Codex Cyprius

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Codex Cyprius, designated by K^e or 017 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 71 (von Soden), is a Greek uncial manuscript of the four Gospels, on parchment. It was variously dated in the past (8th–11th centuries), currently it is dated to the 9th century. It was brought from Cyprus (hence name of the codex) to Paris. Sometimes it was called Codex Colbertinus 5149 (from new place of housing). The words are written continuously without any separation, with stichometrical points.

It is one of the very few uncial manuscripts with complete text of the four Gospels, and it is one of the more important late uncial manuscript of the four Gospels.

The text of the codex was examined by many scholars. It represents the Byzantine text-type, typical for the majority of manuscripts, but it has numerous peculiar readings. The manuscript was examined by many palaeographers and textual critics since the end of the 17th century until to half of the 20th century. Although its text is not highly estimated by present textual critics and a full collation of its text was never made or published, it is often cited in editions of the Greek New Testament.

Description

The codex contains a complete text of the four Gospels. The entire work is arranged on 267 parchment leaves.^[1] The leaves each measure 26 centimetres (10 in) by 19 centimetres (7.5 in), in a quarto format with four leaves to each quire. The text itself is written in brown ink in one single column per page.^[2][3] Each page contains 16 to 31 lines because the handwriting is irregular and varies in size, with some pages having letters that are quite large.^[4]

The style of handwriting of the codex bears a striking general resemblance to that of three Gospel lectionaries of the 10th and 11th centuries: Lectionary 296, ℓ 1599, and ℓ 3.^[] The letters and words are not separated from one another (scriptio-continua). There is frequent insertion of a point as a mark of interpunction. This has been supposed to occur in an ancient stichometrical style of writing. A dot is always used to denote the end of the stichos.^[]

The uncial letters of this codex are large, upright, not round, and compressed. In some of the pages letters are very large. It contains lectionary markings on the margin, Synaxarion (list of Saints) on pages 1–18, with Menologion (Saint days), and the Eusebian Canon tables on pages 19–28. It contains subscriptions after each of three first Gospels.^[]

In Matthew:

ευαγγελιον κατα ματθαιον ΣΤΙ ΑΒΨ

το κατα ματθαιον ευαγγελιον υπ αυτου εν ιεροσολυμοις

μετα χρονους η της του χριστου αναληψεως.^[]

In Mark:

ευαγγελιον κατα μαρκον ΣΤΙ ΔΨ

το κατα μαρκον ευαγγελιον εξ δοτη μετα χρονους δεκα

της του χριστου αναληψεως

In Luke:

ευαγγελιον κατα λουκαν ΣΤΙ ΑΒΩ

το κατα λουκαν ευαγγελιον εξεδοτη μετα χρονους ιε

της του χριστου αναληψεως.^[]

It has rough breathing, smooth breathing, and accents from the original scribe (prima manu), but often omitted or incorrectly placed. The breathings are indicated by ⊢ and ⊣, these signs were often used in the codices from the 9th and 10th century. Errors of itacism are very frequent.

The text is divided according to the Ammonian Sections (Matthew 359, Mark 241, Luke 342, John 232 sections), whose numbers are given at the left margin of the text, but a references to the Eusebian Canons are absent. There was not another division according to the κεφαλαια (chapters) in the original codex, though it has their τιτλοι (titles) at the top of the pages, and tables of the κεφαλαια before each Gospel. The numbers of the κεφαλαια (chapters) were added by a later hand (Matthew 68, Mark 48, Luke 83, John 19).

The nomina sacra are written in an abbreviated way, with the first letter and last letter (sometimes with other letters, selected either from those immediately following the first letter, or from those immediately preceding the final letter). The last letter is dependent upon case; in the nominative case, abbreviations are as follows: ΑΝΟΣ for ανθρωπος (men), ΔΑΔ for δαυιδ (David), ΘΣ for θεος (God), ΙΣ for Ιησους (Jesus), ΙΛΗΜ for ιερουσαλημ (Jerusalem), ΙΗΛ for ισραηλ (Israel), ΚΣ for κυριος (Lord), ΜΗΡ for μητηρ (mother), ΟΥΝΟΣ for ουρανος (heaven), ΟΥΝΙΟΣ for ουρανιος (heavenly), ΠΗΡ for πατηρ (father), ΠΝΑ for πνευμα (spirit), ΠΝΙΚΟΣ for πνευματικος (spiritual), ΣΡΙΑ for σωτηρια (salvation), ΥΣ for υιος (son), ΧΣ for χριστος (Christ).

Luke 20:9

The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type.<ref>Bruce M. Metzger, Bart D. Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 77. </ref> Together with Codex Petropolitanus belongs to the family Π, which is in close relationship to the Codex Alexandrinus. Kurt Aland placed it in Category V.<ref name=Aland/> The text of the codex is cited in NA²⁷.

In Mark 10:19 — phrase μη αποστερησης omitted, as in codices B (added by second corrector), W, Ψ, f¹, f¹³, 28, 700, 1010, 1079, 1242, 1546, 2148, ℓ 10, ℓ 950, ℓ 1642, ℓ 1761, syr^s, arm, geo.<ref>UBS3, p. 165. </ref> This omission is typical for the manuscript of the Alexandrian and Caesarean text-type.

In Luke 9:55-56 it has interpolation:

στραφεις δε επετιμησεν αυτοις και ειπεν, Ουκ οιδατε ποιου πνευματος εστε υμεις; ο γαρ υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ ηλθεν ψυχας ανθρωπων απολεσαι αλλα σωσαι (but He turned and rebuked them and He said: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them) — as in codices: Π 1079 1242 1546 (f¹ omit γαρ) (Θ f¹³ omit υμεις and γαρ)

History

The codex was brought from Cyprus to the Colbert Library in Paris in 1673,<ref>S. P. Tregelles, An Introduction to the Critical study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, London 1856, p. 201. </ref> It was examined by Richard Simon,<ref>Simon, Histoire critique du texte du N. T. Rotterdam 1689, Kap. X, p. 101b, and Kap. XXXII, p. 407f.</ref> Mill,<ref>Mill, N. T. Gr. Küster's Ausg, Amsterdam 1710, § 1498, p. 166a.</ref> Montfaucon,<ref>Bernard de Montfaucon, Palaeoraphia Graeca, Paris 1708, p. 41, 231-233 </ref> Bianchini,<ref>Bianchini, Evang. quadr. Rom 1749, Teil 1, Vol. 2, p. </ref> Scholz,<ref>Scholz, Curae criticae .... II. De codice Cyprio u. s. w., Heidelberg 1820, p. 53-90</ref> Tischendorf in 1842 and 1949, and Tregelles in 1850.

Currently the codex is located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gr. 63) in Paris.<ref name = Aland/>

See also

• Biblical manuscript
• List of New Testament uncials
• Textual criticism

References

• 1. Kurt Aland, and Barbara Aland, The Text Of The New Testament: An Introduction To The Critical Editions and To The Theory and Practice Of Modern Textual Criticism, 1995, Grand Rapids, Michigan, p. 113.
• 2. Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments, Vol. 1. Leipzig. p. 54.
• 3. Bruce M. Metzger, Bart D. Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 77.
• 4.^ UBS3, p. 165.
• 5. S. P. Tregelles, An Introduction to the Critical study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, London 1856, p. 201.
• 6. Simon, Histoire critique du texte du N. T. Rotterdam 1689, Kap. X, p. 101b, and Kap. XXXII, p. 407f.
• 7. Mill, N. T. Gr. Küster's Ausg, Amsterdam 1710, § 1498, p. 166a.
• 8. Bernard de Montfaucon, Palaeoraphia Graeca, Paris 1708, p. 41, 231-233
• 9. Bianchini, Evang. quadr. Rom 1749, Teil 1, Vol. 2, p.
• 10. Scholz, Curae criticae .... II. De codice Cyprio u. s. w., Heidelberg 1820, p. 53-90

External links

• Codex Cyprius K^e (017): at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism.

Further readings

• Wilhelm Bousset, Die Gruppe K Π (M) in den Evangelien, Texte end Untersuchungen, Bd. 11, Leipzig 1894, Heft 4, S. 111-135.
• S. Lake, Family Π and the Codex Alexandrinus. The Text According to Mark, S & D V, London 1937.