Mc 16 dans les manuscrits arabes du Sinaï — Réflexions de méthode pour leur utilisation en critique textuelle. Diversité des versions, rubriques, langues sources, variantes fausses et vraies

In this contribution, we present Mark 16:9–20 as we read it in Arabic manuscripts of the library of the monastery of St Catherine (Sinai). The pericope is present in all those manuscripts. Yet, we note that in those of the first millennium, whose rubrics refer to the Jerusalem calendar, no reading of the pericope seems to be prescribed. Secondly, as to the text, except for the versions or families that H. Kashouh calls a, b and perhaps jA, the influence of the Syriac (and sometimes, especially for ms Sinai ar. 71, Christian Palestinian Aramaic) versions seems to be pervasive. Thirdly, we take the time to reflect about the method needed to study Arabic Gospel manuscripts: we try to make the difference between ʻfalseʼ and ʻrealʼ variants. The conclusion is that, even though there are many obstacles for the use of the Arabic Gospel versions in textual criticism, their history is very rich and deserves to be studied.