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 35 1,500 CE Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • Histories of the Virgin Mary: The Histories of the Virgin are in five books, all but no. 4 having lacunae in their text. Ff. 135-140 (disordered) contain a memra of Mar Aprim "on Mary and Joseph and on the scorn they endured from the Jews."
Harvard MS Syr 42 1,400 CE Syriac

Catalog Entry

  • Homilies of John Saba (ff. 1r-30v)
  • Chapter of knowledge by John Saba (30v-33r)
  • Fifty-one letters of John Saba (33r-67v)
  • Chapters of knowledge, nos. 2-6 (67v-86r)
  • Maxims by John bar Penkaye (86r-87v)
  • Discourse on What is man, by John bar Penkaye (87r-93v)
  • "Letters not found in the monastery copy" (93v-94v)
  • Selected sayings of Saba (94v-96r)
  • Short section by Bar Penkaye (96r-v)
  • Madrashe by the saint (96v-97v)
  • Memra on the trisagion by John Bar Penkaye (98r-101v)
  • Life of John bar Penkaye (101v-102v)
  • Selections from Evagrius, Gregory the Monk, Simeon the Monk, Basil, Philoxenus and John Chrysostom (102v-116v)
  • Apocalypse of Daniel (117r-122v)
  • Discourse of John of Mount Sinai on repentance (122v-125r), with a lacuna on f. 124v
  • unidentified memre (125r-v).
Harvard MS Syr 47 1,400 CE Syriac

​Catalog Entry

  • Bound at an early date with a manuscript of theological texts (ff. 1-160)
  • Canons by Mar Yoḥanan the bishop on the holy mysteries (ff.161r-162r)
  • Scholion of Jacob of Edessa on the communion (162r-163v)
  • Commentary on the creed and baptism by Dionysius bar Ṣalibi (163v-168v)
  • An account of the faith and the cross and the other mysteries one by one (168v-177r)
  • The holy and life-giving mysteries of the holy chrism (177r-187r)
  • The hidden mystery concerning baptism (187r-203v)
  • On the making of olive oil for chrism (203v-204v)
  • Various short sections in different hands (205-207)
Qarah Qūsh, Syrian Catholic Archdiocesan Library (DSCQT 00025) 1,824 CE Arabic, Garshuni, Syriac
  • f. 3r-151r Treatise on the Mother of God
Qarah Qūsh, Iraq, Syrian Catholic Archdiocesan Library (DSCQT 00048) 1,823 CE Arabic, Garshuni
  • fol. 1r-269v Treatise on the sacraments of the Church
Borg. sir. 10 Unknown Syriac

Homilies of the Fathers: Catalog entry link

  • Eleven homilies of Isaac of Antioch, Jacob of Sarug, Isaac of Ninevah, and of St. Ephrem on the ascetic life and on the incarnation
  • A Memra composed by a certain bishop on the seven climates of the earth and on the variations of the climates
  • Canons of the Holy Fathers on the Christian life, on the liturgy, and on the sacrifice
Vat. sir. 97 1,518 CE Garshuni, Syriac

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • Homilies of John bar Ma'dani
    • On the Nativity of our Lord
    • On the Epiphany of our Lord
    • On the presentation of our Lord in  the Temple
    • On the fast of the Ninevites and Jonah the Prophet
    • On the 40-day Fast
    • On the Feast of Hosannas
    • On the Saturday of the crucifixion
    • On the Saturday of the crucifixion
    • On the Resurrection of our Lord
    • On the Ascension of our Lord
    • On Pentecost
    • On the holy Apostles
    • On the Transfiguration of the Lord
    • On the translation of His Mother
    • On the Holy Cross
    • Paraenetic homilies before whatsoever day
    • Older paraenetic homilies
    • Ten homilies on the end and on humility
  • Elijah ibn al-Hadit, Prayer according to Ma'ari who lived in Nisibis
  • St. Cyril, Homily X on Virginity
  • Syriac epigram
  • On the creation of man
  • Homily on the Saints
  • Syriac song in 7-syllable meter
  • 'Abdisho' of Sobin, Syriac song in 12-syllable meter
  • 'Abdisho' of Sobin, Syriac song in 12-syllable meter
  • Prayer 
  • Benediction of the table
  • Coronation of the betrothed
  • Names of kings which king Mahir-Shapur sent, said to have adored Christ
  • Noah of Lebanon, Syriac Jacobite Patriarch, Brief Chronicle
  • Calendar
  • Homilies by Noah the Patriarch
Vat. sir. 199 1,545 CE Garshuni

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • Life of St. Maron
  • Homily on Penitence
  • Story of the three holy Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
  • Death of Isaac the patriarch
  • Death of Jacob the patriarch
  • Jacob of Sarug, Homily on the thief
  • Life of St. Alexei
  • History of St. Abdulmasih
  • Lives of Ss. Sergius and Bacchus
  • Life of St. Marina
  • Life of St. Susanna
  • On Isaac, the son of Abraham the Patriarch
  • Life of St. John
  • Life of Paul
  • On St. Abba Ammon
  • On the Seven children of Ephesus
  • Life of St. Cyril
  • Life of St. Martinianus the Anchorite
  • Life of St. Archelidos
  • History of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul
  • Homily on Penitence
  • Life of St. Dionysius the Aereopagite
  • Jacob of Sarug, Homily on Constantine the great
  • Life of St. Simon
  • Life of Ahiqar the sage
  • Fables of Shaddad, son of 'Addi and Solomon, son of David
  • Letter from heaven given by Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria
  • History of the conception and nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary by her mother Anna
  • Narration of bribery
  • Fable of a certain prince
  • Homily of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria
  • Questions and answers
  • History of Pontius Pilate
  • Apostolic Constitutions
  • Homily of St. John Chrysostom
  • Ephrem Syrus, On wrestling with the Devil
  • Prayer for the sick and penitential
Vat. sir. 223 1,675 CE Garshuni

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • The book of perfection
  • Exposition for Dominical Feasts
  • Rules for a pious society
  • Way of reciting the rosary of the Blessed Virgin
  • Profession of the faith
Vat. sir. 433 1,600 CE Garshuni, Latin, Syriac

Catalog entry in Assemani

  • Elements of logic
  • Deposits of Syriac texts from one person
  • Fragment of Metaphysics
  • On Absolute Knowledge
  • On temporal priests
  • Treatise on unclean spirits
  • Book of the kings of Israel
  • Book of the responses of Ben Sira
  • HIstory of Susanna
  • Isagoge
  • Proverbs of wisdom

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