Mt Sinai Arabic Codex 151
The Mt. Sinai Arabic Codex 151 is indeed a most exciting discovery.
It appears to be the oldest Arabic translation of the Bible in existence which was done in 867 AD. It is certainly the oldest Arabic translation with commentary supplied by the translator. It includes the Biblical text, marginal comments, lectionary notes, and glosses, as found in the manuscript. It was discovered at St. Catherine's monastery in Mt. Sinai in the 1800's.
This ancient and important Arabic manuscript is published in one volume by the Institute For Middle Eastern New Testament Studies, edited by Dr. Harvey Staal. The volume is a presentation of the manuscript, preserving all the marginal notes and its intrinsic value as much as possible. Dr. Harvey Staal, a missionary of the Reformed Church in America, labored for years on the transcription and publication of this Arabic manuscript. This discovery is a thrilling discovery for Middle Eastern Christians, because it demonstrates that more than a 1100 years ago, an Arabic Christian translated God's precious word into our Arabic language, complete with notes and comments!
Dr. Staal passed away February 1999. Only a few copies remain from first printing and these are handled by the Bible Society in Beirut, Lebanon. The email address is:
The more requests they get regarding availability, the more they will realize the need for a second printing. Please email them and kindly petition for the re-print of this valuable volume.
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