Digital Edition of the Leiden Peshitta

It has come to our attention that Logos Bible Software has recently begun working on a digital edition of the Leiden Peshitta. Possibly, we will publish a review of this tool in the future.

The following is from the prepublication details (also orderpage):

The Syriac Peshitta of the Old and New Testament originated during the first centuries of the Christian era, and has been used ever since in the non-western churches of Syrian signature. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this ancient version is an important source for our knowledge of the textual traditions behind the biblical text. In contrast to the manuscripts of most Hebrew traditions, which date from the beginning of the Middle Ages, the extant Syriac manuscripts date from the fifth century. Some New Testament scholars argue for Aramaic as the original language of portions of the New Testament, and similarities between Aramaic and the Syriac of the Peshitta lead these scholars to encourage the study of the Peshitta.

This edition of the Old and New Testament was prepared at the Peshitta Institute in Leiden, and has become the standard Syriac edition. A. Ceriani’s photolithographic edition of 1876 serves as the basis for the Leiden Peshitta.

The Logos edition of the Leiden Peshitta features the entire running text of the Syriac translations of the Old and New Testament, plus the deutero-canonical works. The entire Peshitta contains a limited critical apparatus. This edition also contains two manuscript versions of Tobit, Epistle of Baruch, 1 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalms, and is available in two Syriac scripts: Serto and Estangela.

This edition of the Leiden Peshitta will benefit students of the history of the Bible text, Syriac language and literature and Syriac Christianity.

Key Features Included
* The entire running text of the entire Old Testament and New Testament, plus deutero-canonical works
* Limited critical apparatus
* Two manuscript versions of Tobit, Epistle of Baruch, 1 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalms
* Available in two Syriac scripts: Serto and Estrangela

Praise for the Print Edition
This magnificent series provides a reliable base from which to compare the Syriac Old Testament with the Hebrew Vorlage and the Greek and Aramaic versions.
—James H. Charlesworth, Religious Studies Review
. . . This authoritative edition is an indispensable source not only for the biblical text but also for early Eastern Christianity.
—M. P. Weitzman, Journal of Theological Studies

The pre-publication price is $49.95 (download or CD-Rom)