Minuscule 544
Encyclopedia
Minuscule 544 557 (in the Scrivener's numbering), ε 337 (in Soden's numbering), is a Greek
minuscule manuscript
of the New Testament
, on parchment. The manuscript has complex contents. Palaeographically
it has been assigned to the 13th century.
It was not adapted for liturgical use.
It came from Epeiros, it is housed at the University of Michigan
. It was digitised and it is available online.
s, on 256 parchment leaves (size ). The text is written in one column per page, 22 lines per page. It is neatly written in minute hand. The style of writing resembles codex 542
(Scrivener's 555).
The text is divided according to the (chapters), whose numerals are given at the margin in red, (titles of chapters) at the top and bottom of the several pages. There is also a division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections
(in Mark 235 Sections, the last section in 16:12) in red, (no references to the Eusebian Canons). The and the Ammonian Sections are often put in wrong places. There are no lectionary markings at the margin for liturgical use.
It contains lists of the (tables of contents) to the last three Gospels, and pictures of the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, and John.
The decorated head-pieces stand at the beginning of each Gospel. It has not lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical use). The nomina sacra
are contracted in usual way.
Errors
Errors of iotacism
(especially ει or ι
for η
, ο for ω, and vice versa) are rare in the first two Gospels, but more frequent afterwards.
The omissions by "homoioteleuton" (the same endings) are frequent (e.g. Matthew 10:37; Mark 9:43-46; 10:27.42; 12:39; 14:19; 15:14; Luke 10:27; John 3:31; 4:5; 5:32; 6:11.32.42; 8:14; 9:7; 12:34; 13:34; 14:17; 17:21).
N εφελκυστικον is very common, and though the punctuation is accurate, the sign of interrogation never occurs.
This copy was transcribed from an older copy which was defective in Luke. It has unusual number of variations from the ordinary text, though none of the first rate of importance.
did not place it in any Category
.
According to the Claremont Profile Method it has an eclectic text. In Luke 1
it represents Πa, in Luke 10 mixed Byzantine
text, and in Luke 20 - Kx
.
Textual variants
Of the history of the codex 544 nothing is known until the year 1864, when it was in the possession of a dealer at Janina
in Epeiros. It was then purchased from him by a representative of Baroness Burdett-Coutts
(1814–1906), a philanthropist, along with other Greek manuscripts (among them codices 532
-546
). They were transported to England in 1870-1871.
The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate (Burdett-Coutts III. 9), in London. In 1922 it was acquired for the University of Michigan. It is currently housed at the University of Michigan
(Ms. 25) in Ann Arbor
.
Examination
It was added to the list of the New Testament manuscripts by F. H. A. Scrivener (557) and C. R. Gregory. (544) Gregory saw it in 1883.
Scrivener examined, described and collated its text. His collation was edited posthumous in Adversaria critica sacra in 1893. It is rarely cited in the critical editions of the Greek New Testament.
The codex was digitised by the CSNTM in 2008 and it is available online.
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. The manuscript has complex contents. 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.
It was not adapted for liturgical use.
It came from Epeiros, it is housed at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. It was digitised and it is available online.
Description
The codex contains the text of the four GospelGospel
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, on 256 parchment leaves (size ). The text is written in one column per page, 22 lines per page. It is neatly written in minute hand. The style of writing resembles codex 542
Minuscule 542
Minuscule 542 , ε 336 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on a parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th century.Scrivener labelled it by number 555....
(Scrivener's 555).
The text is divided according to the (chapters), whose numerals are given at the margin in red, (titles of chapters) at the top and bottom of the several pages. There is also a division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections
Ammonian Sections
Eusebian canons or Eusebian sections, also known as Ammonian Sections, are the system of dividing the four Gospels used between late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The divisions into chapters and verses used in modern texts date only from the 13th and 16th centuries, respectively...
(in Mark 235 Sections, the last section in 16:12) in red, (no references to the Eusebian Canons). The and the Ammonian Sections are often put in wrong places. There are no lectionary markings at the margin for liturgical use.
It contains lists of the (tables of contents) to the last three Gospels, and pictures of the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, and John.
The decorated head-pieces stand at the beginning of each Gospel. It has not lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical use). The nomina sacra
Nomina sacra
Nomina sacra means "sacred names" in Latin, and can be used to refer to traditions of abbreviated writing of several frequently occurring divine names or titles in early Greek language Holy Scripture...
are contracted in usual way.
Errors
Errors of iotacism
Iotacism
Iotacism is the process by which a number of vowels and diphthongs in Ancient Greek converged in pronunciation so that they all sound like iota in Modern Greek....
(especially ει or ι
Iota
Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 10. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh . Letters that arose from this letter include the Roman I and J and the Cyrillic І , Yi , Je , and iotified letters .Iota represents...
for η
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
, ο for ω, and vice versa) are rare in the first two Gospels, but more frequent afterwards.
The omissions by "homoioteleuton" (the same endings) are frequent (e.g. Matthew 10:37; Mark 9:43-46; 10:27.42; 12:39; 14:19; 15:14; Luke 10:27; John 3:31; 4:5; 5:32; 6:11.32.42; 8:14; 9:7; 12:34; 13:34; 14:17; 17:21).
N εφελκυστικον is very common, and though the punctuation is accurate, the sign of interrogation never occurs.
This copy was transcribed from an older copy which was defective in Luke. It has unusual number of variations from the ordinary text, though none of the first rate of importance.
Text
Hermann von Soden classified the Greek text of the codex to the group Ia. AlandKurt 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 an eclectic text. In Luke 1
Luke 1
Luke 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It describes the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. It is written to Theophilus, who could be a real person or could simply mean a fellow Christian as theo philus is Greek for God lover...
it represents Πa, in Luke 10 mixed Byzantine
Byzantine 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...
text, and in Luke 20 - 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 :...
.
Textual variants
- Matthew 2:19Matthew 2:19Matthew 2:19 is the nineteenth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. King Herod has launched the Massacre of the Innocents in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, but the Holy family having been warned have left for Egypt...
— εν Αιγυπτω ] omitted - Matthew 12:40 — καρδια ] κοιλια
- Matthew 16:21 — απο ] παρα
- Matthew 17:22 — ανθρωπων ] ανθρωπων αμαρτωλων
- Matthew 18:25 — ακρασιας ] αδικιας
- Matthew 18:28 — ανομιας ] αδικιας
- Mark 1:2 — εν τω ησαια τω προφητη ] εν βιβλω λογων ησαιου του προφητου
- Mark 8:14 — οπου ου δει ] εν τοπω αγνω
- Mark 14:3 — πιστικης ] μυστικης
- Mark 15:8 — καθως αει εποιει αυτοις ] τον βαραββαν (similar to ΘCodex KoridethiThe Codex Koridethi, also named Codex Coridethianus, designated by Θ, 038, or Theta , ε 050 , is a 9th century manuscript of the four Gospels. It is written in Greek with uncial script in two columns per page, in 25 lines per page...
565Minuscule 565Minuscule 565 , ε 93 , also known as the Empress Theodora's Codex. It is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on purple parchment, dated palaeographically to the 9th century...
, and 700Minuscule 700Minuscule 700 , ε 133 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the Gospels. Formerly it was labelled as 604 in all catalogues , Gregory gave it the number 700....
) - Luke 1:48 — της δουλης ] του δουλου
- Luke 1:48 — κατα το ρημα σου ] omitted
- Luke 3:25 — του Μααθ του Ματταθιου ] omitted
- John 16:13 — το πνα της αληθειας ] omitted
- John 19:38 — του ιυ ] του κυ
History
LocationIoannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
in Epeiros. It was then purchased from him by a representative of Baroness Burdett-Coutts
Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts
Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts , born Angela Georgina Burdett, was a nineteenth-century philanthropist, the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet and the former Sophia Coutts, daughter of banker Thomas Coutts...
(1814–1906), a philanthropist, along with other Greek manuscripts (among them codices 532
Minuscule 532
Minuscule 532 , ε 255 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century.Scrivener labeled it number 545....
-546
Minuscule 546
Minuscule 546 , ε 511 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. It is dated palaeographically to the 13th century. It has some marginalia, the scribe has made numerous errors....
). They were transported to England in 1870-1871.
The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate (Burdett-Coutts III. 9), in London. In 1922 it was acquired for the University of Michigan. It is currently housed at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(Ms. 25) in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Examination
It was added to the list of the New Testament manuscripts by F. H. A. Scrivener (557) and C. R. Gregory. (544) Gregory saw it in 1883.
Scrivener examined, described and collated its text. His collation was edited posthumous in Adversaria critica sacra in 1893. It is rarely cited in the critical editions of the Greek New Testament.
The codex was digitised by the CSNTM in 2008 and it is available online.
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
(as p)- Kenneth W. Clark, A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament Manuscripts in America (Chicago, 1937), pp. 297-298.
- E. Colwell, The Four Gospels of Karahissar (Chicago 1936), vol. I, pp. 9. 204 ff.
External links
- Images of the minuscule 544 at the CSNTMCenter for the Study of New Testament ManuscriptsThe Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts is a non-profit organization set out to preserve ancient manuscripts of the Christian Scriptures New Testament. This aim is accomplished by taking high resolution digital photographs of all extant Greek New Testament manuscripts. The...