Ephrem's Commentary on the Diatessaron
Object Information
Object Information
Description
- Object no:
- Syc 709.1
- Title:
- Ephrem's Commentary on the Diatessaron
- Scribe and production place:
- Unknown
Egypt (possibly)
- Production date:
- c. 500
- Dimensions:
- 240 mm x 150 mm (height x width)
- Material:
- Parchment (material) Ink (material)
- Language:
- Syriac (language)
- Script type:
- Estrangelo script
- Collection:
- Syriac collection
- Object category:
- Manuscript
- Object name:
- Codex
- Description:
- Parchment manuscript containing a substantial portion of Ephrem's Diatessaron Commentary written in Syriac in estangela script in Egypt and dated to the late 5th or early 6th century. It was acquired in two parts, five folios in 1984 and a further 36 in 1986. This portion of the Commentary comprises chapters 2.4-9.10 (with lacunae at 2.15-20, 3.6-15, 4.2-6 and 7.25-27), the end of Matthew's infancy narrative to Jesus's meeting with Martha and Mary. Chapters 1.2-1.27, 9.14-18.3, and 21.4-22.5, prayers and a short section on the evangelists are preserved as CBL Syc 709. A single folio in Barcelona preserves 1.31-2.4. Taken together, approximately 80% of the original codex survives (107 of the estimated 134 original folios). The Diatessaron was a gospel harmony written by Tatian (120–173 AD), a second-century Christian theologian. Although highly influential in the early development and spread of Christianity, it was eventually replaced in the Syriac-speaking church by the four-gospel codex, and only a single fragment in Greek translation of Tatian’s Diatessaron has survived. That any of the Syriac text survives at all is down to the work of Ephrem (c. 306–373 AD), the most celebrated Father of the Syrian Church. His commentary on the Diatessaron includes quotations from Tatian’s original Syriac text, and is therefore a unique witness to the earliest phase of Syrian Christianity. Although later translated copies of Ephrem’s work survive, this is the only known copy in Syriac.
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