Diatessaron - Arabic and Persian versions

دياطاسارون

δια τεσσαρον

The Arabic version of the Gospel Harmony called the Diatessaron ("Out of Four") of Tatian the Syrian (d. late 2nd cent CE).

Stephen Lambden  Ohio University- UCMerced

^{Under correction and supplementation 2016 -LAST REVISED 05-05-2016.}
 
The  Arabic Translation of the Diatessaron, a Gospel Harmony originally composed around 172 CE.

"In the history of the [New Testament] versions, as well as in the early phase of textual developments of the New Testament as a whole, there is no greater and more important name than Tatian" - Arthur Vööbus, Early Versions of the New Testament (1954).

"Isho'dad [ of Merv 9th cent CE] himself, who, in his Preface to the Gospel of Mark, says: "Tatian, disciple of Justin, the philosopher and martyr, selected from the four gospels, and combined and composed a gospel, and called it Diatessaron, i.e., the Combined, ... and upon this gospel Mar Ephraem [ d.373 CE ] commented".

"As one of the earliest witnesses to the text of the Gospels (it is rivaled only by the quotations of Justin, Marcion, and Clement), it occupies a preeminent position in NT textual studies. Employing the four canonical Gospels and, perhaps, one or more extracanonical sources, Tatian wove a single, continuous narrative. He omitted doublets, harmonized discrepancies, and “corrected” omissions found in his source gospels. Although some scholars have seen Tatian’s theology as the impetus for creating a harmony (so both Elze 1960 and Baarda 1969), the idea was patently “in the air,” for we know that Justin used a gospel harmony (Bellinzoni 1967: 140), and that gospel harmonies or synopses were created by Ammonius of Alexandria (Eus., Ep. ad Carp.) and Theophilus of Antioch (Jerome, Ep. ad Algasiam). Practical advantages must also be considered: a harmony would have—perforce—a unified point of view and, thus, been ideal for evangelization; as a compact epitome it would have been easier to transport and cheaper to copy than the separate Gospels." From Peterson art. 'Diatessaron' in Freedman, David Noel ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York : Doubleday, 1996, c1992, S. 2:189.

Some useful textual and bibliographical materials can be found here :

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatessaron.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatian

• http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/germ/ahd/tatian/tatia.htm

• `The Arabic Diatessaron Project: Digitalizing, Encoding, Lemmatization' Giuliano Lancioni, N. Peter Joosse : https://www.jrmdc.com/journal/article/view/77

Tatian was a pupil of Justyn Martyr in Rome. His originally Greek or Syriac (?) Gospel Harmony was called the Diatessaron ("Compendium," lit. "Through Four") and dates to about  172 [5] CE.  Often considered the oldest of the New Testament versions, the Diatessaron was widely used and revered among eastern Christians in Late Antiquity. It was apparently the preferred Gospel text of the orthodox Christians of Edessa.  It was on Tatian's Diatessaron that Ephraem the Syrian (306-373 CE) or a member of his `school' wrote an important  Commentary which is still extant in Syriac  (Ms. Chester Beatty 709) and  a few Armenian manuscripts.

Note on Tatian and his writings

Tatian,

• Oratio ad Graecos, ed. E. Schwartz, TU 4. 1, Leipzig 1888.
• Oratio ad Graecos, ed. J. C. Th. Otto, CACSS 6,  lenae 1851+ Rep. Wiesbaden 1969.

See  I. Kannengiesser,

• ` The Greek Apologists, Tatian the Syrian' in Handbook of Patristic Exegesis Vol.1 (Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2004) pp. 439-444.

Pusey, Ph. E., and Gwilliam, G. H., (ed.),

• Tetraevangelium sanctum iuxta simplicem Syrorum ver sianem, Oxford 1901.

The Qur'anic Injil

 The references in the Qur'an to an انجيل  Injīl ("Gospel") (an Arabic singular and not a plural suggestive of multiple Gospels) revealed to Jesus and in the possession of 7th century Christians, has been understood by a few scholars to indicate or allude to the Diatessaron of Tatian. A few  Islamicists and Biblical or Semitic scholars have associated the Greek- Syriac [lost (proto-) Arabic?] Diatessaron with the Injil (Gospel[s]) of the Qur'ān... 

THE ARABIC VERSIONS.

The Arabic version of the Diatesssaron (Greek: “From Four,” or “Out of Four”), is a New Testament Gospel Harmony going back to the Christian apologist and ultimately encratitic ascetic Tatian (d. c. 173 CE). The Arabic translation  is extant in around seven mss. dating from the 11th/12th  centuries CE until  the 19th century. There may well be earlier lost Arabic translations of the Diatessaron...

Abu'l-Faraj `Abd-Allāh al-Iraqi  or Ibn al-Ṭayyib (d. 435/1043)

Physician, philosopher, theologian. biblical commentator, Nestorian monk and secretary of the katholikos Elias I. He belonged to the philosophical school of Baghdad founded by Abu Bishr Matta ibn Yunus (d. 328/940) and Yahya  ibn `Adi (d. 363/974).

The diatessaron was perhaps ( re-?) translated from the Syriac into Arabic by the Nestorian monk Abu'l-Faraj `Abd-Allāh al-Iraqi  or Ibn al-Ṭayyib (d.435/1043). His translation is known as Firdaws al-Naṣrāniyya ("The Christian Paradise") -- there also exists his  Fiqh al-Naṣrāniyya ("The Christian Jurisprudence")... Refer the  J. Vernet entry `Ibn al-Ṭayyib...' in EI² vol. III: 955, which reads as follows:

" Nestorian monk, physician, philosopher and theologian known in mediaeval Europe under the name of Abulpharagius Abdalla Benattibus. He studied and worked at the `Aḍudī hospital of Baghdad, was the secretary of the katholikos Elias I, and died in 435/1043. The physicians Ibn Buṭlān, `Alī b. `Īsā and Abu 'l-Ḥusayn al-Baṣrī were his pupils. An inventory of his works of Christian exegesis has been made by Graf: there may be mentioned especially the Firdaws al-Naṣrāniyya, the Arabic translation of the Diatessaron of Tatian, and the Fikh al-Naṣrāniyya (ed. W. Hoenerbach and O. Spies, Louvain 1956). In philosophy he wrote several commentaries on works of Aristotle, on the Isagoge of Porphyry [see FURFŪRIYŪS] (the text mentioned by Brockelmann I, 233 Logic no. 4 is to be attributed to Ibn al-Tayyib and not to al-Fārābī; cf. S. M. Stern, in BSOAS, xix (1957), 419-25). He wrote a commentary on the Tabula Cebetis  of Ibn Miskawayh [q.v.]. In medicine he wrote abridgements of Hippocrates, Aristotle and Galen."  Bibliography: Ibn al-Kifti, ed. J. Lippert, 233 al-Bayhaki, Tatimma, ed. M. Shafi, Lahore 1935, 27 Barhebraeus, Mukhtasar, ed. Salhani, Beirut 1890, 330 Ibn Abi Usaybi`a, Beirut 1377/1957, i, 241 Brockelmann, I, 635, S I, 884 G. Sarton, Introduction to the history of science, i, Baltimore 1927, 730 G. Graf, Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Litteratur, ii, 160-76 F. Wüstenfeld, Geschichte der arabischen Aerzte, Göttingen 1840, 132, 78 Leclerc, Histoire de la medecine arabe, Paris 1876, i, 486-8.  (J. Vernet) Extract from the Encyclopaedia of Islam  2nd ed. Leiden: Brill.

For a useful, up to date discussion of the authorship of the Arabic diatessaron see Joosse 1997 VI pp. 38-44. Manuscripts or fragments of the Diatessaron of Tatian and closely related texts existed in a variety of languages, including Syriac, Greek, Arabic, Parthian, Persian, Armenian, Coptic, Georgian, Latin and  Old High German (for some details see Petersen, 1994: Appendix 1). The Arabic and Persian renderings are among the more ancient and important. Modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament include occasional variant readings indicated in the Arabic diatessaron (=T A ). Tatian composed his Gospel harmony from antecedent or pre-canonical forms of the New Testament Gospels (Petersen, 1994:1). Arthur Voobus opens his Early Versions of the New Testament as follows:

"In the history of the versions, as well as the early phase of textual developments of the New Testament as a whole, there is no greater and more important name than Tatian. This is not an overstatement" ( PETSE 6, Stockholm, 1964).

Much valuable information on Ibn al-Tayyib and his writings can be found in Ch.2 of Cleophea Ferrari

• Der Kategorienkommentar von Abu'l-Farag `Abdallah Ibn at-Tayyib. Texte und Untersuchungen Leiden: E. J. Brill, (Aristoteles Semitico-Latinus 19), 2006.

دياطاسارون الذي جمعه طظيانوس من الميشرين الأربعة

The Arabic Diatessaron of Tatian (c. 120-173 CE).

The  Arabic translation (from the Greek or Syriac?) of the Diatesssaron (c. 170s CE?) of Tatian (d.  173 CE) by the Nestorian Christian physician, philosopher and commentator on the Greek  classics, `Abu'l-Faraj `Abd-Allāh al-Iraqī =  Ibn al-Ṭayyib (d. 435/1043). See EI² vol. III: 955. For details of the mss. of the Arabic diatessaron see Graf, GAL 1: 150-5 No. 34.3; Peterson 1994:448-451. Major mss. include:

• Cairo Coptic Patriarchate Ms. 67.
• Oxford Bodleian Arab e 163   1806
• Aleppo Paul Sbath No. 1020   1791
• Beirut  Jesuit Library No. 429   1332
• Rome Vatican Arab 14 XII/XIII.
• Rome Vatican Arab Borg. arab. 250 XIV

Details from Petersen, 1994: 449: "Beirut Fragments" : EDITIONS (text and German translation):

Ģ. Graf, pp. 63-71, in S. Euringer, Die Überlieferung der Arabischen Ubersetzung des Diatessarons. These Fragments were not used by Marmardji in his edition.

• Aleppo Paul Sbath No. 1280 XVIII

CATALOGUE:
P. Sbath,

• Bibliothèque de Manuscrits, Vol. 3 (Le Caire 1934), 92: "le Diatessaron . .. 376 pages . . . XVIII siècle."

Plus 5 other manuscripts in private hands, locations and ages unknown.

REFERENCE:
G. Graf,

• Geschichte der christlichen Arabischen Literatur, Vol. I, StT 118 (Città del Vaticano 1944), 154.

CATALOGUE OF MANUSCRIPTS AND RELATED WORKS 

From Peterson 1994: 449-451

^{"ON THE ARABIC VERSION OF THE GOSPELS IN GENERAL:}

The following manuscripts of Arabic Gospels were identified by Peters:

Peters, C.

• Das Diatessaron Tatians, OrChrA 123 (Roma 1939), 48-62;

• "Proben eines bedeutsamen arabischen Evangelientextes," OrChr 33 [III.ll] (1936), 188-211.

Baumstark, Α.

• "Das Problem eines vorislamischen chrisüich-kirchlichen Schrifttums _in arabischer Sprache," Islamica 5 (1931), 562-575;

• "Arabische Ubersetzung eines altsyrischen Evangelientextes," in OrChr 31 [= ΙΙΙ.9] (1934), 165-188;

Berlin Staatsbibliothek Or. oct. 1108 —

В. Levin,

• Die griechisch-arabische Evangelien-Übersetzung. Vat. Borg. ar. 95 und Ber. orient, oct. 1108 (Uppsala 1938).

• Rome Vatican Arab. 13 — Rome Vatican Arab. 17 —
• Rome Vatican Arab. 18 — Rome Vatican Arab. 467 —
• St. Petersburg Asiatic Museum D 226 —

W. Heffening, and C. Peters,

• "Spuren des Diatessaron in liturgischer Überlieferung. Ein türkischer und ein Karsuni-Text," OrChr32 [= III. 10] (1935), 232, "speaks of the text of both this MS and Berlin Or. oct. 1108 as strongly permeated with Tatianisms." (Petersen 1994:451)

Leipzig Universitätsbib. MS 1059A — CATALOGUE:

• Katalog der Handschriften der Universitäts-Bibliothek zu Leipzig. II. Katalog der Islamischen, Christlich-Orientalischen, Jüdischen und Samaritanischen Handschriften, ed. K. Vollers (Leipzig 1906), 373-74. "the MS is also catalogued as "Codex Tischendorf 31"; it consists of 2 folios containing fragments of Matthew." (Petersen, 1994:450)

Leiden mss. :

• Leiden Universiteitsbib. 2376 1179 + Leiden Universiteitsbib. 2377 1331 -'
• Leiden Universiteitsbib. 2378 1511

CATALOGUE:
These three Leiden MSS (2376, 2377, 2378) are found, respectively, in the Catalogus Codicum Orientalium Bibliothecae Academiae Lugduno-Batavae, Vol. 5, ed. M.J. de Goeje (Lugduni 1873), 81-82, 82, 82-83.

Oxford Bodleian Arab, christ.

• Nicoll 15 (299)

• Rome Vatican Borg. arab. 71 —

• Rome Vatican Borg. arab. 95 —

Berlin Staatsbibliothek  Or. oct. 1108

STUDIES:
В. Levin,

• Die griechisch-arabische Evangelien-Übersetzung. Vat. Borg. ar. 95 und Ber. orient, oct. 1108 (Uppsala 1938).

[Rome]

Rome Vatican Arab. 13 — Rome Vatican Arab. 17 —

Rome Vatican Arab. 18 — Rome Vatican Arab. 467 —

St. Petersburg Asiatic Museum D 226 —

STUDIES:
W. Heffening, and C. Peters,

• "Spuren des Diatessaron in liturgischer Überlieferung. Ein türkischer und ein Karsuni-Text," OrChr32 [= III. 10] (1935), 232, "speaks of the text of both this MS and Berlin Or. oct. 1108 as strongly permeated with Tatianisms." (Petersen 1994:451)

Isaac Velasquez, Arabic Translation of the Gospels
STUDIES:
A. Baumstark

• "Markus Kap. 2 in der arabischen Übersetzung des Isaak Velasquez Veröffentlicht und unter dem Gesichtspunkt des Zusammenhangs mit dem Diatessaron gewürdigt," OrChr 31 (= III.9) (1934), 226-239; see also C. Peters, Das Diatessaron Tatians, OrChrA 123 (Roma 1939), 175-77.

Karshuni 1 Manuscripts
Rome Vatican Syr. 52 c. XVI

Edition =
W. Heffening and C. Peters,

• "Spuren des Diatessaron in liturgischer Uberlieferung. Ein türkischer und ein Karsuni-Text," OrChr 32 [= III.10] (1935), 225-238. "The relevant portion of the MS is ff. 11Γ-112Γ; the Karshuni text contains a fragment of a Wedding rite, including Matt 19.3-11. The Turkish text, written in Syriac script, is on the same folios, and contains Matt 19.9-11." (Petersen 1994:451).

W. Heffening and C. Peters,

• "Spuren" (the edition, cited above); C. Peters, Das Diatessaron Tatians, 61-62, 88-89.

Rome Vatican Syr. 197 1488

A. Baumstark,

• "Eine frühislamische und eine vorislamische arabische Evangelienübersetzung aus dem Syrischen," Atti del XIX Congresso Internazionak degli Orientalisti, Roma, 23 -29 Settembre 1935 (Roma 1938), 682-84;

• C. Peters, Das Diatessaron Tatians, 59.]

Select Printed texts of the Arabic Diatessaron

Ciasca, P. Agostino (ed.), "scriptor" at the Vatican Library. 1888.

• 1888 +Rep. Rome 1914+1934. Tatiani Evengeliorum Harmoniae Arabice / Nunc primum ex duplici codice edidit et translatione latina Augustinius Ciasca = دياطاسارون الذي جمعه طظيانوس من الميشرين الأربعة

• Diatessaron, which Titianus Compiled from the Four Gospels =   [Latin title] Tatiani Evangeliorum Harmonicae, Arabice. In "two parts-the text, covering a little over 209 very clearly printed Arabic pages, and a Latin half, comprising a scholarly introduction (pp. v.-xv.), a Latin translation (pp. 1-99), and a table showing the order in which the passages taken from the gospels occur in the text." The editor is P. Agostino Ciasca, a well-known Orientalist.. Note also Α. Ciasca's:

•  "De Tatiani Diatessaron Arabica Versione," in Vol. 4 of J. B. Pitra, Analecta Sacra Spicilegio Solesmensi (Parisiis 1883), 465-87.

Hill, J. Hamlyn 1894 [+1910] English trans. based on the Latin of Ciacasa

• The Earliest Life of Christ ever compiled from the Four Gospels being the Diatessaron of Tatian literally translated from the Diatassaron of Tatian, Edinburgh 1894 + Abridges ed. 1900.

Hogg, Hoppe W.1910

• `Tatian's Diatessaron' in The Ante-Nicene Christian Fathers vol. 10 (Additional vol.) ed. A. Menzies (Grand Rapids 1969 5), 63-129.

• Introduction URL = http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/info/diatessaron.html

• Reprint Gorgias Press, 2001 ISBN = 0-9713097-2-8 (Pbk).

Preuschen, Erwin (d.1920) ., 

• 1918 Untersuchungen zum Diatessaron Tatians, Sitzungsberichte der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-historische Klasse Jahrgang 1918, 15. Abhandlung, Heidelberg,  1918

Preuschen, Erwin + August Pott, (eds.) 1926

• Tatian's Diatessaron  aus dem  Arabischen ubersetzt, eds. Preuschen, Erwin + A. Pott, Heidelberg, 1926 -- the posthumously published German trans.

Marmardji, A.-S.,  1935

• Diatessaron de Tauen. Texte arabe établi, traduit en français, collationé avec les anciennes versions syriaques, suivi d'un évangéliaire diatessarique syriaque et accompagné de quatre planches hors texte. Beirut 1935. Important edition based on a new Beirut mss. According to Peterson "Marmardji's edition is standard today" (1994: 449).

Margoliouth, D. S., 1937

• Review A.-S Marmardji, "Diatessaron de Tätien", Beirut 1935, in: Journal of Theological Studies, XXXVIII (1937), 76-79

Peters, Curt 1939

• Das Diatessaron Tatians  (Orientalia Christiana Analecta) 123, Rome:  1939 (pp.19-29,207).

Higgins, A. J. B. 1944-5

• [Ph, D thesis =] `Tatian's Diatessaron, Introductory Studies, with a portion of the Arabic Version' (dissertation, Manchester [England] 1945).

• A summary of the above is  "Tatian's Diatessaron," which appeared in JMUES 24 (1942-45) but published in 1947, pp. 28-32;

• "The Arabic Version of Tatian's Diatessaron," JThS 45 (1944), 187-199.

• `The Persian Gospel Harmony as a Witness to Tatian's Diatessaron' in The Journal of Theological Studies 1952 III (1): 83-87.

• `Tatian's Diatessaron and the Arabic and Persian Harmonies,' in Studies in New Testament Language and Text (= Festschrift G. D. Kilpatrick),  Leiden 1976, pp. 246-261

Nanne Pieter Joosse 1997 

Joosee, Nane Pieter George (Peter), 1997,2012. 

• 1997 The Sermon on the Mount in the Arabic Diatessaron. PhD. Free University of Amsterdam. Centrale Huisdrukkerij VU Amsterdam 1997. 428pp.  ISBAN 90-9001-4. This important thesis contains an excellent summary of research upon the Arabic diatessaron and details of the extant mss.
•  2012. From Antioch to Baġdād, From Baġdād to Cairo: Towards an Archetype of the Arabic Diatessaron. Parole de l’Orient, Volume 37, pp. 67-84.