Ortaçağ Araştırmaları Dergisi

Öz

This article evaluates the codicological and historical aspects of the 1598 Syriac manuscript of the Chronicle written by Mikhael Rabo, a 12th-century Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and historian. The Chronicle, structured in a three-column arrangement, is one of the few Syriac sources to deal with church history, political developments and natural phenomena together. This comprehensive narrative, dating from Genesis to the late 12th century, reflects the intellectual authority of Mikhael Rabo and his influence on Syriac historiography. The chronicle also indirectly sheds light on the political, sectarian and theological conflicts of the period. The earliest surviving Syriac codex of the chronicle, dating to 1598 (The Edessa-Aleppo Syriac Codex), was transcribed by a monk named Mikhael bar Barsawmo. The main source Bar Barsawmo uses is the copy of Moushe Savroyo, which is reportedly based on the author’s text. The manuscript not only preserves the text, but also provides important insights into late Syriac copying traditions. Codicological observations on its physical characteristics, writing style, and marginal notes illuminate the context of its production and use. The Armenian and Arabic-Garshuni versions of the work and modern French, Arabic and English translations show that the Chronicle found a wide intellectual audience. The study focuses on the manuscript’s structural features and historiographical methodology; it also discusses the discovery of the manuscript in the late 19th century and the process by which it was brought into the academic world through the contributions of the Syriac Catholic bishop Ephrem Rahmani and the French orientalist Jean-Baptiste Chabot.