The Syriac-speaking Christians of Syria and Mesopotamia made one of the most important contributions to the intellectual efflorescence centred in 'Abbasid Baghdad which became the chief glory of medieval Islam. The first century and a half of the 'Abbasid dynasty saw the momentous movement of translation of Greek, Syriac and Persian works into Arabic and the transference of Hellenistic lore to the followers of the Arabian Prophet. In the years following the founding of Baghdad the major philosophical works of Aristotle and the Neoplatonic commentators, the chief medical writings of Hippocrates and Galen, the mathematical works of Euclid and the geographical work of Ptolemy became available to readers of Arabic. In this movement it was the Syrians who were the chief mediators.

To understand how Syriac came to exercise its important influence on Arabic literature it is necessary to have a clear picture of the development of Syriac literature itself. This development may be divided into three stages. The first period extended from the pre-Christian era to the eighth century A.D., and is represented by the few surviving pagan works (e.g. the Story of Ahīqār and the writings of Māra bar Seraphion and Bāba of Harrān), and a far more extensive Christian literature. It commences with the Bible in successive versions (Monophysite versions, Malkite versions and Nestorian versions), commonly called Peshitta (“simple”), for the Syrian church seems never to have been satisfied with its translations.