Peculiarities of the 17th c. Arabic Translation of the Typicon of Mar Sabas's Laura and Its Role in the Revival of Christian Arabic Literature

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of 17^th century Christian Arabic literature and discusses the significance of one of its literary monuments. In the 17^th century, both the clergy and the laity of the Patriarchate of Antioch were Arabic-speaking Christians, and the renewal of translation processes contributed to raising the level of education among the clergy in their native language. This study places particular emphasis on the Arabic translation of the Typicon of Mar Sabas, which, as a significant example of ecclesiastical literature, plays an important role in the Greek Orthodox liturgical tradition. This res­earch is based on comparative-philological, historical, and linguistic met­hodologies, which allow for an analysis of the textual and stru­ctural changes in the translations. The paper analyzes the main manuscripts that reflect the linguistic and cultural tendencies of the period. The findings of the study indicate that Christian Arabic liter­ature is not only a component of religious practice but also a sig­nificant phenomenon within a broader cultural and linguistic context, reflecting the transformation of Greco-Syriac traditions within the Arabic cultural sphere.