380 Manuscripts From The Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese Of Homs Have Been Added To Reading Room

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Lion hunt image from SOAH 00132

380 manuscripts from the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Homs have been added to Reading Room

Posted: 2022-02-22

The collection of manuscripts from the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Homs, Syria (SOAH) is now fully cataloged and available for viewing in Reading Room. The city of Homs is significant in the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church because it briefly served as the home for the Patriarchate (from 1932 until 1959).

The SOAH collection is comprised primarily of liturgical manuscripts (Bibles, Lectionaries, Anaphoras, Beth Gazos, Prayer books, etc.) in Arabic Garshuni and Syriac. While the vast majority of the collection is written in the West Syriac (Serto) script, there are a small number of manuscripts written in the East Syriac and Melkite scripts, suggesting that the SOAH library collected manuscripts from other churches in the area. Many of the manuscripts were copied in Homs or nearby villages like Ṣadad and Fairouzeh, though some were copied in Lebanon and in small villages along the modern Syria-Lebanon border. Most of the manuscripts are modern productions (19th-20th century), but there are several 15th-century or 16th-century manuscripts and a very important 12th-century Fenqitho manuscript (SOAH 292). View now

Image caption: Lion hunt image from SOAH 00132

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