The Hidden Pearl

The Hidden Pearl: The Syrian Orthodox Church And Its Ancient Aramaic Heritage is a 2001 documentary directed by Marcello Baldi. It was commissioned by the Syriac Orthodox Church and co-produced by Trans World Film Italia and Syriac Universal Alliance. The documentary was released as a three-episode miniseries together with three printed volumes.


 * Volume 1, The Ancient Aramaic Heritage, deals with the Syriac-Aramean heritage as the cradle of civilization. It covers the pre-Christian Old Aramaic period, covering the Aramaean city states, the Neo-Assyrian, Achaemenid and Seleucid periods, including the kingdoms of Palmyra, Petra, Edessa and Hatra.
 * Volume 2, The Heirs of the Ancient Aramaic Heritage, addresses Middle Aramaic tradition and literature, the Aramaic of Jesus and classical Syriac literature.
 * Volume 3, At the Turn of the Third Millennium: the Syrian Orthodox Witness, focuses on and describes the current situation of the Syriac people, the Syriac Orthodox Church and its history in Tur Abdin, the Syriac genocide, Seyfo, and the Syriac diaspora.