Earliest Estrangela

Description

Manuscripts survive from as early as the 5th century with the fundamental handwritten form of Syriac script.

Example 1

London, BL Add. 12150, f. 235v (dated 411)

Eusebius of Caesarea

Here we take a look at the earliest Syriac codices, beginning with the earliest dated Syriac manuscript, the famous BL Add. 12150, copied in the year 411, up to about the seventh century. The examples we consider here have similarities with each other as well as with some later Estrangela books, but there are, of course, also more particular characteristics for each scribe’s work. In addition, the assumed hallmarks of a particular letter and script-type may not show up where we expect them to. We see, for example, that the 411 manuscript does not usually have the sharp, angled form of dālat and rēš, but a shape we might describe as perfectly matching a Serto form. The rēš is written in the presumably later (Serto) shape; the dālat is written in both the assumed Estrangela form and in the Serto form. Here we have both dālat and rēš in one word, both in the Serto form.

BL_Add12150f.235vcl.28 © The British Library Board, Add. 12150, f. 235vc, l. 28.

No attempt will be made to provide a complete inventory of the least common denominators, or fundamental characteristics, for the examples of the handwriting of these manuscripts. But a few observations on letterforms in each manuscript may serve as an initial guide for a foray into these and similar manuscripts. For each chosen manuscript, a sample page in its entirety is included, and a few additional images show specific forms.

Note first of all that the text stands in three columns. Early Syriac manuscripts were mostly written in one or two, less often three, and later there are examples, although few, of four-column manuscripts.

© The British Library Board, Add. 12150, f. 235v.

ālapwhen connected and not, there is a serif on the right leg
left leg sits a little below the line
top part may have upward turn
height of top part varies
gāmalends well below line, but without the thick dot of some later examples
dālatsometimes with Serto shape, but sometimes distinct from rēš in having usual Estrangela shape
center post angles to the left
wāwquite round, but right side usually straighter
unclosed loop
ḥētabout the same height as yod
ṭētvery tall
yodfinal, unconnected form of the angled type, almost like a comma
kāpslightly more sharp than round on top, but not to a point
lāmadvery tall
notably thicker at the top
mimtop horizontal angles notably upward
loop open, or barely closed
nunwhen final and unconnected to previous letter, very thick at the top, very thin thereafter, and sharply angled
semkatvery round loops, left one taller
does not join following letter
ʿēthick top part
relatively narrow angle between top and lower part
qopsharp on the left, more round on the right
rēštypically with Serto shape, and thus often distinct from dālat
tāwvery tall
loop sometimes open, sometimes closed
Example of ālap with connector-serif © The British Library Board, Add. 12150, f. 235va, ll. 20-22.

Example of the ālap with connector-serif

Example 2

Vatican City, Vat Sir. 160, f. 140v (6th C. [?])

Lives of Saints and Martyrs

© Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Sir. 160, f. 140v.

ālapwhen connected and not, there is a serif on the right leg
left leg sits a little below the line
top part may have upward turn or serif
height of top part varies
gāmalends well below line, but without the thick dot of some later examples
dālat / rēšusually a very short, round top part yields almost a Serto shape, but sometimes the more usual Estrangela form
center post angles to the left
wāwquite round, but right side usually straighter
unclosed loop
ḥētabout the same height as yod
ṭētvery tall
yodfinal, unconnected form with left extender (esp. at line end), or of the angled type
final, connected form of the angled type
kāpslightly more sharp than round on top, but not to a point
final form with long tail
lāmadvery tall, notably thicker at the top
mimloop open
semkatvery round loops, left one taller
does not join following letter
ʿēelongated initial form
relatively narrow angle between top and lower part
tāwvery tall, loop open
yod example © Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Sir. 160, f. 140vb, l. 13.

yod — example of the final, unconnected form with left extender, col. b

yod example © Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Sir. 160, f. 140va, l. 12.

yod — example of the final, unconnected angled form, col. a

elongated initial ʿē © Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Sir. 160, f. 140va, l. 1.

elongated initial ʿē

Example 3

Diyarbakir, DIYR 339, f. 29v (6th C.)

Gospels (Peshitta)

Diyarbakir, Meryem Ana Syriac Orthodox Church, DIYR 339, f. 29v. All rights reserved. Image provided by HMML.

ālapwhen connected and not, there is a serif on the right leg
often sits a little below the line may have an almost upward-turning serif at the top
dālat / rēšrather thick horizontal on top
dot of dālat often sits well below
the center leg touches neither the left nor the right
wāwnot closed
when preceding some letters (e.g. šin) may be connected (in Usual Estrangela not attached)
ḥētnotably taller than the yod
yodwhen final, connected to previous letter or not, a right-pointing angle sitting on the line
kāpmuch narrower and more rounded than bēt
final kāp has a longish top-serif on the left side and ends with a sharp, narrow point on the right
lāmadthick at the top, slender at the bottom
mimthe upper horizontal turns upward at the left
when non-final, the bottom horizontal is close to the left upright, but the circle is not closed
final mim, however, is closed, and has a long, thin, descending point
nunwhen final and unconnected to previous letter, more angled than when connected
semkatboth loops rounded, the left one taller
does not join to following letter
ʿēsimilar in shape to gāmal, but shorter and without hanging below the line
the loop is quite open
when final, the horizontal ends in a thick dot
ṣādēnarrow base at the line, then a thicker, slightly right angling descender, ending with a thin, upturning line
rēšsee dālat above
šinan upright base with a shallow bowl on top
when initial, often with a long horizontal before the upright base (indistinguishable from the combination yod-šin)
tāwthe size of the opening in the loop varies from open to closed
the vertical may only angle only slightly to the left
DIYR 339 Diyarbakir, Meryem Ana Syriac Orthodox Church, DIYR 339, f. 62ra, l. 2. All rights reserved. Image provided by HMML.

f. 62r, with two tightly closed tāws, with only a slightly left-leaning vertical

Example 4

London, BL Add. 14460, f. 80r (dated 599/600)

Gospels (Peshitta)

© The British Library Board, Add. 14460, f. 80r.

ālapserif on right leg
left leg hangs below line
gāmalends well below line, but without the thick dot of some later examples
dālat / rēšusually of the presumably typical, angled Estrangela form, but sometimes more round at top
center post angled somewhat to the left
wāwvery round
open loop
kāpquite round
mimopen loop, or barely closed
final form with very thin tail
šinhorizontal line not too thick
top line not too round
tāwloop open
when unconnected on either side, lacking a proper loop at the bottom
the vertical may only angle only slightly to the left
unconnected tāw © The British Library Board, Add. 14460, f. 80r, l.4.

Example of the unconnected, tightly looped, tāw, with only a slightly left-leaning vertical; even with these similar features, the tāw in this example and that of the previously noted DIYR 339 are quite distinct from each other: note the more spacious and sharply angled part to the right of the loop in the DIYR 339 tāw, and note the large dot at the top of the vertical in the example here:

Example 5

Tell Kaif, QACCT 8 (7th C.?)

Gospel Lectionary

Tell Kaif, Qalb Al-Aqdas Chaldean Church, QACCT 8, f. 20r. All rights reserved. Image provided by HMML.

ālapdoes not sit below the line
dālat / rēšin general top line not much thicker than the vertical
kāpsharper descent on the right side
yodwhen final may have a long extender on the right (at line-end, cf. f. 23va, l. 3)

Many characteristics in Tell Kaif, QACCT 8 are shared with DIYR 339, but the lines in this manuscript are overall thicker than the other manuscript.

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