Nestorius, The Bazaar of Heracleides (2007) Manuscript colophons
Bazaar of Heraqlidos MS - colophons
The colophons of Harvard MS Syriac 95 were noted down during a visit to the Houghton Library, Harvard University USA, on 6 August 2007. What follows is an edition of the Syriac colophons with translations and notes. This MS has been previously described by Dr. J. F. Coakley and additional details can be found in his on-line description. Dr. Coakley's very helpful descriptions of all the other Harvard Syriac MS are also accessible on-line.
Syriac texts
ܐܨܝܚܐ ܕܡܢܗ̇ ܐܨܚܬ ܐܢܐ ܟܬܘܒܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܐܘܫܥܢܐ ܡܚܝܠܐ : ܣܓܝ ܚܫܝܟܐ ܗܘܬ ܘܐܦ ܬܒܝܕ ܗܘ̣ܬ ܡܢܗ̇ ܘܢܘܩܙܐ ܠܝܬ ܗܘ̣ܐ ܠܗ̇. ܠܕܘܟܝܬ[ܐ] ܕܚܫܝܟܐ : ܫܒܩܬ ܚܘܪܬܐ. ܘܠܗܘ ܕܢܦܝܠ ܬܘܒ ܘܪܩܐ ܚܘܪܐ ܫܒܩܬ. ܘܠܢܘܩܙܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܣܡܬ ܒܪܡ ܡܛܠ ܕܥܡ ܩܠܡܐ ܪܗܛܐ ܣܡܬ. ܘܠܐ ܒܩܪܝܢܐ ܢܝ̣ܚܐ ܕܟܬܒܐ. ܟܒܪ ܢܗܘܐ ܛܥܘܢܐ ܡܕܡ. ܘܐܢܬ ܬܙܕܗܪ ܕܐܢ ܣܘܟܠܐ ܠܐ ܐܚܕ : ܟܒܪ ܢܘ̈ܩܙܐ ܠܐ ܬܪܝܨܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܚܠܦ ܐܡܪ ܐܡܪ : ܬܘ : ܬܡܪܬ ܚܠܦ ܬܡܪܬ ܘܫܪܟܐ.
Colophon 1 edited from the flyleaf of Harvard MS Syriac 95. 01 A different spelling would have been expected, ܨܚܚܐ ; 03 The aleph is a suggested restoration. Sayyeme points would also have been expected to mark the plural here.
ܠܡܟܬܒ ܟܬܒܐܕܡܬܩܪܐ ̇ܬܐܓܘܪܬܐ ܕܗܪܩܠܝܕܘܣ ܕܥܒܝܕ ܠܢܨܝܚ ܒܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ ܘܛܘܒܬܢ ܒܟܠ ܡܪܝ ܢܣܛܘܪܝܣ. ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܕܩܘܣܛܢܛܝܢܦܘ...
Colophon 2, excerpt 1 edited from Harvard MS Syriac 95, f. 279a.
ܐܬܟܬܒ ܒܩܪܝܬܐ ܗܝܕܪܠܘ̣ܘܐ ܕܠܬܚܬ ܐܝܬܝܗ̇ ܡܢ ܣܝܪܐ ܩܪܝܬܐ ܕܒܓܘܗ̇ ܡܕܝܪܝܢ ܫܠܝ̈ܚܐ ܐܡܖ̈ܟܝܐ ܒܩܝܛܐ : ܒܫܢܬܐ ܡܫܝܚܝܬܐ ܀ ܐܦܨܛ : ܒܝܘܡ ܐܪܒܥܒܫܒܐ ܀ ܟܢܘܢ ܀ ܒ ܀ ܟܘ ܀ ܒܗ: ܐܬܟܬܒ ܡܢ ܚܕ ܕܟܬܝܒ ܗܘ̣ܐ ܒܝܕ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܐܘܫܥܢܐ ܣܐܪܘ ܒܓܘ ܩܘܟܢܝܣ ܥܕܬ ܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܕܦܛܪܝܪܟܘܬܐ ܕܥܕܬܐ ܥܬܝܩܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ : ܒܫܢܬ ܡܫܝܚܝܬܐ ܀ ܐܦܦܛ...
Colophon 2, excerpt 2 edited from Harvard MS Syriac 95, f. 279a with some text omitted between excerpts 1 and 2 and after excerpt 2.
Colophon translations
Colophon 1 found on the flyleaf:
"The exemplar from which I, the Scribe-Elder Aush`ana the weak copied, was much obscured and damaged and it was grammatically un-pointed. And the obscured passages I have left white, as also where the pages have fallen [out], I have left white-space. And I have added all of the pointing. It is eaten away because it is running with parasites. I have added [the points] but what is written doesn't read well. Perhaps it is a mistake and you should take care if the sense isn't captured. Perhaps the points are incorrect here and there ."
Colophon 2 found on folio 279a:
That Aush`ana copied the decayed exemplar MS in Cochanis in the year AD 1889 is made clear in the colophon of the present MS, as found on folio 279a :
Excerpt 1:
"To write the book which is called 'The Bazaar of Heraqlidos' which was composed by one excellent amongst holy ones and our blessed in everything, Mar Nestori[u]s, bishop of Constantinople..."
Excerpt 2:
"It was written in the village of Haydarluwe which is under Sira a village , which is in the summer habitation of the American Missionaries , in the year AD 1899, on Wednesday 26 in the month 2 Kanun . It was written from another which was written by the Elder Aush`ana Saru, in Qochanis , the church of the patriarchal throne of the old Church of the East in the year AD 1889..."
Steven Ring, August 26 2007
Postscript on the catalogue of the library at Urmiah:
According to the catalogue entry in front of me, Urmia MS 147 is the Bazaar , the MS dimensions were 9" x 7", it had 328 pages and it was copied in 1889 from an exemplar about 800 years older, i.e. of the 11th century. Of course, this meshes nicely with what we know from the Harvard MS colophons. Hence, the Harvard MS is most probably a copy of Urmia MS 147. The geography and other circumstances also make this very likely.
Notes:
This edition uses the Meltho font, 'Estrangelo Edessa' ©1992-2002 courtesy of Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute. All Rights Reserved. The Meltho fonts are available on-line and the URL is: http://www.bethmardutho.org/meltho/
The URL for Dr. J. F. Coakley's description of Harvard MS Syriac 95 is as follows: "http://lms01.harvard.edu/F/6QQVF4NEGV9BCR13GJIKKNJ461LK8CAUK3BGTVT7EEQ2DSDDQI-01879?func=direct&doc_number=009269125"