Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.1.53

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11963

Introduction: This manuscript, probably copied in the later 12th or 13th century, contains Old Testament excerpts drawn from three books: Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon and the Wisdom of Solomon. Much of these has been lost, and it is unclear whether they originally formed part of a full manuscript of the Septuagint or a smaller selection. It is evident, however, since the transitions between the three books have survived, that the Book of Job, which would normally appear between the Song of Solomon and Wisdom of Solomon, did not originally appear here. The size of the folios is slightly inconsistent. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

ff. 1r-39v

Septuagint

1.1. ff. 1r-4v

Ecclesiastes

Defective at the beginning, with lacunas: contains 9:7-15 (f. 1r-1v), 10:10-12:1 (ff. 2r-3v), 12:9-12:14 (f. 4r-4v)

Incipit: || f. 1r <⟨Δεῦ⟩>ρο φάγε ἐν εὐφροσύνη τὸν ἄρτον σου

Explicit: f. 4r-4v ἐὰν ἀγαθὸν, ἐὰν πονηρόν

TLG 0527.030

1.2. ff. 4v-6r

Song of Solomon

Incomplete, with a lacuna: contains 1:1-1:6 (f. 4v), 7:12-8:14 (ff. 5r-6r)

Rubric: f. 4v Ἆσμα ἀσμάτων

Incipit: f. 4v Ἆσμα ἀσμάτων, ὅ ἐστι τῶ Σαλομῶν

Explicit: f. 6r ἐπὶ τα ὅρη τῶν ἀσωμάτων

TLG 0527.031

1.3. ff. 6r-39v

Wisdom of Solomon

Defective at the end, with lacunas: contains: 1:1-16:16 (ff. 6v-37v), 17:5-16 (f. 38r-38v), 18:24-19:7 (f. 39r-39v)

Rubric: f. 6r Σοφία Σολομῶντος

Incipit: f. 6v Ἀγαπήσατε δικαιοσύνην οἱ κρίνοντες τὴν γῆν

Explicit: f. 39v ὁδὸς ἀνεμπόδιστος καὶ χλοηφό⟨ρον⟩ ||

TLG 0527.033

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment (FHHF), quite thick and of relatively poor quality.

Extent: Codex: ii + 8 + 39 + 4 + vi leaves. c. 180 × c. 130 mm.

Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-ii] + [iii-x] + 1-39 + [xi-xiv] + [xv-xx] in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 7 quires, all quaternia. One quire has been lost between Quires 1 and 3.

Quire 1^8-4 ff. 1-4 The first, third, sixth and eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
Quires 2-4⁸ ff. 5-28
Quire 5^10-2 ff. 29-36 The fifth and seventh folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
Quire 6^8-5 ff. 37-39 The fifth folio has been cancelled and the second, third, sixth and seventh lost, with loss of text.

There are modern quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. The missing quire after Quire 1 is counted as the second quire, so the numbers of the signatures thereafter are larger by one then their present position in the manuscript.

Condition

There is a long tear near the gutter in f. 39 and an extensive tear from the edge of f. [xi], with occasional smaller tears elsewhere. There is serious creasing to the parchment endleaves, and some other creasing elsewhere. There is significant water staining and areas of dirt, some extensive.

Layout

A single column of 20 lines. 117-127 × 80 mm. Pricking survives in the upper and lower margins. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, margins ruled in a pattern equivalent to Leroy 20C1, but with no text lines.

Hand(s)

The manuscript was copied in a mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the left, in black ink, with little variation in letter size and occasional flourishing of tails into the lower margin.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines, and syllabic abbreviations are very rare. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra .

The modern nu is present.

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

Headings are written in the same style in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of some sections is marked by a simple minor initial in red ink.

Additions

There is a σημείωσαι mark drawing attention to a passage on f. 29v. Later notes in Greek identify the presence of lacunas due to the loss of folios. (e.g. ff. 3v, 39v). The same hand has added a κεφάλαιον (chapter) reference on f. 2r, and completed the interrupted last word on f. 39v. A partially erased Greek devotional note appears on f. 4v, and a note on f. 6r, largely lost to cropping, included the name of the book beginning on that folio.

Headers indicating the current book have been added in Latin on ff. 1r and 5r, as have various notes of modern chapter and verse numbers.

A Latin note of content appears on f. [iii] recto: ‘Ecclesiastes. Canticum Canticorum. Sapientia Solomonis Graece’

The present classmark and the former classmarks No. 215, C.83 and O.3.48 have been marked on the left pastedown and on f. [i] recto.

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with plain pastedowns. The boards are decorated with blind tooling and sprinkling, with a Cambridge panel design. There is decorative gold tooling on the edges. The classmark appears on patches on the spine

193 × 138 × 35 mm.

Both outer joints have begun to split and the spine is partially detached from the book-block. Some of the leather covering has been lost from the foot of the spine.

Accompanying Material

The outermost endleaves, ff. [i-ii] and [xix-xx], are paper and uncut, and belong to the present binding. The remaining endleaves are parchment. Of these, [iii-x] and [xi-xiv] are of medium thickness and originally blank ([xi-xiv] are uncut), while [xv-xviii] are thick and composed of waste from a deed in Latin.

History

Origin: The style of script suggests that the manuscript was copied in the later 12th or 13th century.

Provenance and Acquisition

Donated to Trinity College by the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) , in 1738.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College 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: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902)

Verzeichnis der griechischen Handschriften des Alten Testaments Bible. Old Testament. Supplementum. Greek. Septuagint. 1931, , (Göttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2004)

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, Trinity College, MS O.1.53

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