A Translation of the Four Gospels (Classic Reprint): From the Syriac of the Sinaitic Palimpsest - Couverture souple

Agnes Smith Lewis

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1451004664 ISBN 13 : 9781451004663

Editeur : Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

A rare Syriac gospel text surfaces from a storied Sinai monastery, revealing an early witness to the gospels. This edition recounts how the manuscript was found, how it relates to other Syriac versions, and what the pages show about ancient script and worship in a desert setting. It offers readers a window into the careful work of editors who restored and compared the text to understand its place in early Christian transmission.

This book documents the discovery at the Monastery of St. Katharine on Mount Sinai, where a palimpsest was uncovered and later deciphered by a team of scholars. It explains how the Syriac text sits alongside Curetonian and other versions, highlighting its significance for textual revision and history.

A close look at the manuscript itself describes its two-column layout, marginal writing, and the faint, parchment pages that bear the Evangelium titles. The narrative also covers the careful restoration work, photography, and collaboration that brought this early gospel text to light.

• The story of its discovery and how it was transcribed over multiple expeditions.


• How the Syriac text compares to other ancient versions and what that means for interpretation.


• What the physical manuscript reveals about writing, layout, and palimpsest techniques.


• The process and people behind its publication, including editorial decisions and scholarship.

Ideal for readers interested in early Christian texts, manuscript history, and the science of textual restoration.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Moses watering sheep at the well of Jethro; of the rock which gushed with water at the touch of his rod; of the burning bush which flamed on a spot now covered by the apse of the convent church; and of the cave, a thousand feet higher, where Elijah was fed by ravens, and where he heard the still small voice. Several other monasteries flourished in the rocky valleys of that wonderful block of pink granite mountains, of which the lower part is called Horeb, and the upper part Sinai; and numberless are the caves of hermits, chiefly Egyptian, who in those early days burrowed like rabbits amongst the sandstone or limestone cliffs of the desert peninsula. The convent of St. Katharine was in the sixth century turned into a fortress by Justinian, who surrounded it with a massive wall; and we may well imagine that as the smaller convents fell into decay, or were threatened by turbulent or fanatic Bedawiri, not only their monks but their manuscripts were transferred to it as to a place of safety. This may account for the wealth of literary treasures which have been accumulated within these ancient walls, where indeed there is little accommodation for their due keeping. The Greek MSS. catalogued by Gardhausen are about 1223 in number; the A rabic MSS., according to the list published by my sister, Mrs. Gibson, number about 629; the Syriac MSS. 267; and the Iberian MSS. perhaps 100. Some of these are neatly arranged on book-shelves, but the greater part are stored in chests, and are therefore inaccessible to any traveller who cannot make his wants known to the monks, and inspire them with confidence in his own integrity.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Seri

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Forgotten Books
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1451004664
• ISBN 13: 9781451004663
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 279
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Copytech (UK) Ltd, Trading as Printondemand-worldwide.com; gpsr@podww.com; ; 9 Culley Court; Orton Southgate; Peterborough; Cambridgeshire; PE2 6WA; Royaume-Uni
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