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 199B (SMMJ 00199B) 1,734 CE Garshuni

See entry at CPART and in Macomber ([Macomber A]; [Macomber B]) (St. Mark's Convent, Jerusalem 3-3; SMC 3-3). Filoksinos Yohanna Dolabany, Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in St. Mark’s Monastery (1994). Baumstark 38*(B)

  • Part A Saints' Lives 
    • f. 401r-409r Mar Abraham, the master of the Holy Mar Barsawma
    • f. 409r-412r Story of the Blessed John the Physician
    • f. 412r-414v Story of finding the True Cross (two accounts)
      • f. 412r-413r First accouth through the wife of emperor Claudius in the time of St. James
      • f. 413r-414v Discovery by Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine
    • f. 414v-420v Story of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary
    • f. 420v-422v Epistle sent from St. Dionysius, Bishop of Athens, to Timothy, bishop of Ephesus on the death of Sts. Peter and Paul
    • f. 422v-433r Story of St. John the divine apostle
    • f. 433r-434r History of the Assumption of the apostle St. John
    • f. 434r-437v Story of how the head of St. John the Baptist was found in the city of Herodis
    • f. 437v-439v Story of the martyrdom of the holy Mar Ignatius of Antioch
    • f. 440v-443r Story of Clement, disciple of Simon Peter
    • f. 443v-446v Story of the martyrdom of St. Peter of Alexandria under Diocletian
    • f. 446v-452r Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, Story of St. Athanasius of Alexandria
    • f. 452r-453v Story of Mar Jacob, bishop of Nisibis
    • f. 453v-462r Story of Mar Ephrem, doctor of the Syrians
    • f. 462r-469v Story of Helladius, bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia
    • f. 469v-479v Story of St. John Chrysostom
    • f. 479v-484r Story of the blessed and elect Gregory Thaumaturgos
    • f. 484r-494r Story of St. Gregory, Catholicos of the Armenians
    • f. 494r-498r Story of St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr, and Justa (Justina) the virgin
    • f. 498r-506r Story of the martyrdom of St. Plotinus
    • f. 506r-5111r Story of the holy Mar Paul, bishop of Cnidus and of Mar John, priest of Edessa
    • f. 511r-513r Story of the Holy Mar Nicholas (also called Mar Zakhe), bishop of Myra
    • f. 513r-524r Story of Mar Abhai, Bishop of Nicca, revised by Mar Michael, Patriarch of Antioch in Syria
    • f. 524v-526v Epistle sent by Mar Severus of Antioch when he was expelled by Chalcedonian hypocrites
    • f. 526v-527r Story of the holy Mar Jacob of Sarug
    • f. 527r-533r Story of the holy Mar Jacob Burd'oyo (Baradaeus)
    • f. 533r-545v The Story of Mar John of Tella
    • f. 545v-547r Story of Bishop Addai, perfect in the fear of God
    • f. 547r-564v Story of St. Theodotus, Bishop of Amida
    • f. 564v-566v Stories of the holy martyrs before Emperors
    • f. 566v-570v Story of Placidus, surnamed Eustathius, his wife and his children
    • f. 570v-574r Story of the martyrdom of the forty holy martyrs of Sebaste under Emperor Decius
    • f. 574r-578v Story of the martyrdom, confession, and resurrection of Ss. Maximianus, Iamblichus, Martellus, Dionysius, Serapion, Aksaqastarinus, and Antoninus, the confessors of Ephesus. 
    • f. 578v-582r Story of the blessed George, the famous martyr
    • f. 582r-585v Story of St. James Intercissus
    • f. 585v-590r Story of the martyrdom of the two saints, Sergius and Bacchus
  • Part B Saints' Lives
    • f. 590r-599r Story of the Holy Mar John of Kafar Sanya
    • f. 599r-604r Story of the martyrdom of the seven martyrs of Samosata in the reign of Emperor Maximianus
    • f. 604r-609v Story of St. Pantalcon
    • f. 609v-612v Story of the Blessed Romanus
    • f. 612v-624v Story of St. Lawrence and the noble Mar Agrippa 
    • f. 624v-631v Story of the blessed Himyarites, their martyrdom in the city of Najrān
    • f. 631v-635v Story of Shemun and Gurya
    • f. 635v-638v Story of the Deacon, St. Habīb, the blessed martyr
    • f. 638v-642r Story of the martyrdom of St. Pappus and his 24,000 companions
    • f. 642r-646v Story of the martyrdom of Christopher the Barbarian and those with him
    • f. 646v-648v Story of the martyrdom of Mar Cyriacus and Julitta, his mother
    • f. 648v-651v Story of the martyrdom of the Holy Mar Mamas, his father, Theodotus, and his wife, Rufina
    • f. 651v-657r Story of the martyrdom of 'Abd al-Masīh, from the city of Sinjar
    • f. 657r-662r Story of the martyrdom of Mar Pethion
    • f. 662r-669r Story of the martyrdom of Mar Theodore
    • f. 669r-672r Stories of holy women, martyrs who suffered with fortitude for the sake of Christ
    • f. 672r-675r Second story of St. Onesima, daughter of emperors
    • f. 675r-677v Story of the holy virgins instructed by Anba Daniel, abbot and guide of Scete
    • f. 677v-684r Story of St. Eupraxia
    • f. 684v-689r Story of St. Hilaria, daughter of Emperor Zeno
    • f. 689r-693r Story of St. Euphrosyne of Alexandria (called Smaragdus)
    • f. 693r-694r Story of St. Maria, called Marina
    • f. 694r-695v Story of a blessed virgin (possibly St. Lucy/Lucia)
    • f. 695v-698r Story of the blessed Susanna
    • f. 698rv Story of a virgin who fell and repented 
    • f. 698v-703r The story of Blessed Mary the Egyptian
    • f. 703r-709v Story of St. Pelagia
    • f. 709v-714v Series of stories of women martyrs (first the story of Thecla, disciple of the Apostle Paul)
    • f. 714v-716r The Story of the martyr Barbara and blessed Juliana
    • f. 716r-718r Story of the martyrdom of the blessed blissful Mary
    • f. 719r-723r Story of the martyrdom of the three virgins, Faith, hope, and Charity, and their mother, Sophia from Rome
    • f. 723r-729v Story of the martyrdom of the blessed nun and martyr, Eugenia
    • f. 729v-737r Story of the martyrdom of Febronia
    • f. 737r-750r Story of the martyrdom of the blessed Stratonike and her fiancé, Scisucus
Saint Mark's Monastery, Jerusalem MS 169 (SMMJ 00169) 1,781 CE Garshuni, Syriac

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

  • fol. 1r-135v Homilies (Syriac, Garshuni)
    • Includes homilies by Michael the Syrian, John Chrysostom, Ephrem of Nisibis, Jacob of Serugh, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil of Caesarea, and Epiphanius of Constantia in Cyprus
  • fol. 136v-145r Story of Saint Michael in Dayr al-Samaka at the gate of Mardin (Garshuni)