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
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
Mardin, Turkey Chaldean Cathedral (CCM 00018) 1,610 CE Garshuni
  • f. 1v-3v On the priest and the sponsors of the bride and groom
  • f. 3v-7v Command and blessing of marriage
  • f. 7v-14v Blessings of the contract of the oath
  • f. 15r-50v Unidentified astrological-theological text
  • f. 50v-78r Story of the palace of Shād b. 'Ād
  • f. 78v-131r Story of Masrūr and Zayn al-Muwāṣif
  • f. 131v-135v Hymns to the Virgin Mary
  • f. 136r-139v Hymns
  • f. 140r-177v Unidentified hagiographic text
  • f. 178r-185r Story of the skull that conversed with Jesus Christ, said to be the head of Arsenios, the king of Egypt
  • f. 185v-196r John Chrysostom, On the commandments of Great Sunday
  • f. 196r Explanation of that which God gave Moses the prophet
  • f. 196v-197v Forbidden, defective days in the lunar months
  • f. 198r-216v Hymns
  • f. 216v-217v Reading from the Gospel of Matthew (i.e. Mark)
  • f. 218r-227v Story of Mark the Merchant, who was carried away into exile to the land of Persia, and Gaspar the Pagan
  • f. 227v-236v Hymn on the Economy of Christ
Mardin, Turkey Chaldean Cathedral (CCM 00398) 1,583 CE Arabic, Latin, Persian, Syriac

See Scher's note on Diyarbakir 95

  • f. 1v-5v Homily for the blessed brethren (Syriac)
  • f. 5v-13v Homily on Repentance (Syriac)
  • f. 15v Story about a monk from Najran (Arabic)
  • f. 16v-53r Gregory bar Hebraeus, On Perfection with additions and commentaries by Khamis bar Qardahe and Īsho'yahb bar Mqaddam (Syriac)
  • f. 53v-55v Ode on the soul, with commentary by Khamis bar Qardahe (Syriac)
  • f. 56r-75r Khamis bar Qardahe, Homilies (Syriac)
  • f. 76v-77r Isho'yahb bar Malkon, Book of Instruction (Syriac) 
  • f. 78v-144v Homily on Rabban Hormizd (Syriac)
  • f. 147v-160v 'Onitha: Pearl of Knowledge (Syriac)
  • f. 172v-182v 'Onitha for the commemoration of Yuliṭa and her son (Syriac)
  • f. 183v-197v 'Abdishō' of Gazarta, Homily on the homonyms (Syriac)
  • f. 198r-203v Riddles (Syriac)
  • f. 204r-204v 'Abdisho' of Gazarta, Turgama of Cyriacus (Syriac)
  • f. 205r-208v Homily of Rogation (Syriac)
  • f. 208v-212v 'Abdisho' of Gazarta, Dismissal prayers in strophes  (Syriac)
  • f. 212v-216v 'Abdisho' of Gazarta, Poems (Syriac)
  • f. 216v-217v Homily about bad time (Syriac)
  • f. 218r-222r Ephrem Syrus, Sermon on Reprehension V (Syriac)
  • f. 223r-227r Jacob of Sarug, Homily on the mysteries of our Lord in the Old Testament (Syriac)
  • f. 227v-232v Credo of the true Orthodox (Syriac)
  • f. 232v-233v Credo of Isho'panaḥ, who was accused of drinking the poison of paganism (Syriac)
  • f. 234v-243r Excerprs from various canonical texts on the election of a patriarch and his rights (Syriac)
  • f. 243v-245r Khamis bar Qardahe, Brief note on heresies and on the pagan gods that were abolished through the coming of Christ (Latin, Persian, Syriac)
  • f. 245v-246v Homily that awakens and exhorts and incites penitents (Syriac)
  • f. 247r-248r Homily about a Syrian Orthodox Patriarch (Syriac)
  • f. 248r-256r 'Abdisho' of Gazarta, Poems (Syriac)
  • f. 256r-258r Riddles (Syriac)
  • f. 258r-266v Poems (Syriac)
  • f. 267r-274v Disputation between a monk of Bet Ḥale and an Arab notable (Syriac)
  • f. 274v-277v On the Trinity (in questions and answers) and other liturgical matters (Syriac)
  • f. 278r-280r Names of the prophets (Syriac)
  • f. 280r-281r On the cities of pagan kingdoms (Syriac)
  • f. 281v-299r Isho'dad of Merv, Excerpts from the Commentary on the New Testament (Syriac)
  • f. 299r-310v Questions on the Pentateuch (Syriac)
  • f. 310v-312v On the barbarious nations that do not know writing and god (Syriac)
  • f. 313r-334v Computus and other astronomical and historical reckonings (Syriac)
  • f. 335v-344v Rite of reception of an ordained bishop
Diyarbakir, Turkey Meryem Ana Kilisesi 7/7; 11 (DIYR 00165) 1,909 CE Garshuni, Syriac
  • Life of Mor Behnam the Martyr
  • Life of Qasis the priest
  • Life of the Penitent Mary
  • On Leavened Bread
  • Commentary of Mor John the Patriarch on the mystery of salt, wine, and oil
  • Apology against disagreement with witnesses of orthodox teachers
  • Questions of the Holy Fathers
  • Short treatises on some episodes of the Old Testament
  • Ignatius Shukr Allah II, Selection from the teaching of metropolitan Shukr Alla on the Cross
  • Athanasius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Selection from the teaching of the Patriarch of Jerusalem on the Ascension of our Lord
  • Athanasius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pentekostarion
  • Selection on the Transfiguration of Our Lord
  • Selection for the feast of John the Baptist
  • Selection on repentance
  • Admonition on the Our Father
  • Selection on prayer
  • Special commandment of vigil
  • Admonitions
  • Life of the Apostle Thomas
  • Prayers on occasions of illness and pain
  • Gospel readings
Vat. sir. 217 1,585 CE Garshuni, Syriac

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • Gabriel Barclay, Maronite Bishop of Nicosa, On the Sphere
  • Daniel the sage, On the Zodiac Signs
  • Berozi the teacher, to Theo
  • Astrologia & Lunarium
  • Gabriel Barclay, Metrical exposition on the Apocalypse of John
  • Prayers, benedictions, and absolutions (Syriac and Arabic)
  • Order of the benediction for the great Sunday
  • Jacob of Sarug, Memra on Joseph
  • On the discovery of the body of Joseph under Arcadius and Honorius
  • On the children of Ephesus
  • Various memre
  • Calendar
  • History of animals
  • Hunayn of Hirta, excerpt on medicine
  • Ishō' bar 'Alī, Explination of exotic words
  • Utilizing plants, planets and herbs
  • Michael the Maronite Patriarch, Epistle to the king of the Franks (dated 1575)
  • 'Abdisho' the Catholicos, syriac memre
  • 'Abdisho' the patriarch of the Chaldeans
  • Creed of St. Athanasius
  • Isho'yahb of Nisibis (Bar Malkon), profession of the faith
  • Epistle of formularies
  • Profession of the faith
  • College rules of the Maronites
  • Mass for the Nativity
  • David bar Pawlos, Syriac Memre
  • On the seven climates, Syriac memre