Is this a shock or what?

[judge]

It is a great quote Andrew, and probably not suprising, as, as Paul has pointed out on this forum, this (that the peshitta was that early) was the general view about the peshitta prior to F.C. Burkitt coming up with the idea that the peshitta was the work of Rabbula.
For the reasons that Wescott points out, it would have been very strange to place the peshitta so late, so it was vaguely placed quite early (but not too early, as this would have too much ;-) )

Again, we see why Aphrahat (and works like the odes of Solomon), hold the key here.
These works quote the peshitta, making the peshitta the earliest quoted "Syriac" version of the NT.