Minuscule 51
Encyclopedia
Minuscule 51 δ 364 (Von Soden), is a Greek
minuscule manuscript
of the New Testament
, on parchment leaves. Palaeographically
it has been assigned to the 13th century. Formerly it was labelled by 51e for the Gospels, 32a for the Acts, and 38p for the Pauline epistles. It has marginalia
.
except Book of Revelation
on 325 parchment leaves (size ) with a commentary. The text is written in two columns per page, 28 lines per page. The text is surrounded by a catena
.
The order of books is unusual: Acts
, Pauline epistles
, Catholic epistles and Gospel
s (as in codex 234
). It contains three lacunae
(2 Peter 3:2-17; Matthew 18:12-35; Mark 2:8-3:4).
The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. The text of the Gospels has also another division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections, but the Eusebian Canons are absent. In the Acts and Epistles it has the Euthalian Apparatus
.
It contains Prolegomena at the beginning, tables of the (tables of contents) before each sacred book, synaxaria, Menologion, subscriptions at the end of each book, lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical use), Synaxarion, and Menologion.
. According to Scrivener
it has many unusual readings. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family Kx
. Kurt Aland
did not place it in any Category
. According to the Claremont Profile Method it has Kx text in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made.
presented the manuscript to the Bodleian Library
.
Mill
pointed resemblance to the Complutensian
text. It was examined by Mill
(as Laud. 2), Bentley
, and Griesbach
. Bentley used it as codex γ. C. R. Gregory saw it in 1883.
Formerly it was labelled by 51e for the Gospels, 32a for the Acts, and 38p for the Pauline epistles. Gregory in 1908 gave for it number 51.
It is currently housed in at the Bodleian Library
(Laud. Gr. 31), at Oxford
.
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;...
minuscule 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 leaves. 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 13th century. Formerly it was labelled by 51e for the Gospels, 32a for the Acts, and 38p for the Pauline epistles. It has marginalia
Marginalia
Marginalia are scribbles, comments, and illuminations in the margins of a book.- Biblical manuscripts :Biblical manuscripts have liturgical notes at the margin, for liturgical use. Numbers of texts' divisions are given at the margin...
.
Description
The codex contains the text of the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
except Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
on 325 parchment leaves (size ) with a commentary. The text is written in two columns per page, 28 lines per page. The text is surrounded by a catena
Catena (Biblical commentary)
A catena is a form of biblical commentary, verse by verse, made up entirely of excerpts from earlier Biblical commentators, each introduced with the name of the author, and with such minor adjustments of words to allow the whole to form a continuous commentary.The texts are mainly compiled from...
.
The order of books is unusual: Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
, Pauline epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
, Catholic epistles and Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s (as in codex 234
Minuscule 234
Minuscule 234 , δ 365 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. It is dated by a colophon to the year 1278. It has marginalia.- Description :...
). It contains three 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...
(2 Peter 3:2-17; Matthew 18:12-35; Mark 2:8-3:4).
The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. The text of the Gospels has also another division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections, but the Eusebian Canons are absent. In the Acts and Epistles it has the Euthalian Apparatus
Euthalian Apparatus
The Euthalian Apparatus is a collection of additional editorial material, such as divisions of text, lists, and summaries, to the New Testament's Book of Acts, Catholic epistles, and Pauline epistles. This additional material appears at the beginnings of books, in the margin of the text, and at the...
.
It contains Prolegomena at the beginning, tables of the (tables of contents) before each sacred book, synaxaria, Menologion, subscriptions at the end of each book, lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical use), Synaxarion, and Menologion.
Text
The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-typeByzantine text-type
The Byzantine text-type is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe the textual character of Greek New Testament manuscripts. It is the form found in the largest number of surviving manuscripts, though not in the oldest...
. According to Scrivener
Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener
The Reverend Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, LL.D. was an important text critic of the New Testament and a member of the English New Testament Revision Committee which produced the Revised Version of the Bible...
it has many unusual readings. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family Kx
Family Kx
Family Kx is a large group of the New Testament manuscripts. It belongs to the Byzantine text-type as one of the textual families of this group. It includes uncials, and although hundreds of minuscules, no early ones.- Description :...
. Kurt Aland
Kurt Aland
Kurt Aland was a German Theologian and Professor of New Testament Research and Church History. He founded the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung in Münster and served as its first director for many years...
did not place it in any Category
Categories of New Testament manuscripts
New Testament manuscripts in Greek are categorized into five groups, according to a scheme introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland in Der Text des Neuen Testaments. The categories are based on how each manuscript relates to the various text-types. Generally speaking, earlier Alexandrian...
. According to the Claremont Profile Method it has Kx text in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made.
History
In 1636 William LaudWilliam Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
presented the manuscript to the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
.
Mill
John Mill
John Mill was an English theologian. He is noted for his critical edition of the Greek New Testament which included notes on many variant readings.-Biography:...
pointed resemblance to the Complutensian
Complutensian Polyglot Bible
The Complutensian Polyglot Bible is the name given to the first printed polyglot of the entire Bible, initiated and financed by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros . It includes the first printed editions of the Greek New Testament, the complete Septuagint, and the Targum Onkelos...
text. It was examined by Mill
John Mill
John Mill was an English theologian. He is noted for his critical edition of the Greek New Testament which included notes on many variant readings.-Biography:...
(as Laud. 2), Bentley
Richard Bentley
Richard Bentley was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge....
, and Griesbach
Johann Jakob Griesbach
Johann Jakob Griesbach , German biblical textual critic, was born at Butzbach, a small town in the state of Hesse, where his father, Konrad Kaspar , was pastor...
. Bentley used it as codex γ. C. R. Gregory saw it in 1883.
Formerly it was labelled by 51e for the Gospels, 32a for the Acts, and 38p for the Pauline epistles. Gregory in 1908 gave for it number 51.
It is currently housed in at the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
(Laud. Gr. 31), at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
See also
- List of New Testament minuscules
- 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...
Further reading
- Franz DelitzschFranz DelitzschFranz Delitzsch was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. Born in Leipzig, he held the professorship of theology at the University of Rostock from 1846 to 1850, at the University of Erlangen until 1867, and after that at the University of Leipzig until his death...
, "Studien zur Entstehungsgeschichte der Polyglottenbibel des Cardinal Ximenes" (Leipzig, 1871).