Digitized Manuscripts: Faceted Search

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This table searches all collections of Syriac and Garshuni manuscripts that are freely available online by key terms. Click any of the categorized menu items to narrow down your search. If you would like to sort the manuscripts by shelf-mark or date, or search by general keyword, see our other table here, which includes all the same manuscript data.

*The Approximate Date column is derived from the best available information for the manuscript. This is not asserted as a scholarly position on the dating of the manuscript. Instead, it is merely used here for the convenience of being able to sort all manuscripts by numerical date. The user should keep in mind that there may be considerable debate over the precise dating of the manuscript and should consult the manuscript repository and relevant scholarly literature for details.

Manuscript Name / Shelf Mark / Project Number Approximate Date Language The main body text Link to Digitized Manuscript
Vat. sir. 596 1,917 CE Arabic, Syriac
  • Binding
  • f. 1r-53v Jacob of Edessa, Commentary on the Old Testament
    • f. 1r-20r Genesis
    • f. 20v-32r Exodus
    • f. 32r-39v Leviticus
    • f. 39v-42v Numbers (f. 41rv lacuna)
    • f. 42v-47r Deuteronomy
    • f. 47v-50v Job
    • f. 51r-52r Joshua
    • f. 52v-53v Judges
  • f. 53v-66r Exlanation of difficult Old Testament passages (Ephrem, Jacob, and others) 
  • f. 66r Colophon
  • f. 66v-79r Explanations of various subjects attributed to different authors
  • f. 79v-81v Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
  • f. 81v-83v The Doctrine of Addai
  • f. 83v-84r Twenty Canons of the Apostles
  • f. 84r-85r Six questions and answers of Jacob of Edessa
  • f. 85v-90r Hypomnemata of our Lord
  • f. 90v-99v Two letters of Theodore bar Wahbun
  • f. 99v-105r Prophecies of pagan philosophers
  • f. 105r-111r Chosen words of philosophers teaching wisdom
  • f. 111r Colophon
  • f. 111v-112v Eulogy of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 113r Anecdote of Moses bar Kepha by Mar Sawira
  • f. 113v-115r Profession of Faith by Mar Michael
  • f. 115v-116v Questions and answers on ousia
  • f. 117r-120v Legend of Mar Eli al-Hira in Arabic
  • f. 121r-130r History of Yareth the Alexandrian
  • f. 130r Colophon (other colophons found at 66r and 111r)
  • Binding
BnF syr. 62 1,100 CE Syriac

See catalog entry here (especially for the date of the ms)

  • f. 1-89 Didascalia Apostolorum (Teaching of the 12 apostles; with excerpt from the prayer of Manasseh)
  • f. 90-102r Books I-VII of the Apostolic Constitutions attributed to St. Clement
  • f. 102v-107 Extracts from the Teaching of Addai
  • f. 108-112 Collection of all the canons of the holy apostles and of the synods of the Holy Fathers
  • f. 113-121r Book VIII of the canons of Clement
  • f. 121v-128 The great and holy ecumenical council of Nicaea, metropolis of Bithynia, composed by the 318 fathers
  • f. 129-132r The 24 canons fixed at Ancyra in Galatia through the synod which was assembled there
  • f. 132v-133 Twelve other canons from the council assembled at Neo-caesarea
  • f. 134-137r The eight canons established at Gangra
  • f. 137v-146 The council which as gethered at ἐγχαινίοις, at the dedication of the church of Antioch: 28 canons.
  • f. 147-149 Fifty-nine other canons established at Laodicaea in Phrygia
  • f. 150-152 The seventh council, that of Constantinople
  • f. 153 Two canons established at the holy council gathered at Ephesus during the time of Thedosius
  • f. 154-170 Council of the 87 bishops gathered at Carthage during the time of Cyprian
  • f. 171-172 Other canons from a letter written from Italy to the bishops of the East which were sent to the bishops reunited at Antioch
  • f. 173-175r Selected sentences in the letters of the Epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch
  • f. 175v-183r Extracts from the instruction of St. Peter, bishop of Alexandria and martyr
  • f. 183v-184 Questions addressed to Timothy the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria
  • f. 185-191 Synodicon of Sardis
  • f. 192-194r Letter of St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria to Abbot Ammon, on obligation of celibacy to monks
  • f. 194v Letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to the priest Paregorius
  • f. 195 Letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to Chorbishops, on the defense of conferring ordination for donations
  • f. 196-197 Letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to the priest, Diodore, in which is a declaration of the legality of marriage of a man with his step-sister
  • f. 198-207r Letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconia
  • f. 207v-212 Letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconia
  • f. 213 Another letter of St. Basil, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, addressed to Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconia
  • f. 214-218r The 27 canons of the council of Chalcedon
  • f. 218v Sentences of Philoxenus of Mabbug
  • f. 218v Sentences of St. Basil regarding heretics who persecute the orthodox
  • f. 219 Sentences of St. Gregory the Theologian
  • f. 219 Extracts of the third letter of St. Damassus
  • f. 219-225 Letter of St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa to Litoios, bishop of Melitene
  • f. 226-229r Canons of St. Rabbula, bishop of Edessa
  • f. 229v-237r Definition regarding certain chapters addressed to the east in the form of Questions to Holy Fathers
  • f. 237v-241 Various canons and rites established by the council of persian bishops who met at Seleucia-Ktesiphon
  • f. 242 Letter of John, bishop of Egypt, sent to the isle of Cyprus rejecting the council of Chalcedon
  • f. 243-244 Canons established in the time of the persection at the time of Patriarch Severus
  • f. 245r Extracts from a letter addressed to the holy fathers on the two priests and archimandrites named Paul
  • f. 245v Extracts of a letter of St. Constantine, metropolitan of Laodicaea
  • f. 246-247r Extracts of a letter written by a bishop to his friends
  • f. 247v-248r Letter written from Constantinople to Martyrius, Bishop of Antioch
  • f. 248v-253 Extracts from various letters of Severus, patriarch of Antioch
  • f. 254 Five canons of the holy Theodosius, pope of Alexandria
  • f. 254v-255r Letter of St. Anthimus, bishop of Constantinople to Jacob of Edessa
  • f. 255v Definitions on the punishments with monks regarding various sins by St. Basil, bishop fo Caesarea
  • f. 266 Letter of St. Cyril of Alexandria to the monks
  • f. 257 Extracts of the letter of St. Celestine, bishop of Rome, to the clergy at people of Constantinople
  • f. 258 More extracts from the acts of the council of Ephesus
  • f. 261 Four canons about excommunicated clerics, by Sergius, bishop of Amphiator
  • f. 262-266 Recommendations and precepts of the canons regarding clerics, by John Bar-Cursus, Bishop of Tella
  • f. 267-271 Questions on diverse subjects, addressed to the priest Sergius by Mar John Bar-Cursus, Bishop of Tella
  • f. 272 Letter of Patriarch Athanasius on the defense of Christians eating meat sacrificed by Arabs which currently abound
  • f. 273-284 Questions addressed by the priest, Addai Philoponos, to Jacob of Edessa and the response of the same
  • f. 285 Extract from the 107th homily of Gregory the Theologian, on the Gospel passage, "The Pharisees came to find him to test him"
  • f. 286 ff. Precepts which God gave to Moses on abominations
BnF syr. 434 1,900 CE Garshuni, Syriac
  • f. 1v-63 Collection of Catechetal Questions and Answers
  • f. 64-72 Explanations of words
  • f. 73v-79v The History of Emperor Maurice
  • f. 79v-86r History of Peter the Publican
  • f. 86v-90r The history of the penitent demon
  • f. 90v-97r Vision of Macarius on the soul after death
  • f. 97v-100v Refutation on the causes of corruption 
  • f. 100v-101r On the different readings
  • f. 101v-142v 'Abdišo' the Solitary, Mimra
  • f. 142v-176r Profitable speech 
  • f. 177v-180r Athanasius of Alexandria, Profession of Faith 
  • f. 180r-181r Profession of faith of the Twelve Apostles 
  • f. 181v-186r Rite of marriage crowning
  • f. 186v-187r Some Proverbs of Aḥiqar
  • f. 187v-189r Prayer of confession of the faith
  • f. 189r-190r Prayer for the consecration of impure water 
  • f. 190r-192v Dionysius bar Salibi, Canons
  • f. 192v-199v Canons and precepts 
  • f. 200-201r Fragments in Garshuni
  • f. 201v-205r 'Abdišo' de Gazarta
    • f. 201v-203r Mimra on the monastic life
    • f. 203r-204r Turgama on Mar Quriaqos
    • f. 204r-205r Introduction to the Gospel
  • f. 205v Final Prayer
Mardin, Turkey Chaldean Cathedral (CCM 00014) 1,600 CE Syriac
  • f. 1v-12r, 151r Calendar
  • f. 13v-89r Cave of Treasures
  • f. 89v-90r Extract, on how Enoch and Elijah received the Sacrament
  • f. 90r-94v 'Onitha on the Cross
  • f. 94r-112v Questions and answers: riddles
  • f. 112v-120r Questions and answers: riddles
  • f. 120v-122v Canons on marriage
  • f. 122v-130v Canons on the altar
  • f. 130v-145r Questions and answers about the altar
  • f. 145r-150v Liturgical Questions
Mardin, Turkey Chaldean Cathedral (CCM 00341) 1,686 CE Syriac

See Scher's note on Diyarbakir 27

  • f. 2r-71v 'Abdisho' bar Brīkā, The Book of the Pearl
  • f. 78v-79r Shlēmōn of Basra, Prayer before meals
  • f. 79v-105v Fables of Aesop
  • f. 109v-161r Gregory bar Hebraeus, Conversation of wisdom
  • f. 161v-168r Summary of Aristotle's Categories in diagrams
  • f. 169r-189v Gregory bar Hebraeus, Book of the pupils of the eye
Sachau 72; Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin 69 1,600 CE Syriac

See entry for Sachau 72

  • f. 3-6 Philosophical poem in 7-syllable meter
  • f. 8r fragment, unidentified
  • f. 8v-13v Aesop's fables
  • f. 14r-14v fragment, About church discipline
  • f. 14v-21v The canons of the synods
  • f. 22r-31v Ephrem Syrus, Memra on his own death
  • f. 31v Fragment, Madrasha on the misery of man
  • f. 32-40v A collection of riddles
  • f. 40v-41r Deacon Ṣlībā, 12-syllable strophes
  • f. 42r-47r Grammatical inflections from ܒܙ
  • f. 47v-57r Lexical matters
  • f. 57v-61v Khamis bar Qardahe, Short poems
  • f. 62r-62v More riddles in 12-syllable meter
  • f. 63r-66v John bar Zo'bi, Philosophical text
  • f. 66v Excerpt of the book of Canons of aequilitteris of 'Endnīšo' and Ḥunain
  • f. 67r-90v various
  • f. 91r-100b John bar Zo'bi, poem
Diyarbakir, Turkey Meryem Ana Kilisesi 60; 1/28 (DIYR 00136) 1,582 CE Garshuni, Syrac
  • Psalter (Syriac Rite, Western)
  • Nicene Creed
  • Prayers
  • Ephrem Syrus, Homily on learning
  • Jacob of Sarug, Homily on admonition and on the deceased
  • Ignatius bar Ṭlōyō, Homily 
  • Alexander Romance
Diyarbakir, Turkey Meryem Ana Kilisesi 10/15; 222; 108 (DIYR 00234) 1,849 CE Garshuni, Syriac, Turkish
  • Calendar (Garshuni)
  • Liturgical Calendar (Garshuni, Syriac)
  • On Divine Providence (Garshuni, Syriac)
  • Beth Gazō (Syriac Rite, Western; Syriac)
  • Book of Steps, selections (Syriac)
  • Hymn Tunes (Syriac)
  • Hymns (Syriac)
  • Hymns (Syriac)
  • Service for Deacons (Garshuni)
  • Magic Rituals (Garshuni)
  • Service for Deacons (Garshuni)
  • Treatment for various eye diseases (Garshuni)
  • Hymns (Garshuni)
  • Pauline Epistles (Turkish)
  • Prayer of Mor Philoxenus (Garshuni)
  • Hymn tunes (Syriac)
  • List of Apostles (Garshuni)
Vat. sir. 191 1,700 CE Syriac

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • f. 1r-87v Ibn Sina, Introduction to logic
  • f. 88r-v Table of Movable Feasts
  • f. 89r-end From the book,The Cause of All Causes