Codex Nitriensis
Encyclopedia
Codex Nitriensis designated by R or 027 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 22 (von Soden), is a 6th century Greek
New Testament codex
containing the Gospel of Luke
, in a fragmentary condition. It is a two column manuscript in majuscules (capital letters), measuring .
, and 024
, only that they are somewhat irregular and straggling.
It is a palimpsest
, the upper text contains the Syriac treatise Severus of Antioch
against Johannes Grammaticus written in the 8th or 9th century. The lower text of the same manuscript contains the Iliad
and the Gospel of St Luke
, both of the sixth century, and the Euclid's Elements
of the seventh or eighth century.
The manuscript contains the tables of the (tables of contents) before each Gospel, the Pseudo-Ammonian Sections, but no references to the Eusebian Canons.
1:1-13, 1:69-2:4, 2:16-27, 4:38-5:5, 5:25-6:8, 6:18-36, 6:39, 6:49-7:22, 7:44, 7:46, 7:47, 7:50, 8:1-3, 8:5-15, 8:25-9:1, 9:12-43, 10:3-16, 11:5-27, 12:4-15, 12:40-52, 13:26-14:1, 14:12-15:1, 15:13-16:16, 17:21-18:10, 18:22-20:20, 20:33-47, 21:12-22:6, 22:8-15, 22:42-56, 22:71-23:11, 23:38-51.
in a very early stage, with a large portion of non-Byzantine readings. Aland
gave for it the following textual profile - 111 41/2 02 5s. Aland placed it in Category V. According to the Claremont Profile Method it belongs to the textual family Kx
in Luke 1 and Luke 10; in Luke 20 it has mixed text.
In Luke 6:2 — οὐκ ἔξεστιν (not lawful) for οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν (not lawful to do); the reading is supported only by
4
, Codex Vaticanus
, (Codex Bezae
), 700
, lat, copsa, copbo, arm, geo;
It lacks the text of Luke 22:43-44
.
. In 1847 along with the other 550 manuscripts (e.g. Add. 14448
) it was brought to England.
The fragments of Luke were independently transcribed, both by Tregelles in 1854, and by Tischendorf in 1855, who afterwards re-examined the places wherein he differed from Tregelles (e.g. Luke 8:5; 18:1.10).
Tischendorf
edited the text of the codex in 1857 in his Monumenta sacra inedita, volume VII, with a facsimile.
The 48 extant parchment leaves of the manuscript are kept in the British Library
(Additional Manuscripts 17211) in London
.
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....
New Testament codex
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
containing the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, in a fragmentary condition. It is a two column manuscript in majuscules (capital letters), measuring .
Description
The text is written in two columns per page, 25 lines per page, in large uncial letters. It has not breathings and accents. The letters are similar to those of codices 081, 022Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus
Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus, designated by N or 022 , ε 19 , is a 6th century Greek New Testament codex gospel book. Written in majuscules , on 231 parchment leaves, measuring 32 x 27 cm...
, and 024
Codex Guelferbytanus A
Codex Guelferbytanus A designated by Pe or 024 , ε 33 , is a Greek uncial manuscript of the Gospels, dated palaeographically to the 6th century. The manuscript is very lacunose.- Description :...
, only that they are somewhat irregular and straggling.
It is a palimpsest
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
, the upper text contains the Syriac treatise Severus of Antioch
Severus of Antioch
Severus, Patriarch of Antioch , born approximately 465 in Sozopolis in Pisidia, was by birth and education a pagan, who was baptized in the "precinct of the divine martyr Leontius" at Tripoli, Lebanon.- Life :...
against Johannes Grammaticus written in the 8th or 9th century. The lower text of the same manuscript contains the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
and the Gospel of St Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, both of the sixth century, and the Euclid's Elements
Euclid's Elements
Euclid's Elements is a mathematical and geometric treatise consisting of 13 books written by the Greek mathematician Euclid in Alexandria c. 300 BC. It is a collection of definitions, postulates , propositions , and mathematical proofs of the propositions...
of the seventh or eighth century.
The manuscript contains the tables of the (tables of contents) before each Gospel, the Pseudo-Ammonian Sections, but no references to the Eusebian Canons.
Contents
Gospel of LukeGospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
1:1-13, 1:69-2:4, 2:16-27, 4:38-5:5, 5:25-6:8, 6:18-36, 6:39, 6:49-7:22, 7:44, 7:46, 7:47, 7:50, 8:1-3, 8:5-15, 8:25-9:1, 9:12-43, 10:3-16, 11:5-27, 12:4-15, 12:40-52, 13:26-14:1, 14:12-15:1, 15:13-16:16, 17:21-18:10, 18:22-20:20, 20:33-47, 21:12-22:6, 22:8-15, 22:42-56, 22:71-23:11, 23:38-51.
Text of the codex
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...
in a very early stage, with a large portion of non-Byzantine readings. 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...
gave for it the following textual profile - 111 41/2 02 5s. Aland placed it in Category V. According to the Claremont Profile Method it belongs 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 :...
in Luke 1 and Luke 10; in Luke 20 it has mixed text.
In Luke 6:2 — οὐκ ἔξεστιν (not lawful) for οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν (not lawful to do); the reading is supported only by
4Papyrus 4
Papyrus 4 is an early New Testament papyri of the Gospel of Luke in Greek. It is dated as being a late 2nd/early 3rd century manuscript.- Description :...
, Codex Vaticanus
Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus , is one of the oldest extant manuscripts of the Greek Bible , one of the four great uncial codices. The Codex is named for the residence in the Vatican Library, where it has been stored since at least the 15th century...
, (Codex Bezae
Codex Bezae
The Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis, designated by siglum Dea or 05 , δ 5 , is a codex of the New Testament dating from the 5th century written in an uncial hand on vellum. It contains, in both Greek and Latin, most of the four Gospels and Acts, with a small fragment of the 3 John...
), 700
Minuscule 700
Minuscule 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....
, lat, copsa, copbo, arm, geo;
It lacks the text of Luke 22:43-44
Christ's agony at Gethsemane
Christ's agony at Gethsemane is a passage in the Gospel of Luke , describing a prayer of Jesus, after which he receives strength from an angel, on the Mount of Olives prior to his betrayal and arrest...
.
History
Formerly it belonged to the monastery of S. Mary Deipara in the Nitrian DesertWadi El Natrun
Wadi El Natrun is a valley located in Beheira Governorate, Egypt, including a town with the same name. The name refers to the presence of eight different lakes in the region that produce natron salt. In Christian literature, the region is also referred to as the Nitrian Desert...
. In 1847 along with the other 550 manuscripts (e.g. Add. 14448
British Library Manuscript, Add. 14448
British Library Manuscript, Add. 14448, designated by number 64 on the list of Wright, is a Syriac manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment, according to the Peshitta version. It is dated by a Colophon to the year 699 or 700. The manuscript is a lacunose...
) it was brought to England.
The fragments of Luke were independently transcribed, both by Tregelles in 1854, and by Tischendorf in 1855, who afterwards re-examined the places wherein he differed from Tregelles (e.g. Luke 8:5; 18:1.10).
Tischendorf
Constantin von Tischendorf
Lobegott Friedrich Constantin Tischendorf was a noted German Biblical scholar. He deciphered the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, a 5th century Greek manuscript of the New Testament, in the 1840s, and rediscovered the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century New Testament manuscript, in 1859.Tischendorf...
edited the text of the codex in 1857 in his Monumenta sacra inedita, volume VII, with a facsimile.
The 48 extant parchment leaves of the manuscript are kept in 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,...
(Additional Manuscripts 17211) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
See also
- List of New Testament uncials
- 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
- S. P. TregellesSamuel Prideaux TregellesSamuel Prideaux Tregelles was an English biblical scholar, textual critic, and theologian.- Life :Tregelles was born at Wodehouse Place, Falmouth, of Quaker parents, but he himself for many years was in communion with the Plymouth Brethren and then later in life became a Presbyterian...
, An Introduction to the Critical study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, London 1856, pp. 183–184. - C. v. Tischendorf, "Monumenta sarca inedita" II (Leipzig, 1857), pp. XIV-XXII, 1-92.
- Heiberg, J. L.Johan Ludvig Heiberg (historian)Johan Ludvig Heiberg was a Danish philologist and historian. He is best known for his discovery of previously unknown texts in the Archimedes Palimpsest, and for his edition of Euclid's Elements that T. L. Heath translated into English...
, Ein palimpsest der Elemente Euklids, in: Philologus 45 vol., 1885, pp. 353-366.
External links
- Codex Nitriensis R (027) at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism
- Add MS 17211 at the British Library