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
Saint Mark's Monastery, Jerusalem MS 49 (SMMJ 00049) 1,600 CE Garshuni

See entry at CPART and in Macomber (St. Mark's Convent, Jerusalem 2-9; SMC 2-9); Catalog entry in Baumstark 18*. Filoksinos Yohanna Dolabany, Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in St. Mark’s Monastery (1994).

  • f. 1v-139v Anonymous, Lections gathered from the four gospels with commentaries. 
  • f. 140r-171v Pragsha, that is, a book that is a sort of collection of commentaries and discourses and canons of the Fathers 
    • f. 140r-144r Chapter 1, That God is eternal, pre-existent, invisible and omnipotent
    • f. 144rv Chapter 2, On the construction of the earthly church
    • f. 144v-145r Chapter 3, Concerning the eucharistic bread and wine
    • f. 145r-156r Chapter 4, Explanation of the office and the mass
    • f. 156r-157v Chapter 5, Concerning the priesthood
    • f. 157v-162r Chapter 6, On priests, deacons and penance
    • f. 162r-164r Chapter 7, concerning prayer
    • f. 164r-170r Translation of what has been mentioned in this chapter from Syriac and Arabic. A translation of the Sanctus and Trisagion, with commentary of the Fathers
    • f. 170r-171r On first fruits, votive offerings and tithes
  • f. 171r-197r A miscellany of stories, homilies, and short treatises 
    • f. 171r-172v The story of a merchant. This is an edifying tale of a God-fearing merchant who had a very beautiful wife.
    • f. 172v-174v A delightful portrayal from one of the authorities
    • f. 174v-177v A parable that the doctors of the Church set forth on the interpretation of the gospel. It is a story about a certain jeweler
    • f. 177v-183v St. Jacob of Sarug, Homily on charity
    • f. 183v-192v Anonymous, Discourse on Sunday
    • f. 193r-195v The commandments that our Lord ordered in his holy Gospel, there are 99
    • f. 195v-197r Seven prayers that are prescribed for us
  • f. 197r-222r Book of homilies delivered by Severus, more commonly known as Moshe bar Kepha 
    • f. 197r-201r First homily, on the consecration of the Church and her renewal
    • f. 201r-207r Second homily, On when the angel brought the good news to the priest Zechariah about the birth of John (the Baptist)
    • f. 207r-212r Third homily, On the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the holy and pure St. Mary
    • f. 212r-217v Homily on the temptation by Satan of our Lord Jesus Christ
    • f. 217v-221r Homily on the leper whom our Lord cured of the affliction of leprosy
    • f. 221r-222r Homily read on the first Sunday of the blessed Fast
St. Thomas Syrian Catholic Church 107 1,895 CE Syriac

See entry at CPART

  • Moshe bar Kepha, Guide to the Mass
  • Rite of Baptism
Borg. sir. 57 1,686 CE Syriac

Catalog entry here

  • Episcopal Ceremonies according to the West-Syrian Rite
    • Consecration of the oils
    • Consecration of the church
    • Renewal of a church
    • Consecration of the altar
    • Various prayers for the laying on of hands
    • Rite of the laying on of hands upon the Psalter-readers and lectors, sub-deacons, deacons, priests, archdeacons, Chorbishops, patriarchs, metropolitans and Bishops
    • Three rites of baptism
    • Order of the taking up of the monastic habit
    • Homily (Turgama) of Moses bar Kepha
    • Order of the taking up of the monastic habit for women
    • Benediction over the waters for the day of Epiphany
    • Benediction of the palms
    • Various rites to do during holy week, the week of Easter and the Sunday of Pentecost
    • Prayers to recite over the apostate
    • Benediction over sacred linens, on images, on statues, etc.
    • Rite of baptism by Bar 'Ebroyo
    • Rite of extreme unction
    • Funeral rites
Baghdad, Iraq: Syrian Catholic Archdiocese of Baghdad, N. 115 (ASCBN 00115) 1,900 CE Arabic, Syriac
  • fol. 2v-30v Moshe bar Kephō, Explanation of the Holy Mass
  • fol. 30v-38r Moshe bar Kephō, Commentary on Holy Baptism
  • fol. 38r-45v Commentary on Ordination
  • fol. 45v-47r Collection of sayings
    • Title NS: ܥܠ ܗܘ ܡܕܡ ܕܟܬܒܘ ܝܘܕ̈ܝܐ ܠܥܠ ܡܢ ܙܩܝܦܗ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ (on that which the Jews wrote above the cross of the Messiah)
  • fol. 47r-53r John of Dara, Commentary on the Creed
  • fol. 53r-55r Liturgical miscellany
  • fol. 55r-59v On the Ascension of Jesus Christ
  • fol. 59v-66v On Pentecost
  • fol. 66v-74r Moshe bar Kepha, On the Cross
  • fol. 74r-79v On the vestments of the priesthood
  • fol. 79v-90v On Holy Chrism
  • fol. 91r-106r Church calendar (Arabic, Syriac)
Saint Mark's Monastery, Jerusalem MS 153 (SMMJ 00153) 1,900 CE Syriac

Filoksinos Yohanna Dolabany, Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in St. Mark’s Monastery (1994). Macler 21.

  • fol. 1v-3r Selections from the Apostles, prophets, and Orthodox Fathers
  • fol. 3r-5v Jacob of Serugh, selections
  • fol. 5v-8v Commandments from the Gospel
  • fol. 9r-13v Philoxenus of Mabbug, Letter to Patricius
  • fol. 13v-17v Philoxenus of Mabbug, Confession of faith
  • fol. 17v-21r Dionysius bar Salibi, Syriac Orthodox Creed
  • fol. 21r-68r Jacob of Edessa, Letter on the Providence of God
  • fol. 68r-171v Testament of the Lord (Attributed to Clement of Rome; divided into eight books)
    • Title NS: ܕܝܐܬܝܩܝ ܐܘܟܝܬ ܡ̈ܠܐ ܕܐܡܪ ܡܪܢ ܠܫܠܝ̈ܚܐ ܩܕܝ̈ܫܐ܆ ܟܕ ܩܡ ܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ܆ ܘܐܬܟܬܒ̈ܝ ܒܝܕ ܩܠܝܡܝܣ ܕܪܘܡܝ ܬܠܡܝܕܗ ܕܦܛܪܘܣ ܫܠܝܚܐ
  • fol. 171v-180v Selections from the doctrine of Addai