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Codex Basilensis A. N. III. 12

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Uncial 07
New Testament manuscript
Table of contents to the Gospel of Matthew
Table of contents to the Gospel of Matthew
NameCodex Basilensis
SignEe
TextGospels
Date8th century
ScriptGreek
Found1431
Now atBasel University Library
Size23 × 16.5 cm (9.1 × 6.5 in)
TypeByzantine text-type
CategoryV
Handcarefully written
Notemember of Family E

Codex Basilensis, designated by Ee, 07 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts) or ε 55 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a Greek uncial manuscript of the four Gospels written on parchment. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been dated to the 8th century.

The manuscript contains marginal notes, was adapted for liturgical reading, and contains some missing portions. Three leaves of the codex were overwritten by a later hand; these leaves are considered palimpsests.

Description

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The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book) containing an almost complete text of the four Gospels on 318 parchment leaves (sized 23 × 16.5 centimetres (9.1 × 6.5 in)). The text is written in one column per page, with 23 or more lines per page in uncial letters.[1][2] The Gospel of Luke contains five small gaps (1:69-2:4, 3:4-15, 12:58-13:12, 15:8-20, 24:47-end). Three of them were later completed in cursive (1:69-2:4, 12:58-13:12, 15:8-20).[3]

The letters Θ (theta) Ε (epsilon) Ο (omicron) and Σ (sigma) are round, the strokes of Χ (chi) Ζ (zeta) Ξ (xi) are not prolonged below the line. It has a regular system of punctuation.[4] The handwriting is similar to that in Codex Alexandrinus, though not so regular and neat. The initial letters are decorated with green, blue, and vermilion ink.[5]: 132 

It contains tables of contents (known as κεφαλαια / kephalaia) before each Gospel, and the text is divided according to the chapters (also known as κεφαλαια), the numbers of which are placed in the margins.[5]: 132  The chapters are divided into Ammonian Sections with references to the Eusebian Canons (written below the Ammonian Section numbers), along with harmonising references to other Gospels at the foot of the pages,[5]: 132  although full references to all parallel texts are given in the margins and the tables are thus superfluous.[3] The initial letters at the beginning sections stand out on the margin as in codices Alexandrinus and Ephraemi Rescriptus.[5]: 132  The page margins also contain the names of Feast days and their lecton references, together with other liturgical notes.[5]: 132 

Certain disputed passages are marked with an asterisk – signs of the times (Matthew 16:2b-3), Christ's agony (Luke 22:43-44), Luke 23:34, Pericope Adulterae (John 8:2-11).[6][5]: 133 

The codex was bound with the 12th century minuscule codex 2087, which contains portions of the Book of Revelation. Three leaves of the codex are palimpsests (folio 160, 207, 214) – they were overwritten by a later hand.[3] Folio 207 contains a fragment of Ephraem Syrus in Greek, while the texts of folios 160 and 214 are still unidentified.[7]

Text

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Mark 2:9-14

The Greek text of this codex is considered a representative of the Byzantine textual tradition, but with a small number of non-Byzantine readings.[8] The text of the manuscript has been cited in all critical editions of the Greek New Testament, but it is not highly esteemed by scholars. According to textual critics Kurt and Barbara Aland, out of 316 readings tested, it agrees with the Byzantine text-type 209 times against what the Alands consider to be the original text, and 107 times with both the Byzantine and what the Alands consider to be the original text. Only one reading agrees with what the Alands consider to be the original text against the Byzantine. There are 9 independent or distinctive readings. Aland placed its text in Category V of his New Testament classification system.[1]

It belongs to the textual Family E (the early Byzantine text) and is closely related to Codex Nanianus (U 030), and Codex Athous Dionysiou (Ω 045).[9][10] It is probably the oldest manuscript with a pure Byzantine text (with almost a complete text of the Gospels), and it is one of the most important witnesses of the Byzantine text-type.[6]

Some textual variants

Matthew 8:13

και υποστρεψας ο εκατονταρχος εις τον οικον αυτου εν αυτη τη ωρα ευρεν τον παιδα υγιαινοντα (and when the centurion returned to the house in that hour, he found the slave well)
incl. - East א‎ C M N U Θ Uncial 0250 ƒ1 33 1241 g1 syrh
omit - Majority of manuscripts[11][12]: 18 

Mark 5:9

απεκριθη λεγων (he answered, saying) - E 565 700 pm
λεγει αυτω (said to him) - Majority of manuscripts[12]: 102 

John 1:22

συ τις ει (Who are you?) - E 𝔓66c 𝔓75 157
τις ει (Who are (you)?) - Majority of manuscripts[13]: 5 

John 1:28

βηθανια (Bethania) - E 𝔓66 𝔓75 א‎ B Ws
βηθαραβα (Bethabara) - Majority of manuscripts[13]: 6 

John 4:1

ο Κυριος (the Lord) - E 𝔓66c 𝔓75 Majority of manuscripts
ο Ιησουυς (Jesus) - 𝔓66* א‎ D Θ 086 ƒ1 565 1241 lat syc, p, h bo

[13]: 30 

John 5:44

αλληλων (one another) - E Δ
ανθρωπων (men) - Majority of manuscripts[13]: 55 

John 8:9

οι δε ακουσαντες και υπο της συνειδησεως ελεγχομενοι εξερχοντο εις καθ εις (they heard it, and remorse took them, they went away, one by one) - E G H K S pm
οι δε ακουσαντες εξερχοντο εις καθ εις (they heard it, they went away, one by one) - Majority of manuscripts[14]: 357 

John 10:8

ηλθων (came) - E 𝔓45(vid) 𝔓75 א‎*, c2b Γ Δ 892ss 1424 pm
ηλθων προ εμου (came before me) - Majority of manuscripts[13]: 133 

History

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The cross on the eighth page

Dating

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It is dated by most scholars to the 8th century (Scrivener, Gregory,[3] Nestle, Aland,[1] Metzger[8]). Dean Burgon proposed the 7th century due to the shape of the letters, but the names of Feasts days with their proper lessons and other liturgical markings have been inserted by a later hand.[5]: 132  Scrivener dated it to the middle of the 8th century, stating that from the shape of most of the letters (e.g. pi, delta, xi), it might be judged of even earlier date.[5]: 132  According to papyrologist Guglielmo Cavallo it was written in the early 8th century.[15]

Cataldi Palau suggests it was written at a later date in the 9th century, arguing from the palaeographical point of view it looks older, but the regularity of the accentuation and the abundant colourful decoration are uncharacteristic of the 8th century. The number of errors is remarkably small. According to Palau it was copied by a non-Greek, probably Latin scribe, in 9th century Italy. The Italian location had a strong Byzantine influence.[7]

Location

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Basel University Library in 1896

It probably was brought to Basel by Cardinal Ragusio (1380–1443),[3] who may have acquired it in Constantinople[5] when he attended the Council of Florence in 1431.[5]: 131  In 1559 it was presented to the monastery of the Preaching Friars.[3] In the same year it was transferred to Basel University Library (shelf number A. N. III. 12), in Basel (Switzerland), where it is currently housed.[1][2] It formerly had the shelf-number B VI. 21, but is now K IV. 35.[11]: 158 

Use in the Greek New Testament editions

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The codex was available to Erasmus for his translation of the New Testament in Basel, but he never used it. The text of the manuscript was collated by Johann Jakob Wettstein[16] and the manuscript was used by John Mill in his edition of the Greek New Testament. It has been cited in printed editions of the Greek New Testament since the 18th century.[14]

The manuscript is cited in nearly all critical editions of the Greek New Testament (UBS3,[14] UBS4,[17] NA26,[12]). It is never cited in NA27, due to it not being considered a "consistently cited witness of the first order " or "consistently cited witness of the second order".[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  2. ^ a b "Online copy of the MS". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments. Vol. 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 48.
  4. ^ J. L. Hug (1836). Introduction to the New Testament. D. Fosdick (trans.). Andover: Gould & Newman. p. 174.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1 (4th ed.). London: George Bell & Sons.
  6. ^ a b Robert Waltz, Codex Basilensis E (07): at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism
  7. ^ a b Palau, Annaclara Cataldi (2004). "A Little Known Manuscript of the Gospels in: 'Maiuscola biblica': Basil. Gr A. N. III. 12". Byzantion. 74 (2): 463–516. JSTOR 44172973. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b Metzger, Bruce Manning; Ehrman, Bart D. (2005). The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 74. ISBN 0-19-516667-1.
  9. ^ Champlin, Russell (1966). Family E and its Allies in Matthew. Studies and Documents. Vol. 28. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.
  10. ^ Greelings, Jacob (1968). Family E and Its Allies in Mark. Studies and Documents. Vol. 31. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.
  11. ^ a b Tischendorf, Constantin von (1689). Editio octava critica maior. Vol. 1 (8 ed.). Lipsiae: Giesecke & Devrient. p. 37.
  12. ^ a b c Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce Manning; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1981). Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (26 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung. ISBN 3-438-051001. (NA26)
  13. ^ a b c d e Roderic L. Mullen; Simon Crisp; David C. Parker, eds. (2007). The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. ISBN 978-1598563078.
  14. ^ a b c Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce Manning; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1983). The Greek New Testament (3rd ed.). Stuttgart: United Bible Societies. p. XV. ISBN 9783438051103. (UBS3)
  15. ^ Guglielmo Cavallo: Ricerche sulla maiuscola biblica, Florenz 1967.
  16. ^ Wettstein, Johann Jakob (1751). Novum Testamentum Graecum editionis receptae cum lectionibus variantibus codicum manuscripts (in Latin). Vol. 1. Amsterdam: Ex Officina Dommeriana. pp. 38–40. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  17. ^ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara; Karavidopoulos, Johannes; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce Manning, eds. (2001). The Greek New Testament (4 ed.). United Bible Societies. p. 11. ISBN 978-3-438-05110-3. (UBS4).
  18. ^ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara; Karavidopoulos, Johannes; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce Manning, eds. (2001). Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (27 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. pp. 58*–59*. (NA27)

Further reading

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