The traditional liturgical language of both Assyrian and Chaldean Churches is Syriac - a derivative of Aramaic, the language thought to have been spoken by Jesus and his disciples.

BBC: Guide: Christians in the Middle East

Like other residents of the town, he speaks a variant of Aramaic, the language used by Jesus himself.

WSJ: Can Syria's Christians Survive?

Nineveh has Iraq's largest minority of Christians, themselves divided into various sects, some speaking Aramaic, the language of Christ.

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Worshipers of both churches chant in versions of ancient Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke, although the dialects would be mutually unintelligible.

NPR: Iraqi Catholics Celebrate Easter

Jesus may have also salted his speech with puns on Aramaic words, the language of everyday communication.

BBC: The pun conundrum

The codex (Latin for "book") dates to the sixth century, when Christian Palestinian scribes wrote down the words of Christ in Aramaic, the ancient language that is believed to have been close to the dialect spoken by the messiah himself.

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