Abouna Robert Matheus: East-Syrian commentators on the beginning of the anaphora1. Ancient East-Syrian Commentators:1) Narsai (5th C.), head of the school of Edessa and later of Nisibis: Homily 32, 'on the Church and onPriesthood'. The general structure and many of the prayers paraphrased by Narsai are almost identical withthose in AM. So, he gives us a fairly full and accurate account of his rite.Homily 17, Exposition of the Mysteries 17 does not contain a word by word quotation, but is rather acommentary, exception made for the sanctus and its prelude. It seems that he commented upon the anaphoraein general1, or on an anaphora preceding the existing ones. He mentions institution words, although he mightbe speaking about the Eucharist in general in this passage; his epiclesis explicitly demands: "Make them thebody and blood of King Messiah". The homily is written slightly later than Narsai's lifetime.2) Iso Yahb I (6th C.). We have only a small fragment of his treatise De Sacramentis Ecclesiae2. He regulatedcertain things in the eucharistic celebration in his synod of 585, canon 1.3) Gabriel Qatraya Bar known as Lipeh (7th C.), of the school of Nisibis, later teacher in Seleucia, Pushaqteshmshata, Explanation of the Services, Memra 5, On the Mysteries, Chapter 2.34) Abraham Qatraya Bar Lipah (7th C.) in his Expositions summaries Gabriel's commentary in the form ofquestions and answers with little additions4.5) the anonymous author of Expositio Officiorum (attributed to George of Arbela, between the 7th and 10 thC.) very detailed, but in a mystagogical style. He follows Iso Yahb's reglementation of the 7th C.56) Yohannan Bar Zobi (13th C.), monk: Explanation of all the Divine Mysteries.67) Simeon of Sanqlabad (13th C.) mainly on the liturgical vestments.78) John of Mossul (13th C.): on the spiritual dispositions required in the celebrant.89) Mar Abdiso (Ebedjesus) Bar Brika of Nisibis (14th C.): Expositio Servitii Mysteriorum, Interpretation ofthe Service of the Mys...