Steve’s Curriculum Vitae | Aramaic Designs

Personal Information:

Steven Caruso
Highland Park, NJ
(Further information available through email request)

Education:

MLIS, Rutgers University, 2009
Concentrations: Language, Storage and Retrieval, Human-Computer Interaction.

B.A. Information Technology and Informatics, Rutgers University, 2006
Majors: Information Technology and Informatics, Religion
Concentrations: Human-Computer Interaction, Data-Driven Web Applications, Early Judeo-Christianity, Historical Jesus

Language Skills and Competences:

First language: English.

Advanced knowledge of Biblical Aramaic, Classical Syriac Aramaic, Galilean Aramaic (“Jewish Palestinian Aramaic”), and several Jewish Aramaic dialects.

Proficient in various other Aramaic dialects including Old Aramaic, Classical Mandaic Aramaic and Samaritan Aramaic. Also proficient in Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew.

Basic knowledge of Swadaya (Neo-Aramaic), Turoyo (Neo-Aramaic), and Ma’loula (Neo-Aramaic).

Projects:

Zeroville (movie; to be released in 2016). Directed by James Franco. Aramaic language consultant for dream sequence.

NBC’s Grimm. (Season 5) (2016). An inscription on the shroud of a mysterious artifact.

Cleopatra – That Goddess. (Art video) (2014). By Margeurite Humeau. Directed by Benjamin Penaguin. Aramaic dialog portion. (Shown at the Extinction Marathon, Serpentine Galleries, 18 – 19 October.)

Paranormal Witness. (2013). Season 3, Episode 17, “The Visitors” (Exorcism scene script translation).

The Aramaic New Testament (AramaicNT.org). (revived 2012-present). A reconstruction of the spoken portions of the Four Gospels into Galilean Aramaic and Aramaic language classes.

The Brass Teapot. (movie) (2012). Directed by Ramaa Mosley. Language consultant.

English text edition and translation of the Mandaic Book of John (drashia d-malki/drashia d-iahia). (2010-present). Backed by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Working with Dr. Charles Haberl of Rutgers University and Dr. James McGrath of Butler University.

DARIUS: The Digital Aramaic Resource Initiative Utility for Students. (2010-2012). Instructing online Aramaic Language courses for upwards of 20 enrolled students at any given time. Classes are being migrated to AramaicNT.org.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 5. (2010). The Imperial Aramaic dialog for Darius I of Persia. Firaxis Games & 2K Games. (Over 9 million copies sold to date.)

The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon. (2008-2010). Working with Dr. Steve Kaufman of Hebrew Union College in Ohio under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project is undergoing a complete revision.

The Aramaic Blog. (2007-present). A research blog concerning the Aramaic language in scholarship and popular media.

eBethArké: The Syriac Digital Library Project. (2002-2004). Credits on volunteers page of Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute.

Relevant Presentations:

George Kiraz and Steven Caruso. (2003). eBethArké: The Syriac Digital Library Project. Presented at the IV North American Syriac Symposium hosted by the Princeton Theological Seminary.