



Produced by Al Haines









[Illustration: Cover]




THE SYRIAN CHRIST


BY

ABRAHAM MITRIE RIHBANY




BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

The Riverside Press Cambridge

1916




COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY ABRAHAM MITRIE RIHBANY


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


_Published October 1916_




{v}

PREFACE

This little volume is sent forth in the confident hope that it may
throw fresh light on the life and teachings of Christ, and facilitate
for the general public the understanding of the Bible.  As may be
readily seen, from its perusal, the present work is not intended to be
a commentary on the Bible, nor even an exhaustive study of the subject
with which it deals.  That it leaves many things to be desired is very
evident to the author, who fears that his book will be remembered by
its readers more by the things it lacks than by the things it contains.

Yet, from the cordial reception with which the opening chapters of this
publication (which made their first appearance in the _Atlantic
Monthly_) met from readers, of various religious affiliations, the
author has been encouraged to believe that his aim has not only been
clearly {vi} discerned, but thoroughly approved.  The books which
undertake the systematic "expounding of the Scriptures" are a host
which no man can number, nor is there any lack of "spiritual lessons
drawn from the Bible."  Therefore, as one of the Master's fellow
countrymen, and one who has enjoyed about twenty years of service in
the American pulpit, I have for several years entertained the growing
conviction that such a book as this was really needed.  Not, however,
as one more commentary, but as an Oriental guide to afford Occidental
readers of the