Codex Bobiensis
Encyclopedia
Codex Bobiensis is a fragmentary Latin
manuscript
of the bible. Specifically, it is an example of a Vetus Latina
bible, which were used from the 2nd century until Jerome
's Latin
translation, the Vulgate
, was written in the 5th century. The text contains parts of the Gospel of Mark
(Mk 8:8-end) and Gospel of Matthew
(Mt 1:1-15:36). The order of books was probably: John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew.
It is from North Africa and is dated to the 4th or 5th century. Later it was brought to the monastery in Bobbio
in northern Italy. Traditionally asserted to St. Columban, who died in the monastery he had founded there, in 615. Today it is housed in the national library in Turin
.
Researchers think, comparing the Codex Bobiensis with quotes from Cyprian
’s publications from the 3rd century, that the Codex Bobienses is a page from the Bible
Cyprian
used while he was a bishop in Carthage
.
From a palaeographic study of the scripture, it is a copy of a papyrus script from the 2nd century. Codex Bobiensis is interesting, in that it is the only known scripture which has the addition of Mark 16
:9's "short ending", but not the later, "long ending" through Mark 16:20. This is the only known example of the "shorter ending" added directly to Mark 16:8.
The Latin text of the codex is a representative of the Western text-type
in Afra recension.
, Codex Climaci Rescriptus
, and by syrc
, s, p
, pal, arm, Diatessaron.
In Mark 16:3 it has unusual additional text:
Codex Bobiensis has led to speculation that the Gospel of Mark was originally written in Latin and not Greek
. It is one of the oldest preserved examples of the Gospel of Mark, and because Mark was supposedly traveling in Africa after having written his Gospel, it is thought to be a copy of the Gospel and closer to the original writings than the known Greek versions. Despite these claims, the scholarly consensus still considers the autograph to be in Koine Greek
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
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 bible. Specifically, it is an example of a Vetus Latina
Vetus Latina
Vetus Latina is a collective name given to the Biblical texts in Latin that were translated before St Jerome's Vulgate Bible became the standard Bible for Latin-speaking Western Christians. The phrase Vetus Latina is Latin for Old Latin, and the Vetus Latina is sometimes known as the Old Latin Bible...
bible, which were used from the 2nd century until 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...
's Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
translation, the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
, was written in the 5th century. The text contains parts of the Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
(Mk 8:8-end) and Gospel of 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...
(Mt 1:1-15:36). The order of books was probably: John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew.
It is from North Africa and is dated to the 4th or 5th century. Later it was brought to the monastery in Bobbio
Bobbio
Bobbio is a small town and commune in the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located in the Trebbia River valley southwest of the town Piacenza. There is also an abbey and a diocese of the same name...
in northern Italy. Traditionally asserted to St. Columban, who died in the monastery he had founded there, in 615. Today it is housed in the national library in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Researchers think, comparing the Codex Bobiensis with quotes from Cyprian
Cyprian
Cyprian was bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education...
’s publications from the 3rd century, that the Codex Bobienses is a page from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Cyprian
Cyprian
Cyprian was bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education...
used while he was a bishop in Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
.
From a palaeographic study of the scripture, it is a copy of a papyrus script from the 2nd century. Codex Bobiensis is interesting, in that it is the only known scripture which has the addition of Mark 16
Mark 16
Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins with the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome — there they encounter a man dressed in white who announces the Resurrection of Jesus.Verse 8 ends...
:9's "short ending", but not the later, "long ending" through Mark 16:20. This is the only known example of the "shorter ending" added directly to Mark 16:8.
The Latin text of the codex is a representative of the Western text-type
Western text-type
The Western text-type is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of Greek New Testament manuscripts...
in Afra recension.
Textual features
In Matthew 8:12 it has ἐξελεύσονται (will go out) instead of ἐκβληθήσονται (will be thrown). This variant is supported only by two Greek manuscripts Codex SinaiticusCodex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the four great uncial codices, an ancient, handwritten copy of the Greek Bible. It is an Alexandrian text-type manuscript written in the 4th century in uncial letters on parchment. Current scholarship considers the Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the best Greek texts of...
, Codex Climaci Rescriptus
Codex Climaci Rescriptus
Codex Climaci rescriptus, known as Uncial 0250 , is a Greek uncial manuscript of the New Testament as well as a Christian Palestinian Aramaic uncial manuscript of the Old and New Testament. Paleographically the Greek section has been assigned to the 8th century , and the Christian Palestinian...
, and by syrc
Curetonian Gospels
The Curetonian Gospels, designated by the siglum syrcur, are contained in a manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament in Old Syriac, a translation from the Aramaic originals, according to William Cureton differing considerably from the canonical Greek texts, with which they had been...
, s, p
Peshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
, pal, arm, Diatessaron.
In Mark 16:3 it has unusual additional text:
ab osteo? Subito autem ad horam tertiam tenebrae diei factae sunt per totum orbem terrae, et descenderunt de caelis angeli et surgent (-ntes?, nte eo?, surgit?) in claritate vivi Dei (viri duo? + et) simul ascenderunt cum eo, et continuo lux facta est. Tunc illae accesserunt ad monimentum.
Codex Bobiensis has led to speculation that the Gospel of Mark was originally written in Latin and not Greek
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;...
. It is one of the oldest preserved examples of the Gospel of Mark, and because Mark was supposedly traveling in Africa after having written his Gospel, it is thought to be a copy of the Gospel and closer to the original writings than the known Greek versions. Despite these claims, the scholarly consensus still considers the autograph to be in Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
.
Further reading
- John WordsworthJohn WordsworthThe Right Reverend John Wordsworth was an English prelate. He was born at Harrow on the Hill, to the Reverend Christopher Wordsworth, nephew of the poet William Wordsworth...
, Old Latin Biblical Texts, Oxford 1886 - F. C. Burkitt, Notes. Saint Mark XV in codex k, JTS 1900, ss. 278-279.
- F. C. Burkitt, Further Notes on codex k, JTS 1904, ss. 100-107.
- C. H. Turner, A Re-collation of Codex k, JTS 1904, pp. 88-100.
