part. The
service was attended by ca. 200 people.
[3] It is
only fitting that Fr. David received burial rites according to
the West Syriac rite of the Order of Burial of Priests. His
body was vested with the priestly garments. The service
concluded with the traditional zuyoho, a farewell ceremony exclusive to deacons
and priests. The body was carried by priests to the altar and
placed facing East. A priest represented Fr. David in chanting
"Phush bashlom—Farewell, O holy altar." The rest
of the priests responded, "zel bashlom, Depart in
peace, O honorable priest." The farewell continued,
- Farewell, O holy Church.
- Depart in peace, O modest priest.
- Farewell, O holy bishops.
- Depart in peace, O pious priest.
- Farewell, O heads of the churches.
- Depart in peace, our beloved father.
- Farewell, O heads of the monasteries.
- Depart in peace, our blessed father.
- Farewell, O noble priests.
- Depart in peace, O venerable priest.
The priests then carried Fr. David to the entrance of the
church where his body was placed facing West. The priest
representing Fr. David chanted,
- Farewell, O modest deacons.
- Depart in peace, O faithful priest.
- Farewell, O clergy.
- Depart in peace, our just father.
- Farewell, O beloved ones and friends.
- Depart in peace, our righteous father.
Fr. David's body was then taken to the North side of the
church to say his farewell to all dwellers.
- Farewell, O monastery and its dwellers.
- Depart in peace, O teacher of truth.
- Farewell, O city and its inhabitants.
- Depart in peace, O eminent priest.
- Farewell, O fellow mortals.
- Depart in peace, O ascetic father.
Finally, Fr. David's body was taken to the South side of the
church for his final farewell.
- Farewell, O Church and its children.
- Depart in peace, O preacher of truth.
- Give me peace and may you live in peace. This peace [that you
give me] is henceforth forever.
- Depart in peace, O brother and beloved one. May our Lord
receive you in the blessed mansions. May Christ, Who took you
away, make us worthy to see you in the new life that will shine
forth from heaven. Glory to you, O Jesus our Savior, in Whose
hands is death and Whose will is life.
The Syriac text of this moving ritual follows (taken from
Book of the Order for the Burial of the Clergy According to the
Ancient Rite of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, tr. by
Archdeacon Murad Saliba Barsom, 2003, pp. 121-124).
[4] David
left many unfinished works behind. His opus magnum,
the edition and translation of Shubkhalmaran's Book of
Gifts, which will be published in CSCO, is not yet at the
proof stage. The proofs will be corrected by Andrea Schmidt.
David had also almost finished writing an introduction to a
forthcoming facsimile edition of the East Syriac
Hudra based on the Thrissur
manuscript of 1598. It is hoped that his writings can be
recovered.
[5] It is
our obligation to dedicate this issue of Hugoye in
memory of David John Lane, scholar, malphono, mentor,
and friend to many of us. It only remains for us to say,
zel bashlom, malphono tarqo.