The Four Gospels

A decorative Eusebian Canon table features a double arch, or arcade, supported by three slender columns. The arches are colored in red with geometric patterns. To the left of the arcade is an illustration of a long-tailed bird, possibly a pheasant or peacock, perched near a stylized plant or bush. The peacock was often used in early Christian art to symbolize immortality. The columns have ornate capitals and bases. Within the two arched bays, columns of Syriac numerals are arranged vertically.

The numbers in these tables refer to the Ammonian Sections, which are small numbered portions of the Gospel text used for cross-referencing before the invention of modern chapters and verses. In this manuscript, these numbers are written using Syriac letters as numerals, a system known as Gematria.