before I begin

[Kara]

Here is on simple piece of evidence that places the peshitta before the old syriac.
Aphrahat quotes the peshitta word for word may times against the OS.

Is there any evidence of anyone quoting the OS before this? If so what is the evidence?

[/quote]

Greetings and blessings, Judge. I hope you and yours had a wonderful weekend.

Before we address the Old Syriac, I have a couple questions for you:

a) Can you provide at least two impartial sources that verify the claim that Aphrahat repeatedly quoted from the Peshitta NT?
b) Can you find any mention of the Peshitta (by name) in the writings, such as commentaries and poetry, of the early Syriac Church Fathers (pre-5th century)?

If the Peshitta Gospels existed and remained authoritative before and after the Diatessaron, then we will find at least one direct mention of it by pre 5th century Syriac writers, such as St. Ephrem and Aphrahat. Otherwise, we are forced to conclude that either the Peshitta was of little regard within the Syriac Church until the 5th century or that the Peshitta did not exist before the 5th century.

Kevin