“Aramean (Oromoyo): a Syrian from Sham. Armaya: a pagan. As we can see, there is a difference between Armaya and Aramaya (Aramean and Syrian).

"Because this man was so cunning and crafty, no place in which someone hid any object escaped his attention, as if that very object had been calling him, saying: “Here I am! I belong to so and so!” He was aware of everything as quickly as the one who hid or put away an object, and everything was revealed to him, as is written about the Son of Perdition. As for the people who married (Syrian) women, sired Syrian children, and mixed with the Syrians, and whom no one was able to distinguish from the Aramaeans, he quickly found out about them." In 769–770 CE, the Abbasid governor’s agents hunted down fugitives from Mosul hiding in villages across the Jazira. Some were Muslim Arabs who had married local Christian women, fathered children, and lived among the Syriac-speaking Christian population so long that they were outwardly indistinguishable from the Aramaeans (here meaning Syrians). Despite this, the governor identified them, seized them, and confiscated their property. Amir Harrak notes: Aramaeans here is synonymous with Syrians (Syriac-speaking Christians; see the note on p. 225 n. 1 above). The men in question may have been Muslim Arabs who had married Christian women.

"Often they used to cross over and penetrate inside the borders, either because of the negligence of the agent in charge of the guard, or because of the tithe which was mercilessly imposed on them out of greed, and used to be captured and brought into Qamh by the Romans. When the man in question would see them, he treated them with a great deal of compassion, saying: “If you want, stay with us, or if you want, leave and go home in peace.” But if they left, he would send along provisions for them. Truly, my brothers, God has rewarded this man in that he saved him, together with all the people who were with him inside the fortress, from the hands of the Assyrians […] they heard: ‘He will not invade this town, but I will put a ring in the nose of this Assyrian and I will cause him to return with shame by the way in which he came.’ The Persians were fighting with all means, yet their tricks failed. They built mobile wooden houses to fill the ravine beside the city wall, but the Romans destroyed them. One night, thinking the defenders were asleep, countless Persians tried to climb the walls, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” but the Romans struck them down, piling their corpses in heaps. Thus all their efforts proved futile, for the helper of the Romans was the Lord." In 769–770 CE, a massive multi-ethnic Abbasid army under ‘Abbas (brother of the Caliph) besieged the Byzantine fortress of Qamh. The chronicler describes the army’s diverse pagan and Muslim elements, their sins, and the heavy burden Arab rule placed on the local Syrian (Aramean) villagers. The Roman commander, Sergius, treated captured villagers with compassion. During the siege, the enemy taunted the defenders with boasts about past victories over many kings and lands. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Sergius and his men relied on prayer and faith, eventually repelling the attackers. “Assyrian” is a figurative label for the Arab Muslim besiegers.

"At this time the people of Mosul, who lived in this region of the Jazira, were exceedingly rich, in such a manner that they were devouring all the output of the people of the Jazira through forfeit and usury. Though the Lord said: Do not lend money to your brother on interest, and do not give your money with usury, they did the opposite. They lent on interest and gave their money at forfeit and with usury. They became owners of slaves and maidens, and possessed properties, vineyards, and lands, in such a manner that soon they were close to owning the entire land which spoke the language of the children of Aram, and the whole Jazira was near to becoming the property of the Narsabadians." Wealthy outsiders from Mosul, the Narsabadians, used debt and usury to seize land in the Jazira, coming close to owning the entire “land which spoke the language of the children of Aram” — the native Syriac-speaking Christian population whose land was being taken. ܐܪܥܐ ܕܠܫܢܐ ܕܒܢܝ ܐܪܡ: Northern Syria, the Jazira of the Arab sources, had been the homeland of the Aramaeans since the late second millennium B.C. Syriacspeaking people were the descendants of these Aramaeans, as the expression above indicates.*

"The year one thousand and three: ‘Abd-al-Malik made a “census (ta‘dil) among the Syriacs. He issued a swift decree stating that every person must go to his country, village, and paternal house to register his name and that of his father, as well as his vineyards, olive trees, cattle, children, and all that he owned. From this time, the “poll-tax” began to be levied on the male heads, and all the calamities began to emerge against the Christian people. Previously, kings used to levy tribute on land, not on men. From this time onward, the Sons of Hagar began to reduce the Sons of Aram to Egyptian slavery. But woe unto us! Because we sinned, the “slaves” ruled over us! This was the first census (ta‘dil) the Arabs had made." In the passage, it first says that ‘Abd al-Malik made a census “among the Syrians” and later that the “Sons of Hagar” began to reduce the “Sons of Aram” to slavery. Such wording shows “Syrians” and “Sons of Aram” are used for the same people, the native Syriac speaking Christian community descended from the ancient Arameans.

In this year, when I was visiting the diocese of Tur Abdin, some brothers asked me to translate this article into Syriac and publish it for the benefit of our Aramean readers. Their request pleased me, and as soon as I reached my place, I fulfilled their wish, translating the article into Aramaic and making such corrections as were appropriate for the language.

"The deceitful workers sent by Persia descended upon her, and with their swords they trampled her beautiful grapes, pressing her like clusters—the bodies of her children—and wine flowed within her, which the swords of Assyria pressed. Beautiful forms, beloved persons, were destroyed in the hasty trampling by captors when it was opened like a great winepress of blood."

"Nations and tribes and all families shall weep for OMID, which once gave abundance to the regions and now has perished. Travelers shall weep for her on their paths, for all roads have been cut off from passers-by. All merchants shall weep for her in their caravans, for captives entered instead of merchants and plundered her merchandise. The chiefs of cities and towns shall weep for her, for the sword of the Assyrians has devoured her leaders."

"Look and see the destruction of OMID when it was handed over, when its foot was caught in the trap of the Assyrians who hunted it with skill and persistence, when they stirred it with the sounds of bowstrings and bows."

"Persecutors, arrows loosed, fearful spears, sharpened swords; severed heads, mangled bodies, and corpses laid to ruin; devastation in houses and courtyards; the blood of the slain; skeletons strewn in the streets and at every gate; a drawn sword and a cloud of suffering spread over all; a flood of tears; thunders of weeping rising from those who hear. Who has a heart of stone that would not be moved to bitterness over the destruction of the daughter of the Arameans?"

"This one opened the big gate of baptism in Edessa, the city full of blessings for the prudent ones. This one brought the glorious garments from the house of the Father and bathed and embellished the daughter of the Arameans when she was taken [as wife]."

Bar Hebraeus writes about the sons of Shem: "Assyrians, Chaldeans, Lydians, [Lurs?], Syriacs, Hebrews, Persians." Interesting how he replaced Arameans with Syriacs, while Assyrians remained unchanged. Suryoyo/Syriac refers exclusively to Arameans, regardless of its etymology.