Manuscript Summary:This richly illuminated manuscript is a Greek Tetravangelion of Italo-Byzantine origin copied in the eighth or ninth century in a biblical uncial script. Some scholars have connected the uncommon style of its decoration with, on the one hand, Byzantine art of the Iconoclastic Period, and on the other hand, with the aesthetic of churches and artefacts from the period of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna. In the fifteenth century, John of Ragusa, legate of the Council of Basel, bought the codex in Constantinople, and then bequeathed it on his death to the Dominicans of Basel.(mal)
Foliation: Foliation in modern pencil: 1-125.127-159.161-206.208-213.215-220.222-318. – Pagination in black ink on every 5 leaves: 5-635.
Collation:
12 IV95 + (IV-1)102 + 6 IV151 + (IV-1)158 + (IV-2)165 + 5 IV205 + (IV-1)213 + (IV-1)221 + IV229 + V239 + IV247 + (IV-1)254 + 8 IV318.
What was originally the first leaf of the first quire is now pasted on the back of the front board. Leaves are missing after ff. 96, 153, 159, 164, 206, 213, 220, 247; among which the missing leaf after f. 220 is preserved separately in its original state as “AN III 12, frag. 4”, whereas the ones after ff. 159, 206 and 213 are also preserved separately (as “AN III 12, frag. 1, 2, 3”), but served several times as palimpsests in the medieval period (for a description of the palimpsest leaves, see Cataldi Palau 2004, 468-469).
Presence of brown ink quire signatures dating from the time of the copy and written in a majuscule script in Greek numerals (Βʹ-Μʹ). However, the following quire signatures are missing: Αʹ (probably used to be on the 1st leaf now pasted on the front board), ΚΗʹ (lost with missing leaf after f. 213) and ΛΒʹ (lost with missing leaf after f. 247). The quire numbers in brown ink are decorated above and below with several horizontal strokes of decreasing length roughly arranged in the shape of a triangle. The quire signatures ΛΓʹ (f. 255r), ΛΣτʹ (f. 279r) and ΛΖʹ (f. 287r) are accompanied by only one long stroke above and another one below. Quire signature Ηʹ (f. 56r) is the only one to have apparently been decorated by the illuminator: the horizontal strokes above and below the quire number, along with the line of 3 s-shaped strokes added on either side of it, were all traced alternately in vermillion and green paint. In most cases the beginnings of quires are also marked with 2 large crosses (height between 9 to 19 mm) located on both sides of the top margin (the ruled justification lines were used to trace their vertical bar), less frequently with 2 circles (diameter between 8 to 11 mm), each encircling a Greek cross (ff. 3r, 56r, 64r, 96r, 103r, 111r), and three times with green and vermillion rosettes (ff. 72r, 80r and 88r).
Condition: Parchment of good quality. The 3 edges of the book block have been trimmed and are blackened by dirt. Stains appear frequently on leaves throughout the volume. The inscription ΤΕΤΡΑΒΑΓΓΕΛΟ has been written in brown ink on the bottom-edge of the book block. On the fore-edge, leather leaf markers used to indicate the beginning of each Gospel, but their protruding part was cut out during the trimming. The leaves at the two ends of the book block are crumpled and have been damaged by humidity and worm activity. The leaf pasted on the front board (now used as pastedown) and f. 1r are also blackened and heavily discoloured. The bottom corner of f. 139 and the entire outer margin of f. 317 have been cut out.
The volume presents several instances of holes which are not caused by worm activity but by the verdigris pigment (green) used in the decoration (e.g. on the leaf pasted on the front board and ff. 1r, 2v, 3r, 7v, 318r). A modern restorer stuck thin pieces of paper on ff. 1v and 2r in order to preserve the decorative elements which have been damaged by the pigment on the reverse page of those leaves (i.e. 1r and 2v).
Page layout:
Writing surface: 14,5/15,5 x 9,0/9,8 cm. 23/24 lines. Single column (but on f. 166r, 4 columns delimited by 3 additional ruled lines for Luke’s genealogy of Jesus and, on f. 154r-v, 2 columns delimited by one additional ruled line for the pinax of Luke).
The ruling was made in hard point, but contrary to common usage, was done on flesh-sides (a rare practice represented among Italo-Greek manuscripts, an element which may corroborate Cataldi Palau’s position in favour of the Italian origin of this codex; cf. Irigoin, “Pour une étude des centres de copie byzantins”, in Scriptorium 12,2, 1958, 214, n. 5). Ruling pattern including 1 justification line marking out inner margin, 1 justification line marking out outer margin, 1 triple line in top margin (sometimes absent), text lines start from the gutter and frequently cross the outer justification line, but rarely go beyond the prickings, which are located between 2 to 15 mm from the edge (not found in Leroy). Space between ruled text lines of 6 mm.
Writing and hands:
Late Biblical majuscule hand of the 8th or 9th century (height: 3 mm), well-spaced, continuous, marked by an important contrast between thick strokes and very thin hairlines (e.g. delta, eta, nu, pi, chi …) and by the remarkable circularity of some of its letters (e.g. omicron, sigma, epsilon, theta). The text rests on the ruled lines. This manuscript is traditionally dated to the 8th century, notably by palaeographers like R. Devreesse (1954, 153) and G. Cavallo (1967, 107), but A. Cataldi Palau favours a dating to the 9th century (2004, 504-506).
Here is a list of the features of this majuscule hand that are significantly different from the late antique canon of the Biblical majuscule script (see Cataldi Palau 2004, 475-478): the presence of serifs at the ends of many hairlines, notably for delta, gamma, tau …; the separation of the shaft of kappa from its two oblique strokes (with a blank space of usually 2 mm in between); the slightly curved shape of the oblique shafts of alpha, delta and lambda; the replacement of the two central strokes of mu by one long curved stroke, starting at the top of the left vertical stroke, then going down below the baseline and finally joining the right vertical stroke at mid-height (and not at the top as in the Biblical majuscule canon); the separation of the top horizontal stroke of xi from the rest of the letter; the peculiarity of letter upsilon, which, besides from being the only sloping letter (to the left), has a short descender consisting in a triangular serif formed with the corner of the nib on the descending part of the right stroke (ductus well visible e.g. on f. 133v, l. 17); the occasional variation of letter sizes (notably of epsilon and sigma).
Use of abbreviations: the short nomina sacra have one overline above one or 2 letters, and longer nomina sacra (e.g. οὐρανός, ἄνθρωπος, Ἰεροσόλυμα) have 2 overlines, each placed above one letter; At the end of lines are sometimes found the horizontal stroke standing for letter nu, a big form of the abbreviation of ου and stylized forms of the abbreviation of καί (kappa finishing with wavy horizontal stroke, e.g. on ff. 24r l. 11 or 59r penultimate line; kappa finishing with a horizontal stroke ending with loop, e.g. on f. 134r, l. 20; kappa finishing with vertical zigzag line with dots as space-fillers on f. 70r, last line).
Use of accentuation: it appears to have been added by the copyist himself (see Irigoin 1990, 64-65) and to be nearly complete (except for καί and nomina sacra), which made Cataldi Palau consider an earlier date than the 9th century as unlikely (see Cataldi Palau 2004, 479); Diphthongs are accentuated over the second vowel; Circumflexes are small and semi-circular; Breathings are angular; Double dots are sometimes found on top of iota and rarely of upsilon.
Use of punctuation: the upper point (followed by a blank space) is used as a full stop and indicates the end of a verse when the following line opens with a minor initial; Middle point, thick middle comma and thick lower comma indicate a pause; Thin lower comma indicate a shorter pause; Thin middle comma introduces a speech; The text of each Gospel finishes with a colon followed by a horizontal line; Thin apostrophes follow elided prepositions; Thick apostrophes are occasionally added above the last letter of some semitic proper names such as Ἐλισάβετ', Ἰωσήφ', Βηθλεέμ' etc…; “Diple” quotation marks are added in the margin for quotations of the Old Testament.
Furthemore, the same copyist employed as secondary script an upright ogival majuscule (height: 2 mm) for the portions of the text lines that cross the justification line (see Cavallo 1967, 107) and for the pinakes, the marginalia and interlinear corrections.
Decoration: The decoration of the manuscript is particularly abundant and luxurious. It makes use of geometrical motives painted in vivid colours, with a clear dominance of vermillion and green. The patterns it employs and the huge importance it gives to the figure of the cross could be related to the aesthetics of some churches and artefacts of the Ravenna area dating from the time of the Byzantine exarchate (a. 584-751: see Cataldi Palau 2004, 487-496). Those similarities may designate Italo-Greek northern Italy as a plausible place of origin for this 8th-9th century codex, keeping in mind that, after 751, the decline of Greek culture in the region was a gradual process (see also hypothesis on Roman origin in op. cit., 496-499). The decoration of the codex has also been, rightly or wrongly, qualified as typical of iconoclastic art (Nordenfalk 1970, 189-193).
Headings and rubrics:
Heading above pinax of Matthew (f. 1r): Biblical majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, enclosed by a pyle (see:"Decoration") and ending with a small vermillion cross.
Beginning heading of Matthew (f. 3r): Biblical majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, flanked by 2 green and vermillion Greek crosses enclosed within a circle. The opening words of the Gospel of Matthew were written in the same two-coloured display script as the title heading.
End heading of Matthew (f. 96v): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, enclosed in a decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
Heading above pinax of Mark is lost with leaf missing after f. 96.
Beginning heading of Mark (f. 98r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled with vermillion, blue and green paint (scheme: v-b-v-g), flanked by a blue cross with vermillion serifs on the right and a vermillion one with green serifs on the left.
End heading of Mark (f. 153v): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, flanked by 2 large white crosses with vermillion serifs.
Heading of pinax of Luke is lost with leaf missing after f. 153.
Beginning heading of Luke (f. 155r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint, enclosed in decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
End heading of Luke lost with leaf missing after f. 247.
Heading above pinax of John (f. 248r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with green and vermillion paint, ending with a small vermillion Greek cross, flanked by 2 large white crosses with green and vermillion serifs.
Beginning heading of John (f. 249r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled alternately with vermillion and green paint and enclosed in a decorative frame (see: "Decoration").
End heading of John (f. 318r): angular ogival majuscule letters filled with vermillion, green and white paint (scheme: v-g-v-w), flanked by 2 large white crosses with vermillion and green serifs.
Furthermore, the manuscript contains some vermillion rubrics, which include the Eusebian canon numbers, some lection notes, few ἀρχή/τέλος marks delimiting liturgical readings, asteriskoi, monograms of the names of the four Evangelists in the canon tables of the bottom margins. Nevertheless, numerous elements of the apparatus which are customarily rubricated in Byzantine Gospel manuscripts are here lavishly painted (kephalaia numbers, most ἀρχή/τέλος marks, indications of the day in lection notes and even sometimes entire lection notes as on ff. 18r, 19v, 21v, 23r etc …) or just written in regular brown ink (Eusebian section numbers, many lections notes, kephalaia titles).
Decorative crosses:
Presence of big decorative crosses.
Large framed painted cross on front paste-down: in dark blue, green, vermillion and light brown paint (frame: 175 x 88 mm, cross: 135 x 80 mm); the two extremities of the horizontal bar of the cross interrupt and divide the frame into two separate parts, the lower one being rectangular, the upper one being in the shape of a round arch surmounted by two elongated triangles; both the frame and the cross are made up of 3 bands, of which the 2 lateral bands are monochromatic (light brown in the frame and dark blue in the cross) and the central band is a green and vermillion plait; the cross stands on a four-tiered base und has at its four sides the inscription ΙΣ | [ΧΣ] | ΝΗ | ΚΑ in brown ink.
On f. 2v framed cross filling blank space after pinax of Matthew (frame: 120 x 87 mm, cross: 86 x 55 mm): frame made up of 3 separate parts together forming a rectangle; the extremities of those parts and of the cross are adorned with triangles of various sizes; both the frame and the cross are filled with a great variety of geometrical patterns; two burning lamps hang from the bipartite upper bar of the frame; the cross stands on a diamond that is itself placed at the top of a three-tiered base; the inscription ΙΣ | Χη | ΝΗ | ΚΑ in brown ink is at the four sides of the cross.
Framed cross of later date drawn in brown ink on f. 318v (frame: 120 x 75 mm, cross: 70 x 43 mm): the frame is filled with geometrical patterns (mostly diamonds) and adorned with vegetative ornaments; the large cross stands on a seven-tiered base and is accompanied by 4 smaller crosses at four sides; 5 decorative bars accompany the crosses inside the frame (made up of sometimes rope motives, sometimes checkerboard patterns, sometimes zigzags).
Initials:
Initials open the texts of the Gospels.
Initial “beta” beginning Matthew on f. 3r (height: 10 mm): the shaft of beta is filled with intersecting green and vermillion triangles; its lower bow is painted in blue and its upper bow and base are drawn as thin hairline strokes in regular brown ink.
Initial “alpha” beginning Mark on f. 98r (height: 18 mm): very large rectangular shaft filled with oblique green and vermillion stripes dotted with white points; the pointed bow of the alpha is made up of two thin hairline strokes finishing in a stylized bird-like figure painted in green and blue.
Initial “epsilon” beginning Luke on f. 155r (height: 13 mm): drawn in brown ink with a compass and filled with intersecting green and vermillion triangles; the two extremities of the bow finish with green triangular serifs; the central bar of epsilon is adorned with a green ring and ends with a vermillion triangular serif; the rubricated Eusebian canon number ιʹ is inscribed inside the upper void of epsilon.
Initial epsilon beginning John on f. 249r (height: 8 mm): drawn in brown ink with a compass and filled with green paint, but presenting no other ornamental features.
Painted initials of smaller textual units (over 200 initials in the entire volume). They open new kephalaia and exceptionally new verses. They are painted in green, vermillion and/or blue and are always accompanied in the margin by a painted kephalaion number or exceptionally an Eusebian section number. They are often characterized by a contrast between very thick strokes giving plenty of space for geometrical ornaments and very thin hairline strokes drawn in regular brown ink. Such initial is usually filled with one type of motives (those could be intersecting triangles, diamonds, oblique or straight stripes, wavy stripes, wavy lines, plaits, chevrons, zigzag bands, hourglasses or spikes), and is frequently adorned with coloured triangular serifs at extremities. However, initial “kappa” on f. 55v is of greater complexity and cumulates several types of motives, and initial “omicron” on f. 83v is the only one to contain a central cross, which happens to be directly connected with the meaning of the text of the Eusebian section it opens, Οἴδατε ὅτι μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας τὸ Πάσχα γίνεται, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς τὸ σταυρωθῆναι (Mt. 26:2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified”).
Moreover, the set out minor initials written in brown ink indicate that a verse ended in the previous line (round letters among them are drawn with a compass); Only a very small amount of minor initials is painted and decorated (among which figures the above-mentioned initial “omicron” of f. 83v).
Borders:
Decorative borders enclose the headings of the volume.
Pyle at the top of the pinax of Matthew on f. 1r (93 x 35 mm): its upper bar is filled with blue and vermillion diamonds and its two lateral bars with square boxes, some containing white or vermillion Greek crosses on blue or vermillion ground, others containing various blue or vermillion geometrical patterns; The two extremities of the pyle are adorned with tiny multi-coloured triangles finishing with multi-coloured dots.
Rectangular frame enclosing end heading of Matthew on f. 96v (113 x 32 mm): made up of 2 intertwined zigzag bands, one green, the other vermillion, bordered by two thin white bands (the only other known example of similar ornament is found in 11th century codex Vindobonensis theol. gr. 30: see Cataldi Palau 2004, 481 and Franz, “Byzantine illuminated ornament…”, 1934, 54, pl. VI, n°22); 2 stylized bird-like figures protrude at the 2 right-hand corners of the frame; 4 small spirals, each adorned with 3 long spikes, protrude at the 4 corners of the frame (no other example of similar ornament is known: see Cataldi Palau 2004, ibid.).
Rectangular frame enclosing the beginning heading of Luke on f. 155r (120 x 35 mm): the upper and lower bars of the frame are filled with green and vermillion diamonds along with small steps as space-fillers; Lateral bars are filled with green and vermillion stripes; each angle of the frame contains a square box; the entire frame is bordered inside and outside by two thin light brown bands; green triangles with vermillion dots protrude at the four corners.
Rectangular frame enclosing beginning heading of John on f. 249r (120 x 25 mm): 2 intertwined zigzag bands, one green, the other white and vermillion, bordered by 2 thin blue bands; 2 vermillion, green and blue stars (with dots of different colours at each point) protrude at the two left-hand corners of the frame; at the two right-hand corners, protrude green and vermillion triangles with vermillion dots at corners.
At the end of the second column of the pinax of Luke on f. 154v, presence of a wavy line drawn in regular brown ink with leaves as space-fillers and leaf terminals.
Other decorative elements:
The painted decorative elements marking the beginning of some quires include: green or vermillion crosses with green or vermillion serifs (ff. 32r, 98r); white crosses with green and vermillion serifs (f. 248r); thin brown crosses with prominent green and vermillion serifs (ff. 48r, 119r); green and/or vermillion Greek crosses enclosed in a circle (ff. 56r, 64r, 96r, 103r, 111r); eight-petal rosettes in green and vermillion (ff. 72r, 80r, 88r).
The decorative painted elements present in the margins include: a large green and vermillion diamond (25 x 20 mm) enclosing a quatrefoil and standing on a triangular base (f. 290v); an eight-petal rosette in green and vermillion (ff. 83v, 89v, 297r, 306v); a vermillion Greek cross enclosed in a circle with green triangular space-fillers (f. 294v).
Additions: The manuscript is equipped with a complete apparatus, making it fully adapted for the practice of liturgy: a pinax listing the kephalaia before each Gospel (brown ink); in top margins, kephalaia titles (brown ink), each preceded by a kephalaion number (painted in green and accompanied by 2 rubricated lines above and below), which is itself repeated in the right margin in front of the first line of the new chapter; in right margins, Eusebian section numbers (brown ink), accompanied below by the corresponding Eusebian canon numbers (rubricated), both being decorated with horizontal lines and s-shape strokes (rubricated); in bottom margins, presence of the part of the Eusebian canon table containing the Eusebian sections of the page, consisting of 4 columns, each beginning with a monogram of the name of an evangelist (rubricated), and a list of Eusebian sections from the Gospel of that evangelist (brown ink) (each line of the table thus indicates in what other Gospel a given passage is also found); in top and outer margins, liturgical lection notes, each consisting usually of an indication of the day (painted in green and vermillion) and an introductory sentence (generally in brown ink, sometimes rubricated).
Byzantine notes of later dates: On f. 2v, a big illiterate mixed-minuscule hand wrote perpendicularly in left margin μινυν ηʹ ὀκτωβρίως ἔχω ἡμέρα λαʹ ἡμέραν ἔχει ὅρας ιβʹ καὶ ιʹ νὺξ ὅρας ιγʹ; on f. 100r and the missing leaf after f. 159r (= separate frag. 1), presence of two signs appearing as some kinds of monograms (an imprint due to fresh ink also visible on f. 159v); on f. 248v, an illegible Greek text which was later erased (an imprint of it due to fresh ink still visible on opposite page); on f. 318v, inscriptions ἄγωμεν κ[…] and Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, φιλ[εῖς με] by a small majuscule hand (the latter being a quotation of Jn. 21:17, located in text two pages earlier on f. 317v, l. 5), and ὁρᾷς by a minuscule hand; in the right margin of f. 2r, beginning of the first Psalm in Greek; lection notes of later dates on ff. 16r, 20r, 62r, 98v, 135v, 198r, 233v, 234r, 234v, 237v, 238r, 283v, 292v.
Notes left by western hands: on f. 97v, next to the 12th century fragment of the apocalypse (see: “Contents”) an annotator of the 16th century wrote perpendicularly in the left margin the criticism Βάρβαρον ἐπίβλημα ἀπαιδεύτου τινός (cf. Mk. 2:21), and horizontally above the fragment ἀποκάλ(υψις) γʹ and below it Cetera vide sub initium Evang(elii) secundum Iohannem: ὁς σάλπ(υγος); the same hand wrote on f. 247v referring to the missing end of Luke τὸ τίλος [sic: τίτλος] λείπει, and on f. 248r below the second part of the fragment of the Apocalypse, γάμοντα ὀφθαλμὸν. Apocal. cap. iv. v(ersu)s. 8; on f. 98r, a hand of the 15th century (?) added "Marcus" above the beginning heading of Mark; another hand added some indications of modern chapters in Latin.
Binding: Binding which may have been Byzantine originally, but which underwent a thorough restoration by Wilhelm Bitz in 1952 (see restorer’s note on back paste-down). Dimensions: 24 x 16 cm. Covered with modern brown leather.
Wooden boards (edges: 10 mm): following the Byzantine use, board edges do not protrude out of the book block; one brass clasp of the 15th-16th century (western addition), of which only the catch-plate on the front board remains. Spine: 3 barely raised sewings, which can be touched through the leather and and which, since they do not seem to be actual western bands, might be Byzantine (?); modern label with classmark written in black ink; endbands of light pink threads from the time of the restoration.
Endleaves: 1 front parchment paste-down (originally 1st leaf of 1st quire) containing a large painted cross and an ex-libris of the University of Basel; 1 back parchment paste-down, containing a fragment of a synaxarion in a hasty and much abbreviated mixed-minuscule (Εὐα(γγέλιον) τῷ σα(ββάτῳ) τῆς ἀπόκ(ρεως) … - … Λοῦκ(ας). Τῇ εʹ εἰς τὸν ὀρθρ(ὸν) κ[...] σξʹ).
Contents:
1r-2vPinax of the Gospel of Matthew.>Τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια<αʹ Περὶ τῶν μάγων
…–…
ξηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτίσεως [sic] τοῦ σώματος τοῦ κυρίου.
3r-96vEvangelium secundum Matthaeum.>Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ματθαῖον<Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ …–…
ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.>Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ματθέον [sic]<
Further information:
Additions to the text in the margins contemporary to the copy of the manuscript (cross-reference symbols: lemniskos):
f. 5vοὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη ἡ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα (Mt. 2:6);
On f. 51r-v, Mt. 16:2-16:3 (“the signs of times”) was indicated as doubtful in the margin with rubricated asteriskoi.
97r-vPinax of the Gospel of Mark.ιϛʹ Περὶ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων καὶ τῶν βʹ ἰχθύων …–…
μηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτίσεως [sic] τοῦ σώματος τοῦ κυρίου.
Further information:
Kephalaia αʹ to ιεʹ are now lost with missing leaf after f. 96. — On f. 97v in the blank space after the pinax, an illiterate mixed-minuscule hand, dated by Cataldi Palau to around the 12th century (Cataldi Palau 2004, 467), wrote an extract of the Apocalypse (Rev 3:3-4:1, ποίαν ὅραν ἥξο ἐπὶ σέ ... - ... ἡ φωνοὶ πρότη ἣν ἴκουσα). Von Soden refers to that fragment as ʺα 1583 (15)” (von Soden 1911, I, 1, 248), and Gregory as n° “15” (Gregory 1900, I, 317) and “2087” (Ibid., III, 1192), but Aland only as n° “2087” (Aland 1963, 170). Hoskier gives a complete transcription of it (Hoskier 1890, Appendix F, 2).
154r-154vPinax of the Gospel of Luke.λʹ Περὶ τῆς μεταμορφώσεως …–…
πγʹ Περὶ Κλεόπα.
Further information:
Kephalaia αʹ to κθʹ are now lost with missing leaf after f. 153.
155r-247vEvangelium secundum Lucam>Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Λουκᾶν<Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν …–…
κηρυχθῆναι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ μετάνοιαν//
[stopping at Lk. 24:47].
Further information:
Textual losses: Lk. 1:69-2:4 with missing leaf after f. 159; Lk. 3:4-15 after f. 164; Lk. 12:58-13:12 after f. 206; Lk. 15:8-21 after f. 213; Lk. 24:47 till the end after f. 247. Moreover the leaf after f. 220 is nowadays separate from the volume and is preserved as a supplement entitled "AN III 12, frag. 4".
Additions to the text in the margins contemporary to the copy of the manuscript (cross-reference symbol: none for f. 183r, lemniskos for f. 184r): f. 183rἀπὸ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς (Lk. 8:3); f. 184rἐπὶ λυχνίας τίθησιν, ἵνα οἱ εἰσ[πορευόμενοι] (Lk. 8:16).
On f. 242v, Lk. 22:43-44 (Christ’s agony at Gethsemane) was indicated as doubtful with a rubricated asteriskos in the margin. On f. 230rκαὶ οὐ λαμβάνεις πρόσωπον, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διδάσκεις in text was crossed out in vermillion ink (Lk. 20:21).
248rPinax of the Gospel of John>Τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίου τὰ κεφάλαια<αʹ Περὶ τοῦ ἐν Κανᾷ γάμου …–…
ιηʹ Περὶ τῆς αἰτησαίως [sic] τοῦ κυριακοῦ σώματος.
Further information:
In the blank space after this pinax, the same later hand of f. 97v continues the copy of the same extract of the Apocalypse (Rev 4:1-8, ὁς σάλπυγος λαλούσης μετ' ἐμοῦ, ἀνάβα ὅδε ... - ... καθ' ἓν αὐτὸ ἔχον ἀνὰ πτέριγας κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσοθεν). Hoskier transcribed that fragment (op. cit., Appendix F, 2-3).
248v
Blank.
Further information:
The page contained 11 lines of a now erased Greek text.
Additions to the text in the margins contemporary to the copy of the manuscript (cross-reference symbol: lemniskos): f. 249v οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς (Jn. 1:13); f. 259r νῦν (Jn. 4:18); f. 281 ἄλλοι δὲ ὅτι ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἐστιν (Jn. 9:9); f. 286r ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ πιστεύσητε (Jn. 10:38); f. 286 σημεῖον (Jn. 10:41).
On ff. 275v-276v, presence of the pericope adulterae (Jn. 8:2-8:11), throughout which rubricated asteriskoi were added in the margin at the time of the copy of the manuscript.
318v
Blank.
Further information:
Large framed cross in brown ink and various inscriptions of later dates.
Provenance of the manuscript:
On f. 318v, a monocondylion, which has not yet been deciphered, may have been left by a Byzantine owner. Moreover, the green inscription in verdigris pigment on f. 154vΒάρδας Πικριδὰς | κονδ[…] τοῦ χαλεκα | κορεκ(ου) καʹ could be of an unknown owner of the 14th century named Vardas Pikridas (see Cataldi Palau 2004, 475). On the top right-hand corner of f. 1r an erased illegible inscription, which appears to be in Greek (ου abbreviation distinguishable), may have been an ex-libris.
The Dominican John Stojković of Ragusa bought the codex for one hyperpyron during his mission in Constantinople for the Council of Basel between 1435 and 1437, and thereafter brought it with him when he went back to Basel: he indeed left on f. 318v the purchase note I[n] die sa[ncti] Mathie | ap[os]t[ol]i dedi ip[er]p[er]um unu[m]. The manuscript corresponds to MS n° X in John Cuno's inventory of John of Ragusa's collection (Vernet 1961, 84 n° X).
After Ragusa's death in 1443, the manuscript was bequeathed to the Monastery of the Dominicans of Basel: the bottom margin of f. 1r has the ex-libris “liber predicatoru[m]”.
Acquisition of the manuscript:
In 1559, the manuscript was transferred to the University of Basel along with the rest of the collection of the monastery: The university librarian Heinrich Pantaleon (1522-1595) wrote "Ex libris academie Basiliensis" on the front paste-down under the left arm of the painted cross. — Codex AN III 12 was later used for the critical editions of New Testament scholars like John Mill (1707) and Johann Jacob Wettstein (1751).
Bibliography:
Mill, John. - Novum Testamentum cum lectionibus variantibus MSS exemplarium, versionum, editionum, SS patrum et scriptorum ecclesiasticorum. - Oxonii, 1707.
Mabillon, Jean. - Jo. Mabillonii Iter Germanicum et Jo. Launoii De scholis celebribus a Carolo M. et post Carolum M. in occidente instauratis liber. - Hamburgi, 1717, p. 16.
Schmelzer, Gebhard August. - De antiquo Basileensis bibliothecae codice Graeco IV. Evangeliorum manu in membrana scripto observationes quaedam criticae. - Gottingae, 1750, p. 10.
Wettstein, Johann Jakob. - Novum Testamentum graecum editionis receptae. Tomus I, continens quatuor Evangelia. - Amstelaedami, 1751, pp. 38-40.
Werner, Johann. - Ex cathedra Veteri Testamenti in cathedram Novi Testamenti superiorum adscensurus consensu novaeque provinciae auspicia capturus, Iohannes Wernerus Herzog ad audiendam solennem praelectionem in auditorio theologico aestivo D. VI. IVL. MDCCXCII habendam, qua pretiosissimum IV Evangeliorum codicem graecum in bibliotheca publica Basiliensi adservatum … (= announcement of a lecture by Johann Werner). - Basileae, 1792 (= Basel, Universitätsbibliothek Ki. Ar. H III 20, 25).
Hug, Johann Leonhard. - Einleitung in die Schriften des Neuen Testaments. - Stuttgart, Tübingen, 1826, pp. 301-305.
Streuber, Wilhelm Theodor. - Handschriften der öffentlichen Bibliothek zu Basel. - In: Serapeum. Zeitschrift für Bibliothekswissenschaft, Handschriftenkunde und ältere Literatur 9 (1856), pp. 129-135, here p. 130-132.
Von Tischendorf, Constantin. - Novum Testamentum graece. - Lipsiae, 1862, p. XVI.
Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose. - A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament for the Use of Biblical Students. 3rd Edition. - Cambridge, 1883, pp. 131-133, pl. XI.
Omont, Henri. - Catalogue des manuscrits grecs des bibliothèques de Suisse : Bâle, Berne, Einsiedeln, Genève, St. Gall, Schaffhouse et Zurich. - Leipzig, 1886, p. 6 n° 6.
Hoskier, Herman Charles. - A full account and collation of the Greek cursive codex Evangelium 604. - London, 1890, Appendix F, pp. 1-3.
Gregory, Caspar René. - Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes. - Leipzig, 1900-1909 (3 vols), pp. 48-49, 317, 1021, 1192 (ʺmajuscule 7ʺ and “2087”).
Von Soden, Hermann. - Die Schriften des Neuen Testaments in ihrer ältesten erreichbaren Textgestalt. Teil I: Untersuchungen. Abt. I: Die Textzeugen. - Göttingen, 1911, pp. 124, 169, 248.
Escher, Konrad. - Das Testament des Kardinals Johannes de Ragusio. - In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde 16 (1917), pp. 208-212, here p. 212.
Escher, Konrad. - Die Miniaturen in den Basler Bibliotheken, Museen und Archiven. - Basel, 1917, p. 19 n° 1.
Tarelli, C. C. - Erasmus’s manuscripts of the Gospels. - In: The Journal of Theological Studies 44 (1943), pp. 155-162; and 48 (1947), p. 207.
Devreesse, Robert. - Introduction à l’étude des manuscrits grecs. - Paris, 1954, p. 153.
Vernet, André. - Les manuscrits grecs de Jean de Raguse. - In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde 61 (1961), pp. 75-108, here p. 84 n° X.
Aland, Kurt. - Kurzgefasste Liste der Griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments. - Berlin, 1963, p. 170 (ʺmajuscule 7ʺ and ʺminuscule 2087ʺ).
Reicke, Bo. - Erasmus und die neutestamentliche Textgeschichte. - In: Theologische Zeitschrift 22 (1966), pp. 254-265, here p. 263.
Cavallo, Guglielmo. - Ricerche sulla maiuscola biblica. - Firenze, 1967, p. 107, pl. 97.
Nordenfalk, Carl. - Die spätantiken Zierbuchstaben. - Stockholm, 1970, pp. 189-193, fig. 52-56.
Crisci, Edoardo. - La maiuscola ogivale diritta. Origini, tipologie, dislocazioni. - In: Scrittura e Civiltà 8 (1984), pp. 103-145, here p. 116 n. 39.
Irigoin, Jean. - La Bible grecque : le Codex Sinaiticus. - In: Martin, Henri-Jean; Vezin, Jean, Mise en page et mise en texte du livre manuscrit. - Paris, 1990, pp. 61-66, here pp. 64-65.
Arnesano, Daniele. - Il palinsesto Laur. Conv. Soppr. 152. Note paleografiche e codicologiche. - In: Bollettino della Badia greca di Grottaferrata 53 (1999), pp. 213-238, pl. 4a.
Cataldi Palau, Annaclara. - Legature costantinopolitane del monasterio di Prodromo Petra tra i manoscritti di Giovanni di Ragusa († 1443). - In: Codices Manuscripti. Zeitschrift für Handschriftenkunde 37/38 (2001), pp. 11-50, here p. 15.
Cataldi Palau, Annaclara. - A little known manuscript of the Gospels in ‛maiuscola biblica’: Basil. Gr. AN III 12. - In: Byzantion 74 (2004), pp. 463-516.
Orsini, Pasquale. - Manoscritti in maiuscola biblica. Materiali per un aggiornamento. - Cassino, 2005, p. 242.
Orsini, Pasquale. - Genesi e articolazioni della "maiuscola liturgica". - In: Bravo Garcia, Antonio; Pérez Martin, Inmaculada (eds.), The Legacy of Bernard de Montfaucon: Three Hundred Years of Studies on Greek Handwriting. Proceedings of the Seventh International Colloquium of Greek Palaeography (Madrid - Salamanca, 15-20 September 2008). - Turnout, 2010, pp. 17-35, 669-682, here p. 22.
Lafleur, Didier. - La Famille 13 dans l'Évangile de Marc (New Testament Tools. Studies and Documents 41). - Leiden, Boston, 2013, pp. 72, 163.
Orsini, Pasquale. - Scrittura come immagine. Morfologia e storia della maiuscola liturgica bizantina. - Roma, 2013, p. 19.
Elliott, James Keith. - A Bibliography of Greek New Testament Manuscripts. Third Edition. Supplements to Novum Testamentum 160. - Leiden, Boston, 2015, p. 75.
Andrist, Patrick. - Structure and history of the Biblical manuscripts used by Erasmus for his 1516 edition. - In: Wallraff, Martin; Seidel Menchi, Silvana; Von Greyerz, Kaspar (eds.), Basel 1516: Erasmus’ Edition of the New Testament. - Tübingen, 2016, pp. 81-124, here p. 84.
Wallraff, Martin. - Paratexte der Bibel. Was Erasmus edierte ausser dem Neuen Testament. - In: Wallraff, Martin; Seidel Menchi, Silvana; Von Greyerz, Kaspar (eds.), Basel 1516: Erasmus’ Edition of the New Testament. - Tübingen, 2016, pp.145-173, here p. 169.
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