Theological miscellany (British Library, MS Additional 43460)
Encyclopedia
British Library, Add. MS 43460 is a theological
miscellany and was produced in Italy
in the late 8th century. It contains works by St. Augustine
, St. Jerome
, and Commodianus
.
and attributed to Augustine; Domino sublimi semperque magnifico (folio 95r), Domino merito honorabili (folio 95v) and Ego quos diligo (folio 95v). Migne
labeled these letters spurious in the Patrologia Latina
. The works by Jerome included in this manuscript
are a portion of Liber contra Joannem Hierosolymitanum (folios 147v - 170r) and Epistle ad Evangelum Presbyterum de Melchisedech (folios 170v - 175v). The manuscript also includes the Carmen Apologeticum of Commodianus (182r- 197r). This is the only surviving manuscript to contain this work.
folio
s (numbered I-V and 1-197) that measure 275 mm. by 180 mm. The folios generally are in gatherings of 8 leaves each. The binding is a modern binding of white pigskin. The script is a pre-Carolingian minuscule
from Northern Italy
. There are a few decorated initials. Titles were added in the 9th century in a hand from the Abbey of St Silvester at Nonantola
. Folios I-III are palimpsests and originally contained the Latin translation made by Mutianus Scholasticus of John Chrysostom's
homilies
on the Epistle to the Hebrews
written in a late 7th century uncial
script.
in Rome by Abbot Hilarion Rancati. Sometime between 1798 and 1818 it, along with 34 other manuscripts, disappeared from Santa Croce. It was bought by Sir Thomas Phillipps in 1848 from a London bookseller. It was bought from the Phillipps library by Alfred Chester Beatty
in 1924. It was sold to Wilfred Merton in 1933, from whom it was acquired by the British Library
.
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
miscellany and was produced in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the late 8th century. It contains works by St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, St. Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, and Commodianus
Commodianus
Commodianus was a Christian Latin poet, who flourished about AD 250.The only ancient writers who mention him are Gennadius, presbyter of Massilia , in his De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, and Pope Gelasius in De libris recipiendis et non recipiendis, in which his works are classed as Apocryphi,...
.
Contents
The works by Augustine included in this manuscript are De vera religione (folios 1r - 63r), De utilitate credendi (folios 63v - 95r), Soliloquia (folios 96r - 135v), De divinatione demonum (folios 135v - 147v) and Epistle ad Alypium episcopum Tagastensium (folios 175v -182r). The first three of these have sections of Augustine's Retractationes as prologues. Also included in the manuscript are three letters addressed to St BonifacePope Boniface I
Pope Saint Boniface I was pope from December 28, 418 to September 4, 422. He was a contemporary of Saint Augustine of Hippo, who dedicated to him some of his works....
and attributed to Augustine; Domino sublimi semperque magnifico (folio 95r), Domino merito honorabili (folio 95v) and Ego quos diligo (folio 95v). Migne
Migné
Migné is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
labeled these letters spurious in the Patrologia Latina
Patrologia Latina
The Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
. The works by Jerome included in this 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...
are a portion of Liber contra Joannem Hierosolymitanum (folios 147v - 170r) and Epistle ad Evangelum Presbyterum de Melchisedech (folios 170v - 175v). The manuscript also includes the Carmen Apologeticum of Commodianus (182r- 197r). This is the only surviving manuscript to contain this work.
Codicology
The manuscript has 202 vellumVellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
folio
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
s (numbered I-V and 1-197) that measure 275 mm. by 180 mm. The folios generally are in gatherings of 8 leaves each. The binding is a modern binding of white pigskin. The script is a pre-Carolingian minuscule
Carolingian minuscule
Carolingian or Caroline minuscule is a script developed as a writing standard in Europe so that the Roman alphabet could be easily recognized by the literate class from one region to another. It was used in Charlemagne's empire between approximately 800 and 1200...
from Northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. There are a few decorated initials. Titles were added in the 9th century in a hand from the Abbey of St Silvester at Nonantola
Nonantola
Nonantola is a city and comune in the province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is located about 10 km from Modena on the road to Ferrara.-History:...
. Folios I-III are palimpsests and originally contained the Latin translation made by Mutianus Scholasticus of John Chrysostom's
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
homilies
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Epistle to the Hebrews
The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Its author is not known.The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his...
written in a late 7th century uncial
Uncial
Uncial is a majuscule script commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. Uncial letters are written in either Greek, Latin, or Gothic.-Development:...
script.
Provenance
By the 9th century, at the latest, this manuscript was at Nonantola. It may have been produced there. It was included in inventories of the manuscripts at Nonantola made in 1331, 1464 and 1490. It was taken from Nonantola, along with 53 other manuscripts, to the Church of Santa Croce in GerusalemmeSanta Croce in Gerusalemme
The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome....
in Rome by Abbot Hilarion Rancati. Sometime between 1798 and 1818 it, along with 34 other manuscripts, disappeared from Santa Croce. It was bought by Sir Thomas Phillipps in 1848 from a London bookseller. It was bought from the Phillipps library by Alfred Chester Beatty
Alfred Chester Beatty
Sir Alfred Chester Beatty Seanad 1985: "Chester Beatty died at the Princess Grace Clinic, Monte Carlo, on 19 January 1968, [...]" . was a mining magnate and millionaire, often called the "King of Copper". U.S.-born, he was naturalised British in 1933, and made an honorary citizen of Ireland in 1957...
in 1924. It was sold to Wilfred Merton in 1933, from whom it was acquired by the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.