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3 unusual facts about Gabriel Sionita


Gabriel Sionita

As it was feared that Gabriel might leave the country, the cardinal had him imprisoned in Vincennes (1640).

Gabriel Sionita (Syriac: Jibrā'īl aṣ-Ṣahyūnī; 1577, at Ehden in Lebanon – 1648, in Paris) was a learned Maronite, famous for his role in the publication of the 1645 Parisian polyglot of the Bible.

In 1619, the assembly of French clergy at Blois granted 8,000 livres to support the undertaking; but through some malversation of funds, this money was never actually paid; at least, such is the accusation brought by Gabriel in his preface to the Syriac Psalter, which he published.



see also

Antoine Vitré

From 1625, Antoine Vitré used these types to print the Paris Polyglot Bible printed by Antoine Vitré and edited by Guy Michel Le Jay in 1645, which embraces the first printed texts of the Syriac Old Testament edited by Gabriel Sionita, the Book of Ruth by Abraham Ecchellensis, also a Maronite, the Samaritan Pentateuch and a version by Jean Morin (Morinus).