(Syriac, simple or plain)
Ancient Syriac version of the Bible. A complete translation of the Old Testament, it was in possession of the Syrian Christians since the 4th century. It is the first version of the Hebrew Scriptures made for and by Christians, and is sometimes called the Syriac Vulgate. In antiquity and importance it ranks next to the Septuagint, according to which it was later revised. The Peschitto New Testament is still used in the Syrian Church; it was in circulation in the 4th century, and part of it existed in the 3rd.