Syriac (Western variant)

Syriac is a variant of the Aramaic alphabet used to write the Syriac language. The alphabet is also used to write other Semitic languages such as the Mandaic dialect of Aramaic. Syriac was the primary script of the Persian Empire and was in use throughout the empire. It is still used today by the Assyrian Church of the East and other Syriac Christian churches. The Syriac alphabet has 22 letters, all of which are consonants. The alphabet is written from right to left. Syriac is written in a cursive script and includes a number of ligatures. The earliest Syriac inscriptions date back to the 2nd century AD. The alphabet was developed from the Aramaic alphabet and shares a number of features with the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets. Syriac was the lingua franca of the Persian Empire and was used as a language of administration and commerce. Syriac Christianity began in the 1st century AD and the Syriac church developed its own distinctive liturgy and theology. The alphabet was used to write a number of different languages, including Greek, Persian, and Arabic. Syriac literature is particularly rich in poetry and biblical commentary. The alphabet was also used by the Mandaeans, a Gnostic sect who used a slightly modified form of the alphabet. The alphabet has been in use for over 1700 years and is still used by Syriac Christians today.