A Syriac lectionary of the Syriac Orthodox Church containing lessons from the Four Apostles. The manuscript begins with fragments of the tables of contents (ff. 2-5) before proceeding to the main text on f. 8. The various Gospels are not separated, but sections are given according to the readings for various parts of the Church calendar. The text is illuminated throughout, with occasional banners or headers of interlaced, multicoloured patterns. Some folios contain Syriac page numbers enclosed in illuminated medallions of various shapes. This copy is heavily illustrated with the following images: a fragment of portraits of saints (f. 1); portraits of the Four Apostles (ff. 6-7); an illustration of the Holy Church (f. 8r); the offering of a ram (f. 11v); the Annunciation (f. 15r); Zachariah and the Three Magi (f. 17v); Joseph (f. 19v); the birth of Christ (f. 21r); Mary and Jesus (f. 23r); Jesus, Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt (f. 25r); Saul (f. 26r); unidentified fragment (f. 30r); John the Baptist (f. 34v); Simeon (f. 56v); entry of Jesus to the Temple (f. 57r); the miracle of turning water into wine (f. 67r); Jesus and the Centurion (f. 82r); Jesus resurrecting a young girl (f. 83r); woman kissing Jesus'' feet (f. 83v); Jesus and a blind man (f. 98r); Jesus and Bar Hode (f. 100r); Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee (f. 106r); Jesus with mourners (f. 110v); Jesus'' arrival in Jerusalem (f. 115r); Jesus in John''s House of Baptism (f. 133r); Jesus with the man who did not sin again (f. 134r); Jesus washing the feet of the disciples (f. 139r); the Last Supper (f. 139v); Jesus giving wine to his disciples (f. 141r); Jesus seized by Roman soldiers (f. 143v); Jesus before the Rabbi (f. 145r); the apostasy of Simeon (f. 146v); Jesus on the Cross (f. 151r); Jesus taken down from the Cross (f. 154v); Jesus in his burial shroud (f. 155r); Jesus resurrecting Adam (f. 156v); arrival of Mary Magdalene to the tomb (f. 160r); Jesus with Amos (f. 163v); Jesus amongst his Apostles (f. 177v); Jesus'' ascension to heaven (f. 188r); Jesus speaking with his Disciples (f. 197r); Pentecost (f. 197v); Paul in Ephesus (f. 199r); Jesus answering his Disciples'' questions (f. 225r); the Transfiguration (f. 225v); the burial of Mary (f. 231r); Constantine (?) the Wise King (f. 244v). The following creation statement is found on f. 196r:. ܐܬܟܬܒ ܘܐܬܬܡ ܐܘܢܓܠܝܘܢ ܗܢܐ ܩ̈ܕ ܒܝܘ̈ܡܝܐ ܒܗܬܐ ܩ̄ܕ ܡܪܝ ܝܚܢܢ ܦܛܪܝܪܟܐ ܕܟܠܗ ܥܡܪܬܐ ܘܡܪܝ ܐܝܓܢܛܝܘܣ ܩܬܘܠܝܩܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ؛ ܢܡܬܘܚ ܡܪܝܐ ܚܝܝܗܘܢ. In the absence of a colophon, and given the above statement that the manuscript was completed during the time of the Patriarch John and the Catholicos of the Church of the East Ignatius, the work has been dated between 1216 and 1220. It was likely produced in Syria. Some folios are fragmentary and contain only partial text. Several texts have been replaced by later additions explaining the missing passages, often in serṭā script.
Syriac Lectionary.
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Add MS 7170
- Dates of Creation
- 1216-1220
- Language of Material
- Syriac
- Physical Description
- 1 text 265 ff Materials : Velum. Dimensions : 470 mm x 370 mm x 100 mm. Foliation : Western, occasional Syriac foliation, 264 ff. Ruling : No text boxes, text organized in two columns of approximately 340 mm x 100 mm containing 22 lines. Script : Estrangelā, with some annotations and marginalia in Serṭā. Ink : Main text in black ink with catchwords and some titles in red ink, other titles in gold outlined in red, with gold used for important passages (cf. the Nativity); illuminations and illustrations in red, black, blue, green, purple, yellow, pink, white and gold. Binding : 19th century Western European leather binding.
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Formerly Or.1.g.28.k
Access Information
Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 1871.
Bibliography
Manuscript described in :. Forshall, Josiah and Friedrich Rosen, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum orientalium qui in Museo Britannico asservantur (London : Impensis Curatorum Musei Britannici, 1838), pp. 37-42. The manuscript is listed as item XXVI according to Forshall and Rosen. Images and descriptions of the manuscript are included in :. McKendrick, Scot and Kathleen Doyle, The Art of the Bible: Illuminated manuscripts from the medieval World (London: Thames and Hudson in association with the British Library, 2016). Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every people under heaven, edited by Barbara Drake Boehm and Melanie Holcomb (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016).