Codex Zacynthius: Difference between revisions

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== Description ==

The lower text of the manuscript contains fragments of the chapters 1:1-11:33 of the [[Gospel of Luke]]. The codex consists of 86 thick, coarse parchment leaves and three partial leaves;{{r|Aland}}{{r|Waltz}} (36 x 29&nbsp;cm).{{r|Gregory}} The text was written in a single column with well-formed [[uncial script]]. The letters are large, round and narrow, without [[spiritus asper]], [[spiritus lenis]], or accents.<ref name="Gregory">{{Cite book | last=Gregory | first=Caspar René | author-link=Caspar René Gregory | title=Textkritik des Neuen Testaments | publisher=J.C. Hinrichs | year=1900 | ___location=Leipzig | volume=1 | url=https://archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n103/mode/2up }}</ref>{{rp|91}} The manuscript was written by two scribes.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Parker | first=David C. | title=Manuscripts, texts, theology: collected papers 1977-2007 | page=114 | year=2009 | publisher=Walter de Gruyter | ___location=Berlin | url=http://paperc.de/2617-manuscripts-texts-theology-9783110211948#!/pages/114 | isbn=978-3-11-021193-1 | access-date=2011-10-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219025836/http://paperc.de/2617-manuscripts-texts-theology-9783110211948#!/pages/114 | archive-date=2010-12-19 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Abbreviations are rarely used in the codex. The handwriting is very close to that of the [[Rossano Gospels]].<ref name="Pocock">{{Cite book | first=Nicholas | last=Pocock | title=The Codex Zacynthius | year=1881 | publisher=The Academy | ___location=London | url=https://archive.org/stream/academyliteratur19londuoft#page/136/mode/2up }}</ref>{{rp|137}} Some [[itacism]] errors occur. It uses grammatical forms typical of the ancient manuscripts (e.g. ειπαν, ηλθαν, ευραν), which are not used in later medieval manuscripts.{{r|Pocock}}{{rp|p=137}}

The codex uses a peculiar system of chapter divisions, which it shares with [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|Codex Vaticanus (B)]] and [[Minuscule 579]]. A more common system divides the chapters according to their titles.{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=91}} The capital letters at the section beginnings stand out in the margin as in the Codices [[Codex Alexandrinus|Alexandrinus]] and [[Codex Ephraemi|Ephraemi]].{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=91}}

The text is surrounded by a marginal commentary; it is the only codex that has both text and commentary in uncial script. The commentary is a [[Catena (Biblical commentary)|catena]] of quotations of nine church fathers: [[Origen]], [[Eusebius]], [[Titus of Bostra]], Basil, [[Isidore of Pelusium]], [[Cyril of Alexandria]], Sever from Antioch, Victor from Antioch, and [[John Chrysostom|Chrysostom]].<ref name="hatch">{{Cite book | first=William | last=Hatch | contribution=A Redating of two Important Uncial Manuscripts of the Gospels - Codex Zacynthius and Codex Cyprius | title=Quantulacumque: Studies Presented to Kirsopp Lake | year=1937 | url=https://archive.org/stream/MN41361ucmf_0#page/n423/mode/2up }}</ref>{{rp|333}} The commentary surrounds the single-column text of Luke on three sides.<ref name="greenlee-cat">{{Cite journal | first=J. H. | last=Greenlee | title=The Catena of Codex Zacynthius | pages=992–1001 | journal=Biblica | volume=40 | year=1959 }}</ref> [[Patristic]] text is written in small uncial letters. Most of the quotations are those of Ciril of Alexandria (93 ''scholia''); next comes Titus of Bostra (45 ''scholia'').<ref>{{Cite journal | first=J. | last=Reuss | title=Bemerkungen zu den Lukas-Homilien des Titus von Bostra | pages=538–541 | journal=Biblica | volume=57 | year=1976}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | first1=Lorenzo | last1=DiTommaso | first2=Lucian | last2=Turcescu | title=The Reception and Interpretation of the Bible in Late Antiquity: Proceedings of the Montréal Colloquium in Honour of Charles Kannengiesser | page=261 | year=2008 | publisher=Brill | isbn=978-9004167155 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8KYfQmHghj4C&pg=PA261 }}</ref> The commentary was written in a different kind of uncial script than the biblical text.{{r|hatch}}{{rp|p=335}}

=== Contents ===

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:{{lang|grc|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'')

::omit - Ξ {{larger|{{script|Hebr|[[Codex Sinaiticus|א]]}}}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus|C]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] 1241 sy [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]

::incl. - Majority of manuscripts {{r|na26}}{{rp|p=190}}

{{bibleref|Luke|4:17}}

:{{lang|grc|καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ βιβλίον}} (''and opened the book'') - Ξ [[Codex Alexandrinus|A]] [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Codex Washingtonianus|W]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] [[Minuscule 892|892]] 1195 1241 '''ℓ''' ''547'' sy^{s, h, pal} [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]

:{{lang|grc|καὶ ἀναπτύξας τὸ βιβλίον}} (''and unrolled the book'') - {{larger|{{script|Hebr|[[Codex Sinaiticus|א]]}}}} [[Codex Bezae|D]]^c [[Codex Cyprius|K]] [[Codex Sangallensis 48|Δ]] [[Codex Koridethi|Θ]] [[Codex Petropolitanus (New Testament)|Π]] [[Codex Athous Lavrensis|Ψ]] [[Family 1|ƒ¹]] [[Family 13|ƒ¹³]] [[Minuscule 28|28]] [[Minuscule 565|565]] [[Minuscule 700|700]] 1009 1010<ref>{{Cite book | first=Bruce Manning | last=Metzger | title=A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament | page=114 | year=2001 | publisher=[[Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft]] | ___location=Stuttgart 2001| isbn=978-3-438-06010-5}}</ref>{{r|na26}}{{rp|p=164}}

{{bibleref|Luke|9:10}}

:{{lang|grc|εις πολιν καλουμενην Βηθσαιδα}} (''to a city called Bethsaida'') - Ξ {{papyrus link|75}} [[Codex Vaticanus Graecus 1209|B]] [[Codex Regius (New Testament)|L]] [[Minuscule 33|33]] 2542 [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Sahidic|sa]] [[Coptic versions of the Bible#Bohairic|bo]]

:{{lang|grc|εις τοπον ερημον πολεως καλουμενην Βηδσαιδα}} (''into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida'') - Ξ^mg Majority of manuscripts{{r|na26}}{{rp|p=185}}

== Text-type ==

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== Palimpsest ==

[[File:Zacynthius Lc 3,7-8 (Mt26,39-51).jpg|thumb|The underwriting is 7th-century majuscule of Luke 3:7-8 with commentary; the upper writing is 13th-century minuscule of Matthew 26:39-51, part lection for Holy Thursday]]

The codex is a [[palimpsest]], meaning that the original text was scraped off and overwritten and the parchment leaves folded in half. The upper text was written by a minuscule hand and contains [[lectionary]] 299 ('''ℓ''' ''299'') from the 12th or 13th century,<ref name="metz-ehrman">{{Cite book | last1=Metzger | first1=Bruce Manning | last2=Ehrman | first2=Bart D. | author-link1=Bruce M. Metzger | author-link2=Bart D. Ehrman | title=The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration | edition=4th | page=83 | year=2005 | publisher=Oxford University Press | ___location=Oxford | isbn=0-19-516667-1 }}</ref> though the lectionary text is not complete; it is written on 176 leaves ({{×|28.7|18.2|cm}}), in one column per page, 33-36 lines per page.{{r|INTF}} Three folios are only the lower halves of leaves, one folio was supplied with paper (folio LXVIII).<ref name="tregelles">{{Cite book | last first=Samuel TregellesP. | first last= S. P.Tregelles | title = Codex Zacynthius.: Greek Palimpsest Fragments of the Gospel of Saint Luke | ___locationyear=1861 | publisher=Samuel LondonBagster and Sons | year___location=London | isbn=9780837013060 1861| url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_t8QrAAAAYAAJ }}</ref>{{rp|XII}} The manuscript contains weekday Gospel lessons (''Evangelistarium''),<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://intf.uni-muenster.de/vmr/NTVMR/ListeHandschriften.php?ObjID=40299 | title = Liste Handschriften |publisher=Institute for New Testament Textual Research |access-date=16 March 2013 |___location=Münster}}</ref> but is [[wiktionary:lacunose|lacunose]].{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=413}} Tregelles did not collate its text because of its secondary value.{{r|tregelles}}{{rp|p=XXIII}}Scrivener designated it by siglum 200,{{r|scrivener}}{{rp|p=341}}

Gregory by 299.{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=91}}

The text of the lectionary is cited in some critical editions of the Greek New Testament (UBS3)<ref name="ubs3">{{Cite book | title=The Greek New Testament | editor-first1=Kurt | editor-last1=Aland | editor1-link=Kurt Aland | editor-first2=Matthew | editor-last2=Black | editor2-link=Matthew Black | editor-first3=Carlo Maria | editor-last3=Martini | editor3-link=Carlo Maria Martini | editor-first4=Bruce Manning | editor-last4=Metzger | editor4-link=Bruce Metzger | editor-first5=Allen | editor-last5=Wikgren | editor5-link=Allen Wikgren | edition=3rd | year=1983 | publisher=United Bible Societies | ___location=Stuttgart | isbn=9783438051103 }} (UBS3)</ref>{{rp|XXVIII}} in the following places: Matthew 10:4; 11:17; 12:47; 13:13; 14:22; 18:10; 22:30; 26:27; 28:9; Mark 1:27; 2:10.26; 4:16.20; 6:2.2.3.33.{{r|ubs3}} It is not cited in UBS4.<ref>{{Cite book | title=The Greek New Testament | editor-first1=Kurt | editor-last1=Aland | editor1-link=Kurt Aland | editor-first2=Barbara | editor-last2=Aland | editor2-link=Barbara Aland | editor-first3=Carlo Maria | editor-last3=Martini | editor3-link=Carlo Maria Martini | editor-first4=Bruce Manning | editor-last4=Metzger | editor4-link=Bruce Metzger | editor-first5=Johannes | editor-last5=Karavidopoulos | edition=4 | page=21 | year=2001 | publisher=United Bible Societies | ___location=Stuttgart | isbn=978-3-438-05110-3 }} (UBS4)</ref>

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=== Dating ===

Tregelles dated the manuscript to the 8th century. Tregelles was aware that the handwriting is typical for the 6th century, but the handwriting of the commentary is much older. The letters Ε Θ Ο Σ are round, high, and narrow, and could not have been written before the 8th century. [[Caspar René Gregory|C. R. Gregory]] supported Tregelles's point of view. According to [[Nicholas Pocock (historian)|Nicholas Pocock]], the manuscript could not have been written before the 6th century nor after the 8th century.{{r|Pocock}}{{rp|pp=136–137}}

[[William Hatch (theologian)|William Hatch]] in 1937, on the basis of palaeographical data, suggested that the codex should be dated to the 6th century. It does not use breathings and accents and the text of the commentary is written in uncial script.{{r|hatch}}{{rp|pp=335–337}} [[Kurt Aland|Aland]] supported Hatch's point of view.<ref group = "n">UBS3 from 1983 dated the manuscript to the 8th century (UBS3, p. XVI.), but in the second edition of ''Der Text des Neues Testaments'' (1989) Aland dated it to the 6th century. NA26 from 1991 dated it to the 6th century (NA26, p. 693.).</ref> This date is accepted by the majority of scholars.{{r|Aland}}{{r|Waltz}}

[[David C. Parker]] in 2004 argued that manuscript was written later than the 6th century, because it has a small number of square letters, and the handwriting is not typical for the 6th century. Some letters were compressed (Μ, Δ, Ε), the bar over the letter Τ is short and the letter Υ is written in several ways. According to Parker the manuscript should be dated to the 7th century.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Parker | first=David C. | title=Manuscripts, texts, theology: collected papers 1977-2007 | page=115 | year=2009 | publisher=Walter de Gruyter | ___location=Berlin | isbn=978-3-11-021193-1 | url=http://paperc.de/2617-manuscripts-texts-theology-9783110211948#!/pages/115| access-date=2011-10-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219025836/http://paperc.de/2617-manuscripts-texts-theology-9783110211948#!/pages/115 | archive-date=2010-12-19 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

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=== Discovery and further research ===

[[File:General Colin Macaulay, 1792.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Colin Macaulay, 1792, by John Smart, by permission of the Provost & Fellows of Kings College, Cambridge]]

The early history of the manuscript is unknown. In 1821 it was brought by General [[Colin Macaulay]] to England from the Greek island [[Zakynthos]] in the [[Ionian Sea]], after being presented to him by Prince Comuto (Antonios Dimitriou Komoutos, 1748-1833) a former President of the [[Septinsular Republic]]. Comuto inscribed the Codex to Macaulay as a token of his esteem. On his return to England Macaulay presented the Codex to [[British and Foreign Bible Society]]<ref>{{Cite book | first=C.F. | last=Smith | title=A Life of General Colin Macaulay | pages=53–54 | year=2019 | publisher=Unknown Publisher | isbn=978-1-78972-649-7 }}</ref> which then placed it in its library (Mss 24) in [[London]].{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=91}}

[[Johann Martin Augustin Scholz|Scholz]] saw the manuscript in 1845, and [[Paul de Lagarde]] in 1853, but they did not decipher it.{{r|Gregory}}{{rp|p=91}} The subtext of the Palimpest was partly deciphered, transcribed, and edited by the Rev. [[Samuel Prideaux Tregelles|Tregelles]] in 1861.{{r|metz-ehrman}} Tregelles used [[Sort (typesetting)|types]] originally cast for printing the [[Codex Alexandrinus]],<ref>{{Cite book | first=Henry | last=Alford | title=The Greek New Testament | volume=1 | page=113 | year=1863 | publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. | ___location=London | url=https://archive.org/details/greektestamentwi189801alfo}}</ref> which only approximately represented the shape of the letters of the codex. The hand-written letters are smaller than the later letters. Tregelles included one page of typographical facsimile in this edition.{{r|Pocock}}{{rp|p=137}} He did not decipher the small Patristic writing and doubted that it could be read without chemical restoration.<ref name="scrivener">{{Cite book | last=Scrivener | first=Frederick Henry Ambrose | author-link=Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener | title=[[A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament]] | edition=1st | year=1861 | publisher=George Bell & Sons | ___location=London }}</ref>{{rp|126}}

Nicholas Pocock found errors in Tregelles' edition,{{r|Pocock}}{{rp|p=137}} but [[William Hatch (theologian)|William Hatch]] thought it satisfactory. J. Harold Greenlee corrected Tregelles' errors and edited the list of corrections in 1957,<ref>{{Cite journal | author=J. H. Greenlee | jstor=3261574 | title=A Corrected Collation of Codex Zacynthius (Cod. Ξ) | journal= Journal of Biblical Literature| volume=LXXVI |year=1957 | issue=3 | pages=237–241| doi=10.2307/3261574 }}</ref> which was examined by [[William Hatch (theologian)|William Hatch]]. In 1959 Greenlee published a commentary.{{r|greenlee-cat}} The codex probably needs another examination with modern technology.{{r|Waltz}}

[[File:Samuel P Tregelles.jpg|thumb|Samuel Prideaux Tregelles]]

Tischendorf cited the codex in his [[Editio Octava Critica Maior]] in 564 places.{{r|scrivener}}{{rp|p=162}} It is often cited in the critical editions of the [[Novum Testamentum Graece|Greek New Testament]] (UBS3,{{r|ubs3}}{{rp|p=11}} NA26,<ref name="na26">{{Cite book | title=Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece | editor-first1=Kurt | editor-last1=Aland | editor1-link=Kurt Aland | editor-first2=Matthew | editor-last2=Black | editor2-link=Matthew Black | editor-first3=Carlo Maria | editor-last3=Martini | editor3-link=Carlo Maria Martini | editor-first4=Bruce M. | editor-last4=Metzger | editor4-link=Bruce Metzger | editor-first5=Allen | editor-last5=Wikgren | editor5-link=Allen Wikgren | edition=26 | year=1981 | publisher=Deutsche Bibelstiftung | ___location=Stuttgart | isbn=3-438-051001 }} (NA26)</ref> NA27<ref>{{Cite book | last =Nestle| first=Eberhard et Erwin|others= communiter ediderunt: B. et K. Aland, J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, B. M. Metzger | title=Novum Testamentum Graece|edition=27|publisher= Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft |___location=Stuttgart|year=2001|page=58|isbn=978-3-438-05100-4}}</ref>).

In 1985 it was loaned to the [[Cambridge University Library]] (BFBS Ms 213).{{r|INTF}} In December 2013, the Bible Society announced plans to sell some manuscripts, among them the Codex Zacynthius, to raise funds for a Visitors Centre in Wales. The University was given [[right of first refusal]] and had until February 2014 to raise the money to acquire the codex.<ref>[https://specialcollections.blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=6646 ''Cambridge University Library bids to purchase early Gospel manuscript''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025044/https://specialcollections.blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=6646 |date=2017-11-07 }}, see also [http://archiv.twoday.net/stories/581435974/ ''UK: Bible Society to sell important bible manuscripts'']</ref>

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== Further reading ==

* {{Cite book | author=S. P. Tregelles | title=Codex Zacynthius. Greek Palimpsest Fragments of the Gospel of Saint Luke | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_t8QrAAAAYAAJ | publisher=Samuel Bagster and Sons | ___location=London | year=1861| isbn=9780837013060 }}

* Nicholas Pocock, [https://archive.org/stream/academyliteratur19londuoft#page/136/mode/2up ''The Codex Zacynthius''], The Academy (London, 19 February 1881), pp.&nbsp;136c-137c.

* {{Cite journal | author=J. H. Greenlee | jstor=3261574 | title=A Corrected Collation of Codex Zacynthius (Cod. Ξ) | journal= Journal of Biblical Literature| volume=LXXVI |year=1957 | issue=3 | pages=237–241| doi=10.2307/3261574 }}

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[[Category:Greek New Testament uncials]]

[[Category:6th-century biblical manuscripts]]

[[Category:Archaeological discoveries in the Ionian Islands]]

[[Category:History of Zakynthos]]

[[Category:Palimpsests]]

[[Category:Greek artifacts outside Greece]]