Minuscule 34
New Testament manuscript
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Minuscule 34 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament Gospels, written on vellum. It is designated by the siglum 34 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and A19 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts.[1] Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 10th century.[2][3]
| New Testament manuscript | |
| Text | Gospels |
|---|---|
| Date | 10th century |
| Script | Greek |
| Found | ca. 1650 |
| Now at | National Library of France |
| Size | 28.8 cm by 19.2 cm |
| Type | Byzantine text-type |
| Category | V |
| Hand | splendidly written |
| Note | marginalia |
Description
The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book format), containing the complete text of the four Gospels.[4][5] The text is written in one column per page, 22 lines per page, on 469 parchment leaves (sized 28.8 cm by 19.2 cm).[4][3] According to 19th century Anglican divine Dean Burgon it is "splendidly written and in splendid condition".[5] The headpieces and the initial letters are ornamented with colours.[4] Leaves 1-3 were supplied by a later hand, with a Homilien (homily) of Psellus.[4]
The text is surrounded by a a biblical commentary (known as a catena), with the commentary in Mark being that of Victorinus of Pettau.[4][5] However the text of Mark 16:8-20 does not have any commentary.[4] The commentary text is similar to that seen in Minuscule 194.[5]
The text is divided according to their 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.[4][5] There is also another division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections (in Mark 241 Sections, the last section in 16:20), but there are no references to the Eusebian Canons (both early divisions of the Gospels into various sections).[4][5]
It contains the Epistle to Carpius, the Eusebian Canon tables, prolegomena (introductions), pictures, and has subscriptions at the end of each Gospel containing the number of lines (known as στιχοι / stichoi), and portraits of the four Evangelists.[5][4]
Text
The Greek text of the codex is considered to be a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed it in Category V of his New Testament manuscript classification system.[6] It was not examined by the Claremont Profile Method.[7]
It lacks Matthew 16:2b–3. The text of the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53-8:11) is marked in asterisks to note it as doubtful. It has note at the margin: "mais c'est une erreur. None avone verifie le passage avec soin et cette note n'y existe nulle part".[4] It contains the text of Luke 22:43-44 without obelus or asterisk, but it has questionable scholion in the margin.[8]
History
The earliest history of the manuscript is unknown, however it was likely written on Mount Athos,[5] and belonged to the Stavronikita monastery.[4] It was brought by Pierre Seguier to France and became part of the Fonds Coislin.[4]
The manuscript was examined and described by scholar Bernard de Montfaucon, textual critics Johann J. Wettstein, Johann M. A. Scholz, Constantin von Tischendorf, Paulin Martin,[9] and clergyman Dean Burgon.[4]
It was added to the list of the New Testament manuscripts by J. J. Wettstein, who gave it the number 34.[6]: 72 Biblical scholar Caspar René Gregory saw the manuscript in 1885.[4]
The manuscript was dated by Scholz and Martin to the 10th century.[4] It is currently dated by the INTF to the 10th century.[2] It is presently housed in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (shelf number Coislin Gr. 195) at Paris.[2]
