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
Harvard MS Syr 36 1,500 CE Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • 1. Part of the story of Bar Sauma (ff. 1-9, 82-117, the leaves being disordered)
  • 2. 1 Thes. 4:12-18 and John 5:24-9, from a lectionary (f. 11)
  • 3. Part of the History of the Virgin (10, 12-61r; disordered, and with one leaf missing)
  • 4. Memra of Jacob on the passing, that is the obsequies, of the Virgin (61v-69r)
  • 5. Another memra on Mary and Joseph and the envy of the Jews, in the meter of Mar Ephrem (69r-78v)
  • 6. A wonder done by the Virgin Mary (78v-81; breaking off before the end).
  • 7. F. 10v has a geometric design incorporating a prayer
Harvard MS Syr 40 1,559 CE Arabic, Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • Ps. 1-150 (f. 3r-228r)
  • Ps. 151 (229r-v)
  • Canticles, beatitudes, Gloria in excelsis, trishagion, Nicene creed (229v-244r)
  • Memra attributed to Ephrem (ff. 244r-249v, incomplete at the end)
  • Colophon (250r).
Harvard MS Syr 93 700 CE Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • A collection of short works including a "Gospel of the Twelve Apostles" (ff. 47r-51v)
  • Apocalypses of Simon Kepha, James, John the little (51v-57v)
  • A fragment of the Doctrina Addai (57v)
  • Various responsa and canons (1r-46v, 59r ff.) including replies of Jacob of Edessa.
Harvard MS Syr 171 1,100 CE Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • A single leaf containing readings for the 10th-12th Sundays of Sbarta (Advent).
Harvard Ms Syr 99 1,889 CE Syriac

Catalog entry

  • ff. 1v-76v Didascalia apostolorum
  • ff. 76-92v First epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
  • ff. 92v-93v Letter of James of Jerusalem to Quadratus
  • ff. 93v-96v Letters of Herod and Pilate 
  • ff. 96v-103v Hypomnemata of our Lord
  • ff. 103v-106v The teaching of Peter in Rome
  • ff. 107r-111v Letter of Dionysius of Athens to Timothy on the deaths of Peter and Paul
  • ff. 111v-117r Extracts from various Fathers
  • ff. 117r-120r Severus on the synods
  • ff. 120r-120v Letter that the Jews wrote to the emperor Marcion about the Synod of Chalcedon
  • ff. 120v-122v Short texts by Philoxenus
  • ff. 122v Creed of orthodox Christians
  • ff. 122v-124v Letter of John bar Shushan against Chalcedon
  • ff. 124v-126v Easy questions against the Chalcedonians
  • ff. 126v-128r Diagrams explaining theology and christology
  • ff. 128v-131v Disputation against the Nestorians
  • ff. 131v Cyril against anyone who keeps a book from a reader
  • ff. 132r-146v Prophecies of the pagan philosophers 
  • ff. 147r-148r 6 questions of Jacob of Edessa
  • ff. 148r-150v Riddles from the Old Testament
  • ff. 150v-151r Under which kings each of the prophets prophesied
  • ff. 151r-154r On the foundation of the true faith which we have received from the apostles etc.
  • ff. 154r On what the Jews wrote above the cross of Christ
  • ff. 154r-155r From the story of Peter the Iberian, that one should not give up hope of God's mercy
  • ff. 155r-157r Severus, from a letter to Thomas of Germanica on the Epistle of Jude
  • ff. 157r-160r Short sections on the eucharist, baptism, etc.
  • ff. 160r-162r On the prophets
  • ff. 162r-163r Jacob of Edessa on the seven spirits of Isaiah 11.2
  • ff. 163 r/v Ephrem on the dove that Noah sent out from the ark
  • ff. 163v-174r Answers to questions, including extracts from various Fathers
  • ff. 174v Diagram of the ten commandments
  • ff. 174v-178r Various other short sections on Old Testament exegesis
  • ff. 178r-181v Jacob of Edessa on the heavenly powers
  • ff. 181v-188v The orthodox teachers on the souls of human beings, and other short extracts
  • ff. 188v-190r Letter of Cyril of Jerusalem on the rebuilding of the temple by the Jews
  • ff. 190r-191r Extracts from Puman, John, Cyril and Basil
  • ff. 191r-201r Explanations of Ephrem on various matters from the Law
  • ff. 201r Colophon 
Harvard Ms Syr 151 Unknown Syriac

Catalog entry

  • Canon law and admonition (3 vellum leaves, 29 cm., probably from the same ms. of the ca. 11th cent.), in 2 columns, ca. 40 lines per column, written in an old serto
  • Acrostic hymn of Elia Abuḥalim (8 paper leaves in 1 quire, written in a good E. Syriac hand, ca. 17th cent.)
  • End of a memra on the love of poverty, letter of Abgar to Jesus, beginning of the reply of Jesus (1 vellum leaf, estrangela, ca. 9th century)
  • Lectionary containing Mt 18.17-20, Lk 14.1-6, Lk 16.19-24, with a quire signature decorated in color (1 leaf, 38 cm., large bold estrangela, ca. 13th cent.)
  • W. Syriac qale for festivals, including a rubric for the evening service of Palm Sunday (2 vellum leaves in 1 bifolium, 40 cm. written in a very large estrangela script in 1 column, ca. 12th cent.)
  • Fenqitho, part of the services for a group of priests (1 vellum leaf, estrangela in 2 columns, 37 cm., ca. 13th cent.)
  • A homiliary, with a rubric for Mar Yuannis [Chrysostom] for the Monday of the Passion and the "entry into port" (part of 1 vellum leaf in 3 columns, estrangela, 37 cm. wide, ca. 12th cent.)
  • Anaphora (2 paper leaves, serto, ca. 18th cent.)
  • Hymns (2 paper leaves in 1 bifoium, poor serto, ca. 18th cent.)
  • Service book naming a number of saints (part of 1 paper leaf, good late serto)
Harvard Ms Syr 166 1,885 CE Syriac

Catalog entry

  • Pp. 1-15, Story of Moses
  • 15-27, The letter of holy Sunday that descended from heaven
  • 27-49, Story of Mar Giwargis the martyr
  • 49-55, Story of Arsanis king of Egypt, how our Lord resurrected him
  • 55-58 Qanone for festivals and saints' days
  • 58-60, Divination concerning the sick
  • 60-62, Other prayers
  • 62, Colophon