Assuming no previous knowledge of a Semitic language, Thackston (Persian and other Near East languages, Harvard U.) introduces the Aramaic dialect of Edessa, an important center of early Christianity in Mesopotamia, and a classic language among several people of the region today. He uses both the Syriac script as students will encounter it, and English transliteration to clarify the pronunciations. Most of his examples passages are from the Peshitta, the standard Syriac translation of the Bible, because he expects most students to be in Biblical studies and the passages are likely to be familiar to the others anyway.