A very interesting group of Syriac manuscripts is found in the collections of Syriac MS. Lectionaries which have descended to us. That the number of them is large may be inferred from the fact that thirty-five may be found in the British Museum alone (Catalogue, i. pp. 146-203).
Syriac Lectionaries are of two classes, (i) those according to the Greek Use, and (ii) those according to the native Syriac Use. The former, or Malkite Lectionaries, may be dismissed from the present enquiry. They are only Greek works in a Syriac dress, and their value is historical rather than critical452.
The true Syriac Lectionaries, whether Jacobite or Nestorian, follow as to their main features the Greek Lectionaries which have been described in our first volume, coming under two main classes, Evangelistaries and Apostolos453. But they present one important contrast. In both families of Syriac descent, the Ecclesiastical year begins with Advent, and not, as in Greek Lectionaries, with Easter; and in general the arrangement is similar in both, so that the system must at least be of considerably greater antiquity than the days of the schism. In some of the Jacobite copies the text of the Harkleian revision has been substituted for the ancient Peshitto. Some include Lessons from the Old Testament. Some contain a Menology. In a few instances the Lessons for special festivals form a separate volume.
The majority of the Syriac MS. Lectionaries are comparatively late, but others possess an antiquity which, in the case of some MSS., would be considered remarkable. The British Museum copies, Add. 14,485 and 14,486, are each dated a. gr. 1135 = a.d. 824. Others must be referred to the same century. Add. 14,528, foll. 152-228 (an Index), and the leaf in Add. 17,217, appear to be three centuries older. Another sixth century MS., Add. 14,455 (the Four Gospels), contains many Rubrics, a pr. m. in the text, besides those in the margins by later hands, such as occur in MSS. of all ages. When to these facts we add the consideration already mentioned, that the same system was in use in [pg 414] both branches of the Syrian Church, we see the importance of the testimony of works of this class. They are very ancient ecclesiastical records from the unchangeable East. Like Greek Lectionaries, they are difficult to use, because of their arrangement of Lessons in the succession ordered by the calendar: they are of course public documents, and in consequence possess an importance above that of copies which were in many cases the property of private persons, and may have been carelessly and cheaply prepared. Yet it would not be right to claim for copies of a version a position quite as important as that held by the Greek service-books, since the evidence of versions, as well as of quotations in ancient writers, is only subsidiary. Nevertheless, in the fact that the number of ancient Greek copies of the New Testament is relatively small as compared with the early copies of the Peshitto version, we are warned not to underrate Syriac Lectionaries, though they are of less value for the Syriac, on account of the large number of very ancient and well-written copies which have come down to us, such as those which have been enumerated in our account of the materials for ascertaining the text of the Peshitto.
Cairo 1 [1184] attributed and possible date, fol., chart., ff. 290, 27 × 18·6 (23), κεφ., Copt. Gr., Am., Eus., pict. Evann., Copt., restored under patronage of Athanasius, Bp. of Abutij, 1794, whose statement gives date 900 of the martyrs. Dedication to monastery of St. Antony in the eastern desert; now in the library of the Patriarch in Cairo, numbered 12 and 14.
Cairo 2 [1291], fol., chart., ff. 409, 26·9 × 18 (24, 25), κεφ., Copt. Gr., Am., Eus., pict. (pictures of SS. Mark, Luke, and John). Evann. Copt. Arab. Written by Deacon Barsuma, mended by Michael of Akhmîm, monk of monastery of Siryani (Nitrian), under patronage of Cyril, 112th Patriarch, 1878. Dedication to monastery of St. Barsuma, called Al Shahrân, 1329; now in the library of the Patriarch in Cairo, numbered 12 and 14. Quires numbered in Syriac. Same text as Paris 15.
[pg 415]Cairo 3 [xviii], fol., chart., ff. 342, 22·8 × 13 (29), Carp. and Eus. t. at end of St. Mark, proll., κεφ. t., κεφ., Copt. Gr., Am., Eus., pict. Evann. Copt. Arab. Written by Michael Pilatos, who gives his name in the duplicate book at Alexandria, and who wrote the Epistles and Acts below in 1714. In the library of the Patriarch in Cairo. Text same as Curzon 126.
Cairo 4 [1327], fol., chart., ff. 395, 27·5 × 17·8 (27), κεφ., Copt., Am., Eus., pict. Evann. Copt. Written by Thomas. Dedication to the Church of St. Mercurius in old Cairo, where it now rests. Text of St. Matt. is same as Brit. Mus. 3381.
Cairo 5 [1257], fol., chart., ff. 382, 26·4 × 19 (25), prol. St. Luke, Capp. Copt. Am., Eus., pict., mut. Evann. Copt. Arab. Mut. St. Matt. i-iv. 5, St. Mark i. 1-7, St. John i. 1-21; a few leaves restored. Written by monk and priest Gabriel, who wrote in the house of Ibn ´Assâl; now in the Church of Al Moallaqah in old Cairo. Text similar to manuscript of Göttingen.
Cairo 6 [1272], fol., chart., ff. 328, 24·9 × 17 and 25·7 × 18. Epilogue to St. Matt. Κεφ., Copt., Am., Eus., pict., mut. Evann. Copt. St. Matt. by more recent writer. SS. Mark, Luke, and John written by original scribe, Simon Ibn Abu Nasr. Text of St. Matt. similar to Bodl. vii. In the Patriarchal Library in Cairo.
Cairo 7 [xiv], 4to, St. Luke, restored under Bp. Athanasius of Abutij. Text unimportant.
Besides several which are too late to have any critical importance.
Apocalypse.
1. [xix], folio.
Alexandria 1 [xviii], fol., paper, duplicate of Cairo 3, by same writer. Evann.
2. [xix], SS. Matt. and Mark.
3. [1861], St. John, Copt.
Dayr al Moharraq, nr. Manfalût on the Nile (station and telegraph Nasâli Gânûb).
1. [1345], fol., chart., 22·5 × 14·2 (27), Carp. at end. Mut., but fairly perfect, pict., and richly glossed. Text unimportant. Evann. Copt. Arab.
St. Paul, Cath., Acts.
1. [xii?], probably of same date as Evann., Cairo 1, fol., chart., ff. 432, 25·6 × 18·2 (24), κεφ., Copt. Gr. Thess., Heb., Tim., pict., Copt.: restored Rom. and 1 Cor. i-xvi. 12, copious glosses in Arabic.
2. [xiv], fol., chart., 26 × 18·5 (25), κεφ., Copt. Gr., pict. Philemon, Hebr., Copt.
(Where the page is given alone, the reference is to the first volume. n indicates note.)