The three surviving versions of the Gospels in Syriac are of considerable importance both for Biblical and for Semitic Studies. The Old Syriac, preserved in two manuscripts, is one of the earliest translations of the Greek Gospels; the Peshiṭta remains to this day the official Bible of the Syriac Churches, while the ḥarklean is a masterpiece of mirror-translation.
This new edition conveniently provides for the first time the text of all three versions together. The texts of the two Old Syriac manuscripts, the Peshiṭta and the ḥarklean are drawn from the best sources and have been carefully aligned so that their inter-relationship can immediately be seen and studied.
The volumes, which include the first edition of the ḥarklean Gospels for some 200 years (prepared by Dr. Andreas Jückel), will prove an invaluable resource for both Biblical and for Semitic scholarship.
All volumes of the print edition will become available in individual e-books: 9789004534100 (volume 1) - 9789004534117 (volume 2) - 9789004534124 (volume 3) - 9789004534131 (volume 4).
George Anton Kiraz holds a master's degree in Syriac Studies (Oxford) and a master's degree in computer speech and language processing (Cambridge). His publications include Computer-Generated Concordance to the Syriac New Testament volumes 1-6 (Brill, Leiden).
'The publication of these four volumes...is one of the great happenings of 1996. Not only the author but also the publisher deserve the gratitude of the scholarly world for this splendid magnum opus. It deserves a place in the libraries of all universities and theological departments and it cannot be missed in the personal libraries of students and scholars who are interested in the areas of Syriac studies and the Syriac versions in particular.'
T. Baarda, Novum Testamentum, 1997.
ââ¦monumental workâ¦it has a significance that far outstrips this humble designationâ¦a major contribution to biblical scholarshipâ¦.
David G.K. Taylor, Journal of Theological Studies, 2001.
Academic and theological libraries; scholars and students concerned with Biblical and Semitic studies; clergy and educated laity of the Syriac Churches.