Add MS 17983

The Peshíṭtā, or Syriac simplified version of the New Testament, in bilingual format, with the original Syriac text matched against its Garshuni Arabic translation. The text contains all four Gospels, albeit with several passages wanting. The contents of the manuscript are as follows:

ff. 1v-3v : A table of contents for the readings contained within the manuscript, in which the names of readings are contained in small circles outlined by bands in green, red, blue and yellow, on a background of the same colours;

ff. 4r-98v : The Gospel of Matthew, in which XXVIII.17-20 is missing from the original text, but has been added at a later date on f. 98r;

ff. 99r-152v : The Gospel of Mark, which is missing I.1-6 and XVI.14-20, although this latter passage was added at a later date on f. 152r;

ff. 153r-247v : The Gospel of Luke, which is missing I.1-6 and XXIV.53, although the former passage is found in a later addition on f. 152r as well;

ff. 248r-315v : The Gospel of John, which is complete;

f. 315v : the colophon of the work, which contains invocations for the blessing of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary and the various prophets and apostles, in Syriac exclusively ;

f. 316r : A second colophon that states that the manuscript was completed on 17 (?) Tišrín Akrānā 1749 AG (1438 CE) in the village of ᶜaqúrṭā in the Mount Lebanon region. The copyist of the manuscript is given as Tādrús for the Archdeacon Abraham bar Tādrús.

There is considerable illumination throughout the manuscript, especially for the titles of readings or lessons, as well as an unvan on f. 248r, comprised of an open bottom square in green filled with 13 floral roundels on a yellow background, where the flowers are formed by white-space segment among red and blue ink.

There is also an illustration of a cross filled with a geometrical pattern in green, red and yellow inks, atop a base of interwoven lines in the same colours. The cross is surrounded by a box formed of interlacing green and yellow bands around which there is a red border. Inside the box is a text that states that the illustration is the work of the Priest Qamar of the village of Dayr Bali. A transcription of this text in both Syriac and Garshuni Arabic is found on f. 317r. Below the box is a partially legible inscription in Garshuni.

A note in Garshuni Arabic, repeated as well in Arabic below, on f. 318r states that in 1699 CE, the Priest Sulaymān received a bottle of musk (?) from the Bishop Butros.

There are also many notes in Syriac, Garshuni Arabic and Arabic on f. 1r, but many of these are only partially legible because of water damage and effacement.

The manuscript was copied in Serṭā script, to which it appears that West Syriac vowels were added, on occasion, at a later date. The manuscript also has occasional marginalia in various hands.