Bibliographia Iranica

A predominantly bibliographic blog for Iranian Studies

Author: Arash Zeini

  • A Dictionary: Christian Sogdian, Syriac and English

    Sims-Williams, Nicholas. 2016. A Dictionary: Christian Sogdian, Syriac and English, Reichert Verlag.

    Many works of Syriac literature were translated into Sogdian, a Middle Iranian language originating in the region of Samarkand and widely spoken along the so-called “Silk Road”. This Christian Sogdian literature, which includes biblical, liturgical, ascetic and hagiographic texts, is chiefly known from a cache of manuscripts discovered in 1905 at the site of the ruined monastery of Bulayïq in the Turfan oasis. It is important for Syriac studies, since the Sogdian translations were often made on the basis of earlier recensions than those which survive in Syriac and since some texts are no longer extant in Syriac. It is no less important for Sogdian and Middle Iranian studies, since those texts whose Syriac originals can be identified provide a firm basis for the understanding of the Sogdian language; moreover, the material in Syriac script, with its elaborate system of vocalic points, is a unique source of information on the pronunciation of Sogdian.
    The present Dictionary is designed to be accessible both to Iranists, whether or not they know Syriac, and to Syriacists, whether or not they know Sogdian. It consists of two main sections followed by a comprehensive English index. Part 1, arranged by Sogdian lemmata, provides a complete listing of all words attested in published Christian Sogdian texts, both in Syriac and in Sogdian script, including variant spellings, full parsing of all inflected forms, and details of their equivalents in the most closely corresponding Syriac parallel text. In Part 2 the same material is arranged by Syriac lemmata. The two parts together make it possible to see what Syriac form or forms any Sogdian word can represent and how any Syriac word or idiom is translated into Sogdian. The dictionary thus fulfils a range of functions. Firstly, it will provide a reliable guide for anyone who wants to read the extant Christian Sogdian texts; secondly, it will assist future editors in identifying, restoring and translating Christian Sogdian texts; and thirdly, it will contribute to the study of the transmission of literature from Syriac into Sogdian and the techniques of the translators.

    For more information see the Table of Contents  and read the Preface of this volume.

    About the Author:

    Nicholas Sims-Williams, is an Emeritus Professor (2015) of Iranian Philology and Central Asian Studies and Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

     

     

  • Les origines du dualisme mazdéen

    Kellens, Jean. 2015. Les origines du dualisme mazdéen. In Jourdan Fabienne  & Anca Vasiliu (eds.), Dualismes: Doctrines religieuses et traditions philosophiques (χώρα Hors-série/2015), 21–29.

    The discussions about the origin of mazdean dualism are concentrated upon the interpretation of the Gathic stanza Y30.3 which opposes two mental powers called mainiiu and usually translated by «spirit». The divergence of the understandings led to a controversy on the nature of this dualistic opposition : is it philosophical, cosmic or religious? Do these various distinctions remain relevant now we know that this stanza is not a piece of a sermon, but of a liturgical recitative?

  • A Kushan military camp

    de la Vaissière, Etienne, Ph. Marquis & J. Bendezu-Sarmiento. 2015. A Kushan military camp near Bactra. In Harry Falk (ed.), Kushan histories. Literary sources and selected papers from a symposium at Berlin, December 5th to 7th, 2013, 241–254. Bremen: Hempen Verlag.

    We had previously announced the book here. This is to provide a link to Etienne's paper.

  • Lecture series: Visual and Spatial Cultures of Power in Iran between Alexander and Islam

    Matthew Canepa, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis), will deliver a series of four lectures at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris.

    Les cultures visuelles et spatiales du pouvoir en Iran entre Alexandre et l’Islam

    • Mercredi 1er juin 2016, 17h-19h
      Rebâtir le passé perse et imaginer de nouvelles identités iraniennes
    • Mercredi 8 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      L’image royale en Iran après Alexandre
    • Mercredi 15 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      Les espaces du pouvoir iranien : palais, jardins et paysage
    • Mercredi 22 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      La scène mondiale

    Source: Matthew CANEPA | École Pratique des Hautes Études

  • The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion

    Pendleton, Elizabeth,  Touraj Daryaee, Michael Alram & Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis (eds.). 2016. The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Proceeding of a Conference Held in Vienna, 14-16 June 2012.  Oxbow Books.

    Although much of the primary information about the Parthian period comes from coins, there has been much new research undertaken over the past few decades into wider aspects of both the Parthian and Sasanian Empires including the  Arsacid Parthians, and their material culture. Despite a change of ruling dynasty, the two empires were closely connected and cannot be regarded as totally separate entities. The continuation of Parthian influence particularly into the early Sasanian period cannot be disputed. An historic lack of detailed information arose partly through the relative lack of excavated archaeological sites dating to the Parthian period in Iran and western scholars’ lack of knowledge of recent excavations and their results that are usually published in Persian, coupled with the inevitable difficulties for academic research engendered by the recent political situation in the region. Although an attempt has been made by several scholars in the west to place this important Iranian dynasty in its proper cultural context, the traditional GrecoRoman influenced approach is still prevalent.  The present volume presents 15 papers covering various aspects of Parthian and early Sasanian history, material culture, linguistics and religion which demonstrate a rich surviving heritage and provide many new insights into ideology, royal genealogy, social organisation, military tactics, linguistic developments and trading contacts.

    Table of Contents

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  • The concept of Iran: Transition and revival

    A panel discussion in Persian

    Panelists:
    Touraj Daryaee, University of California, Irvine
    Hossein Kamaly, Columbia University
    Ali Mousavi, University of California, Los Angeles
    Parvaneh Pourshariati, New York City College of Technology (CUNY) & New York University

    Moderator: Nayereh Tohidi, Professor and Director of Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, CSUN

    Sunday, May 8, 2016
    4:00 PM

  • The Achaemenids and the Imperial Signature

    The Achaemenids and the Imperial Signature: Persepolis – Arachosia – Bactria

    A lecture by Wouter Henkelman

     

  • Arabic and Persian Printing History and Culture

    Arabic and Persian Printing History and Culture

    A symposium organised by the Centre for Printing History & Culture

    Date: Monday, June 6, 2016
    Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
    Venue: University of Birmingham

    For more information, see here. Visit this link to book tickets.

    This one-day symposium looks at the history of printing across both Arabic and Persian-speaking worlds from block printing in the fourteenth century to twenty-first century digital type design, and includes talks on calligraphy, type and typography, printing history, newspapers, books and printed ephemera and the cultural impact of the printed word.

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  • Reconstructing the lost history of Ancient Afghanistan

    The Bactrian archives: Reconstructing the lost history of Ancient Afghanistan

    A lecture by Professor Nicholas Sims-Williams (SOAS)

    Date: May 12
    Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
    Venue: Royal Asiatic Society
    14 Stephenson Way
    London, NW1 2HD

    For more information, see the event’s page on the RAS’s website.

  • OPCA 2016: Conference in Assyriology

    The Oxford Postgraduate Conference in Assyriology (OPCA) 2016 will take place on April 15th-16th at Wolfson College, Oxford. It will be the fifth annual OPCA. A number of presentations relate to Iranian Studies.

    The programme and abstracts are available here.

    Source: OPCA 2016 Programme | Oxford Postgraduate Conference in Assyriology