Saint Mark’s Monastery in Jerusalem and Saint Mary’s Church in Bethlehem are two churches of the Syrian Orthodox Church which have undergone numerous structural and moniker changes over the past century. The churches have been influenced by a century of nationalist struggles between Arabs and Jews as well as local and regional politics. As with the Druze communities of the region, the Syrian Orthodox Christians have come from a variety of regions including Tur Abdin and Northern Syria as well as those who have lived in the area since the 15th century. Much of how their people as a church community have come to be identified (in etic terms) and identify themselves (in emic terms) can be seen in the cultural productions of the community, both literary and edificial, which are visual representations of a character configuration. The work’s hypothesis states that the community has moved from a more inclusive nomenclature or identity to a sectarian one. This work tackles issues of identity and symbolism in urban centers including language, script, and also speculates on whether or not marginalization from both religious and lay persons can occur in such communities if the new dominant or proposed identity is not accepted by some of its members. What forms does discrimination take and can it be violent as well as subtle? What can such marginalization be termed? This paper aims to set a chronological and linguistic discussion for the nomenclature of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the region in question using visual depictions, specifically language and symbols, to delineate a process of ethno linguistic and ethno-symbolic change. The languages used will include Arabic, English, Hebrew, and Syriac and the time period will focus on three distinct periods which represent major historical transformation in the region and indeed the world: pre 1950s, 1950-2000, 2000-today