Robert Payne Smith’s Thesaurus Syriacus, along with the Supplement to the Thesaurus Syriacus compiled by Jessica Payne Margliouth, together represents the authoritative reference for the vocabulary and lexicography for Ancient Syriac. Essential for studying the Peshitta, the Syriac version of the New Testament, as well as other writings of the era, Thesaurus Syriacus and its companion volume are worthwhile additions to a scholar’s library.
Both Robert Payne Smith and his daughter Jessica Payne Margliouth sought to make the earliest translations of Scripture, and especially the Syriac Peshitta, more accessible for study by both students and scholars.