diatessaron

[ dahy-uh-tes-er-uhn ]

noun

1. a combining of the four Gospels of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) into a single narrative.
2. (in ancient Greek music) the interval of a fourth.

diatessaron

/ ˌdaɪəˈtɛsəˌrɒn /

noun

1. music (in classical Greece) the interval of a perfect fourth
2. a conflation of the four Gospels into a single continuous narrative

Other Words From

• di·a·tes·sar·i·al [dahy-, uh, -te-, sair, -ee-, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diatessaron¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dyatessaron “(musical) interval of a fourth,” from Old French diatessaron, from Latin diatessarōn, from Greek dià tessárōn; dia- ( def ), four

Word History and Origins

Origin of diatessaron¹

C14: from Late Latin, from Greek dia tessarōn khordōn sumphōnia concord through four notes, from dia through + tessares four

Example Sentences

Eusebius talks of Tatianus “having found a certain body and collection of Gospels, I know not how,” which collection Eusebius does not appear even to have ever seen; and so far from the phrase in Theodoret justifying Dr. Tischendorfs explanation, it would appear from Theodoret that Tatian’s Diatessaron was, in fact, a sort of spurious gospel, “The Gospel of the Four” differing materially from our four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

From Project Gutenberg

It is urged that there is an original Syriac Text which lies at the back of the Curetonian and the Codex Lewisianus, and that this text possesses also the witness of the Diatessaron of Tatian:—that those MSS. themselves are later, but that the Text of which they give similar yet independent specimens is the Old Syriac,—the first Version made from the Gospels in the earliest ages of the Church.

From Project Gutenberg

The Diatessaron, as far as we can judge,—for we possess no copy either in Greek or in Syriac, but are obliged to depend upon two Arabic Versions edited recently by Agostino Ciasca, a Latin Translation of a commentary on it by Ephraem Syrus, and quotations made by Aphraates or Jacobus Nisibenus—, differs very largely from either.

From Project Gutenberg

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus near the Euphrates166, writes in 453 a.d., that he had turned out about two hundred copies of Tatian's Diatessaron from his churches, and had put the Gospels of the four Evangelists in their place.

From Project Gutenberg

Surely, that these two Codexes, which were written at the very time when the Diatessaron of Tatian was cast out of the Syrian Churches, were written purposely, and possibly amongst many other MSS. made at the same time, to supply the place of it—copies of the Mĕpharrĕshe, i.e.

From Project Gutenberg