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. 1836

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12059

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably produced in the late 12th or 13th century, is unusual in being a combined New Testament lectionary. It gives the readings for each day both from the Gospels and from the Acts and Epistles, whereas these were normally read from two separate books. The two types of lection alternate in a single sequence. It is also unusual in that it gives only the lections for the Sunday liturgy, with the exception of the first Saturday of Lent and the Saturday of Lazarus, preceding Palm Sunday. Normally lectionaries give either the lections for both Saturdays and Sundays or those for the whole week. Much of the early part of the manuscript has been lost. The surviving original portion was copied by three different scribes, one of whom was responsible for most of what remains. At some point after it was first produced, its content was slightly expanded. Two extra bifolios were inserted into one of its quires, giving additional lections. These pertain to the morning service of Epiphany and to the Sundays either side of the festival, and were inserted on either side of the folios containing the lections for the main liturgy of Epiphany itself. The scribes who copied each of these bifolios and the ruling patterns used are different from one another as well as from the original body of the manuscript, so despite the similarity of their content, it may be that the two additions were made on different occasions, whichever intervention came later perhaps being inspired by the example of the earlier one. The manuscript shows signs of being a product of the Greek communities of southern Italy. A substantial Greek-speaking population existed in this region while it was under Byzantine rule in the early Middle Ages, and although the empire was expelled from Sicily by the Arabs in the 10th century and from the mainland by the Normans in the 11th, Greek language and culture persisted for centuries thereafter. Worship in Greek according to the Byzantine rite continued, for which liturgical books continued to be produced. One of the characteristic features found in this manuscript is the poor quality of its parchment, which displays numerous holes created during the stretching and drying of the skin. When making a high-grade manuscript, any sheet in which such holes appeared would have been rejected, while even in more humble products of the Byzantine mainstream they would usually only be used if the holes were positioned where they could be kept to the margins, rather than impairing the writing surface itself. In peripheral regions such as southern Italy standards were often lower, leading to the appearance of manuscripts such as this one, in which the text is frequently interrupted by holes in the material, appearing right in the midst of the written area. That these are original to the process of production, rather than the product of later damage, is clearly visible from the fact that none of the text has been lost to them. Instead it skips over them, with the beginning of a word often appearing on one side of a hole and the remainder on the other side. Even where no hole has opened up, flaws in the parchment have led to areas of the written surface being left bare, which can account for a large proportion of the folio (f. 130v). The work of one of the original scribes displays deficiencies in the use of breathings, which are always of the smooth type, even where the word requires a rough breathing (e.g. 51r-53v, line 5 ). The copyists of one of the inserted bifolios (ff. 163* recto-163** recto) follow the same practice, and make other widespread errors, often omitting breathings altogether, wrongly including them or placing them over the wrong letter, sometimes in ways which are not merely incidental slips but are consistently applied. The copyist of the other inserted bifolio (ff. 166* recto-166** verso) largely omits breathings altogether. This haphazard grasp of orthography shows deficiencies in the scribes' training which seem consistent with an origin in a region such as southern Italy, somewhat detached from the mainstream of Greek-speaking culture. Another feature suggestive of an origin in southern Italy is the use of translucent yellow wash to highlight various pieces of information on lections. Such highlighting is a characteristic south Italian feature, though one that is also found in manuscripts from neighbouring Epiros in western Greece. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: ii + 136 + ii leaves. 160 × 130 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-ii] + 51-131, 133-163, 163*, 163**, 164-166, 166*, 166**, 167-170, 172-177, 179-185 + [iii-iv], in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right. Folio numbers 1-50, 171, 178 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 22 quires, with the four folios of Part II inserted into Quire 16: 18-2, 2-48, 58-2, 68, 78-2, 8-108, 118-1, 128, 138-2, 14-158, 168+4, 178-2, 188-1

Condition

Parts of the margins of ff. 51, 85, 99, 107-108, 140, 142, 148, 155, 157 appear to have been roughly but deliberately cut away. There have been other significant losses to the edges of ff. 51, 63, 111, 113. Some damage of this sort has been repaired with parchment patches (e.g. ff. 51, 83-85, 118, 144). Iron gall corrosion from the ink used on ff. 126r-163v, 164r-166v, 167r-177v has produced a green halo effect and created holes in some folios, which have been repaired with Tegujo paper (e.g. ff. 128-130, 133, 135). Damage to the legibility of the text from this cause has been rectified in places by overwriting in black ink (e.g. ff. 138v-139v). There has also been abrasion of text and overwriting elsewhere (e.g. ff. 162v, 179v). In the last few folios (ff. 179-185) there are small holes due to pest damage. There are tears to the edges of many folios and some tears along ruling lines. There is significant cockling and creasing, occasionally obscuring text. There are extensive areas of dirt, water staining and drops of wax.

Additions

Marginal notes were included as part of the orignal production of the manuscript.

Further lection and hymnographic notes have been added in the margins by later Greek hands.

There are numerous other annotations in Greek by a number of different hands.

There are notes in pencil regarding missing folios, by Henry Bradshaw.

Binding

Rebound in 1961 by J.P. Gray and Son of Cambridge, reusing the boards from a previous binding. Full leather binding over millboards, with marbled pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on both boards and their edges. The title ‘Greek lectionary’ and the classmark are tooled in gold on the spine. There are remains of thread page-markers on the edges of ff. 177 and 179.

178 × 149 × 62 mm.

Stiff parchment guards restrict opening in places.

Accompanying Material

There is a note on f. [iv] recto by Henry Bradshaw (1831-1886) , University Librarian 1867-1886, regarding the collation.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased by Cambridge University Library on 3 December 1874 from the London bookseller Bernard Quaritch , with money from the Rustat Fund, as indicated by a note on f. [i] verso.

Part 1 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1836, ff. 3-282]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. 51r-185r
New Testament lectionary (Sundays only)

Defective at the beginning and end: begins during the Gospel lection for the 2nd Sunday of Matthew (Mt 4:23); ends during the Gospel lection for the departed (εἰς κοιμηθέντας) (Jn 5:30)

Gregory-Aland l 306; Scrivener Evst. 292

Incipit: || f. 51r εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας
Explicit: f. 185r ἀλλὰ το θέλημα· του πέμψαντος||

f. 185v is blank

1.1. ff. 51r-142v
Synaxarion

Gospel lections alternate with those of the Acts and Epistles alternate

Incomplete, with a lacuna

1.2. ff. 143r-149r
Menologion: Lections for September
1.3. ff. 149r-149v
Menologion: Lections for October
1.4. ff. 149v-153r
Menologion: Lections for November
1.5. ff. 153r-161v
Menologion: Lections for December
1.6. ff. 161v-162v, 164r-166v, 167r
Menologion: Lections for January
1.7. ff. 167r-170v
Menologion: Lections for February
1.8. f. 170v
Menologion: Lections for March

Defective at the end

1.9. f. 172r-172v
Menologion: Lections for April

Defective at the beginning

1.10. ff. 173r-174v
Menologion: Lections for May
1.11. ff. 175r-177r
Menologion: Lections for June
1.12. ff. 177r-179v
Menologion: Lections for July

Incomplete, with a lacuna

1.13. ff. 179v-182r
Menologion: Lections for August
1.14. ff. 182v-185r
Lections for various occasions

Defective at the end

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of variable thickness and poor quality, with frequent holes dating to the time of production, including in the written area.

Collation

This part consists of 18 quires, all quaternia, with the four folios of Part II inserted into Quire 16. The signatures indicate that six more quires have been lost at the beginning.

  • Quire 18-2 ff. 51-56 The first two folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 2-48 ff. 57-80
  • Quire 58-2 ff. 81-86 The fourth and fifth folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quire 68 ff. 87-94
  • Quire 78-2 ff. 95-100 The third and sixth folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 8-108 ff. 101-124
  • Quire 118-1 ff. 125-131 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 128 ff. 133-140
  • Quire 138-2 ff. 141-146 The third and sixth folios have been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 14-158 ff. 147-162
  • Quire 168+4 ff. 163-170 Two additional folios have been inserted after the first original folio, and two more after the fourth.
  • Quire 178-2 ff. 172-177 The first and last folios have been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quire 188-1 ff. 179-185 The last folio has been lost or cancelled, without loss of text.

There are quire signatures in Greek numerals, in black ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, either upper right (Quires 2-3) or lower left (Quire 4 onwards). They are probably original to the production of the manuscript. Some have been lost to damage. They survive on Quires 2-16 and 18: ηʹ-κβʹ, κδʹ). Leaf signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, have been added to the first folio of each bifolio, recto, lower right, by Henry Bradshaw. They use the original quire numbers. A sequence of quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, has been added to the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left. These numbers reflect the current state of the manuscript. Some have been lost to damage.

Layout

A single column of 16-18 lines. 94-102 × 90 mm. Pricking survives in all three margins, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 22C1b. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

51r-53v, line 5 were copied by Hand A, in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in dark brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size and occasional flourishing of tails into the margin.

Syllabic abbreviations are not used and superscript word endings appear rarely and only at the end of lines. Breathings are round and invariably smooth. Mute iota is absent. Nomina sacra are unaccentuated.

The small majuscule kappa is present, in a form with two widely-separated parts.

Punctuation used includes the upper point and full stop.

f. 53v, line 5-f. 72v were copied by Hand B, in mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in black ink, with minimal variation in letter size. There is some flourishing of tails into the margin, sometimes decorated with cross-marks.

Syllabic abbreviations appear very rarely and only at the end of lines. Superscript word endings do not appear. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only. Nomina sacra are accentuated only when at least four letters long, and then rarely.

The small majuscule kappa is present, in a form with two widely-separated parts.

Punctuation used includes the upper point and full stop.

ff 73r-163v, 164r-166v and 167r-185r were copied by Hand C, in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are both angular and round. Angular breathings are often slanted. Mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only. Nomina sacra are accentuated only when at least four letters long and breathings are often omitted even on longer nomina sacra .The double grave accent is in use.

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

Most headings have been added in Alexandrine majuscule script in red ink. Some major headings are written in a display majuscule, outlined in brown ink with red infill (e.g. ff. 128r, 143r).

Musical Notation: The text is provided with ekphonetic notation in red ink.

Decoration

The transition between the synaxarion and menologion is marked by a band of plaited ornament, outlined in brown ink with red infill (f. 142v).

The transition between sections is sometimes marked by simple vignettes in brown or brown and red ink (e.g. ff. 167r, 170v), or thin plaited bands outlined in brown ink with red infill (e.g. ff. 153r, 161v) or outlined in red with brown infill (f. 111v).

Lections begin with minor initials, outlined in brown ink with red infill. Some have been highlighted with translucent yellow infill.

The transition between sections is sometimes accompanied by line-fillers in brown ink (e.g. f. 128r).

Summary lections are often highlighted with translucent yellow wash.

History

Origin: The main body of the manuscript was probably copied in the late 12th or 13th century, as suggested by the style of script. The poor quality of parchment, the use of highlighting in yellow wash and the poor scribal standards reflected in the use of diacritics suggest an origin in a peripheral region, most probably southern Italy. Features such as the continued use of angular breathings by one of the hands, the lack of mid-line syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings, and the lack of letter-forms such as the modern eta and modern nu tend in favour of an earlier date. However, the small majuscule kappa is not normally found before the late 12th century, and a peripheral origin makes more likely the retention of practices which had largely ceased in the Byzantine mainstream.

Part 2 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1836, ff. 163*-163**]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

2. ff. 163* recto-163** verso
Menologion: Gospel lections for the Sunday before Epiphany and the morning service (orthros) of Epiphany

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness.

Layout

A single column of 21-23 lines. 123 × 95 mm. Pricking does not survive. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 10D1. Text largely ignores the lines.

Hand(s)

ff. 163* recto-163** recto were copied by Hand D, in an inelegant, upright mixed minuscule script, in dark brown ink, with significant variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations appear throughout the line. Breathings are round, invariably smooth, sometimes omitted, sometimes placed over the wrong letter (such as over the alpha of Ἰωάννης), and inappropriately included whenever the abbreviation of omega-nu appears. Mute iota is absent. There is accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra .

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

f. 163** verso was copied by Hand E, in an blocky, upright mixed minuscule script, in dark brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size.

Breathings are round, invariably smooth, sometimes omitted or inappropriately included, and sometimes placed over the wrong letter (such as over the alpha of Ἰωάννης). Mute iota is absent. There is accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra .

Punctuation used includes the middle point, full stop and a cross used as normal punctuation.

Headings have been added in the same style in red ink.

Decoration

The beginning of the text on f. 163* recto is preceded by a narrow rectangular headpiece in red ink with yellow infill, above which is a quatrefoil plait design outlined in brown ink, with red and yellow infill.

Lections and headings in brown ink begin with minor initials in red ink.

History

Origin: These folios were probably added in the 14th or 15th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Part 3 [Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1836, ff. 166*-166**]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

3. ff. 166* recto-166** verso
Menologion: Epistles lection for the Sunday after Epiphany

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment (FHHF), of medium thickness.

Layout

A single column of 17 lines. 111 × 95 mm. Some pricking survives in the outer margin, but most has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, type Leroy 00A1. Text hangs from the lines.

Hand(s)

ff. 166* recto-166** verso were copied by Hand F, in a large, upright mixed minuscule script, in dark brown ink, with consistent letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not generally in use. Breathings are usually omitted. When present they are mostly round but also appear in angular form. Mute iota is absent. There is occasional decorative use of the double dot, and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra .

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

Decoration

Lections begin with minor initials outlined in brown ink with red infill.

History

Origin: These folios were probably added in the 15th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Additional Information

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) Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes, Gregory, Caspar René (Leipzig, J. C. Hinrichs, 1900) Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge Scriptorium. Revue internationale des études relatives aux manuscrits, Easterling, Patricia E. (16, 2, 302-323, 1962)

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