The Diatessaron is a synthesis of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) into a single narrative. It was created by Tatian, an early Christian apologist, in the 2nd century. The Diatessaron is important for several reasons:
1. It provides us an early harmonization of the four canonical Gospels. In compiling the Diatessaron, Tatian aimed to create one continuous narrative out of the four separate Gospel accounts. This shows that early Christians recognized the similarities and differences between the Gospels and sought to reconcile them into a unified story of Jesus.
2. It shows the importance of the four Gospels even in early Christianity. The fact that Tatian chose only the four canonical Gospels for his harmony reflects the authority these Gospels held in the early church. The Diatessaron is evidence that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were recognized as authoritative accounts of Jesus’ life from very early on.
3. It witnesses to early orthodoxy amidst heresy. Some scholars believe Tatian’s purpose in writing the Diatessaron was partly apologetic – to present an orthodox account of Jesus’ life at a time when various heretical groups were promoting alternate Gospels. The Diatessaron highlights the continuity between the apostolic teaching about Jesus and the four canonical Gospels.
4. It shows the creative ways early Christians engaged with the Gospels. Tatian’s synthesis of the four accounts into one narrative was an innovative approach to Gospel harmonization. This reveals early Christian reflection on how to read and apply the Gospels – not just passively receiving these texts but actively engaging with them.
5. It influenced later Gospel harmonies. While the Diatessaron itself was eventually replaced by the four separate Gospel accounts in the church, Tatian’s approach inspired many later Gospel harmonies such as the medieval Liber Concordantiae Evangeliorum. These later harmony gospels built upon the model that Tatian had set.
Background of the Diatessaron
Tatian was an early Christian writer and apologist who was born in the second century in Assyria. According to tradition, he was a pupil of Justin Martyr in Rome. After Justin’s martyrdom around 165 AD, Tatian left Rome and returned to Syria to preach the gospel. Back in the East, Tatian adopted Encratite teachings – an ascetic version of Christianity influenced by Gnostic dualism. The traditional account is that Tatian turned away from orthodox Christianity towards heretical ideas about matter, the body and marriage. However, some scholars debate the extent to which Tatian actually espoused unorthodox Gnostic views.
It was sometime between 160-175 AD that Tatian composed the Diatessaron in Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic). His purpose was to combine the four canonical Gospels into one continuous narrative of the life of Jesus. The result was not simply a mechanical joining together of verses or passages but rather a creative retelling that wove details from the different Gospels into a chronological whole. Tatian included almost all the material from the four Gospels with only minor omissions. The language was predominantly that of the Gospel of John.
The Diatessaron became very popular in the Syriac-speaking churches for at least two centuries. The work existed in Syria and related regions alongside the separated Gospel texts. However, in the 5th century, bishop Theodoret of Cyprus collected and destroyed some 200 copies of the Diatessaron in his diocese. He wanted to replace the use of Tatian’s harmony with the four individual Gospels, which he believed were being neglected. The Diatessaron gradually disappeared from ecclesiastical use.
Contents of the Diatessaron
The Diatessaron followed the overall chronological sequence of the Gospel of John but also incorporated material from the other Gospels. Broadly speaking it contained:
- The prologue from John 1:1-18
- Narrative opening from Luke
- Ministry events and most parables from Luke
- The bulk of narrative from Mark and Matthew
- Account of John the Baptist’s death from Mark
- Closing ministry events and passion narrative from John
More specifically, the contents of the Diatessaron included:
- Prologue from John 1:1-18
- Genealogies from Matthew 1 and Luke 3
- Birth narratives from Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2
- John the Baptist’s ministry from all four Gospels
- Baptism of Jesus from the four Gospels
- Temptation of Jesus from Matthew 4 and Luke 4
- Early ministry events like calling the disciples from John, Matthew and Luke
- Later Judean ministry, travel to Galilee, rejection at Nazareth from Luke
- Galilean ministry of teaching, healings, parables from Luke
- Additional Galilean ministry events from Mark and Matthew
- Feeding of the 5000 from all four Gospels
- Further ministry across Galilee from Matthew and Mark
- Confession of Peter from Matthew
- Transfiguration from Matthew, Mark and Luke
- Later Perean ministry from Luke
- Raising of Lazarus from John
- Final ministry events in Jerusalem from Matthew and Mark
- Triumphal Entry from all four Gospels
- Teachings in Jerusalem, Olivet Discourse from Matthew
- Last Supper and Farewell Discourse from John 13-17
- Passion narrative – arrest, trials, crucifixion, burial from John 18-19
- Resurrection accounts from all four Gospels
This ordering of material from the four Gospels allowed Tatian to create one continuous story rather than having events repeated from different perspectives as we have in the separated Gospels. The Diatessaron is largely a chronological blending together of verses and passages from the canonical sources.
Sources and Methodology of the Diatessaron
The predominant source for the Diatessaron was undoubtedly the four canonical Gospels. Tatian used over 95% of the contents of these Gospels, likely translated into Syriac from Greek manuscripts available to him. There is no evidence he had additional unknown written sources about the life of Jesus that he incorporated.
However, scholars note Tatian also shaped the narrative through omissions and additions that created his distinctive telling of the Gospel story:
- Some repetitive or duplicate passages were omitted – e.g. two feeding miracles, cleansing of the Temple.
- Links and transitions were added to connect passages from different Gospels.
- Harmonizations resolved apparent chronological tensions between Gospels.
- Stylistic revisions improved the flow of the narrative.
- Redaction adjusted words and phrases in line with Tatian’s theology – e.g. removing “kingdom of God” language.
So while the Diatessaron was entirely based on the four Gospels, Tatian exercised creative license to mold them into a continuous narrative supported by his own theological emphases and perspectives. This was not simply a cut-and-paste of Gospel verses but rather an early attempt to harmonize and synthesize the canonical accounts.
Theology of the Diatessaron
When he created the Diatessaron, Tatian appears to have still held mostly orthodox theological views. As an apologist, he likely wanted to present a version of the Gospel story that was free from perceived contradictions and supported Christian claims about Jesus. Scholars generally see Tatian’s theology reflected in the Diatessaron as:
- High Christology – Jesus presented as divine Son of God, Word made flesh
- Anti-Jewish polemic – hostility to Jews and Jewish customs
- Docetism – denying full humanity of Christ, no details of birth, childhood etc.
- Encratism – asceticism including rejection of marriage, wine, meat
- Chiliasm – belief in millennial reign of Jesus on earth
There are a few ways Tatian’s theology influenced his shaping of the Gospel narrative:
- Omission of details related to Jesus’ human birth, upbringing and family ties.
- Avoiding passages that speak of Jesus as subordinate to the Father.
- Heightening of Jesus’ divine nature and miraculous deeds.
- Removal of “kingdom of God” language in reference to Jesus’ ministry.
- Inclusion of John’s high Christology in the opening prologue.
However, most of Tatian’s theology does not directly impact the Diatessaron. He mainly created a chronological synthesis of the Gospel accounts without significantly altering the message. This allowed the Diatessaron to be accepted in orthodox churches for several centuries.
Legacy and Significance of the Diatessaron
For at least 200 years, the Diatessaron was widely used as the standard version of the Gospel in Syriac-speaking churches. During this time it became an influential source for transmitting the Gospel narrative throughout the region. The Diatessaron is significant for several reasons:
- Early Gospel harmony – As the first known attempt at synthesizing all four Gospels, it influenced later harmonies and demonstrated this creative mode of engaging with the Gospels.
- Prominence of fourfold Gospel – Its exclusive use of the four canonical Gospels shows they were recognized as authoritative from very early on.
- Medium for orthodoxy – Despite some unorthodox tendencies, it served predominantly as a medium for spreading the orthodox Gospel message in its cultural context.
- Liturgical function – Its narrative format made it suitable for liturgical reading in Syriac churches.
- Bible translation – It was used as the basis for Old Syriac Gospel manuscripts, influencing Syriac Bible translations.
While it was later replaced by the separated Gospels, the Diatessaron remains an important witness to early orthodox Christianity. It shows how an early apologist sought to create a continuous narrative out of the canonical Gospels. And for centuries, the Diatessaron effectively carried the message of the Gospels throughout Syria and the surrounding regions.
Rediscovery of the Diatessaron
After Theodoret ordered the Diatessaron to be replaced by the four Gospels in the 5th century, no complete copy of Tatian’s work survived. But discoveries from the 19th century onward have allowed scholars to reconstruct most of the Diatessaron:
- 1855 – discovery of an Arabic translation of the Diatessaron from the 13th century.
- 1888 – an Armenian translation from around the same time was found.
- 1933 – partial original Syriac text found in monastery ruins.
- 1957 – discovery of Ephrem’s commentary on the Diatessaron from the 4th century.
- 1966 – more Syriac fragments matching sections of the Armenian text identified.
Based on these manuscripts and other early sources, it has been possible to determine the contents and order of the Diatessaron with reasonable certainty. While the original Syriac Diatessaron remains lost, these fragments and translations have enabled modern study of Tatian’s important early Gospel harmony.
Modern Academic Study of the Diatessaron
The past century of research on the Diatessaron has yielded many academic studies and insights into Tatian’s Gospel work:
- Source analysis explores which Gospel accounts Tatian used for different episodes.
- Redaction analysis examines how he edited and shaped the Gospel materials.
- Narrative criticism considers literary features and cohesion of the harmony.
- Comparison with later harmonies reveals its influence.
- Passage of Jesus and the adulteress suggests it circulated with the Diatessaron.
- Theological study probes Tatian’s possible motivations and beliefs.
- Textual analysis explores relation to Old Syriac Gospel manuscripts.
Key research questions that continue to occupy scholars include:
- What was Tatian’s purpose in creating a Gospel harmony?
- To what extent was he motivated by orthodox or heretical concerns?
- Did he draw on oral traditions or lost alternative Gospels?
- How much did he edit the Gospel materials versus simply joining them?
- Why did the Diatessaron become so popular in Syriac Christianity?
- How did it shape perception of the Gospels in its context?
Ongoing study of the Diatessaron provides insight into early Gospel interpretation, textual transmission, harmonization and the development of Christianity in Syria. Modern scholarship continues to illuminate this important early chapter in the history of the biblical Gospels.
Summary of Key Points
To summarize the key points concerning the Diatessaron:
- It was a synthesis of the four canonical Gospels into one continuous narrative created by Tatian around 170 AD.
- It presented a harmonized account used extensively by Syriac churches for centuries.
- It demonstrates early recognition of the fourfold Gospel as authoritative Scripture.
- The contents followed the Gospel of John but wove in episodes from the other Gospels.
- Tatian shaped the text through omissions, additions, harmonizations but mostly stuck to the Gospel accounts.
- The Diatessaron reflects Tatian’s high Christology and some unorthodox tendencies like Encratism.
- It served as an important early transmission of Gospel message in Syria.
- Though later replaced by the separated Gospels, the Diatessaron pioneered Gospel harmonization.
- Modern study has illuminated this work through recovered manuscripts, translations and commentaries.
In the history of early Christian literature, the Diatessaron stands out as an innovative attempt to synthesize the fourfold Gospel into a continuous whole – a creative approach that inspired future Gospel harmonies.