Three Things I Learned Today About Ma'loula

1) I it one of only three locations where Western Aramaic is spoken - it's not the language of Christ, but pretty similar.

2) There are two ancient monasteries there. One of them is a Greek Catholic monastery called Mar Sarkis, the other is Greek Orthodox and is called Mar Taqla. Mar Sarkis dates back to around the 5th Century.

3) The Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist Syrian rebel group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, and other nations, has attacked the historic Christian village of Ma’loula, the Associated Press reported. 


A nun said that “there were reports that the militants threatened villagers with death if they did not convert” to Islam, according to AP.