If it is in Syriac as some have suggested then it could be the Bible in the Pshitta version, prepared by Dominican monks at Mosul, under the supervision of C.J. David, Archbishop of Damascus, and G. Ebed-Jesus Khayyath, Archbishop of Amid. Published by Mausili. 1887-91, 3 vols.

vol.1 (1887) includes a Latin title and a Syriac one.

For reference, see Historical Catalogue of Printed Bibles, p.1549 (Ancient Syriac: 1891. Biblia Sacra juxta versionem simplicem quae dicitur Pschitta.)

One cannot but raise the same question as Dr. Roper - under which circumstances was this book found and was it leagally exported from Iraq?

Regards,

Dr. Meis Al-Kaisi 
Bernard Quaritch Ltd. 
Antiquarian Booksellers since 1847	Tel.: + 44 (0) 20 7734 2983
8 Lower John Street, Golden Square	Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7437 0967
London W1F 9AU			VAT No. GB 840 1358 54

Please visit our new website at	www.quaritch.com
  

-----Original Message-----
From: Middle Eastern and Islamic Library Collections and Bibliography [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of G.J. Roper
Sent: 06 August 2009 14:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: printed Bible in Syriac and Latin

This identification certainly seems likely to be correct.

But one is bound to ask: in what circumstances was this book found and acquired, and was it legally removed from Iraq?  
-- 
==============================================
Dr Geoffrey Roper
Bibliographical & Editorial Consultant
   (Middle Eastern & Muslim areas & languages)
Leith, St Mark's Hill, Surbiton
London, KT6 4LW,  Great Britain

[log in to unmask]        +44 (0) 20 8390 0497
==============================================

On Aug 6 2009, Vrolijk, A.J.M. wrote:

>Dear Mastaneh,
>
>If this Bible is really in Syriac it could be the edition by Paulus
>Bedjan, printed by Maisonneuve in Paris, 1886-1887. There is a Wikipedia
>article on Bedjan.
>
>With best regards,
>
>Arnoud Vrolijk
> 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Middle Eastern and Islamic Library Collections and Bibliography
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mastan Ebtehaj
>Sent: donderdag 6 augustus 2009 13:31
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: printed Bible in Arabic and Latin
>
>Dear Colleagues,
>
>I have received the following enquiry from Chris Lehman, copied in this
>message, could anyone help please:
>
>"I have acquired a bible while I was in Iraq that was printed in 1887.
>I am having trouble reading the text as it is written in Arabic.  The
>approval from the church was in Latin and it was the Breviarian
>Chaldaicum.  I am searching for the books history and how or where they
>were originally used in the middle east.  I do not normally collect
>books but a Christian book from 1887 found in Iraq [south of Baghdad] in
>2008 is rare and interesting to me.  I would like your assistance on
>this matter since I have expended all of the resources that I know of. "
>
>FYI,
>
>Chris Lehman has consulted the following with no result:
>
>1-the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky
>
>2-Bellarmine University in Louisville Kentucky
>
>3-relevant databases
>
>
>
>**************************************
>Mastan Ebtehaj
>Librarian
>St Antony's College
>MEC
>68 Woodstock Road
>Oxford, OX2 6JF
>U.K
>Tel: +44 1865284764
>Fax:               274529