David, Clemens Joseph (1829–1890) [Syr. Cath.]

Archbishop of Damascus (1879-90) and notable scholar.

Archbishop of Damascus (1879–90) and notable scholar. Together with Toma Audo he stands out as a great luminary of scholarship within the Syr. Churches of the late 19th cent. Born in ʿAmadiyya, he studied in Rome from 1846–55, before returning to Mosul . He returned to Rome 1869–70, serving as an Oriental Consultant during the First Vatican Council, and in 1888 he played an important role at the Synod of Sharfeh . He was closely involved in preparing the edition of the Mosul edition of the Peshitta (1887–91), and had earlier (1877) produced an interesting revision of the Peshitta Psalter, making use of Hebrew (previously he had also worked on a new edition of the Bible in Arabic). Among the most important of his many publications is his Syriac Grammar (Mosul, 1879; 2nd ed. 1896 in 2 vols.). His last years were largely devoted to preparing the printed edition of the Fenqitho, published in seven volumes (Mosul, 1886–96).