The Diatessaron of Tatian — Section 1

St. Cyril of Alexandria

1. 0. Greeting

[[1 John 1.1]] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God is the [2,3] Word. [[John 1.2]] This was in the beginning with God. [[John 1.3]] Everything was by his hand, and 4 without him not even one existing thing was made. [[John 1.4]] In him was life, and the life 5 is the light of men. [[John 1.5]] And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.

6 [[Luke 1.5]] There was in the days of Herod the king a priest whose name was Zacharias, of the family of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name 7 was Elizabeth. [[Luke 1.6]] And they were both righteous before God, walking in all his commands, 8 and in the uprightness of God without reproach. [[Luke 1.7]] And they had no son, for 9 Elizabeth was barren, and they had both advanced in age. [[Luke 1.8]] And while he discharged 10 [Arabic, p. 2] the duties of priest in the order of his service before God, [[Luke 1.9]] according to the custom of the priesthood it was his turn to burn incense; so he entered the 11 temple of the Lord. [[Luke 1.10]] And the whole gathering of the people were praying without at the 12 time of the incense. [[Luke 1.11]] And there appeared unto Zacharias the angel of the Lord, standing 13 at the right of the altar of incense; [[Luke 1.12]] and Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, 14 and fear fell upon him. [[Luke 1.13]] But the angel said to him, Be not agitated, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall 15 call his name John; [[Luke 1.14]] and you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice 16 at his birth. [[Luke 1.15]] And he shall be great before the Lord, and shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit while he is in his mother's 17 womb. [[Luke 1.16]] And he shall turn back many of the children of Israel to the Lord their 18 God. [[Luke 1.17]] And he shall go before him in the spirit, and in the power of Elijah the prophet, to turn back the heart of the fathers to the sons, and those that obey not to the knowledge of the righteous; and to prepare for the Lord a perfect people. 19 [[Luke 1.18]] And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, since I am an old man 20 and my wife is advanced in years? [[Luke 1.19]] And the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, that stands before God; and I was sent to speak unto you, and give 21 you tidings of this. [[Luke 1.20]] Henceforth you shall be speechless, and shall not be able to speak until the day in which this shall come to pass, because you did not trust 22 this my word, which shall be accomplished in its time. [[Luke 1.21]] And the people were standing [Arabic, p. 3] awaiting Zacharias, and they were perplexed at his delaying in the temple. 23 [[Luke 1.22]] And when Zacharias went out, he was not able to speak unto them: so they knew that he had seen in the temple a vision; and he made signs unto them, and 24 continued dumb. [[Luke 1