<p>The Syriac language is one of the classical tongues of early Christian thought, and, as such, garners a lot of interest particularly from theologians, historians, and culturologists. As an Aramaic dialect, it is also of considerable interest to scholars of Semitic languages. This manual is conceived as an academic one and is primarily intended for college and theological academy students; it can also be used as a &ldquo;self-teaching&rdquo; grammar book. An introductory course of eight lessons presents the Syriac phonology and script, followed by the basic course of 40 lessons. The book is specifically designed to cover one academic year. Accompanying study materials are available for download.</p>