Digitized Manuscripts: Faceted Search

About This Table

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
Mingana Syriac 86 1,300 CE Syriac

See catalog entry for Mingana 86

  • f. 4r-90v Mystic treatises (Mingana believes them to be Isaac or Ninevah. Many headings are missing)
  • f. 90v-97v St. Macarius of Alexandria, A Prayer
  • f. 97v-109r Philoxenus of Mabbug, A Prayer
  • f. 109-112r A treatise of the holy and godly elder [John of Dalyatha or John Saba?] (ܡܡܠܠܐ ܕܣܒܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܘܐܠܗܝܐ) (called "18th mimra" in the margin)
  • f. 112r-115v Isaac of Ninevah, Treatise consisting mostly of prayers
  • f. 115v-116v Palladius, A treatise on the virtues without which no man can make any progress
  • f. 116v-117r The virtues which an old monk possessed
  • f. 117r-119v A treatise on mysticism
  • f. 119v-138v Mark the Monk, A long treatise on mysticism, often consisting of good sayings
  • f. 138v-139v Ephrem Syrus, A treatise (ܡܡܠܠܐ) in prose
  • f. 139v-154v Isaac of Ninevah, A long mystical treatise
  • f. 154-166 A treatise on mysticism attributed to the holy and godly elder [John of Dalyatha or John Saba?] (ܡܡܠܠܐ ܕܣܒܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܘܐܠܗܝܐ)
  • f. 166v-178v Gregory the Monk [Gregory of Cyprus], A treatise on spirituality for monks
  • f. 179r-179v Isaac of Ninevah, A short discourse on spirituality
  • f. 179v-184v Isaac of Ninevah, A short discourse on spirituality, on night vigils
  • f. 184v-190v Evagrius, A discourse on mysticism
  • f. 190 St. Ephrem, A short mimra on mysticism
  • f. 190v-198r John Saba, A treatise on mysticism
  • f. 198r-198v John Naqar (ܝܘܚܢܢ ܢܩܪ), A short treatise on mysticism
  • f. 198v-200v John Naqar (ܝܘܚܢܢ ܢܩܪ), A short treatise on mysticism
  • f. 201r-207v Evagrius, Exhortations and good advice on mysticism
  • f. 207v-213v Evagrius, A treatise on the definition of vices and virtues 
  • f. 213v-232v Evagrius, A long treatise on mysticism (f. 229r-232v contain 97 evangelical sayings on perfection)
  • f. 233r-263v John the Seer (Hazzaya) or possibly John of Lycopolis, A long discourse on mysticism
  • f. 264r-274v The Monk Isaiah (Esha'ya) of Scete, A mystical treatise
BnF syr. 239 1,493 CE Garshuni

See catalog entry here

  • f. 1-99 The Paradise of the solitaries, or Sayings of the Fathers
  • f. 100-104r Dogmatic definition of the Trinity according to the Syrian Orthodox Church
  • f. 104v-107r Syrian Orthodox dogmatic definitions of the Trinity and the incarnation
  • f. 107v-110r Monastic Rule of St. Anthony
  • f. 110v-112r Another excerpt of the exhortations of St. Anthony
  • f. 112v-119r The teaching of Abba Isaiah
  • f. 119v-121 Another excerpt of Abba Isaiah
  • f. 122-133r Three other excerpts on the doctrine of Abba Isaiah
  • f. 133v-136r Lamentation of Abba Isaiah
  • f. 136v-137r Excert of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 137v-139r Excerpt from Stephen of the Thebaid
  • f. 139v-141 Exerpt from the letters of St. Macarius the Great
  • f. 145-148 Various excerpts of St. Macarius the Great
  • f. 149-152r Another excerpt of the apophthegmata of St. Macarius the Great
  • f. 152v-154r Sentences of the Fathers
  • f. 154v-156r Other sentences
  • f. 156v-166 Homily of Abba Pachomius
  • f. 167-168 Five homilies of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 168 Excerpts of the apophthegmata of Abba Moses
  • f. 169 Discourse of Abba Moses on the thoughts
  • f. 170 Discourse of Abba Moses on sadness
  • f. 171-173 Twelve Discourses of St. Nilus: Spiritual Exhortations
  • f. 174-175 St. Basil, Discourse on the monastic life
  • f. 176 St. Basil, Excerpt from his doctrine
  • f. 176-178r Excerpt from a letter of St. Basil
  • f. 178v-180r Excerpts from the homillies of St. Gregory the Theologian
  • f. 180v-181r Excerpt of a homily of St. Basil
  • f. 181v-188 Homily of St. John Chrysostom
  • f. 189-193r Homily of St. John Chrysostom on those who draw back to the world
  • f. 193v-195 Homily of St. John Chrysostom on penitance and renunciation
  • f. 196-203 Another homily of St. John Chrysostom on penitance
  • f. 204-210r First discourse of St. Macarius the Great
  • f. 210v-213r Second discourse of St. Macarius the Great: On the inner-affections of the soul and its purification
  • f. 213v-216 Third discourse of St. Macarius the Great: on the necessity of combatting demons who oppose those who desire to enter into the way of truth
  • f. 217-218r Letter of St. Macarius to his beloved children
  • f. 218v-219r Second Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 219v-220r Third Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 220r-220v Fourth Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 220v Fifth Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 221 Sixth Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 222 Seventh Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 223 Eighth Letter of St. Macarius
  • f. 223v-225r First homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 225v-227r Second homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 227v Third homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 228-229 Fourth homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 230-231r Sixth homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 231v-234r Seventh homily of Abraham of Nathpar
  • f. 234v On impurity and the villany of demons and the purity of the just
  • f. 235-237 Letter of St. Nilus
  • f. 238v-241r Various excerpts of the doctrine of Phlioxenus of Mabbug
  • f. 241v-243r Discourse on simplicity
  • f. 243v-248r Discourse on the fear of God
  • f. 248v-252 Discourse on poverty
  • f. 253-254r Discourse on mortification of the flesh and asceticism 
  • f. 254v-256 Discourse on mortification of the flesh and asceticism 
  • f. 257-263r Discourse on chastity
  • f. 263v-265 Excerpts of the Book of Obedience
  • f. 266-280r Doctrine of Abba Isaiah, explained by a disciple of Mar Isaac
  • f. 280v-281r Excerpt of the doctrine of Abba Stephen of the Thebaid
  • f. 282-284 Two excerpts of one anonymous author
  • f. 285-287 Letter of Tyrius, addressed to a monk
  • f. 288-289r Another excerpt of Tyrius
  • f. 288-289r Homily on Dorotheus on the palace of the soul
  • f. 291v Excerpts of the Apophthegmata Patrum
  • f. 292r Excerpts of the Lamp of the Sanctuary (by Bar Hebraeus)
  • f. 292v-299r Twenty-seven paragraphs on the solitary life, prayer, etc. (from Barhebraeus, The Book of the Dove)
  • f. 299v-305r Excerpts from "the Spiritual old man"
  • f. 307-308r Excerpts of the Apophthegmata Patrum
  • f. 308v-323 Excerps from the Doctrine of Abba Mark
  • f. 324-326r Excerpts from the doctrin of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 326v-327r Other excerpts from the doctrine of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 327v-330r Other excerpts from the doctrine of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 330v-334 Another dialogue of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 335-337r Another dialogue of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 337v-339r Another dialogue of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 339v-341r Another dialogue of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 341v Another dialogue of John of the Thebaid
  • f. 342 Excerpts from the Apophthegmata Patrum
  • f. 343-345r Other excerpts from the Apophthegmata Patrum
  • f. 345v-349 Other excerpts from the Apophthegmata Patrum
  • f. 350-376 Sixth Homily of Ephrem Syrus on the fear of God
  • f. 377-383r Homily of Ephrem Syrus on charity and faith, and on the second coming of Jesus Christ
  • f. 383v-385r Response of Ephrem Syrus concerning penitence
  • f. 385v-392 Homily of Ephrem Syrus on the end of the world and the Antichrist
  • f. 393 ff. First book of the works of Isaac of Nineveh
Beinecke Syriac MS 8 1,225 CE Syriac

See catalog entry

  • f. 1r Pauline Epistles (fragment)
  • f. 1v-2v Questions by Queen Sheba to King Solomon
  • f. 3ra-4va Philoxenus of Mabbug, Letter to Patrikios of Edessa
  • f. 4vb Sayings, 2 by ? (Philoxenus?), 4 by Evagrius, 1 by Abba Isaiah
  • f. 4vb-7vb Philoxenus of Mabbug, Confessions of Faith
  • f. 7vb-9ra John of Lycopolis (or of Amapea), also the solitary, or "seer, and prophet", The Holy Commandments of the Gospel
  • f. 9ra-29va Commandments (from the gospels, the Pauline and Catholic Epistles, and the prophets
  • f. 29va-end anonymous, about the Sacraments