diatessaron

American  

[dahy-uh-tes-er-uhn] / ˌdaɪ əˈtɛs ər ən /

noun

1. a combining of the four Gospels of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) into a single narrative.

2. (in ancient Greek music) the interval of a fourth.

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diatessaron British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈtɛsəˌrɒn /

noun

1. music (in classical Greece) the interval of a perfect fourth

2. a conflation of the four Gospels into a single continuous narrative

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Other Word Forms

• diatessarial adjective

Etymology

Origin of diatessaron

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dyatessaron “(musical) interval of a fourth,” from Old French diatessaron, from Latin diatessarōn, from Greek dià tessárōn; dia- ( def. ), four

Example Sentences

Eusebius talks of Tatianus “having found a certain body and collection of Gospels, I know not how,” which collection Eusebius does not appear even to have ever seen; and so far from the phrase in Theodoret justifying Dr. Tischendorfs explanation, it would appear from Theodoret that Tatian’s Diatessaron was, in fact, a sort of spurious gospel, “The Gospel of the Four” differing materially from our four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

From Project Gutenberg

For the same reason I have not included Marcion's edition of St. Luke's Gospel, or Tatian's Diatessaron, in the list of books and authors, because such representations of the Gospels having been in public use were sure to have been revised from time to time, in order to accord with the judgement of those who read or heard them.

From Project Gutenberg

The mention of Edessa and Cyrrhus point to the country near the upper Euphrates; and the expression of Theodoret, relating to the Diatessaron being used “in churches of our parts,” seems to hint at a circumscribed region.

From Project Gutenberg

Tatian's Diatessaron, 126, 132-4, 242, 302 note.

From Project Gutenberg

There are resemblances between the Curetonian, some of the Old-Latin texts, the Codex Bezae, and perhaps Tatian's Diatessaron, which lead us to assign an early origin to many of the peculiar readings in this manuscript.

From Project Gutenberg