THE CASE OF THE FEMALE CHRIST-TYPE: JEPHTHAH’S DAUGHTER IN THE WRITINGS OF THE SYRIAC FATHERS
This article explores how early Christian writers, particularly Syriac Fathers, interpreted the troubling biblical narrative of Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11. While Latin and Greek Church Fathers largely condemned Jephthah’s vow and the resulting sacrifice, Syriac authors such as Aphrahat, Ephrem, and Jacob of Serugh uniquely reframe the story within a Christological typology. These Syriac theologians elevate the daughter as a symbolic prefiguration of Christ, portraying her as a redemptive figure whose death echoes the Passion. The article contrasts these perspectives with the more legalistic or morally critical views found in Latin and Greek exegesis. Through a detailed analysis of patristic texts, the study demonstrates how cultural, linguistic, and theological frameworks shaped divergent biblical interpretations. The Syriac approach, grounded in theological symbolism, sees Jephthah’s daughter not as a tragic figure but as a sacred prototype of Christ’s sacrificial obedience. This interpretive tradition, largely absent in the West, reflects a broader Syriac exegetical strategy that deeply integrates typology and divine providence into biblical narratives.
EAST MEETS EAST IN THE CHALDEAN FURNACE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ROMANOS’ HYMNS AND JACOB OF SERUGH’S HOMILY ON THE THREE CHILDREN
This article offers a comparative literary analysis of Romanos the Melodist’s kontakion on the Three Children in the Furnace and Jacob of Serugh’s Syriac homily on the same biblical episode. It demonstrates that Romanos, often seen as a uniquely Greek voice in Byzantine hymnography, was deeply influenced by Syriac sources beyond the well-studied Ephrem, particularly by Jacob of Serugh. Through detailed thematic comparisons—such as motifs of divine deliverance, the scent of ascetic fasting, architectural and botanical triadic metaphors, and the transformation of the furnace into a monastic and bridal space—the study shows clear literary parallels that suggest Romanos’ familiarity with Jacob’s memra. The article highlights motifs and interpretations in Romanos’ hymns that are otherwise absent from Greek patristic literature, underscoring the transmission of theological and poetic imagery from Syriac to Greek contexts. It argues for a reevaluation of Romanos’ sources, stressing the broader significance of Syriac-Christian thought in shaping Byzantine hymnography. This work contributes to the fields of Syriac and Byzantine studies by shedding new light on the cultural and intellectual exchanges between the Greek and Syriac traditions in Late Antiquity. The findings open the door for further research into the intertextual relationship between the two poetic traditions.