jewish-christian gospels and syriac gospel traditions : reads in the Vulgate:dixit ad eum: in lege quidscriptum est
quomodo legis, which comes notably close to the phrasing of Ori-
gen’s passage. Assuming that the author of Origen’s passage also
usedtheLawyer’sQuestion,itisquitepossiblethathealsopickedup
the Lukanconversus dixitthat was available only a few verses above
(:).
. Once the connection between the Lawyer’s Question and Origen’s
story has been established, we may also note that, in theDiates-
saron, the Lawyer’s Question follows Matthew’s gospel by saying
“On these two commandments, then, are hung thelaw and the
prophets” (, –, cf. Matt :). Thus, the term “the law and
the prophets” that was found common to both Matthew’s gospel
and Origen’s Latin passage (see above) had a central role in the very
same Diatessaronic passage that seems to have made its mark on
the Rich Man’s Question in Origen’s Commentary. Furthermore, in
theDiatessaron, the Lawyer’s Question concludes with the Lukan
phrase “Do this and you shall live.” (cf. Luke :).^34 The phrasing
corresponds to the question of the rich man in Origen’s Latin pas-
sage (quid bonum faciens vivam) and in Ephrem’s Commantary on
theDiatessaron(quid faciam ut vivam).^35
However, the Lawyer’s Question in theDiatessaronmainly follows Mat-
thew and Mark. The phrases that in Origen’s passage resemble Luke’s ver-
sion (quomodo dicis, quoniam scriptum est en lege)^36 cannot be found in
the Diatessaronic witnesses. The Diatessaronic version of the story pro-
vides parallels only for the expressions “the law and the prophets,” “live”,
and “do.” This suggests that the writer must have been familiar with both
(^34) The above quotations are based on the English translation of the ArabicDiatessaron.
For the purposes of the present study, I did not find it necessary—and there was no access
to editions needed—to discuss the “original” phrasing of theDiatessaron.Thepresenceof
these phrases in the Arabic version is enough to show how easily these expressions were
fused together in Diatessaronic witnesses or in a tradition influenced by theDiatessaron
as is the case with Origen’s Latin passage.
(^35) The author of Origen’s passage may also have been influenced by another occurrence
of the term “law and the Prophets” in theDiatessaron.AcentrallessoninRichManand
Lazarus is that had the man given ear toMoses and the prophets, he would not have found
himself in Hades. Although the story refers to “Moses and the prophets,” in Luke’s gospel
the termthe law and the prophets is to be found only a few verses above (Luke :–
): “The law and the Prophets were in effect until John came.. .” According to the
Arabic version, the section (Luke :–) that preceded these verses functioned as an
introduction to Rich Man and Lazarus in theDiatessaron.
(^36) The Old Syriac versions translate Luke ::#$%&$!
'(
.ThusthewordingcouldbebasedontheOldSyriactranslationsbutalsoonGreek
since there is no great difference.