Language of Jesus, barely surviving in Syrian mountains

The Aramaic language, the language of Jesus, is still spoken in the Syrian mountain village of Ma’Aloula and two other adjacent villages, Bakha’a and Juba’adeen.

Some of Aramaic expressions have come down unchanged through the centuries and are still used in prayers in these three predominately Christian villages. Among them is “Obh, teh, Bahmo yetsh kaltec asmekh” which means “Our Father in heaven”.

Ma’Aloula, whuch means the “narrow gorge to the open space”, is located 50km northeast of Damascus in the Qalamoun mountains. Its jumble flat-roofed houses perch on the cliffside overlooking the narrow valley.

At an altitude of 1,650 meters, Ma’Aloula’s climate varies between hot and dry in summer to arid and cold in winter. It is considered as one of the most charming tourist resorts in Syria.

Of the village’s 5,000 people, 3,000 still speak Aramaic and 75 percent of the inhabitants there are Christians.

One of the important caves in Ma’Aloula is called Hori Yousef, which served as a temple in the Pagam and pre-Islamic times. In addition, there is the monastery of Saint mar Takla with Mar Sarkis church, Dating back to the fourth century B.C.

The church is a very major tourist draw for its antiquity, with some of the beams proven to be 2,000 years old. Its walls are adorned with radiant murals.

Ma’Aloula celebrates three important religious days: the day of the sacred cross on September 14, the day of Saint Takla on September 24, and the day of Saints Saint Bakhous on October 7.

George Ruzkallah, 59, graduate, says, “I am trying to preserve and strengthen the Aramaic language in the area to prolong life by composing folk by collecting some proverbs for Friday”.

In an interview with the German press agency, Ruzkallah said he speaks Aramaic with his wife at home and son with his children.

He is also trying to teach Aramaic to a student in Ma’Aloula, that it is a spoken language and written form.

But he concedes it is a battle. Aramaic is being used by Arabic as its native speak away from the mountain cities and beyond, forgetting the roots and their ancient language.