03-08-2014, 05:05 AM
I think of the Peshitta as a textual family composed of distinct Eastern (Peshitta) and Western (Peshitto) manuscripts. As far as I can tell, the Peshitto only has two theologically motivated changes (Acts 20:28 and Hebrew 2:9) and the rest of them are not very big. Even the theological changes should not, in my opinion, be seen as heretical. Anyway, the Western Peshitto seems to be the most popular with scholars. It doesn't really make sense why, as the Eastern Peshitta is clearly the older of the two.
The Old Syriac Curetonian and Sinaitic, which is viewed as so much better textually than the Peshitta, is of so much lower quality. The Sinaitic Palimpsest didn't seem very important to the monks that threw it in the dump. I don't see how they can be so certain that they are older than the Peshitta with only one manuscript of each set of Gospels.
The Old Syriac Curetonian and Sinaitic, which is viewed as so much better textually than the Peshitta, is of so much lower quality. The Sinaitic Palimpsest didn't seem very important to the monks that threw it in the dump. I don't see how they can be so certain that they are older than the Peshitta with only one manuscript of each set of Gospels.