The twin sisters Agnes Lewis (1843-1926) and Margaret Gibson (1843-1920) were pioneering biblical scholars who became experts in a number of ancient languages. Travelling widely in the Middle East, they made several significant discoveries, including one of the earliest manuscripts of the four gospels in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language probably spoken by Jesus himself. Originally published in the Horae Semitica series, this fascicule is a collection of palimpsest fragments acquired and translated by Agnes Lewis. Discovered in Sinai and dating from the sixth to eighth centuries, the documents include parts of the four gospels and the epistles. Most important of the texts are an Aramaic lectionary on the gospels and a number of homilies including unique stories from the lives of Jesus and the apostles. Originally published in 1909 and featuring translations of the Aramaic texts, this is a vital resource for the biblical scholar.

Table of Contents

Preface; Introduction; Bibliography; Notes on the transcription; List of abbreviations; Index of scripture passages; 1. Climacus V. Fragments of Greek gospels; 2. Climacus VI (ff. 26, 27). Psalm CXL; 3. Climacus I. Gospel texts; 4. Climacus II. Texts from the Acts and Epistles; 5. Climacus III. Texts from a lectionary; 6. Climacus IV. Fragment of an apostolic myth. Fragment of a homily.