Opening the library…
The Diatessaron
Tatian
An influential continuous harmony weaving material from the four canonical Gospels into one narrative, known especially through later witnesses because Tatian’s original form does not survive intact.
The original text is lost; surviving witnesses and reconstructions differ and require source-specific review.
Section XXXV.
[1] And on the great day
[9] And those officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees: and the priests said [10] unto them, Why did ye not bring him? The officers said, Never spake man thus [11] as speaketh this man. The Pharisees said unto them, Perhaps ye also have gone [12, 13] astray? Hath any of the rulers or the Pharisees haply believed in him? except [14] this people which knows not the law; they are accursed. Nicodemus, one of them, [15] he that had come to Jesus by night, said unto them, Doth our law haply condemn [16] a man, except it hear him first and know what he hath done? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also haply from Galilee? Search, and see that a prophet riseth not from Galilee.
[17, 18] And when the Pharisees assembled, Jesus asked them, and said, What say ye of [19] the Messiah? whose son is he? They said unto him, The son of David. He said unto them, And how doth David in the Holy Spirit call him Lord? for he said,
[20] The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit on my right hand,
That I may put thine enemies under thy feet.
[21, 22] If then David calleth him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him; and no man dared from that day again to ask him of anything.
[23] And Jesus addressed them again, and said, I am the light of the world; and he that [24] followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall find the light of life. The Pharisees [Arabic, p. 134] said unto him, Thou bearest witness to thyself; thy witness is not true. Jesus [25] answered and said unto them, If I bear witness to myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I came, or [26, 27] whither I go. And ye judge after the flesh; and I judge no man. And even if I judge, my judgement is true; because I am not alone, but I and my Father which [28, 29] sent me. And in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. I am he that beareth witness to myself, and my Father which sent me beareth witness to [30] me. They said unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye know not me, nor my Father: for did ye know me, ye would know my [31] Father. He said these sayings in the treasury, where he was teaching in the [32] temple: and no man seized him; because his hour had not yet come. Jesus said unto them again, I go truly, and ye shall seek me and not find me, and ye shall die [33] in your sins: and where I go, ye cannot come. The Jews said, Will he haply kill [34] himself, that he saith, Where I go, ye cannot come? He said unto them, Ye are from below; and I am from above: ye are of this world; and I am not of this [35] world. I said unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: if ye believe not that I am [36] he, ye shall die in your sins. The Jews said, And thou, who art thou? Jesus said [37] unto them, If I should begin to speak unto you, I have concerning you many words and judgement: but he that sent me is true; and I, what I heard from him is what [38, 39] I say in the world. And they knew not that he meant by that the Father. Jesus [Arabic, p. 135] said unto them again, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am he: and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father [40] taught me, so I speak. And he that sent me is with me; and my Father hath not [41] left me alone; because I do what is pleasing to him at all times. And while he was saying that, many believed in him.
[42] And Jesus said to those Jews that believed in him, If ye abide in my words, truly [43] ye are my disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [44] They said unto him, We are the seed of Abraham, and have never served any man [45] in the way of slavery: how then sayest thou, Ye shall be free children? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Every one that doeth a sin is a slave of [46] sin. And the slave doth not remain for ever in the house; but the son remaineth [47, 48] for ever. And if the Son set you free, truly ye shall be free children. I know that ye are the seed of Abraham; but ye seek to slay me, because ye are unable for my [49] word. And what I saw with my Father, I say: and what ye saw with your father, [50] ye do. They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said unto them, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the deeds of Abraham. [51] Now, behold, ye seek to kill me, a man that speak with you the truth, that I [52] heard from God: this did Abraham not do. And ye do the deeds of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, who is [53] God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: I proceeded and came from God; and it was not of my own self that I came, but he sent [54] [Arabic, p. 136] me. Why then do ye not know my word? Because ye cannot hear my word. [55] Ye are from the father, the devil, and the lust of your father do ye desire to do, who from the beginning is a slayer of men, and in the truth standeth not, because the truth is not in him. And when he speaketh untruth, he speaketh from [56] himself: for he is a liar, and the father of untruth. And I who speak the truth, ye [57] believe me not. Who of you rebuketh me for a sin? And if I speak the truth, ye [58] do not believe me. Whosoever is of God heareth the words of God: therefore do [59] ye not hear, because ye are not of God. The Jews answered and said unto him, [60] Did we not say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast demons? Jesus said unto them, As for me, I have not a devil; but my Father do I honour, and ye dishonour [61] me. I seek not my glory: here is one who seeketh and judgeth.
Lit. speaketh, according to Arabic idiom.
Borg. ms. omits with you.
Borg. ms. has an adulteress, mistaking the less common Arabic word for a clerical error.
Different words are used in the Arabic; so in the Greek, but not in the Peshitta. Sin. and Cur. are wanting.
Different words are used in the Arabic; so in the Greek, but not in the Peshitta. Sin. and Cur. are wanting.
Lit. backbiter.
This is probably simply a clerical error for the ordinary reading, why have ye not believed me? The Arabic words why and not having the same consonants, one of them was purposely or accidentally omitted by a copyist.