![Syriac Sinaiticus - fol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Syriac_Sinaiticus_-_fol._82b_-_Matthew_1.1-17a_%2B_sup_Euphrosyne.jpg)
The Syriac Sinaiticus or Codex Sinaiticus Syriacus (syr
s), known also as the Sinaitic Palimpsest, of
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
(Sinai, Syr. 30), or Old Syriac Gospels is a late-4th- or early-5th-century
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
of 179 folios, containing a nearly complete translation of the four canonical
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
s of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
into
Syriac Syriac may refer to:
*Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic
*Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region
* Syriac alphabet
** Syriac (Unicode block)
** Syriac Supplement
* Neo-Aramaic languages a ...
, which have been overwritten by a ''vita'' (biography) of female
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
s and
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
s with a date corresponding to AD 697. This
palimpsest
In textual studies, a palimpsest () is a manuscript page, either from a scroll or a book, from which the text has been scraped or washed off so that the page can be reused for another document. Parchment was made of lamb, calf, or kid skin an ...
is the oldest copy of the Gospels in Syriac, one of two surviving manuscripts (the other being the
Curetonian Gospels
The Curetonian Gospels, designated by the ''siglum'' syrcur, are contained in a manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament in Old Syriac. Together with the Sinaiticus Palimpsest the Curetonian Gospels form the Old Syriac Version, and a ...
) that are conventionally dated to before the
Peshitta
The Peshitta ( syc, ܦܫܺܝܛܬܳܐ ''or'' ') is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition, including the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, ...
, the standard Syriac translation.
Text
Both the Syriac Sinaiticus (designated syr
s)
inai, Syr 30and the Curetonian Gospels (designated syr
cur)
ritish Library, Add 14451; Staatsbibliothek, Berlin, Orient Quad 528known as the Old Syriac version contain similar renderings of the Gospel text; its conformity with the Greek and the Latin has been debated. Additional passages of the Old Syriac version were discovered among the New Finds (1975) of
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
(Sinai, Syr. NF 37, 39). Even so, syr
s retains some readings from even earlier lost Syriac Gospels and from the 2nd-century
Septuagint manuscripts
The Septuagint (LXX), the ancient (first centuries BC) Alexandrian translation of Jewish scriptures into Koine Greek exists in various manuscript versions.
List of Septuagint manuscripts
There are currently over 2000 classified manuscripts ...
, which brought the four Gospels into harmony with one another through selective readings and emendations.
It had been ascertained that the
Diatessaron
The ''Diatessaron'' ( syr, ܐܘܢܓܠܝܘܢ ܕܡܚܠܛܐ, Ewangeliyôn Damhalltê; c. 160–175 AD) is the most prominent early gospel harmony, and was created by Tatian, an Assyrian early Christian apologist and ascetic. Tatian sought to comb ...
, or
Harmony of the Four Gospels, composed by
Tatian
Tatian of Adiabene, or Tatian the Syrian or Tatian the Assyrian, (; la, Tatianus; grc, Τατιανός; syc, ܛܛܝܢܘܣ; c. 120 – c. 180 AD) was an Assyrian Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century.
Tatian's most influential wor ...
in the second century, had to be supplanted in the Syrian churches. There was a promulgation by Bishop
Rabbula of Edessa
Rabbula ( la, Rabula) was a bishop of Edessa from 411 to August 435 AD, noteworthy for his opposition to the views of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius. However, his successor Ibas of Edessa, Ibas, who was in charge of the school of Edessa, re ...
in between AD 411 and 435, that four separate Gospels come into being in use in Syriac churches.
The importance of such early, least conforming texts is emphasized by the revision of the Peshitta that was made about 508, ordered by bishop
Philoxenus of Mabbog Philoxenus of Mabbug (Syriac: , ') (died 523), also known as Xenaias and Philoxenus of Hierapolis, was one of the most notable Syriac prose writers and a vehement champion of Miaphysitism.
Early life
He was born, probably in the third quarter of ...
. His revision, it is said, skilfully moved the Peshitta nearer to the Greek text; "it is very remarkable that his own frequent Gospel quotations preserved in his writings show that he used an Old Syriac set of the four Gospels".
History
The palimpsest was identified in the library at Saint Catherine's Monastery in February 1892 by
Agnes Smith Lewis
Agnes Smith Lewis (1843–1926)Christa Müller-KesslerLewis, Agnes Smith (1843–1926) in ''Oxford Dictionary of the National Biography'', vol. 33 (Oxford, 2004), pp. 579–580. and Margaret Dunlop Gibson (1843–1920),Christa Müller-KesslerD ...
, who returned with a team of scholars in 1893 that included
J. Rendel Harris,
F. C. Burkitt, and
R. L. Bensly to photograph and transcribe the work in its entirety. It is still kept by the
Saint Catherine’s Monastery (Sinai, Syr. 30).
The German theologian
Adalbert Merx
Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...
devoted much of his later research to the elucidation of the Sinaitic Palimpsest, the results being embodied in (1897–1905).
The Sinaitic Palimpsest immediately became a central document in tracing the history of the New Testament. The palimpsest's importance lies especially in making the Greek New Testament manuscripts understandable to
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
speaking communities during that period.
Notable readings
![Syriac Sinaiticus - fol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Syriac_Sinaiticus_-_fol._21v_%28%3D24v%29_-_Matthew_15.12-27.jpg)
The palimpsest lacks the
last 12 verses of Mark,
Christ's agony (), the
Pericope Adulteræ (), and the reconciliation of Pilate with Herod ().
In , it contains "Joseph, to whom was betrothed Mary the Virgin, begat Jesus, who is called the Christ"
In , it contains a singular reading reflecting the Greek ('get you behind' or 'get behind you').
is omitted, as in א*, B,
L,
Γ, 1009,
ℓ ''12'', ff
1, k, syr
c, cop
sa.
In , it reflects ('corpse') with א B C D L
Θ ''f''1 ''f''
13 33 565 700 892 1241 1424 e k ℓ ''844'' ℓ ''2211'' syr
c, p cop
bo
In , it reflects ('leaven') with D, Θ, ''f''
13, 565, a, b, ff
2
is omitted, as in
𝔓104, D, 33, it
a.b.d.e, ff
1, ff
2, r
1,
Irenaeus
Irenaeus (; grc-gre, Εἰρηναῖος ''Eirēnaios''; c. 130 – c. 202 AD) was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the dev ...
lat,
Origen
Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...
,
Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian ...
In , text reflecting ('Jeremiah') is omitted, as in
Φ 33 it
a it
b syr
p cop
bo
In , it reflects ('Jesus the Barabbas') with
Θ ''f''
1 700* arm geo
2
In , the phrase ''when
Abiathar was
high priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...
'' is omitted, as in D, W, 1009, 1546, it
a.b.d.e.ff2.i.r1.t
In , the phrase ''the Pharisees came'' is omitted, as in D, it
a.b.d.k.r1, (syr
cur)
In , the phrase ''and be joined to his wife'' is omitted, as in
א,
B,
Ψ,
892*,
2427,
ℓ ''48'', goth.
In , it reflects ('opened') with A, B, L, W, Ξ, 33, 579, 892, 1195, 1241,
ℓ ''547'', syr
h, pal, cop
sa, bo
In , it reflects ('Elect One') with
𝔓45 𝔓75 א B L Ξ 892 1241 it
a.aur.ff2.l vgst cop
mss
In , the phrase ''you are worried and being troubled about many things, but only one thing is needed'' is omitted, as in it
a.b.d.e.ff2.i.l.r1 Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
In , the phrase ''And Jesus said: Father forgive them, they know not what they do'' is omitted, agreeing with
𝔓75,
א1,
B,
D*,
W,
Θ,
0124, 1241,
a, Bezae
lat, cop
sa, cop
bo.
[UBS4, p. 311.]
is omitted, as in D it
a.b.d.e.ff2.l.r1, syr
cur
In , the phrase ''after worshiping him'' is omitted, as in D it
a.b.d.e.ff2.geo2.l (syr
cur)
In , it reflects ('blessing') with 𝔓
75 א B C* L
In , it reflects ('the Elect One') with
𝔓5 𝔓106vid א* it
b.e.ff2* syr
cur
In , the phrase ''the Lord having given thanks'' is omitted, as in D
091 it
a.e syr
cur
In , the phrase ''and his mother'' is omitted, as in א* W it
b syr
cur
In , it contains a singular reading reflecting the Greek ('God the Father').
In , it reflects ('he who is believing in God has life everlasting') in agreement only with syr
cur.
In , it reflects ('my bread') with א it
a.e.r1
In , the text ''who they are who are not believing, and'' is omitted, as in
𝔓66* it
e syr
cur
In , the phrase ''the chief priests and the Pharisees'' is omitted, as in
118 it
b.e
In , text reflecting ('father') is omitted, as in א* D 1655* it
d syr
cur
In , the phrase ''our father'' is omitted, as in D W it
a.b.c.d.e.ff2.j.l cop
pbo
In , the phrase ''had been blind and had received sight'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
66* ''f''
1 565 it
mss cop
bo
In , it reflects ('Son of Man') with 𝔓
66 𝔓
75 א B D W cop
mss
In , the phrase ''and the life'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
45 it
l Diatessaron
The ''Diatessaron'' ( syr, ܐܘܢܓܠܝܘܢ ܕܡܚܠܛܐ, Ewangeliyôn Damhalltê; c. 160–175 AD) is the most prominent early gospel harmony, and was created by Tatian, an Assyrian early Christian apologist and ascetic. Tatian sought to comb ...
syr Cyprian
Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...
In , the phrase ''the sister of the deceased'' is omitted, as in
Θ it
aur.b.c.e.ff2.l ac
2
In , the phrase ''of that year'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
45 it
e
is omitted, as in D it
d
In , the phrase ''If God has been glorified in him'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
66 א* B C* D L W X 579 it vg
mss syr
h ac
2 mf co
bomss
In , the phrase ''And he said to his disciples'' starts the passage, as in D it
a.aur.c
is omitted, as in X
Λ*
0141 ''f''
1 565 it
b vg
ms arm
is omitted.
In , the phrase ''I came forth from the Father'' is omitted, as in D W it
b.d.ff2 ac
2 cop
pbo
In , the phrase ''just as I am not of the world'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
66* D ''f''
13 it
b.c.d.e.r1
In , the phrase ''the one betraying him'' is omitted, as in 𝔓
66*vid
In John , the verse order is 13, 24, 14–15, 19–23, 16–18
In , the text reads ''from the opening of the tomb'' with א W ''f''
1 22 565 579 it
d.f.r1 vg
ms cop
bo cop
pbo
contains an interpolation (in bold): ''Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?'' This reading is supported by A* D 579 1424
contains a singular reading (in bold): ''And after eight days, on the first day of the Sabbath (week?)''
In , the passage concludes with ''yet, they knew not'' as with 𝔓
66 א L Ψ 33 844 lat
In , it reflects ('upon giving thanks, he gave it to them') as with D it
f.r1 vg
mss
See also
*
Aramaic New Testament
The Peshitta ( syc, ܦܫܺܝܛܬܳܐ ''or'' ') is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition, including the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the ...
*
Codex Sinaiticus
The Codex Sinaiticus (Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts) ...
*
Saint Catherine’s Monastery
References
Further reading
* Margaret Dunlop Gibson (1893)
How the Codex was Found. A Narrative of Two Visits to Sinai from Mrs. Lewis’s Journals. 1892–1893(Cambridge: Macmillan & Bowes).
* Agnes Smith Lewis (1898)
(Cambridge: Macmillan & Bowes).
* Sebastian P. Brock (2016), Two Hitherto Unattested Passages of the Old Syriac Gospels in Palimpsests from St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai, ''Δελτίο βιβλικῶν Μελετῶν'' 31A, pp. 7–18.
External links
{{Commons category
* Agnes Smith Lewi
''Catalogue of the Syriac mss. in the Convent of S. Catharine on Mount Sinai''(1894)
* Sebastian P. Brock unde
Sinai Palimpsest Project
4th-century biblical manuscripts
Syriac manuscripts
Saint Catherine's Monastery