deacon's part of the service is sometimes written in a separate book (Shamâshuthâ, διακονικόν) . The lessons are contained in three books; the Ḳeryânâ ("readings") contain the Old Testament and Acts, the Ewangeliyun, the Gospels, and the Shlīḥâ ("Apostle"), the Epistles of St. Paul. The Choir uses the Dauīdâ (Psalter), the Ḥudrâ ("circle") containing the variable chants for all Sundays, the Kâshkul ("containing all") for the week-days, and the Turgâmâ ("interpretation"), in which are found the verses sung between the lessons, like our Gradual. These books also contain part of what is wanted for the Divine Office. They are further supplemented by the Gazâ ("treasury"),[1] the Wardâ ("rose"),[2] which supply certain variable hymns and anthems; also the Ḳdâm wadathar ("before and after"), containing selections from the psalter and prayers for Sundays and week-days. The Abu-ḥalīm (called after its composer) has collects for the end of the Night-prayer on Sundays. The Bauthâ dnīnwâye ("nocturn of the Ninevites") has metrical hymns ascribed to St. Efrem, said at the Fast of the Ninevites. Besides these are books containing special offices, those of baptism (‘mâdâ) and ordination (Syâmīdâ), mentioned above, those for the marriage-service (Brâkâ, "blessing"), for the burial of clergy (Kahnuthâ, "priesthood") and laymen (‘anīdâ, "funeral"). The Ṭaksâ dḥusâyâ ("rite of mercy") gives the services for reconciling penitents and for absolution. There are other books containing other functions.[3]
From this it will be seen that the Nestorian liturgical books are in a bewildering state of confusion. It is no light matter to put together any given service from the various books used in it. Nor do they always know their own books. The difficulty is avoided to a great extent by the fact that singers know vast quantities of the services by heart.[4] The chief books have been printed (in Syriac) by the Anglican mission.[5] The Dominicans at Mosul and
- ↑ Γάζα; Persian: Ganǵ.
- ↑ Arabic: ward.
- ↑ For Nestorian service-books see Badger: The Nestorians and their Rituals, ii. 16–25; and Maclean and Browne: The Catholicos of the East, 229–233.
- ↑ Maclean and Browne: op. cit. p. 232.
- ↑ But apparently incompletely, inasmuch as the Anglicans leave out the names of heretics (Nestorius, etc.) and obviously heretical matter. Rather a feeble compromise, if one is going to print the service-books of a heretical sect at all. The Nestorians, I am told, who buy and use these books, supply in manuscript or from memory what the Anglicans have omitted.
