Syriac Sinaiticus

The Syriac Sinaiticus or Codex Sinaiticus Syriacus, known also as the Sinaitic Palimpsest, of Saint Catherine's Monastery, or Old Syriac Gospels is a late-4th- or early-5th-century manuscript of 179 folios, containing a nearly complete translation of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament into Syriac, which have been overwritten by a vita of female saints and martyrs with a date corresponding to AD 697. This palimpsest is the oldest copy of the Gospels in Syriac, one of two surviving manuscripts that are conventionally dated to before the Peshitta, the standard Syriac translation.

Text

Both the Syriac Sinaiticus and the Curetonian Gospels known as the Old Syriac version contain similar renderings of the Gospel text; its conformity with the Greek and the Latin has been debated. Additional passages of the Old Syriac version were discovered among the New Finds of Saint Catherine's Monastery. Even so, syr^s retains some readings from even earlier lost Syriac Gospels and from the 2nd-century Septuagint manuscripts, which brought the four Gospels into harmony with one another through selective readings and emendations.
It had been ascertained that the Diatessaron, or Harmony of the Four Gospels, composed by Tatian in the second century, had to be supplanted in the Syrian churches. There was a promulgation by Bishop Rabbula of Edessa in between AD 411 and 435, that four separate Gospels come into being in use in Syriac churches.
The importance of such early, least conforming texts is emphasized by the revision of the Peshitta that was made about 508, ordered by bishop Philoxenus of Mabbog. His revision, it is said, skilfully moved the Peshitta nearer to the Greek text; "it is very remarkable that his own frequent Gospel quotations preserved in his writings show that he used an Old Syriac set of the four Gospels".

History

The palimpsest was identified in the library at Saint Catherine's Monastery in February 1892 by Agnes Smith Lewis, who returned with a team of scholars in 1893 that included J. Rendel Harris, F. C. Burkitt, and L. Bensly to photograph and transcribe the work in its entirety. It is still kept by the Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
The German theologian Adalbert Merx devoted much of his later research to the elucidation of the Sinaitic Palimpsest, the results being embodied in Die vier kanonischen Evangelien nach dem ältesten bekannten Texte.
The Sinaitic Palimpsest immediately became a central document in tracing the history of the New Testament. The palimpsest's importance lies especially in making the Greek New Testament manuscripts understandable to Aramaic speaking communities during that period.

Notable readings

The palimpsest lacks the last 12 verses of Mark, Christ's agony, the Pericope Adulteræ, and the reconciliation of Pilate with Herod.
In, it contains "Joseph, to whom was betrothed Mary the Virgin, begat Jesus, who is called the Christ"
In, it contains a singular reading reflecting the Greek ὕπαγε ὀπίσω σου.
is omitted, as in א*, B, L, Γ, 1009, ℓ 12, ff¹, k, syr^c, cop^sa.
In, it reflects πτωμα with א B C D L Θ f¹ f¹³ 33 565 700 892 1241 1424 e k ℓ 844 ℓ 2211 syr^{c, p} cop^bo
In, it reflects της ζυμης with D, Θ, f¹³, 565, a, b, ff²
is omitted, as in ?¹⁰⁴, D, 33, it^a.b.d.e, ff¹, ff², r¹, Irenaeus^lat, Origen, Eusebius
In, text reflecting Ιερεμιου is omitted, as in Φ 33 it^a it^b syr^p cop^bo
In, it reflects Ἰησοῦν τὸν Βαραββᾶν with Θ f¹ 700* arm geo²
In, the phrase when Abiathar was high priest is omitted, as in D, W, 1009, 1546, it^{a.b.d.e.ff².i.r¹.t}
In, the phrase the Pharisees came is omitted, as in D, it^a.b.d.k.r¹,
In, the phrase and be joined to his wife is omitted, as in א, B, Ψ, 892*, 2427, ℓ 48, goth.
In, it reflects ἀνοίξας with A, B, L, W, Ξ, 33, 579, 892, 1195, 1241, ℓ 547, syr^{h, pal}, cop^{sa, bo}
In, it reflects ἐκλελεγμένος with ?⁴⁵ ?⁷⁵ א B L Ξ 892 1241 it^a.aur.ff².l vgst cop^mss
In, the phrase you are worried and being troubled about many things, but only one thing is needed is omitted, as in it^{a.b.d.e.ff².i.l.r¹} Ambrose
In, the phrase And Jesus said: Father forgive them, they know not what they do is omitted, agreeing with ?⁷⁵, א¹, B, D*, W, Θ, 0124, 1241, a, Bezae^lat, cop^sa, cop^bo.
is omitted, as in D it^{a.b.d.e.ff².l.r¹}, syr^cur
In, the phrase after worshiping him is omitted, as in D it^{a.b.d.e.ff².geo².l}
In, it reflects εὐλογοῦντες with ?⁷⁵ א B C* L
In, it reflects ὁ ἐκλεκτός with ?⁵ ?¹⁰⁶^vid א* it^{b.e.ff^2*} syr^cur
In, the phrase the Lord having given thanks is omitted, as in D 091 it^a.e syr^cur
In, the phrase and his mother is omitted, as in א* W it^b syr^cur
In, it contains a singular reading reflecting the Greek θεον πατερα.
In, it reflects ὁ πιστεύων εις θεον ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον in agreement only with syr^cur.
In, it reflects του εμου ἄρτου with א it^a.e.r¹
In, the text who they are who are not believing, and is omitted, as in ?^66* it^e syr^cur
In, the phrase the chief priests and the Pharisees is omitted, as in 118 it^b.e
In, text reflecting πατήρ is omitted, as in א* D 1655* it^d syr^cur
In, the phrase our father is omitted, as in D W it^{a.b.c.d.e.ff².j.l} cop^pbo
In, the phrase had been blind and had received sight is omitted, as in ?^66* f¹ 565 it^mss cop^bo
In, it reflects υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου with ?⁶⁶ ?⁷⁵ א B D W cop^mss
In, the phrase and the life is omitted, as in ?⁴⁵ it^l Diatessaron^syr Cyprian
In, the phrase the sister of the deceased is omitted, as in Θ it^{aur.b.c.e.ff².l} ac²
In, the phrase of that year is omitted, as in ?⁴⁵ it^e
is omitted, as in D it^d
In, the phrase If God has been glorified in him is omitted, as in ?⁶⁶ א* B C* D L W X 579 it vg^mss syr^h ac² mf co^{bo^mss}
In, the phrase And he said to his disciples starts the passage, as in D it^a.aur.c
is omitted, as in X Λ* 0141 f¹ 565 it^b vg^ms arm
is omitted.
In, the phrase I came forth from the Father is omitted, as in D W it^b.d.ff² ac² cop^pbo
In, the phrase just as I am not of the world is omitted, as in ?^66* D f¹³ it^b.c.d.e.r¹
In, the phrase the one betraying him is omitted, as in ?^{66*^vid}
In, the verse order is 13, 24, 14–15, 19–23, 16–18
In, the text reads from the opening of the tomb with א W f¹ 22 565 579 it^d.f.r¹ vg^ms cop^bo cop^pbo
contains an interpolation : Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking? This reading is supported by A* D 579 1424
contains a singular reading : And after eight days, on the first day of the Sabbath
In, the passage concludes with yet, they knew not as with ?⁶⁶ א L Ψ 33 844 lat
In, it reflects ευχαριστησας εδωκεν αὐτοῖς as with D it^f.r¹ vg^mss