León palimpsest
7th-century Latin Bible manuscript
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The León Palimpsest, designated l or 67 (in the Beuron system),[1] is a 7th-century Latin manuscript pandect of the Christian Bible conserved in the cathedral of León, Spain. The text, written on vellum, is in a fragmentary condition. In some parts it represents the Old Latin version, while following Jerome's Vulgate in others. The codex is a palimpsest.[2]
From its location in Léon, this palimpsest is sometimes referred to as the Codex Legionensis; but this name is more commonly applied to the 10th-century Vulgate Bible at the Basilica of San Isidoro, León (Codex Gothicus Legionensis, or 91, 92 and 133 in the Beuron system).[1] Nor should the León palimpsest be confused with another 10th-century pandect in León, of which the second volume is conserved in the cathedral archive of Léon (number 193 in the Beuron system).[1]
Description
The text of the New Testament has survived on 40 leaves of the codex. The leaves have measures 37 by 24 cm. The text is written in 2 columns of 38-55 lines per page.[3] The text is written in a semi-uncial hand, in Visigothic characters. The fragments contain texts of James 4:4 - 1 Peter 3:14; 1 John 1:5 - 3 John 10; Acts 7:27–11:13; 14:21–17:25. It contains also a fragment of the Books of Maccabees.[4] The text of the codex represent a Vulgate with Old Latin elements, especially in the First Epistle of John.[2] The text is close to the Liber Comicus.[4] The codex also contains the text of the Comma Johanneum (1 John 5:7).[5] As it is a palimpsest, the text could be overwritten. The younger upper text contains a 10th-century writing of Rufinus' translation of Eusebius' Church history.[4] The whole book contains 275 leaves, of which 185 have had their underwiting deciphered.[3][6]
The order of the books may tentatively be reconstructed: Octateuch, 1–4 Kings, Prophets (without Baruch), Job, Psalms (iuxta Hebraeos?), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Chronicles (Paralipomenon), 1–2 Ezra, 4 Esdras, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Esther, Judith, Tobit, 1–2 Maccabees; Gospels, Pauline Epistles, Catholic Epistles, Acts, Apocalypse. [7]
History
The biblical underwriting has been dated by F. H. A. Scrivener, Samuel Berger, and Bruce M. Metzger [2][8] to the 7th century.[9]
It was discovered by Rudolf Beer. It was examined and described by Samuel Berger.[2][10] It was examined by Bonifatius Fischer and Thiele.[4] Fischer edited its text in 1963.[8]
Currently it is housed in the archive of León Cathedral, where it is designated as codex 15.[4] The manuscript is cited in several critical texts of the Greek and Latin New Testament.[9]
