The Palestinan Syriac Lectionary of the Gospels

The work of the remarkable sisters Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson, this lectionary of what is now known as Christian Palestinian Aramaic, was re-edited in the light of two manuscripts from the Sinai, which they recovered, and from Paul de Lagarde’s Evangeliarium Hierosolymitanum. Noting that copies of the Palestinian Syriac Lectionary were already available, Lewis and Gibson believed that the discovery of the Sinai manuscripts would shed new light on the already revered document. Based on the Vatican manuscript discovered by Stephen Evodius and Joseph Assemani, this historic lectionary was initially written in Antioch around 1030. An important document for the textual criticism of the New Testament as well as for the early practice of the church, Lewis and Dunlap added to its value by composing this light “critical edition.” Presented in Syriac with English annotations to the Greek text of the Gospels, this useful study will be welcome by New Testament scholars and Syriac scholars alike.

Agnes Smith Lewis (1843-1926) and Margaret Dunlop Gibson (1843-1920) were truly remarkable scholars. Twin sisters well versed in ancient languages, they traveled intrepidly during “the age of men.” In addition to discovering the Sinaitic Palimpsest, they also translated it for the general public. Between them they had expertise in twelve languages.