Comparative Edition of the Syriac Gospels

“The result is lucid, uncluttered presentation of the Syriac versional tradition...Kiraz has a knack for identifying lacunae in scholarsÞ tools and then filling them efficiently and elegantly...We are fortunate to live in an age when there is a George Kiraz to provide us with such superb tools.”

William L. Petersen, Pennsylvania State University
Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 118 (1999)

The text of the Syriac Gospels survives in three ancient versions: The Old Syriac, originating between the 2nd and 4th centuries, is one of the earliest translations of the Gospels. The Peshitta, the earliest manuscript goes back to the fifth century, remains to this day the official Bible of all the Churches of the Syriac tradition. The Harklean, translated by Thomas of Harkel in 616, is a masterpiece of mirror-translation. These versions are of considerable importance both for Biblical and for Semitic Studies. However, studying their inter-relationship has never been easy.

This new edition, a 4-volume, 1,500 page set, conveniently provides for the first time the texts of all three versions together. The texts are drawn from the best sources and have been carefully aligned so that their inter-relationship can immediately be seen and studied.

This book was originally published by E.J. Brill in hardcover format, and is now out-of-print. A second paperback edition is now available from Gorgias Press.