Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 720

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12055

Contents

Introduction: This illuminated Greek Gospel book, probably copied towards the end of the 10th century or in the first half of the 11th, is provided with an atypical and unusually extensive sequence of miniatures. Gospel books often contained portraits of the four Evangelists, and much less frequently also other images. Here there are two portraits of the usual sort, of the Evangelists Matthew and Mark each sitting at a desk writing their books, immediately preceding the text of the Gospel (ff. 3v, 80v). The writers of the other two Gospels are portrayed in less conventional fashion, being accompanied by other figures. Luke is shown sitting and writing, but with St Paul standing behind him and peering over his shoulder at his work, while a third figure looks into the room from behind a curtain over the doorway (f. 133r). The Gospel of John is preceded by an image of a standing figure labeled as John the Theologian, and a seated one labeled as John the Baptist (f. 223r). The interpretation of this image is complicated by the fact that the seated figure appears to be writing, though the usual desk is absent. The labels may therefore be incorrectly applied. While the other face of the folio bearing the miniature of Matthew is blank, those of Mark and Luke are each accompanied by a second full-page miniature on the reverse, respectively an image of John the Baptist conducting a baptism while Jesus watches from the background (f. 80r, and one of Mary and Joseph with the young Jesus (f. 133v). The text of the Gospel of John begins on the verso following the miniature of the two saints on the recto, but that text is preceded by a semi-circular miniature of the Virgin and Child (f. 223v). As originally produced, the only supporting annotations guiding the use of the text were the numbers and titles of the chapters (κεφάλαια) in the margins. However a later hand, probably in the 12th century, added further standard annotations supporting both study and liturgical use. Numbers were added for the Ammonian sections, the shorter subdivisions of each Gospel, each accompanied by a Eusebian canon number identifying whether each passage was unique to that Gospel or parallel to passages in one or more of the others. Lection notes were also added identifying the passages to be read in church through the liturgical year, and two additional quires were added, copied by the same hand, containing a list of all the lections. It appears that the same hand added the titles of each Gospel, hitherto absent. A single lost folio was replaced by a substitute, probably in the 13th or 14th century. The manuscript retains a medieval Greek binding, decorated with designs including the imperial double-headed eagle. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: 278 leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers 3-75, 78-120, 122-127, 133, 145-220, 223-301, in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right. Folio numbers 1-2, 76-77, 121, 128-132, 134-144 and 221-222 have been assigned to leaves no longer present in the volume (as per historic foliation practices at Cambridge University Library).

Collation

Part I consists of 35 quires, Part III of 2: 12-1 | 2-98, 106, 1110-6+1, 12-168, 178-2, 182-1, 19-278, 288-1+1, 29-358, 368, 3712-1 .

Condition

Most of f. 78 has been lost, with loss of text, and the loss substituted by a paper patch. About half of f. 120 has been lost. Other folios have suffered losses, sometimes with loss of text, notably ff. 118-119, 126-127. Occasionally these losses have been repaired with paper patches (e.g. ff. 79-80, 301). A few folios contain small holes (e.g. ff. 15, 209). There is significant creasing to some folios, and some cockling. There is mild water staining, drops of wax and areas of dirt. Water damage has occasionally caused fading of ink (e.g. ff. 73r-74r, 78v-79r), and the text on the surviving portion of f. 79r has been almost entirely lost. The miniatures have suffered varying degrees of abrasion.

Binding

Medieval Greek binding. Parchment textblock cut to the size of the boards.

Four sewing stations prepared with v-notches. Sewing is an unsupported loop-stitch with an S-twist sewing thread.

Only the tailband remains complete; only remnants over the boards are visible on the headband. Classic Greek endbands with wound cream threads around two cord cores. The thread is passed diagonally around the lower core and wraps vertically around the upper core.

One transverse continuous textile lining with two transverse patches of lining at head and tail.

There are no endleaves.

Board attachment is sewn, passing from the outside face of the board to the inner face and then back out.

Wooden boards. The boards have grooved edges and are shaped at the spine edge both inside and outside of the board. The inside of the board creates a gentle curve to the spine; the outside edge of the board is rounded.

Full covering of red tanned skin, decorated with blind tooling, with the use of intaglio tools for some of the tooling. Triple fillet border with triple fillets intersecting creating a diamond shape. Intaglio and floral tools are used between the fillets. On the right board, there is blind tooling at the head and tail turn-ins. Designs include double-headed eagles, dragons and pairs of quadrupeds.

There are five holes located on the right board (corners and centre) that held metal furniture. Fragments of two pins remain. Evidence of fastening remnants from several attachments: two sets of three holes through the right board; a pair of holes at each board edge on both board; two extra larger holes on the left board fore-edge (these seem to correspond with the two set of three holes).

Two modern paper labels designating the classmark are stuck at head and tail on the spine.

Remains of red cloth tabs marking the beginning of Gospels are attached to ff. 81 and 223.

152 × 119 × 90 mm.

The leather covering material over the spine has been lost. There is slight pest damge to both boards.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by Ioannes N. Valettas (1818-1900)

Purchased from Valettas by Cambridge University Library in 1870, with money from the Rustat Fund (established in 1666 by Tobias Rustat ).

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 720, ff. 3-282]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 3r-282v
Gospel book

Gregory-Aland 672; Von Soden ε 156 (Kx); Scrivener Evan. 618.

Filiation: This manuscript has been categorised by Aland as conforming to the majority text.
1.1. f. 3v
Evangelist miniature of St Matthew

f. 3r is blank

1.2. ff. 4r-75v
Gospel of Matthew

Defective at the end: ends at Mt 28:1

Rubric: f. 4r Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ματθαίον[sic]:- Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαίον[sic] εὐαγγελίου
Incipit: f. 14r Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· Υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ· Υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ
Explicit: f. 75v ὀψὲ σαββάτων τῆι ἐπιφωσκούση εἰς μίαν σαββάτων, ἦλθε Μαρία||

TLG 0031.001

1.3. ff. 78r-79r
List of κεφάλαια to Mark

Defective at the beginning

Incipit: || f. 78r ρία επερωτήσεως
Explicit: f. 87r μηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου

f. 79v is blank.

1.4. f. 80r
Miniature of John the Baptist performing a baptism
1.5. f. 80v
Evangelist miniature of St Mark
1.6. ff. 81r-127v
Gospel of Mark

Defective at the end, with lacunas: ends at Mk 15:29

Rubric: f. 81r Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Μάρκον: Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Μάρκον ἁγίου εὐαγγελίου
Incipit: f. 81r Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Explicit: f. 127v καὶ οἱ παραπορευόμενοι· ἐβλασφήμουν αὐτὸν, κινοῦντες||

TLG 0031.002

1.7. f. 133r
Evangelist miniature of St Luke, with St Paul
1.8. f. 133v
Miniature of the Holy Family
1.9. ff. 145r-220r
Gospel of Luke

Defective at the beginning: begins at Lk 3:23

Incipit: || f. 145r τὸς ἦν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα ἀρχόμενος
Explicit: f. 220r καὶ ἦσαν διαπαντὸς ἐν τῶ ἱερῶ, αἰνοῦντες καὶ εὐλογοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν ἀμὴν

TLG 0031.003

1.10. f. 223r
Miniature of SS John the Baptist and John the Theologian
1.11. ff. 223v-282v
Gospel of John
Rubric: f. 223v Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην
Incipit: f. 231r Ἐν ἀρχὴ ἦν ὁ λόγος· καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν· καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
Explicit: f. 282v οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι· τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία ἀμήν

TLG 0031.004

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness and quality.
Extent: 138 × 105 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 35 quires, of which two are single bifolios, one a ternion, one perhaps a quinion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 12-1 f. 3 The first folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 2-98 ff. 4-67
  • Quire 106 ff. 68-73
  • Quire 1110-6+1 ff. 74-80 The third and fourth folios have been lost, with loss of text, the original seventh-tenth folios cancelled, without loss of text, and an additional folio (f. 80) inserted after the original sixth folio (now the fourth). This reconstruction is conjectural.
  • Quires 12-168 ff. 81-120
  • Quire 178-2 ff. 122-127 The first and last folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 182-1 ff. 133-133 The first folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 19-278 ff. 145-216
  • Quire 288-1+1 ff. 217-226 The fourth folio has been lost, with loss of text, and later replaced with a substitute folio (f. 220, Part II).
  • Quires 29-358 ff. 227-282

There are quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. This is part of the sequence running through the whole volume. This sequence counts the apparently lost quire before f. 145 as its Quire 19, so the numbers of signatures threreafter are larger than those in this description by one. Quires 1 and 18 are included in the signature sequence, but not marked with a signature, so the marked numbers in this part run 2-17, 20-36.

Layout

ff. 4r-63v A single column of 20 lines. 85 × 75 mm. Pricking survives in the lower margin, but most has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 7, type Leroy 12C1. Text hangs from the lines.

ff. 64r-282v A single column of 19 lines. 82 × 75 mm. Pricking survives in the lower margin, but most has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 7, type Leroy 12C1. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

This part was copied by Hand A, in upright mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the lower margin.

Syllabic abbreviations usually appear only at the end of lines, but occasionally in mid-line. Superscript word endings are not generally in use. Breathings are both angular and round and mute iota is adscript. Use of the double dot is functional only, and nomina sacra accentuated only when more than three letters long. Circumflexes sometimes appear over breathings, but are not expanded.

Majuscule letter-forms present include beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, eta, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, pi and omega.

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

Chapter numbers and headings were written in Alexandrine majuscule, in red ink.

Decoration

Full-page miniatures in paint and gold precede all four Gospels, including Evangelist portraits and other scenes. There is a smaller, roughly semicircular miniature preceding the beginning of the text on f. 223v.

  • f. 3v Matthew ( 109 × 87 mm. )
  • f. 80r John the Baptist performing a baptism, with Christ standing in the background ( 118 × 88 mm. )
  • f. 80v Mark ( 120 × 88 mm. )
  • f. 133r Luke with St Paul ( 120 × 91 mm. )
  • f. 133v The Holy Family ( 118 × 85 mm. )
  • f. 223r John the Baptist and John the Theologian ( 113 × 85 mm. )
  • f. 223v Virgin and Child ( 40 × 51 mm. )

The Gospel of Matthew is preceded by a pyle in red and blue (f. 4r). The Gospel of Mark is preceded by a thin rectangular headpiece, containing a plaited design, in red ink 81r.

Minor initials in red ink mark the beginning of Gospels and sections.

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, the text was supplied with chapter (κεφάλαιον) numbers in the left and right margins and chapter titles (τίτλοι) in the upper and lower margins.

Hand C later added Ammonian section and Eusebian canon numbers in the left and right margins, along with lection notes, including ἀρχή and τέλος marks indicating the beginning and end of lections. This hand also added the Gospel headings.

There are occasional marginal notes in Greek by later hands (e.g. ff. 79r, 80r-80v).

Some calculations have been written in pencil on f. 3r.

There are notes in pencil regarding missing folios by Henry Bradshaw (1831-1886) , University Librarian 1867-1886.

History

Origin: The main body of the manuscript was probably copied in the late 10th or first half of the 11th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 720, f. 220]

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: f. 220 132 × 105 mm.

Collation

This part consists of a single replacement folio (f. 220), inserted into Quire 28 to replace a missing original folio.

Layout

f. 220r A single column of 19 lines. 84 × 65 mm. Pricking does not survive. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 50C1. Text ignores the lines.

Hand(s)

f. 220r was copied by Hand B, in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to letters, breathings and nomina sacra strokes.

The loop epsilon is present.

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

History

Origin: This replacement folio was probably copied and inserted in the 13th or 14th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 720, ff. 283-301]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. ff. 283r-301r
Summary lectionary
Rubric: f. 283r Ἐκλογῆ σῦν Θεῶ τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελίων, ἥγουν[sic] σῦναξάριον[sic] ἴνα[sic] ἐὰν[sic] θέλης· ἤ να εὔρης[sic] τὰ καθημερινὰ εὐαγγέλια· ἵνα ζητήσης τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς τὸ παρον[sic] χάρτην· καὶ εὐρον[sic] τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, οἴου[sic] ζητὴς; καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον, ἵνα ἐπιζητίσης τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου εἰς το [sic] ὕφω[sic] τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀπέστω, καὶ να εὔρης[sic] αὐτῶ
Incipit: f. 283r Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἁγίου εὐαγγελίου+ Τῆ ἁγία καὶ μεγάλη Κυριακὴ[sic] τοῦ Πάσχα
Explicit: f. 301r ἄλλος τῆ εʹ τῆς γʹ ευδομάδος[sic]

f. 301v is blank, apart from traces of a note in red ink.

2.1. ff. 283r-291v
Synaxarion
2.2. ff. 292r, 301r, line 9
Menologion
2.3. f. 301r, lines 10-21
Lections for various occasions

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (HFHF), of medium thickness and quality.

Collation

This part consists of two quires, of which one is a quaternion and the other was of twelve folios.

  • Quire 368 ff. 283-290
  • Quire 3712-1 ff. 291-301 The last folio has been lost, without loss of text.

There are quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right, continuing the sequence covering the whole manuscript (37-38).

Layout

ff. 283r-301r A single column of 19-20 lines. 100-110 × 85 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 10C1. Text is written sometimes along the lines, sometimes hanging from them.

Hand(s)

ff. 283r-301r were copied by Hand C, in mixed minuscule script with variable slant, in brown ink for incipits on ff. 283r-291v and red ink for headings and lections entries on ff. 283r-291v and for all text on ff. 292r-301r. The same hand added Gospel headings, lection notes and Ammonian section and Eusebian canon numbers to ff. 4r-282v, in red ink.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only, and there is accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . Circumflexes sometimes appear over breathings, but are not expanded.

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

Headings on ff. 4r, 81r, 223v and 283r are written in display majuscule in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text on f. 283r is preceded by a thin pyle in red ink, containing a plaited design.

Minor initials in red ink appear at the begining of lines.

Transitions between sections are marked by simple vignettes in red ink.

Additions

There are illegible traces of a note in red ink on f. 301v.

History

Origin: This supplementary material was probably added in the 12th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description of binding draws upon unpublished description prepared (2020) by Samuel Foley and Cecilia Diminuco, Dept of Conservation and Collection Care, Cambridge University Library.

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.

Bibliography

    Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose (Cambridge, 1, Deighton, Bell, 1874) Novum Testamentum Graece: ad antiquissimos testes denuo recensuit apparatum criticum apposuit Constantinus Tischendorf, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, 3: Prolegomena, J.C. Hinrichs, 1894) The illustrations of the prefaces in Byzantine Gospels Byzantina Vindobonensia ; 11, Galavaris, George (Vienna, 11, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1979) Cambridge University Library: a history, McKitterick, David (Cambridge, 2: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Cambridge University Press, 1986)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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