NESTORIAN MISSALS

The Nestorians also employ a vast number of service-books, but they do not trouble themselves much about rubrics. In the first place, they have what is termed the Euanghelion, or book of the Gospels. This they read at every Mass. Second, the Sliho (in Syriac, ܝܠܝܚܐ), or book of Epistles, containing nothing but extracts from the Epistles of St. Paul. Third, the Karyane (Syriac, ܟܪܘܐܐ = koruzo, a preacher, hence the word Koran), which contains extracts from the Old Testament and from the Acts of the Apostles. Fourth, the Turgama (Syriac, ܬܘܪܓܟܥܐ = turgmo, interpretation, whence Targum), consisting of a variety of hymns chanted responsively around the altar by the deacons before the Epistle and Gospel, calling upon the people to give ear to the words of the New Testament.

The Karyane is read by the Karoya, or lector, at the altar door, on the south side; the Sliho, on the north side, by the subdeacon; the celebrant himself reads the Euanghelion at the middle of the altar. During the reading of all these the sacred ministers are facing the congregation. In case a Shammasha, or full deacon, is present the onus of reading the Gospel devolves on him. The pulpit in which the Nestorians formerly read the Sliho was denominated Gagolta (same as Golgotha, the name of Mount Calvary), from the steps by which it was ascended.

The Chaldeans use the same books in divine service, with little difference, as the Nestorians (Badger, Nestorians and their Rituals, vol. ii. p. 19). This difference touches, of course, the Nestorian heresy of holding that there are two Persons in our Divine Saviour instead of one.