In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Roman Catholic Church intensified its engagement with Arabic to refine theological arguments, enhance missionary efforts, and address Protestant challenges. Understanding Arabic was essential for comprehending Middle Eastern Christian communities and Islamic texts, which were central to the Church’s ecclesiastical and intellectual goals (Girard & Pizzorusso, 2017; Girard, 2017).

During this period, the Church incorporated Christian perspectives into the study of Arabic to support its theological and missionary needs (Ghobrial, 2022). Early Arabic grammars, referencing classical texts such as the Quran and pre-Islamic poetry, were supplemented with materials reflecting Christian teachings. This innovative approach led to the creation of Christian Arabic linguistic criteria, which, in turn, "contributed to making Rome the centre of an original production of printed textbooks that would be used and commented on in Catholic Europe, especially Italy and France, until the end of the eighteenth century” (Girard, 2017).

Knowledge of Arabic was not only vital for intellectual pursuits but also driven by the growing commercial and political influence of the language during the early modern period (Hamilton, 2006). Travelers, scholars, and explorers drawn to Arabic-speaking regions found that Arabic was key to their understanding and engagement.

In this context, the alumni of the Maronite College assumed an imperative role in advancing Arabic studies. They developed Syriac and Arabic grammars and dictionaries, building on the foundational work of earlier scholars, particularly those from Spain. Since the 12th century, Toledo’s translation movement had introduced Arabic texts to Latin-speaking scholars, laying the groundwork for subsequent scholarly contributions (Hamilton, 2006).

The Maronite College alumni’s efforts significantly enriched the Church's understanding of Syriac and Arabic, fostered engagement with Syriac- and Arabic-speaking communities, and advanced the field.

Notably, Georgius Amira (Jirjis ʿAmayrah) made significant contributions with his Syriac grammar Grammatica syriaca, sive chaldaica, published in 1596. Similarly, Abraham Ecchellensis’ Nomenclator Arabico-Latinus (dated around 1650 by Moubarakah, 1997) was a key effort to reintegrate a Christianized framework for Arabic. By focusing on Christian theological and cultural terminology, Ecchellensis sought to affirm the unique identity of Christian Arabic within the broader linguistic and cultural landscape (Girard, 2017).

Interestingly, these intellectual productions had effects beyond language learning and academic or religious interest. In Spain, for example, the Arabic grammatical works and the teaching of Arabic by Maronite College alumni were instrumental in reestablishing Arabic as a significant field of study. Scholars such as Miguel Casiri (Mikha’il al-Ghazīrī), whose work on the Arabic book collection at El Escorial assumed a pivotal role in shaping Spain’s national memory and unity while deepening the understanding of Moorish heritage (García-Arenal & Mediano, 2017; Varela-Orol, 2012), exemplify this impact. Similarly, the interest in Arabic in Portugal, supported by Pablo/Paolo Hodar, was justified as a tool for reconstructing the history of the Iberian Peninsula during Arab rule (López García, 2014). These contributions not only enriched Spain’s and Portugal’s scholarly resources but also facilitated a greater appreciation of the intricate relationship between Christian, Moorish, and Arab cultures, thereby enhancing the broader understanding of Arabic influence in their historical and cultural narratives.

The following are categories of some of these Syriac and Arabic publications:

Contributions to Syriac and Arabic Grammar

1. Early Grammars of Syriac
- Georgius Amira (Girgis 'Amayrah): His work, Grammatica Syriaca sive Chaldaica (1596), was a foundational text in Syriac grammar and was published in Rome by the Typographia Linguarum Externarum (Amira, 1596).
- Abraham Ecchellensis (Ibrāhīm al-Ḥāqilānī): Linguae Syriacae sive Chaldaicae perbrevis institutio (1628) provided a concise introduction to Syriac grammar and was published by Typis S. C. de Prop. Fide in Rome (Ecchellensis, 1628).
- Isaac Sciadrense (Isḥāq al-Shidrāwī): His Grammatica linguae syriacae (1636) was another important Syriac grammar published in Rome at the Collegio Maronitarum (Sciadrense, 1636).


2. Advancements in Arabic Grammar
- Gabriel Sionita (Jibrāʾīl al-Ṣahyūnī) and Joannes Hesronita (Yūḥannā al-Ḥaṣrūnī): Their collaborative work, Grammatica Arabica Maronitarum (1616), was printed in Paris by Typographia Savariana and contributed significantly to the study of Arabic grammar (Sionita & Hesronita, 1616).
- Vittorius Scialac (Naṣrallāh Shalaq al-ʿĀqūrī): His Introductio ad Grammaticam Arabicam (1622) was published in Rome by Stephanum Paulinum, offering an introduction to Arabic grammar for European scholars (Scialac, 1622).

- Petrus Metoscita (Buṭrus Mṭūshī): Institutiones linguae arabicae ex diversis Arabum monumentis collectae (1624) was published in Rome and compiled Arabic grammar from various sources (Metoscita, 1624).
- Antonius Aryda (Anṭūn ʻArīḍah): Institutiones Grammaticae Arabicae (1813) was published in Vienna and continued the tradition of detailed Arabic grammatical studies (Aryda, 1813).

3. Arabic-Latin Lexicography
- Abraham Ecchellensis (Ibrāhīm al-Ḥāqilānī): His Nomenclator Arabicus-Latinus is a manuscript (BnF Ar 4345, 337 folios) written between 1646 and 1651, aimed at safeguarding the language and culture of Christian Arabs. This extensive work in compiling an Arabic-Latin dictionary was an effort to bridge the linguistic gap between Arabic and Latin (Ecchellensis, ca. 1650).

Photo Credits

Fig. 8.1: Amira, G. (1596). Grammatica Syriaca sive Chaldaica. Romae: In Typographia Linguarum Externarum, Apud Iacobum Lunam. Courtesy of USEK Library, Pat. 208.
Fig. 8.2: Ecchellensis, A. (1628). Linguae syriacae sive chaldaicae perbrevis institutio. Romae: Typis S. C. de Prop. Fide. Courtesy of USEK Library, Pat. 205.
Fig. 8.3: Sciadrense, I. (1636). Grammatica linguae syriacae Romae: In Collegio Maronitarum. Courtesy of USEK Library, ePat 123.
Fig. 8.4: Sionita, G., & Hesronita, J. (1616). Grammatica Arabica maronitarum. Lutetiae: Ex Typographia Savariana. Courtesy of USEK Library, ePat 111.
Fig. 8.5: Scialac, V. (1622). Introductio ad grammaticam arabicam. Romae: Apud Stephanum Paulinum. Courtesy of USEK Library, ePat 113.
Fig. 8.6: Metoscita, P. (1624). Institutiones linguae arabicae ex diversis Arabum monumentis collectae. Romae: Apud Stephanum Paulinum. Courtesy of USEK Library, ePat 125.
Fig. 8.7: Aryda, A. (1813). Institutiones Grammaticae Arabicae. Viennae: Typis Joannis Bartholomaei Zweck. Courtesy of USEK Library, ePat 124.
Fig. 8.8: Ecchellensis, A. (n.d.). Nomenclator Arabicus-Latinus. Manuscript BnF Ar 4345 (337 folios). Retrieved from: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b11003844d/f12.item

References

• García-Arenal, M., & Rodríguez Mediano, F. (2017). Sacred history, sacred languages: The question of Arabic in early modern Spain. In J. Loop, J. A. Hamilton, & C. Burnett (Eds.), The teaching and learning of Arabic in early modern Europe (pp. 133–162). Brill.
• Ghobrial, J.-P. A. (2022). Catholic confessional literature in the Christian East? A view from Rome, Diyarbakir, and Mount Lebanon, ca. 1674. In T. Krstić & D. Terzioğlu (Eds.), Entangled confessionalizations? Dialogic perspectives on the politics of piety and community-building in the Ottoman Empire, 15th–18th centuries (pp. 383–400).
• Girard, A. (2017). Teaching and learning Arabic in early modern Rome: Shaping a missionary language. In J. Loop, J. A. Hamilton, & C. Burnett (Eds.), The teaching and learning of Arabic in early modern Europe (pp. 189–212). Brill.
• Girard, A., & Pizzorusso, G. (2017). The Maronite College in Early Modern Rome: Between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Letters. In L. Chambers & T. O’Connor (Eds.), College communities abroad: Education, migration and Catholicism in early modern Europe (pp. 175–197). Manchester University Press.
• Hamilton, A. (2006). Arabic studies in Europe. In K. Versteegh (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Arabic language and linguistics (Vol. 1, pp. 166–172). Brill.
• López García, B. (2014). Review of Portugal e o Magrebe (séculos XVIII/XIX): Pragmatismo, inovação e conhecimento nas relações diplomáticas by E. M. von Kemnitz. Revista de Estudios Internacionales Mediterráneos (REIM), 17, 139–142.
• Moubarakah, M. (1997). Le “Nomenclator arabico-latinus” d’Abraham Ecchellensis (Ibrahim al-Ḥāqilānī) (BnF, MS Arabe 4345). Parole de l’Orient, 22, 419–439.
• Varela-Orol, C. (2012). Martín Sarmiento y los estudios orientales: La edición de la Bibliotheca Arabico-Hispana de Casiri. Revista general de información y documentación, 22, 9–33.