Minuscule 659
Encyclopedia
Minuscule 659 ε 1216 (von Soden), is a Greek
minuscule manuscript
of the New Testament
, on parchment. Palaeographically
it has been assigned to the 12th century. The manuscript has complex contents. Scrivener
labelled it by 637e.
s, on 293 parchment leaves (size ). The text is written in one column per page, 20 lines per page.
It contains Prolegomena to the Gospels and the lists of the (tables of contents) before each Gospel. The text is divided according to the Ammonian Sections
(in Mark 241 sections - 16:20), with a references to the Eusebian Canons. It contains lectionary
markings at the margin, noticed proper lessons for feasts and weekdays, subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, and pictures of Evangelists
are placed before every Gospel.
did not examine the Greek text of the codex by using his method of a thousand readings; as a result it is still not placed in any of Aland's Categories
.
The text of the manuscript was not examined by using the Claremont Profile Method, in result its textual character is still not determined.
to the 12th century.
The manuscript was written by one Hilarion. It was brought from the East to Berlin. Gregory saw the manuscript in 1887. It was examined and described by Kirsopp Lake
and Silva New. The manuscript was housed in Berlin in the Preußische Königliche Bibliothek
(then Prussian State Library, actually Berlin State Library) with the shelf-number Gr. quarto 55.
At the end of 1943 the year saw increased frequency of the bombing of Berlin. The Prussian State Library sent many collections out of Berlin to be sheltered in Silesia
for safekeeping. As the result of postwar border changes some of these collections were found in Poland (among them minuscule 659). They were moved to the Jagiellonian University Library.
Currently the manuscript is housed at the Biblioteka Jagiellońska (Fonds der Berliner Handschriften, Graec. quarto 55), in Kraków
.
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. 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 12th century. The manuscript has complex contents. 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...
labelled it by 637e.
Description
The codex contains the complete 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 293 parchment leaves (size ). The text is written in one column per page, 20 lines per page.
It contains Prolegomena to the Gospels and the lists of the (tables of contents) before each Gospel. The text is divided according to the 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 241 sections - 16:20), with a references to the Eusebian Canons. It contains lectionary
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
markings at the margin, noticed proper lessons for feasts and weekdays, subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, and pictures of Evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
are placed before every Gospel.
Text
Kurt 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 examine the Greek text of the codex by using his method of a thousand readings; as a result it is still not placed in any of Aland's Categories
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...
.
The text of the manuscript was not examined by using the Claremont Profile Method, in result its textual character is still not determined.
History
Scrivener and Gregory dated the manuscript to the 12th century. Currently the manuscript is dated 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 12th century.
The manuscript was written by one Hilarion. It was brought from the East to Berlin. Gregory saw the manuscript in 1887. It was examined and described by Kirsopp Lake
Kirsopp Lake
Kirsopp Lake was a New Testament scholar and Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School. He had an uncommon breadth of interests, publishing definitive monographs in New Testament textual criticism, Greek palaeography, theology, and archaeology...
and Silva New. The manuscript was housed in Berlin in the Preußische Königliche Bibliothek
Berlin State Library
The Berlin State Library is a library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.-Buildings:The State Library runs several premises, three of which are open for users, namely House 1 in Unter den Linden 8, House 2 in Potsdamer Straße 33 and the newspaper archive...
(then Prussian State Library, actually Berlin State Library) with the shelf-number Gr. quarto 55.
At the end of 1943 the year saw increased frequency of the bombing of Berlin. The Prussian State Library sent many collections out of Berlin to be sheltered in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
for safekeeping. As the result of postwar border changes some of these collections were found in Poland (among them minuscule 659). They were moved to the Jagiellonian University Library.
Currently the manuscript is housed at the Biblioteka Jagiellońska (Fonds der Berliner Handschriften, Graec. quarto 55), in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
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
- Kirsopp LakeKirsopp LakeKirsopp Lake was a New Testament scholar and Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School. He had an uncommon breadth of interests, publishing definitive monographs in New Testament textual criticism, Greek palaeography, theology, and archaeology...
& Silva Lake, Dated Greek Minuscule Manuscripts to the Year 1200, Boston V, 202.