Codex Regius (New Testament)

Summary

Codex Regius, designated by siglum Le or 019 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), ε56 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a Greek uncial manuscript of the New Testament written on parchment. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 8th century.[1] The manuscript has several gaps. Textual critic Frederick H. A. Scrivener described it as "by far the most remarkable document of its age and class."[2]: 137 

Uncial 019
New Testament manuscript
Double Ending of Mark
Double Ending of Mark
NameRegius
SignLe
TextGospels
Date8th century
ScriptGreek
Now atNational Library of France
Size23.5 cm by 17 cm
TypeAlexandrian text-type
CategoryII
Handbadly written
Notemarginalia

Description edit

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book), made of 257 thick parchment leaves (23.5 cm by 17 cm), containing an almost complete text of the four Gospels, with the following portions missing due to the loss of leaves/pages: Matt 4:22-5:14, 28:17-20, Mark 10:16-30, 15:2-20, John 21:15-25.[2]

The text is written in two columns per page, 25 lines per page, in large but not rounded uncial letters. It has breathing marks (utilised to designate vowel emphasis), and accents (used to indicate voiced pitch changes) often added wrongly.[3] Scrivener describes it as "carelessly written by an ignorant scribe".[2] According to him the letter φ (phi) is enormously large, and the letter α (alpha) presents the last stage of the uncial script.[2] He also surmises it was badly written by the copyist, who was probably more Egyptian rather than Greek, who had a tendency for writing Coptic rather than Greek letters.[2]

The text is divided according to the chapters (known as κεφαλαια / kephalaia), whose numbers are given in the margin, and their titles (known as τιτλοι / titloi) written at the top of the pages. It also contains the table of contents (also known as κεφαλαια) before each Gospel. There is also another division according to the Ammonian sections, with references to the Eusebian Canons (an early system of dividing the four Gospels into different sections) in the margin. Lectionary markings are contained in the margin for liturgical readings (these being dates in the yearly Church calendar where specific passages are read).[3][2]

It has John 7:53-8:11 omitted, and there are two endings to the Gospel of Mark (as in codices Ψ 099 0112 274mg 579 Lectionary 1602), a shorter one appearing before the traditional verses 16:9-20.[4]

The text of this "shorter" ending is translated as follows:

But they [the women] reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.[4]

Text edit

The Greek text of this codex has been considered a representative of the Alexandrian text-type in its late stadium.[5] The text-types are groups of different New Testament manuscripts which share specific or generally related readings, which then differ from each other group, and thus the conflicting readings can separate out the groups. These are then used to determine the original text as published; there are three main groups with names: Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine.[4]: 205–230  It contains a large number of Byzantine readings in the Gospel of Matthew (1:1–17:26). Textual critic Kurt Aland placed it in Category II of his New Testament classification system.[1] Category II manuscripts are described as being manuscripts "of a special quality, i.e., manuscripts with a considerable proportion of the early text, but which are marked by alien influences. These influences are usually of smoother, improved readings, and in later periods by infiltration by the Byzantine text."[1]: 335  According to Wisse, who examined Luke 1; 10; 20, the text is a "core member" of the Alexandrian text.[6] It was noted in the 19th century that there is strong resemblance to Codex Vaticanus (B), to the citations of Origen, and to the marginal readings of the Harklean Syriac.[2]

Omissions

Matthew 12:47

omit - L א B 1009 12 ff1 k syrc, s copsa)
incl. - Majority of manuscripts

Matthew 20:23

και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε (and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with) - L א B D Z Θ 085 ƒ1 ƒ13 it syrs, c copsa[7]: 56 

Matthew 23:38

ερημος (desert)
omit - L B 184
incl. - Majority of manuscripts

Luke 9:55–56

καὶ εἶπεν, Οὑκ οἴδατε οἵου πνεύματος ἑστε ὐμεῖς; ὀ γὰρ υἰὸς τοῦ ἁνθρώπου οὑκ ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἁνθρώπων ἁπολέσαι ἁλλὰ σῶσαι (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) - L א B C Θ Ξ 33 700 892 1241 syr, copbo[7]: 190 

Luke 11:4

αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου (but deliver us from evil) - L 𝔓75 א B ƒ1 700 vg syrs copsa, bo arm geo.[8]: 256 

Other verses omitted are: Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 11:26, Luke 17:36, and John 5:4.

 
John 12:13-14 (facsimile); the initial for epsilon has motif with a blessing hand
Additions

Matthew 10:12

λεγοντες ειρηνη τω οικω τουτω - L א*,2 D W Θ ƒ1 1010 it vgcl
αυτην - Majority of manuscripts[7]: 24 

Matthew 27:49

ἄλλος δὲ λαβὼν λόγχην ἒνυξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευράν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὖδορ καὶ αἳμα (the other took a spear and pierced His side, and immediately came out water and blood see John 19:34) - L א B C Γ 1010 1293 vgmss)
omit - Majority of manuscripts[7]: 84 [8]: 113 

John 20:31

ζωην αιωνιον - L א C* D Ψ 0100 ƒ13 it vgmss syrp, h copsa copbo
ζωην - Majority of manuscripts[7]: 317 
Some other readings

Matthew 1:10

Αμων - L W ƒ13 Byz
Αμως א B C

Matthew 19:16

διδασκαλε (teacher) - L א B D ƒ1 892txt 1010 1365 5 ita, d, e, ff1 copbo eth geo Origen, Hilary.

Matt 19:29

πολλαπλασιονα (manifold) - L B 1010
εκατονπλασιονα (hundredfold) - Majority of manuscripts

Luke 4:17

καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ βιβλίον (and opened the book) - L A B W Ξ 33 892 1195 1241 547 sys, h, pal sa bo
καὶ ἀναπτύξας τὸ βιβλίον (and unrolled the book) - א Dc K Δ Θ Π Ψ ƒ1 ƒ13 28 565 700 1009 1010 Byz[9][7]: 164 

Luke 14:5

ὄνος ἢ βοῦς - L א K X Π Ψ ƒ1 ƒ13 33 892 1071 547
υἱὸς ἢ βοῦς - Majority of manuscripts[8]: 273 

Luke 22:1

ηγγισεν - L D
εγγιζεν - Majority of manuscripts[7]: 232 

It contains Luke 22:43–44 (the agony), omitted by other Alexandrian witnesses.

History edit

The text of the codex was cited by Robert Estienne as η' in his Editio Regia (an early edition of the Greek New Testament). It was loosely collated by textual critic Johann Jakob Wettstein. Textual critic Johann Jakob Griesbach set a very high value on the codex. It was edited in 1846 by textual critic Constantin von Tischendorf (in the publication Monumenta sacra inedita), but with some errors.[2]

The codex is now located in the National Library of France (Gr. 62), in Paris.[1][10]

See also edit

References edit

  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. 113. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1 (4 ed.). London: George Bell & Sons. pp. 137–138.
  3. ^ a b Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments (in German). Vol. 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 55.
  4. ^ a b c 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. 77. ISBN 0-19-516667-1.
  5. ^ Martini, Carlo Maria (1980). La Parola di Dio Alle Origini della Chiesa. Rome: Biblical Institute Press. p. 153.
  6. ^ 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. 52. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce M.; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1981). Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (26 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung. ISBN 3-438-051001. (NA26)
  8. ^ 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. ISBN 9783438051103. (UBS3)
  9. ^ Metzger, Bruce Manning (2001). A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. p. 114.
  10. ^ "Liste Handschriften". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 16 March 2013.

Further reading edit

  • Constantin von Tischendorf, Monumenta sacra inedita (Leipzig 1846), pp. 15–24, 57-399.
  • Henri Omont, Fac-similés des plus anciens manuscrits grecs de la Bibliothèque nationale du IVe et XIIIe siecle (Paris 1892).

External links edit

  • Codex Regius L (019): at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism
  • Agreement L/019 with B/03, D/05, Θ/038 and majority in the Gospel of Matthew wordpress.com
  • Grec 62: Codex Regius online at the Bibliothèque nationale de France