Minuscule 261

New Testament manuscripts
papyri • uncials • minuscules • lectionaries

Minuscule 261
Text	Gospels
Date	12th century
Script	Greek
Now at	National Library of France
Size	28.1 cm by 22.7 cm
Type	Byzantine text-type
Category	V
Note	full marginalia

Minuscule 261 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 282 (Soden),^[1] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century.^[2] It has full marginalia.

Description

The codex contains the text of the four Gospels on 175 parchment leaves (28.1 cm by 22.7 cm),^[2] with some lacunae (Matthew 1:1-11:1; 14:25-19:21; Luke 24:39-53; John 20:15-21:19). First 28 leaves are paper.^[3]

The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. There is also another division according to the Ammonian Sections (in Mark 241, the last in 16:20), but without references to the Eusebian Canons.^[3]

It contains tables of the κεφαλαια (tables of contents) before each Gospel, lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical reading), αναγνωσεις (lessons), and subscriptions at the end of each Gospel (later hand), with numbers of στιχοι.^[3] It is correctly written. Lacuna at Matthew 1:1-11:1 was supplied by a later hand in the 14th century on a paper.^[4]

Text

The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family K¹.^[5] Aland placed it in Category V.^[6]

According to the Claremont Profile Method it represents textual family K^x in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made.^[5]

History

At the end of the codex is written: το παρον Βιβλιον υπαρχον της αγιοτατης μετροπολεως ξανθης του τιμιου προδρομου, και οστε βουληθη αποξενοσαι τουτο εκ του μοναστηριου ταυτης να εχη τας αρας των τιη θεοφορων πατερων λ.^[7]

The manuscript was held at the monastery of the Prodromous (Forerunner) at Constantinople. The manuscripts was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Johann Martin Augustin Scholz (1794-1852).^[8] C. R. Gregory saw the manuscript in 1884.^[3]

The manuscript is currently housed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gr. 52) at Paris.^[2]

See also

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

References

1. ^ Gregory, Caspar René (1908). Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung. p. 57. http://www.archive.org/stream/diegriechischen00greggoog#page/n67/mode/2up. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} K. Aland, M. Welte, B. Köster, K. Junack, "Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments", Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1994, p. 62.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments. 1. Leipzig: Hinrichs. p. 173. http://www.archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n185/mode/2up. 
4. ^ Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. 1 (4 ed.). London: George Bell & Sons. p. 225. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Wisse, Frederik (1982). The profile method for the classification and evaluation of manuscript evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 58. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4. 
6. ^ Aland, Kurt; Barbara Aland; Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1. 
7. ^ J. M. A. Scholz, Biblisch-kritische Reise in Frankreich, der Schweiz, Italien, Palästine und im Archipel in den Jahren 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821: Nebst einer Geschichte des Textes des Neuen Testaments, Leipzig, 1823, pp. 3-4.
8. ^ Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. 1 (4 ed.). London: George Bell & Sons. p. 225. 

Further reading

• Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments. 1. Leipzig: Hinrichs. p. 173. http://www.archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n185/mode/2up. 

External links