The first Annual Hyvernat Lecture was presented on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in Aquinas Hall Auditorium. The inaugural lecture was given by Professor Geoffrey Khan of Cambridge University on the topic of "The North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic Dialects and Their Historical Background."
About the Hyvernat Lecture Series
This is an Annual Lecture in honor of the department's mission and its founder, Monsignor Henri Hyvernat (1858-1941). The lecture is presented by the generous support of an anonymous donor.
About Msgr. Henri Hyvernat (1858-1941)
Henri Hyvernat was the first professor appointed to the Faculty of the new Catholic University of America. The youngest member of the original faculty, he served as Professor of Oriental Languages and Biblical Archaeology (1889-1894/96), Professor of Semitic Languages and Biblical Archaeology (1895/96-1910/11) and Professor of Semitic Languages and Literatures (1911/12-1940/41). He held the Andrews Chair of Biblical Archaeology from 1889 until his death in 1941. He established the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures and its Institute of Christian Oriental Research (ICOR). His private library became the cornerstone of CUA's Semitics/ICOR Library.
Hyvernat spent fifty-two years in distinguished service to The Catholic University of America. He is remembered with affection as "The Grand Old Man of the University."
The 2013 Hyvernat Lecture Program
Speaker, Prof. Lucas Van Rompay of Duke University.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
01:10-2:00 p.m. Prof. van Rompay will visit the combined Aramaic classes taught by Dr. Cook (SEM 722 Qumran Aramaic and SEM 522 Intro to Aramaic II) in the Ancient Near East Seminar room (Mullen 034).
Other students who have studied Aramaic may attend, but check first with Dr. Cook (cooke@cua.edu) about available seating.
05:00-6:00 p.m. Dr. Shawqi Talia will give a lecture "Readings in Neo-Aramaic Literature: Qiryana b-Lushana Aramaya Hadhta" in the May Gallery of Mullen Library. There will be a special presentation in honor of Prof. van Rompay. All members of the public and the university community are invited to attend.
After Dr. Talia's lecture, the students will have dinner with Prof. van Rompay at an off-campus site. For more information, contact GSA representative Ryann Craig.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
02:10-3:25 p.m. Prof. van Rompay will visit Prof. Sidney Griffith's Syriac Literature class (SEM 632) in the Christian Near East Seminar room (Mullen 036).
Those who are not registered for the class may attend, but check with Prof. Griffith (griffith@cua.edu) about available seating.
05:00 p.m. The 2nd Annual Hyvernat Lecture: "Christianity and Scholarship in the Syriac-Orthodox Monasteries of the Early Islamic Period," by Prof. Van Rompay in the Pryzbyla Center Great Room B.
All members of the public and the university community are invited to attend.
After the lecture, which will end approximately at 6:00 p.m., there will be a reception with light refreshments. All are invited to stay and greet the lecturer and other guests.
At 7:30 p.m., the department faculty and invited guests will have dinner with Prof. van Rompay at Mama Ayesha's in Adams Morgan.
The 2012 Hyvernat Lecture Program
Speaker, Prof. Geoffrey Khan of Cambridge University.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
10:00 a.m. Hebrew class with Prof. Khan in the Ancient Near East Seminar room (Mullen 034).
01:00 p.m. Aramaic class with Prof. Khan in the Ancient Near East Seminar room (Mullen 034).
05:00 p.m. "Readings in Neo-Aramaic Poetry" by Dr. Shawqi Talia in the May Gallery of Mullen Library.
06:30 p.m. Prof. Khan's dinner with Semitics dept. students and recent dept. alumni.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
02:00 p.m. Syriac class with Prof. Khan in the Christian Near East Seminar room (Mullen 036).
05:00 p.m. The 1st Annual Hyvernat Lecture at Aquinas Hall Auditorium: "The North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic Dialects and their Historical Background," by Prof. Khan. At Aquinas Hall Auditorium.
06:00 p.m. Post-Lecture Reception at Aquinas Hall.
07:00 p.m. Department Faculty Dinner with Prof. Khan.
