Lectionary 1599
Encyclopedia
Lectionary 1599 designated by siglum ℓ 1599 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering) is a Greek
manuscript
of the New Testament
, on parchment. Palaeographically
it has been assigned to the 10th or 11th century.
The manuscript is lacunose
. It is known as Argos Lectionary.
, Matthew
, and Luke
(Evangelistarium), with some lacunae
. 145 parchment leaves of the codex have survived. The leaves are measured .
The text is written in Greek uncial letters, in two columns per page, 17 lines per page (and more). The manuscript contains weekday Gospel lessons for Church reading from Easter
to Pentecost
and Saturday/Sunday Gospel lessons for the other weeks. It contains music notes. The initial letters are decorated.
The style of handwriting of this codex bears a striking general resemblance to that of three Gospel manuscripts of the 10th and 11th centuries: Codex Cyprius
, Lectionary 3
, and ℓ 296
.
to the 10th or 11th century. It is also dated by Special Collections Research Center of the University of Chicago
to the 9th or 10th century.
It was bought in Argos
in 1930-1931 by Edgar J. Goodspeed
(1871-1962), who acquired it from the manager of a Chicago restaurant. It was described in the media as "the Gangster Bible"; it was also named Argos Lectionary, from the place of its origin.
The manuscript was examined by Clark and William Hatch
, and Ernest Cadman Colwell. Hatch gave facsimile of one page of the codex. Colwell collated its text.
Currently the codex is housed at the University of Chicago Library
(Ms. 128) in Chicago
.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, on parchment. Palaeographically
Palaeography
Palaeography, also spelt paleography is the study of ancient writing. Included in the discipline is the practice of deciphering, reading, and dating historical manuscripts, and the cultural context of writing, including the methods with which writing and books were produced, and the history of...
it has been assigned to the 10th or 11th century.
The manuscript is lacunose
Lacuna (manuscripts)
A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
. It is known as Argos Lectionary.
Description
The original codex contained lessons from the Gospel of JohnGospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
, Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
, and Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
(Evangelistarium), with some lacunae
Lacuna (manuscripts)
A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
. 145 parchment leaves of the codex have survived. The leaves are measured .
The text is written in Greek uncial letters, in two columns per page, 17 lines per page (and more). The manuscript contains weekday Gospel lessons for Church reading from Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
to Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
and Saturday/Sunday Gospel lessons for the other weeks. It contains music notes. The initial letters are decorated.
The style of handwriting of this codex bears a striking general resemblance to that of three Gospel manuscripts of the 10th and 11th centuries: Codex Cyprius
Codex Cyprius
Codex Cyprius, designated by Ke or 017 , ε 71 , is a Greek uncial manuscript of the four Gospels, on parchment. It was variously dated in the past , currently it is dated to the 9th century. It was brought from Cyprus to Paris...
, Lectionary 3
Lectionary 3
Lectionary 3, designated by siglum ℓ 3 .It is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on vellum leaves. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 11th century. Scrivener dated to the 10th century.- Description :...
, and ℓ 296
Lectionary 296
Lectionary 296 , designated by siglum ℓ 296 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 10th century. The manuscript is very lacunose....
.
History
The manuscript is presently assigned by the INTFInstitute for New Testament Textual Research
The Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
to the 10th or 11th century. It is also dated by Special Collections Research Center of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
to the 9th or 10th century.
It was bought in Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
in 1930-1931 by Edgar J. Goodspeed
Edgar J. Goodspeed
Edgar Johnson Goodspeed was an American liberal theologian and scholar of Greek and the New Testament. He taught for many years at the University of Chicago, whose collection of New Testament manuscripts he enriched by his searches...
(1871-1962), who acquired it from the manager of a Chicago restaurant. It was described in the media as "the Gangster Bible"; it was also named Argos Lectionary, from the place of its origin.
The manuscript was examined by Clark and William Hatch
William Hatch
William Henry Paine Hatch, Ph.D., D.D. was an American theologian, born at Camden, N. J. He attended Harvard, graduating in 1898 . Afterward, he graduated at the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and from the General Theological Seminary in New York City...
, and Ernest Cadman Colwell. Hatch gave facsimile of one page of the codex. Colwell collated its text.
Currently the codex is housed at the University of Chicago Library
University of Chicago Library
University of Chicago Library is the library of the University of Chicago, located on the university's campus in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is one of the largest university libraries in the United States....
(Ms. 128) in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
See also
- List of New Testament lectionaries
- Biblical manuscriptBiblical manuscriptA biblical manuscript is any handwritten copy of a portion of the text of the Bible. The word Bible comes from the Greek biblia ; manuscript comes from Latin manu and scriptum...
- Textual criticismTextual criticismTextual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...