Sigla, Abbreviations, and Conventions
The sigla for the Syriac manuscripts and editions of texts used in this study are listed in Chapter 2, Section 2.1. Aḥob of Qatar’s Old Testament Exegetical Works in the Syriac Manuscript Tradition.
Text
| | |
folio break (ms. reference presented in margin) |
| ⸢ ⸣ |
unit of variation of two or more words |
| ⸢⸢ ⸣⸣ |
alternative unit of variation |
| [ ] |
letters which are presently illegible |
| |
equals East Syriac abbreviation marker: |
| |
equals East Syriac mhagyānā—marker of a shwa [ə]: |
| |
equals East Syriac mbaṭlānā—indicator of a silent letter: |
| … |
ellipsis of text |
Apparatus
| Amg |
reading in margin |
| A* |
indicates original reading |
| A1 |
indicates a reading corrected by the scribe of the manuscript |
| AC |
indicates a reading corrected by a later scribe |
Abbreviations for Text Editions and Analysis
| + |
plus |
| add |
additus/ta |
| c. |
cum |
| ca. |
about, approximately |
| cf. |
confer |
| col. |
column |
| cols. |
columns |
| cont. |
continued |
| cs |
common singular |
| d. |
died |
| dit |
per dittographiam |
| ed. |
editor / edition |
| eds. |
editors |
| err |
error |
| esp. |
especially |
| explic |
explicit (here ends) |
| f |
feminine |
| f. |
folio |
| ff. |
folios |
| fl. |
flourished |
| homarc |
per homoearcton |
| imp. |
impression |
| incip |
incipit (here begins) |
| init |
initialis |
| lac |
lacuna |
| leg. |
lege (read!) |
| l.n. |
legi nequit / nequeunt (cannot read) |
| lit. |
literally |
| m |
masculine |
| ms. |
manuscript |
| mss |
manuscripts |
| mg |
in margine |
| n. |
footnote |
| om |
omittit/unt |
| p |
plural |
| p. |
page (of another publication) |
| pp. |
pages (of another publication) |
| pr |
prefaces / inserts before |
| r |
recto |
| r. |
reigned |
| rev. |
revised |
| s |
singular |
| s. |
sine |
| sey |
seyame (plural marker) |
| tr |
transposuit/erunt |
| trans. |
translation |
| v |
verso |
| v. |
verse |
| vv. |
verses |
Conventions
Unless otherwise stated, all citations of the Peshitta version of the Old Testament are taken from The Old Testament in Syriac according to the Peshiṭta Version, 18 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 1966–2019). All citations of the Peshitta New Testament are taken from George Henry Gwilliam and J. Pinkerton (eds.), The New Testament in Syriac (London: British and Foreign Bible Society, 1905–1920) and Barbara Aland and Andreas Juckel (eds.), Das Neue Testament in syrischer Überlieferung, 4 vols. (Berlin / New York, 1986–2002).
With the exception of text analysis, all translated phrases originating from the Peshitta have been italicized, and added words are placed within parentheses. Unless otherwise indicated, all biblical citations are also taken from the Peshitta.
All citations of the Masoretic Text (MT) are taken from K. Elliger and W. Rudolph, et al. (eds.) Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th rev. ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997), and all citations of the Septuagint (LXX) are taken from John William Wevers (ed.), Genesis (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum 1; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1974); A. Rahlfs (ed.), Psalmi cum Odis (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum 10; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1931); Joseph Ziegler (ed.), Ezechiel (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum 16.1; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1952); Robert Hanhart (ed.), Iudith (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum 8.4; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1979).
The abbreviations for the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, Old and New Testament books, and Deuterocanonical books are found in Siegfried M. Schwertner, IATG3 – Internationales Abkürzungsverzeichnis für Theologie und Grenzgebiete: Zeitschriften, Serien, Lexika, Quellenwerke mit bibliographischen Angaben (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014). Other abbreviations, which are specific to this study, include the following: AC = Anonymous Commentary, DGC = Denḥa-Grigor Commentary, and OTP = Peshitta Old Testament.
With a few exceptions, the works of Aḥob and the subsequent East Syriac exegetical tradition are presented in Estrangela script, rather than in East Syriac script.
Shortened footnote references of Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (CSCO) volumes will be cited as follows: author’s last name, shortened title (text) or (trans.), page number(s). Shortened footnote references of CSCO editions or translations that span two volumes will be cited as follows: author’s last name, shortened title (vol. 1) or (vol. 2), page number(s).
Unless otherwise stated, all footnoted line numbers (with respect to text editions) refer to the original language of the text edition, not its translation.
Modern members of Aḥob’s church now refer to their church as the “Church of the East” and to themselves as “Assyrians.” In this study the shorthand “East Syriac” will be used as a simple linguistic label to reference their ancient literature and liturgy. The exception to this approach will be in the discussion of 4th to 7th-century Synods, in a few direct quotations—wherein comparable phraseology, such as “East Syrian,” is employed, and in the titles of various published works.
The epithet “Qaṭraya,” in the name Aḥob Qaṭraya, will be largely presented as “of Qatar,” which is the Anglicized rendering of this name.
Common names and places will be given in their Latinized form. Rarer names and places will be transliterated.