Diatessaron

The Diatessaron is an early Christian work that created a harmonious account of the life of Jesus by weaving together the four canonical Gospels. It is traditionally attributed to Tatian the Syrian, a disciple of Justin Martyr, who compiled it around the mid-2nd century CE. Tatian aimed to create a single, continuous narrative that resolved perceived discrepancies and repetitions among the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Diatessaron was influential in certain parts of the early church, particularly in Syriac-speaking Christianity, where it became the standard Gospel text for centuries. Evidence suggests it was also used in Latin-speaking regions and possibly in Greek. However, it did not achieve universal acceptance, and the four separate Gospels eventually became the dominant form of the Christian scripture.

Scholars believe the original Diatessaron was written in Syriac, though a Greek version may have existed. Unfortunately, the original text has been lost. Our knowledge of its content comes from later commentaries and translations, most notably the Arabic translation discovered in the 19th century and the Armenian translation. These sources allow for reconstruction and study of Tatian's compilation, offering insights into early Christian textual criticism and the evolving understanding of the Gospel narratives. The Diatessaron represents an important early attempt to synthesize and present the life of Jesus in a unified manner.