Debunking another Trimmism

[Paul Younan]

Shlama Akhi Yuri,

We missed you as well. Welcome back and don't be a stranger.

In any case, what you say above is incorrect, sorry. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s -->

All existing Peshitta manuscripts don't really agree. There are quite a few variations among them, as Pusey/Gwilliam edition's textual apparatus indicates.

Pusey, Phillip E., and Gwilliam, George H., eds., 1901. Tetraeuangelium sanctum juxta simplicem syrorum versionem ad fidem codicum, massorae, editionum denuo recognitum. Oxford: Clarendon.

Akhi - I'd appreciate that if you're going to go through the trouble of quoting me, please do so completely.

If you re-read my statements, I said that "all existing Peshitta manuscripts agree." I did not say that the "Peshitta and Peshitto manuscripts agree."

In fact, I asked Antonio, verbatim:

Do you have any proof of any sort of standardization of variants among the eastern Peshitta textual tradition?

In case you need a "refresher":

Eastern Aramaic text: Peshitta
Western Aramaic text: Peshitto

Again, please, if you're going to try and correct me - then at least quote me accurately.

Your Pusey and Gwilliam edition compares all manuscripts regardless of their origin. It is a universally accepted fact that the eastern Peshitta text is far better preserved than the western Peshitto:

"Following the split in the Syriac Church in the 5th century into Nestorian (East Syrian) and Jacobite (West Syrian) traditions, the textual history of the Peshitta became bifurcated. Because the Nestorian Church was relatively isolated, its manuscripts are considered to be superior..."

I challenge you to find one variant (of any significance) in the eastern Peshitta. That means that you have to compare two eastern manuscripts against each other and find any differences. You will not (except for maybe spelling conventions, scribal errors, etc.)

Now don't you go and compare it to the Peshitto! That won't count! I don't care about, nor do I particularly trust, the Western textual tradition (those manuscripts that originated from Byzantine areas.)