Cambridge, University Library, MS Nn.2.36
Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12238
Contents
Language(s): Greek
Gregory-Aland 443; Von Soden ε 270 (lo); Scrivener Evan. 443.
TLG 2018.013
CPG 3465
TLG 0031.001
Excerpt (5:196-197)
TLG 4061.002
BHG 1038a
PG 88, coll. 51-462
Excerpt (ed. Panagiotis N. Simotas, Νικήτα Σεΐδου Σύνοψις τῆς Ἁγίας Γραφῆς (Thessalonike 1984), p. 273)
TLG 3098.003
BHG 1038e
Ed. Halkin, Une notice, p. 127
BHG 1038t
TLG 0031.002
Excerpt (col. 804)
TLG 4090.108
CPG 5207.3
PG 72, coll. 476-950
Excerpt (ed. J. A. Cramer, Catenae in Evangelia S. Matthaei et S, Marci ad finem codd. MSS (Oxford 1840), p. 4)
TLG 4102.001
Excerpt (ed. Joseph Sickenberger, Titus von Bostra: Studien zu dessen Lukashomilien (Leipzig 1901), p. 143)
CPG 3576
Excerpt (5:198-200)
TLG 4061.002
BHG 0991a
PG 88, coll. 51-462
Excerpt (ed. Simotas, p. 273)
TLG 3098.003
Excerpt (ed. J. A. Cramer, Catenae in Evangelia S. Lucae et S, Joannis ad finem codd. MSS (Oxford 1840), p. 6)
TLG 4102.004
BHG 0993t.II
DBBE ID typ/2159
TLG 0031.003
Homily 4, excerpt (PG 59, col. 47)
(PG 59, col. 46)
TLG 2062.153
CPG 4425
PG 59, coll. 23-482
Homily 1, excerpt (PG 59, col. 27)
TLG 2062.153
CPG 4425
PG 59, coll. 23-482
Excerpt (ed. Robert Devréesse, Essai sur Théodore de Mopsueste (Vatican 1948), pp. 305-307 (Fragment 1), pp. 305-306; PG 66, coll. 728-729)
TLG 4135.013
CPG 3843
PG 66, coll. 727-784
Excerpt (ed. J. A. Cramer, Catenae in Evangelia S. Lucae et S, Joannis ad finem codd. MSS (Oxford 1840), p. 178)
TLG 4102.005
Excerpt (ed. Simotas, p. 174)
TLG 3098.003
Excerpt
CPG 4852
BHG 2076
BHG 0919f-0919fb
TLG 0031.004
Physical Description
Collation
The manuscript consists of 31 quires, of which one is a ternion, two are quinia, two are single folios, and the rest are quaternia.
- Quire 11 f. 1
- Quires 2-148 ff. 2-105
- Quire 1510-1 ff. 106-114 The third folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
- Quire 168 ff. 115-122
- Quire 176 ff. 123-128
- Quires 18-228 ff. 129-168
- Quire 2310 ff. 169-178
- Quires 24-298 ff. 179-226
- Quire 308 ff. 227-234
- Quire 311 f. 235
There are orignal quire signatures in Greek numerals, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left, and at the end of each quire, verso, lower right. These are written in brown ink until Quire 23, and from Quire 24 onwards in purple ink. This sequence always omitted the first nine folios, since it begins with the number 1 at the start of Quire 3 (f. 10r). It treats f. 235 as a quire in itself. One of the signatures has largely been lost to cropping. They survive on quires 3-5 and 7-31 (αʹ-γʹ, εʹ-κθʹ).
A modern sequence of signatures in Latin letters (beginning again from A after reaching Z, with a small number 2 appended to the second alphabet), in pencil, has been added to the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. These are accompanied by the number of folios in the quire in brackets, where this is other than eight. This sequence treats ff. 1 and 235 as quires in themselves.
The numbers of the original sequence have been duplicated in pencil on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right.
Condition
Layout
ff. 1r-1v, 10r-41v, 50r-56v 67r-72v, 74r-111v, 115r-160v, 169r-176v Two columns of 22-24 lines. 155-170 × 125 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1 (except ff. 10r-17v, 74r-81v and 115r-122v, ruled in system Leroy 2), type 12D2. Text usually hangs from the lines but sometimes ignores them.
ff. 2r, 8v-9v Two columns of 22-23 lines, ruled for 23-24. 160-167 × 127-140 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, unclassified type. The ruling is that prepared for the canon tables occupying the same quire (on ff. 2v-8r), composed of three pairs of vertical lines and two pairs of horizontals, but these folios, which instead contain text, have also been provided with text-lines. However, the text largely ignores these lines.
ff. 42r-49v and 179r-224v Two columns of 24 lines. 170 × 125 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1 (except ff. 179-186, ruled in system Leroy 2), unclassified type, approximating to Leroy 20D2, but with additional text-lines ruled in the upper, lower and outer margins to receive marginal commentary. This has never been added. Text hangs from the lines.
ff. 57r-66v, 161-168Two columns of 24 lines. 157-170 × 125 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 02D2). Text hangs from the lines.
ff. 73r-73v, 112r-114v, 177r-178v A single column of 30-33 lines. 170-180 × 145 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges and in the gutter, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 10D1. Text hangs from the lines.
ff. 225r-235v A single column of 24-25 lines. 170 × 135 mm. Pricking sometimes survives to all three edges, but some has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type 01D1a. Text sometimes hangs from the lines but often ignores them.
Hand(s)
The manuscript was copied by Hand A in an upright Rossano-style mixed minuscule script, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size. It has been assigned to a sub-type of the Rossano style, that of the omega paraphé (Marchetti, pp. 178-179; Lucà, 'Rossano', pp. 107-116; Julien Leroy, L'oméga paraphé, particularité d'un scriptorium calabrais, Bisanzio e l'Italia: Raccolta di studi in memoria di Agostino Pertusi (Milan 1982), pp. 199-217). There are occasional deletions by strikethrough.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are angular and mute iota is adscript, but often reduced in size. The use of the double dot is functional only, and there is accentuation of all nomina sacra . The double grave accent is in use. Abbreviations and accents are sometimes enlarged at the end of lines. Marginal quotation marks are occasionally used.
The flat-bottomed omega is present, and there are inclusions of letters within omicron. Distinctive letter-forms include majuscule alpha with an elongated diagonal, sometimes detached from the loop (e.g. f. 218v, col. a, line 6), ligatures with a horizontally elongated half-epsilon (f. 213v, col. 1, line 18), and frequent use of ligatures with a large tau inserted through the middle of omega (e.g. f. 69v, col. b, line 22). A horizontal stroke is placed over the word ‘δύο’ (e.g. f. 112r, line 20).
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, question mark and full stop.
The rubric has been provided by the same hand in Alexandrine majuscule script, in purple ink. Headings to the Gospels appear in epigraphic display majuscule, written in purple ink and gilded.
Lucà and Spatharakis (Corpus, p. 78) identify the same scribe as being responsible for Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Barb. gr. 482 and a manuscript now divided between Sinai, Monastery of St Catherine, MS gr. 234 and Saint Petersburg, Rossijskaya Nacional'naja biblioteka, MS gr. 297.Decoration
Gospels are preceded by hollow rectangular headpieces with vegetative ornament surrounding the heading, in red, blue, green and white paint and gold:-
- f. 10r Matthew
- f. 74r Mark
- f. 115r Luke
- f. 179r John
The beginning of other major sections are preceded by narrower rectangular headpieces in the same style:-
- f. 1r Eusebius's Letter to Karpianos
- f. 8v Κεφάλαια to Matthew
- f. 72r Κεφάλαια to Mark
- f. 110r Κεφάλαια to Luke
- f. 176v Κεφάλαια to John
- f. 225r Summary lectionary
A simple, narrow headpiece in purple ink marks the beginning of the summary menologion (f. 230r).
Vignettes in purple ink mark the end of chapter lists, the beginning of some sections of the summary lectionary, the beginning and end of subscriptions to Gospels (or the end of Gospels where no subscription is present), and the beginning and end of the colophon (e.g. ff. 9v, 110r 176r-176v, 224v, 227r, 235r).
The canon tables (ff. 2v-8v) have decorative surrounds in brown crayon and purple ink, with architectural and vegetative ornament, and on f. 7v. Some pages have been provided with infill in red and blue paint, others only with line ornament in purple ink.
Each Gospel begins with a large major initial in the same style as their headpieces:-
- f. 10r Matthew
- f. 74r Mark
- f. 115r Luke
- f. 179r John
The summary lectionary begins with a much smaller gilded and ornamented initial (f. 225r).
The beginning of each Ammonian section is marked by a rubricated minor initial, sometimes with simple ornament, appearing at the beginning of the next line where the section begins in mid-line. Initials of the same style begin each entry in the summary lectionary.
The headings of each Gospel and the minor initials on the first page of each Gospel have been gilded, as has the initial letter to the heading at the beginning of the summary lectionary (f. 225r).
Line-fillers in purple ink, with vegetative terminals, accompany the end of most sections of the summary lectionary (ff. 220r, 230v-234v).
Semicircular areas of ornament have been marked out in brown crayon at the bottom of f. 9v), but these have not been added.
Additions
As part of the original production of the manuscript, Hand A has added marginal Ammonian section numbers in brown ink, and canon numbers and κεφάλαιον (chapter) numbers and τίτλοι (titles) (using reference marks to indicate the point where κεφάλαια begin) in purple ink. Most Ammonian section numbers have been highlghted with translucent yellow wash.
Running headers in brown ink, identifying the Gospel of Matthew, have been added in the upper right-hand corner of each recto folio of ff. 11r-28r, but thereafter this appears to have been abandoned.
Some ἀρχὴ and τέλος marks indicating the beginning and end of lections, sometimes with additional lection information, have been added by a later hand (e.g. ff. 65v, 67r). Later hands have occasionally added other brief notes (e.g. ff. 1r, 219v). Later hands have also made occasional deletions by strikethrough (ff. 47v, 217r).
Binding
19th-century full leather binding with couched-laminate boards and marbled pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on the boards and spine, and the title ‘Evangelia Graeca M.S.’ is tooled in gold on the spine.
300 × 232 × 85 mm.
There are marks left by the tabs of former leaf markers on the fore-edge of ff. 10, 74, 115, 179 and 225.
Both outer joints are completely split. The leather over the sewing supports is almost completely worn away. There is a break in the endband and two in the tailband. The top sewing on the left board is broken.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Owned by one of the institutions of Mount Athos, according to the catalogue of the Askew sale (see below).
Owned by Anthony Askew (1722-1774) .
After Askew's death, the manuscript was sold by G. Leigh and J. Sotheby in the auction of his library in 1785 (MS Nn.4.2, lot 624), and eventually bought by Richard Farmer for Cambridge University Library.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
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Bibliography
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A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the
library of the University of Cambridge, (Cambridge, 4, Cambridge University Press, 1861)
Novum Testamentum Graece: ad antiquissimos
testes denuo recensuit apparatum criticum apposuit
Constantinus Tischendorf. Vol. 3, Prolegomena , Gregory, Caspar
René (Leipzig, 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)
The four Gospels of Karahissar, Colwell, Ernest
Cadman (Chicago, 1, The University of Chicago Press, 1936)
Facsimiles and descriptions of minuscule
manuscripts of the New Testament, (Boston, MA, Harvard University Press, 1951)
Citation marks in early Latin manuscripts (with
a list of citation marks in manuscripts earlier than A.D.
800 in English and Irish libraries) Scriptorium, McGurk, Patrick (15, 3-13, 1961)
Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, (Rome, Sumptibus Pontificii Instituti
Biblici, 1964)
Une notice de l'évangéliste Marc Analecta Bollandiana, Halkin, François (84, 127-128, 1966)
Anthony Askew's "Liber amicorum" Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical
Society, Stubbings, Frank (6, 5, 306-321, 1976)
Nuevo Testamento trilingüe, (Madrid, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1977)
Synopsis of the first three Gospels, with the
addition of the Johannine parallels, Huck, Albert (Tubingen, Mohr, 1981)
Corpus of dated illuminated Greek manuscripts
to the year 1453 Byzantina neerlandica, Spatharakis, Iohannis (Leiden, 8, Brill, 1981)
Specimina sinaitica: die datierten griechischen
Handschriften des Katharinen-Klosters auf dem Berge Sinai:
9. bis 12. Jahrhundert, (Berlin, Reimer, 1983)
The Gospel according to St Luke / edited by the
American and British Committees of the International Greek
New Testament Project, (Oxford, Clarendon Press , 1984)
Rossano, il Patir e lo stilo rossanese: note
per uno studio codicologico-paleografico e
storico-culturale Rivista di Studi Bizantini e
Neoellenici, Lucà, Santo (22, 93-170, 1985)
From Britain to Byzantium: the study of Greek
manuscripts Through the looking glass: Byzantium through
British eyes. Papers from the twenty-ninth Spring Symposium
of Byzantine Studies, London, March 1995 Society for the Promotion of Byzantine
Studies publications, Easterling, Patricia
E. (Aldershot, Ashgate, 2000)
Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New
Testament, Scrivener, Frederick Henry
Ambrose (1, Project Gutenberg, 2011)
Frammenti di manoscritti greci in Calabria e
Basilicata Archivio storico per la Calabria e la
Lucania, Lucà, Santo (80, 5-24, 2014)
Nota sull’ornamentazione iniziale dello
Scilitze di Madrid Νέα Ῥώμη. Rivista di ricerche
bizantinistiche, Marchetti, F. (11, 169-182, 2014)
Funding of Cataloguing
The Polonsky Foundation
Digital Images
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
