Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Christ's College, MS 9

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11804

Introduction: This manuscript is an Acts and Epistles book, probably copied in the 12th century and slightly incomplete. It is a relatively high-quality production, written on good parchment and ornamented with gold. Its content is straightforward, comprising only the main text without supporting material. One unusual feature is the repetition in brief form of the heading of each book at the top of the page on which it begins. A number of folios were replaced at the time of production, the text of the replacement leaves being copied apparently by the same scribe as the rest of the text, presumably due to some defect in the copying or damage during the production process. In some cases (pp. 33-34, 67-68) the text of these folios is indistinguishable from that of the rest of the manuscript. However, a number of replacement folios (pp. 561-562, 567-568, 575-576, 587-588) bear text in a a different ink from the rest, although the hand appears the same, suggesting that the original scribe had returned to recopy them at some later date, unless these are the work of a very skilled imitator. The reasons for these replacements must be a matter for speculation, but this could reflect an exacting level of quality control, leading to the rejection and replacement at a late stage of folios which had initially been accepted as satisfactory. A different hand has made a considerable number of corrections to the text. The manuscript attracted considerable attention from early modern scholars of the Biblical text. In the later 17th and 18th centuries it was examined by Thomas Gale and J.J. Wetstein, and fully collated by John Mill for his edition of the New Testament, by Richard Bentley, and by John Wigley on behalf of John Jackson, for another planned edition. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Act and Epistles book

Gregory-Aland 319; Von Soden α 256 (Ia3)

Defective at the beginning, with lacunas

Filiation: This manuscript has been categorised by Aland as conforming to the majority text. It was used in the preparation of the Mill, UBS, Merk and Souter editions.

1.1. pp. 1-167

Acts of the Apostles

Defective at the beginning (begins during Ac 1:11), with a lacuna (Ac 18:20-20:14)

Incipit: || p. 1 ἐμβλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν· οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς

Explicit: p. 167 καὶ διδάσκων, τὰ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως

TLG 0031.005

1.2. pp. 168-184

Letter of James

Defective at the end (Jam 1:1-5:14)

Rubric: p. 168 Ἰακώβου ἀποστόλου καθολικὴ ἐπιστολή

Incipit: p. 168 Ἰάκωβος Θεοῦ καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος· ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς

Explicit: p. 184 προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας· καὶ προσευψάσθωσαν||

TLG 0031.020

1.3. pp. 185-201

First Letter of Peter

Defective at the beginning (1 Pet 1:4-5:14)

Incipit: p. 185 καὶ ἀμάραντον· τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς

Explicit: p. 201 ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πᾶσι, τοῖς ἐν Χριστῶ Ἰησοῦ· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.021

1.4. pp. 201-213

Second Letter of Peter

Rubric: p. 202 Πέτρος ἐπιστολὴ, δευτέρα

Incipit: p. 202 Σίμον Πέτρος· δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

Explicit: p. 213 αὐτῶ ἡ δόξα καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.022

1.5. pp. 213-232

First Letter of John

Rubric: p. 213 Ἰωάννου ἐπιστολὴ, πρώτη

Incipit: p. 213 Ὃ ἦν ἀπ'ἀρχῆς· ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν· ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

Explicit: p. 232 φυλάξατε ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.023

1.6. pp. 232-234

Second Letter of John

Rubric: p. 232 Ἰωάννου ἐπιστολὴ καθολικὴ, βʹ

Incipit: p. 232 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος· ἐκλεκτῆ κυρία καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς

Explicit: p. 234 ἀσπάζεταί σε τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.024

1.7. pp. 234-236

Third Letter of John

Rubric: p. 234 Ἰωάννου ἐπιστολὴ καθολικὴ, γʹ

Incipit: p. 234 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐω τῶ ἀγαπητῶ· ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθεία

Explicit: p. 236 ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ φίλοι· ἀσπάζου τοὺς φίλους κατ'ὄνομα

TLG 0031.025

1.8. pp. 236-241

Letter of Jude

Rubric: p. 236 Ἰούδα ἐπιστολὴ καθολικὴ

Incipit: p. 236 Ἰούδας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος· ἀδελφὸς δὲ Ἰακώβου

Explicit: p. 241 καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἴωνας, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.026

1.9. pp. 241-309

Letter to the Romans

Rubric: p. 241 Ἐπιστολὴ Παύλου, πρὸς Ῥωμαίους

Incipit: p. 241 Παῦλος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· κλητὸς ἀπόστολος· ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον Θεοῦ

Explicit: p. 309 ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.006

1.10. pp. 309-374

First Letter to the Corinthians

Rubric: p. 309 Πρὸς Κορινθίους, πρώτη

Incipit: p. 309 Παῦλος κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

Explicit: pp. 373-374 ἡ ἀγάπη μοῦ, μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῶι Ἰησοῦ, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.007

1.11. pp. 374-416

Second Letter to the Corinthians

Rubric: p. 374 Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους, βʹ

Incipit: p. 374 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

Explicit: p. 416 καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.008

1.12. pp. 416-437

Letter to the Galatians

Rubric: p. 416 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Γαλάτας

Incipit: p. 416 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος οὐκ ἀπανθρώπων· οὐδὲ δι'ἀνθρώπου

Explicit: p. 437 ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν ἀδελφοὶ, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.009

1.13. pp. 438-461

Letter to the Ephesians

Rubric: p. 438 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Ἐφεσίους

Incipit: p. 438 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, διὰ θελήμτος Θεοῦ· τοῖς ἅγιοις τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Ἐφέσω

Explicit: p. 461 ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησὸν Χριστὸν· ἐν ἀφθαρσία, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.010

1.14. pp. 461-476

Letter to the Philippians

Rubric: p. 461 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Φιλιππησίους

Incipit: p. 461 Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐν Χριστῶ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Φιλίπποις

Explicit: p. 476 μάλιστα δὲ, οἱ ἐκ τῆς Καίσαρος οἰκίας· ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.011

1.15. pp. 477-492

Letter to the Colossians

Rubric: p. 477 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Κολασσαεῖς

Incipit: p. 477 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ· καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς

Explicit: p. 492 μνημονεύετέ μου τῶν δεσμῶν, ἡ χάρις μεθ'ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.012

1.16. pp. 492-507

First Letter to the Thessalonians

Rubric: p. 492 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς, αʹ

Incipit: p. 492 Παῦλος καὶ Σιλουανὸς καὶ Τιμόθεος. τῆ ἐκκλησία Θεσσαλονικέων

Explicit: p. 507 ἀναγνωσθῆναι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς· ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μεθ'ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.013

1.17. pp. 507-515

Second Letter to the Thessalonians

Rubric: p. 507 Πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς ἐπιστολὴ, βʹ

Incipit: p. 507 Παῦλος καὶ Σιλουανὸς καὶ Τιμόθεος· τῆ ἐκκλησία Θεσσαλονικέων

Explicit: pp. 514-515 οὕτως γράφω· ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.014

1.18. pp. 515-532,

First Letter to Timothy

Rubric: p. 515 Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Τιμόθεον, πρώτη

Incipit: p. 515 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· κατ'ἐπιταγὴν Θεοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν

Explicit: p. 532 ἥν τινες ἐπαγγελόμενοι, περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἡστόχησαν· ἡ χάρις μετά σου· ἀμήν

TLG 0031.015

1.19. pp. 532-545

Second Letter to Timothy

Rubric: p. 532 Πρὸς Τιμόθεον ἐπιστολὴ, βʹ

Incipit: p. 532 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

Explicit: p. 545 ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου· ἡ χάρις μεθ ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.016

1.20. pp. 545-552

Letter to Titus

Rubric: p. 545 Πρὸς Τίτον, ἐπιστολὴ

Incipit: p. 545 Παῦλος δοῦλος Θεοῦ· ἀπόστολος δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατα πίστιν ἐκλεκτῶν Θεοῦ

Explicit: p. 552 ἄσπασαι τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἐν πίστει· ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.017

1.21. pp. 552-555

Letter to Philemon

Rubric: p. 552 Ἐπιστολὴ, πρὸς Φιλίμονα

Incipit: p. 552 Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς· Φιλίμονι τῶ ἀγαπητῶ

Explicit: p. 555 ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.018

1.22. pp. 555-606

Letter to the Hebrews

Rubric: p. 555 Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Ἑβραίους

Incipit: p. 555 Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας πατεράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις

Explicit: p. 606 ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς, οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας· ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἀμήν

TLG 0031.019

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment (FHHF), thin and of good quality.

Extent: Codex: iii + 303 + ii leaves. 218 × 150 mm.

Foliation: The manuscript is paginated with the numbers [i-iii] + 1-606 + [iv-v], in brown ink, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right, and verso, upper left. Some of these numbers have been lost due to damage.

Foliation: pp. 1-30 have been paginated again with the numbers 1-30, in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, lower left, probably to compensate for the loss of many of the numbers of the first sequence in the early part of the manuscript.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 41 quires, of which two are quinia and the rest are quaternia.

Quire 1^8-1 pp. 1-14 The first folio has been lost, with loss of text.
Quire 2⁸ pp. 15-30
Quire 3^8-2+2 pp. 31-46 The original second folio has been cancelled and replaced by another leaf, copied by the same scribe.
Quire 4⁸ pp. 47-62
Quire 5^8-1+1 pp. 63-78 The original third folio has been cancelled and replaced by another leaf, copied by the same scribe.
Quires 6-7⁸ pp. 79-110
Quire 8^8-6 pp. 111-114 The second-seventh folios have been lost, with loss of text.
Quires 9-12⁸ pp. 115-178
Quire 13^8-1 pp. 179-192 The fourth folio has been lost, with loss of text.
Quires 14-34⁸ pp. 193-528
Quire 35⁸ pp. 529-544 The first folio (pp. 529-530) is misplaced as the seventh.
Quire 36⁸ pp. 545-560
Quire 37^8-3+3 pp. 561-576 The original first, fourth and eighth folios have been cancelled and replaced by single leaves, copied by the same scribe in a darker ink.
Quire 38^8-1+1 pp. 577-592 The original sixth folio has been cancelled and replaced by another leaf, copied by the same scribe in a darker ink.
Quire 39^8-1 pp. 593-606 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.

There are quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left. They are often erroneous.

Condition

There are losses in the margin to the fore-edge of pp. 1-30 and to the tail and fore-edge of pp. 605-606, which have been repaired with parchment patches. There are other losses due to tears to the upper outer corners of pp. pp. 115-116 and 169-170, with some loss of text and decoration. There are occasional small holes and small tears to the edge of folios (e.g. 189-190). The folios are mildly cockled and creased. There are areas of dirt, mild water staining, and mould staining (pp. 396-403). A small area of the last few folios appears slightly singed (pp. 599-606). The ink has occasionally suffered abrasion.

Layout

A single column of 22 lines. 165 × 110 mm. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 32C1. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

The text was copied in an upright mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin. There are deletions by erasure.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscription of word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is usually absent but occasionally adscript. Use of the double dot is functional only. There is accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes. Marginal quotation marks and the double grave accent are in use.

The flat-bottomed omega is present.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop.

The same hand has added headings and other rubric in the same style in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the Epistles, on p. 169 is preceded by a pyle in red, blue, green and white paint and gold, part of which has been lost due to damage.

The text of the Epistles, on p. 169, begins with a major initial in the same style as the headpiece. The individual epistles each begin with a small ornamented initial, written in red ink and gilded (e.g. pp. 213, 477).

Sections begin with simple minor initials in red ink.

The transition between epistles on p. 234 is accompanied by line-fillers in red ink, gilded.

The beginnings of other epistles are usually preceded by vignettes in red ink, gilded (e.g. pp. 213, 232, 374, 492)

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, titles have usually been duplicated, sometimes in a more concise form, in the upper margin of the folio on which they appear.

Frequent corrections have been made by another hand in black ink, often by deleting the original text (e.g. pp. 100-101, 560). A hand using black ink has copied some initial letters (pp. 538-539).

There are occasional brief marginal notes and pen-trials in various Greek hands (e.g. pp. 1, 95, 175, 351).

Modern chapter numbers have been added in the margins, in Arabic numerals.

On f. [iii] recto-[iii] verso is an excerpt from a memorandum by John Jackson (1686-1763) , originally added to a copy of Mill's edition of the New Testament in Jesus College, Cambridge. This refers to information conveyed by John Wigley regarding the collation of the manuscript by Mill and gives information on the contents and variant readings.

A note on f. [iii] recto by F.H.A. Scrivener , dated February 1855 records his collation of the manuscript. Another on f. [iii] verso refers to the misplacement of pp. 529-530.

There is a note of the former classmark F.1.13 on f. [iii] recto

and a note of content on f. [iii] verso.

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with marbled pastedowns. Both boards and the spine are decorated with blind tooling. The title ‘Acta Apostolorum et Epistulae’ is tooled in gold on a red patch on the spine, with the classmark on a label. There are traces of red paint on the edges, indicating that they were painted at some point.

The joints of both boards have begun to split, and some leather has been lost at the head and tailcaps.

235 × 173 × 64 mm.

Accompanying Material

A note reading ‘Acta et Epistolae Graece Twelfth Century MS’ is inserted loose at the front of the manuscript.

History

Origin: The style of script indicates that the manuscript was copied in the 12th century.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Availability

Visitors to Christ's who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Christ's College Old Library.

Bibliography

Hē Kainē Diathēkē = Novum Testamentum : cum lectionibus variantibus MSS exemplarium, versionum, editionum, SS patrum & scriptorum ecclesiasticorum, Mill, JohnMoore, JohnBowles, W.Middleton, Francis WilloughbyMiddleton, Thomas Willoughby (Oxford, E Theatro Sheldoniano, 1707)

Memoirs of the life and writings of the late Reverend Mr. John Jackson, master of Wigston's hospital in Leicester, &c. with a particular account of his works, and some original letters which passed between him, and Dr. Clarke, Mr. Whiston, and other considerable writers of that time, Sutton, John (London, 1764)

An exact transcript of the Codex Augiensis: a Græco-Latin manuscript of S. Paul's Epistles, deposited in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose (Cambridge; London, Deighton, Bell, and Co., 1859)

Novum Testamentum Graece: ad antiquissimos testes denuo recensuit apparatum criticum apposuit Constantinus Tischendorf, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, 3: Prolegomena, J.C. Hinrichs, 1894)

Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, J. C. Hinrichs, 1900)

Die Schriften des neuen Testaments, in ihrer ältesten erreichbaren Textgestalt hergestellt auf Grund ihrer Textgeschichte, von Soden, Hermann (Berlin, 1, Verlag von Alexander Duncker, 1902)

A descriptive catalogue of the western manuscripts in the library of Christ's College, Cambridge, James, M.R. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1905)

Novum Testamantum Graece, Souter, Alexander (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1947)

Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, Merk, August (Rome, Sumptibus Pontificii Instituti Biblici, 1964)

A textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, Metzger, Bruce M. (London, United Bible Societies, 1975)

The Greek New Testament, Aland, BarbaraAland, KurtKaravidopoulos, JohannesMartini, Carlo MMetzger, Bruce M. (Stuttgart, Deutsche Bibel Gesellschaft, American Bible Society, United Bible Societies, 2014)

The Centre for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, Christ's College, MS 9

Contents