Editing Diatessaron (section)

==Overview==
[[Image:ArabicDiatessaron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Arabic Diatessaron, translated by [[Ibn al-Tayyib|Abul Faraj al-Tayyib]] from Syriac to Arabic, 11th century]]
Tatian's harmony follows the gospels closely in terms of text but, in order to fit all the canonical material in, he created his own narrative sequence, which is different from both the [[Synoptic Gospels|synoptic]] sequence and John's sequence; and occasionally creates intervening time periods that are found in none of the source accounts.<ref name="ReferenceA">McFall, Leslie; "Tatian's Diatessaron: Mischievous or Misleading?"; Westminster Theological Journal, 56, 87–114; 1994</ref> This sequence is coherent and consistent within itself, but not necessarily consistent with that in all or any of the separate canonical gospels; and Tatian apparently applies the same principle in respect of the narrative itself. Where the gospels differ from one another in respect of the details of an event or teaching, the Diatessaron resolves such apparent contradictions by selecting one or another alternative wording and adding consistent details from the other gospels; while omitting apparent duplicate matter, especially across the synoptics. Hence, in respect of [[Healing the blind near Jericho|the healing of the blind at Jericho]] the Diatessaron reports only one blind man, Bartimeaus, healed by Jesus when leaving the city according to the account in Mark 10:46ff (expanded with phrases from Luke 18:36–37); consequently omitting any separate mention of two unnamed blind men healed by Jesus leaving Jericho (Matthew 20:29ff), and also the healing by Jesus entering Jericho the previous day of a single unnamed blind man (Luke 18:35ff).<ref>Moore, G. F., "Tatian's Diatessaron and the Analysis of the Pentateuch"; ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', 9:2, 201–215; 1890</ref>

Otherwise, Tatian originally omitted altogether both of the different [[Genealogy of Jesus|genealogies]] in Matthew and Luke, as well as Luke's introduction (Luke 1:1–4);<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and also did not originally include Jesus' encounter with the adulteress (the [[pericope adulterae]]: John 7:53–8:11). The pericope is present in western manuscripts believed to be based on the Diatessaron (e.g., [[Codex Fuldensis]]) but is generally considered to be a latter interpolation to the Gospel of John,<ref>"certainly not part of the original text," according to Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005, article ''Pericope adulterae''.</ref> with the Diatessaron itself often cited as an early textual witness in support of its omission.  

Most scholars agree that Tatian did, from the beginning, include the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16: 9–20), and correspondingly is amongst the earliest witnesses to this inclusion. Tatian added no significant wording to the textual material he took from the separate gospels.<ref>Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 9, Introduction to Diatessaron.</ref> Only 56 verses in the canonical Gospels do not have a counterpart in the Diatessaron, mostly the genealogies and the pericope adulterae. The final work is about 72 per cent the length of the four gospels put together; around a quarter of the text of the separate gospels being adjudged by Tatian to be duplicated.  (McFall, 1994).

In the [[History of the Catholic Church|early Church]], the gospels at first circulated independently, with Matthew the most popular. The Diatessaron is notable evidence for the authority already enjoyed by the gospels by the mid- to late-2nd century.<ref name="Oxford:Diatessaron">Cross, F. L, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005, article ''Diatessaron''</ref> Within twenty years after Tatian's harmony was written, [[Irenaeus]] was expressly arguing for the authoritative character of the Four Gospels. It is unclear whether Tatian intended the Diatessaron to supplement or replace the four separate gospels; but both outcomes came to pass in different churches. The Diatessaron became adopted as the standard [[lectionary]] text of the gospels in some Syriac-speaking churches from the late 2nd to the 5th century, until it gave way to the four separate Gospels such as the [[Syriac Sinaitic]] gospels,<ref name="Oxford:Diatessaron" /> or later in the [[Peshitta]] version.<ref>Cross, F. L, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005, article ''Peshitta''</ref> At the same time, in the churches of the Latin west, the Diatessaron circulated as a supplement to the four gospels, especially in the Latin translation.