Novum Domini nostri Jesu Christi Testamentum Syriacum

This edition of the Syriac New Testament with a parallel Latin translation (1717) was edited by J. Leusden of Utrecht and C. Schaaf of Leyden, improving on the earlier edition of Aegidius Gutbier. Leusden’s work had only progressed to the middle of St. Luke’s Gospel when he died in 1699, so the rest of the edition was completed by Schaaf with a first printing in 1708 and multiple subsequent printings. These re-printings are notable as one of the earliest uses of stereotyping technology which allowed for multiple print runs of a book without the expense of having to reset the type each time. This edition is also notable for the idiosyncrasy of using two forms of vocalization. As in Hebrew and Arabic, the marking of vowels in Syriac is optional. In this edition the two editors used different ways to mark the vowels, with Leusden’s portion using an East Syriac method but the continuation by Schaaf adopting a Western convention.