Western Medieval Manuscripts : Acts and Epistles book with catena

Western Medieval Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This manuscript is an <i>Acts and Epistles book with catena</i>, probably copied in the 11th century. It was apparently intended for study rather than liturgical use, as it was not originally provided with notes indicating the lections to be read in church, but was equipped with a range of supporting information. Its ornament is simple, but retains the notable feature of small letters written by the scribe to indicate to the artist which decorative coloured initials should be placed at each point in the text.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>There appear to have been various changes in the scheme of supplementary materials in the course of the manuscript's production. One element appearing throughout was a prefatory hypothesis preceding each book, summarising the text and its context, a common feature of such manuscripts. A second supporting element was list of chapters (κεφάλαια) preceding each book, common in Gospel manuscripts but less usual in those of the Acts and Epistles. This was probably an afterthought introduced after copying had begun, as the first few books are not provided with a list. Still more unusual, and appearing even later in the copying process, were lists of each book's μαρτυρίαι, citations of books of the Old Testament. These begin to feature with the start of the Pauline Epistles, which here follow the Catholic Epistles, but this addition was abandoned after three books.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>A final supplementary element was the marginal catena of excerpts from commentaries, which is relatively sparse. Its inclusion was apparently part of the original plan, as the folios were ruled with an exceptionally large number of horizontal lines in their upper and lower margins, which were used as text-lines for the catena. However, its copying was never completed.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>At a later date, the manuscript evidently did enter liturgical use, as a later hand has added lection information in the margins. Numerous individual folios and whole quires have been lost in the course of its history, and repeated interventions were made to supply these losses. Two replacement folios (ff. <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(393);return false;'>225</a> and <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(407);return false;'>232</a>) were probably added in the 13th century, and these were provided with lection information from the outset, indicating that the manuscript was being used for liturgical purposes at that time.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Later, further losses were corrected by the insertion of whole new quires, composed of paper rather than the original parchment and appearing at the beginning and end of the original manuscript (ff. <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(5);return false;'>1-16</a> and <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(551);return false;'>305-307</a>). Two of these, replacing the lost first quire but requiring more folios because of their larger text, had perhaps become detached when the volume was acquired by Cambridge University Library, as their existence was not reflected in the library's first foliation, which was later cancelled and replaced by one including them. Presumably later than the original insertion of the paper quires, further losses were suffered which are reflected in the present state of the manuscript, both at various points within it and at the end, where the last few epistles are missing.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The manuscript retains a binding of a medieval Greek type, with wooden boards and partially surviving leather covers. At the time when this was added, the manuscript was presumably somewhere in the Levant or Mesopotamia, since the binding incorporates strips of reused manuscript waste, some of whose text is Greek but most is in Syriac script. Traces of a note in Syriac also survive <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(557);return false;'>inside the right board</a>.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Christopher Wright</p>

Page: 105r

Acts and Epistles book with catena (Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 3046)

This manuscript is an Acts and Epistles book with catena, probably copied in the 11th century. It was apparently intended for study rather than liturgical use, as it was not originally provided with notes indicating the lections to be read in church, but was equipped with a range of supporting information. Its ornament is simple, but retains the notable feature of small letters written by the scribe to indicate to the artist which decorative coloured initials should be placed at each point in the text.

There appear to have been various changes in the scheme of supplementary materials in the course of the manuscript's production. One element appearing throughout was a prefatory hypothesis preceding each book, summarising the text and its context, a common feature of such manuscripts. A second supporting element was list of chapters (κεφάλαια) preceding each book, common in Gospel manuscripts but less usual in those of the Acts and Epistles. This was probably an afterthought introduced after copying had begun, as the first few books are not provided with a list. Still more unusual, and appearing even later in the copying process, were lists of each book's μαρτυρίαι, citations of books of the Old Testament. These begin to feature with the start of the Pauline Epistles, which here follow the Catholic Epistles, but this addition was abandoned after three books.

A final supplementary element was the marginal catena of excerpts from commentaries, which is relatively sparse. Its inclusion was apparently part of the original plan, as the folios were ruled with an exceptionally large number of horizontal lines in their upper and lower margins, which were used as text-lines for the catena. However, its copying was never completed.

At a later date, the manuscript evidently did enter liturgical use, as a later hand has added lection information in the margins. Numerous individual folios and whole quires have been lost in the course of its history, and repeated interventions were made to supply these losses. Two replacement folios (ff. 225 and 232) were probably added in the 13th century, and these were provided with lection information from the outset, indicating that the manuscript was being used for liturgical purposes at that time.

Later, further losses were corrected by the insertion of whole new quires, composed of paper rather than the original parchment and appearing at the beginning and end of the original manuscript (ff. 1-16 and 305-307). Two of these, replacing the lost first quire but requiring more folios because of their larger text, had perhaps become detached when the volume was acquired by Cambridge University Library, as their existence was not reflected in the library's first foliation, which was later cancelled and replaced by one including them. Presumably later than the original insertion of the paper quires, further losses were suffered which are reflected in the present state of the manuscript, both at various points within it and at the end, where the last few epistles are missing.

The manuscript retains a binding of a medieval Greek type, with wooden boards and partially surviving leather covers. At the time when this was added, the manuscript was presumably somewhere in the Levant or Mesopotamia, since the binding incorporates strips of reused manuscript waste, some of whose text is Greek but most is in Syriac script. Traces of a note in Syriac also survive inside the right board.

Dr Christopher Wright

Information about this document

Physical Location: Cambridge University Library
Classmark: Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 3046
Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 12109
Subject(s): Bible
Language(s): Greek
Former Owner(s): Cummings, C. J.
Associated Name(s): Rae, H. C.
Extent: Codex 276 Leaf height: 199 mm, width: 158 mm.
Collation: Part I consists of 3 quires, Part II of 34: 1-6⁸, 7^8-4, 8-9⁸, 10^8-4, 11⁸, 12^8-2, 13-15⁸, 16^8-1, 17-21⁸, 22^8-1, 23-25⁸, 26^8-2, 27^8-2+2, 28-35⁸, 36^8-1, 37^4-1,
Format: Codex
Binding:
Medieval Greek binding. The textblock is cut level to the bookboards.
There are three sewing stations prepared as v-notches. The sewing is an unsupported loop stitch.
Greek-style endbands with a cream coloured thread wound around a single core. The endbands extend approximately one quarter of the way onto the board. Where the endbands extend onto each board they are tied down to three holes that extend through the board - from the inner face to the outer face.
The transverse continuous spine lining is made of a textile with a printed pattern. The spine lining extends to one third of the way onto the left board and half of the way onto the right board.
The board attachment is bridling. The sewing thread enters at the spine edge of the boards, emerges on the inner face and then travels to the outer face, where the path would presumably change stations (the sewing path on the outer face of the boards is obscured by the spine lining). There is a single knot present on the inner face of both boards, next to the uppermost sewing station. This is likely to be the start of the sewing and therefore suggests that the textblock was sewn in two halves.
The boards are made from wood. The edges are square on both boards, except the outer spine edge where they have been shaped to form a round that meets with the shoulder of the textblock.
Full covering of dark brown leather.
Two of the turn-ins do not meet, one on each board; two of them are overlapping.
A single metallic pin is set into the centre of the foredge of the left board. Corresponding to the pin there are three holes through the right board that contain remnants of a leather strap. These holes are located close to the foredge approximately half way up the board.
There are annotations in Greek inside the left and right boards, and traces of an annotation in Syriac inside the right board.
Binding height: 208 mm, width: 171 mm, depth: 107 mm.
There are extensive losses from the covering over the left board and spine, and pest damage to the wood.
Accompanying Material: Repairs to the gutter have been made with paper strips. There are loose paper inserts bearing notes regarding content and the loss of folios following ff. 24, 48, 54, 59, 77, 190, 219, 232, 274.
Foliation:
The manuscript is foliated with the numbers 1-48, 51-54, 57-72, 75-78, 89-96, 98-103, 105-120, 129-143, 145-190, 192-219, 222-303, 305-307, in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right. Folio numbers 49-50, 55-56, 73-74, 79-88, 97, 104, 121-128, 144, 191, 220-221, 304 have been assigned to leaves no longer present in the volume (as per historic foliation practices at Cambridge University Library).
From f. 17r onwards there is another foliation in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right, which has been struck through. This sequence numbers f. 17r as 25, and was evidently the original Cambridge University Library foliation, following the practice of counting absent folios and based on the loss of a single original quire preceding this; there is a note to this effect on this folio. Since the classmark is also marked here, this was presumably the first folio of the manuscript at the time, the replacement paper quires preceding it perhaps having become detached. They must then have been identified as belonging to this manuscript and the foliation amended to reflect the fact that the replacement quires used sixteen folios in place of the original eight.
Provenance: Owned by C. J. Cummings of Volos.
Acquisition: Bought by Cambridge University Library from Cummings in 1891 through H. C. Rae of Liverpool.
Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
Data Source(s): Description of binding draws upon unpublished description prepared (2020) by Samuel Foley and Cecilia Diminuco, Dept of Conservation and Collection Care, Cambridge University Library.
Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
Bibliography:
Gregory, Caspar René, Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1900).
Easterling, Patricia E., "Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge", Scriptorium 16 2 302-323 (1962).

Section shown in images 5 to 556

Classmark: Part I
Title: Acts and Epistles book
Date of Creation: 14th century
Filiations:
The manuscript was categorised by Aland as conforming to the majority text.
Note(s): Gregory-Aland 1277; von Soden α 194 (Kx)
Collation:
This part consists of 3 quires, of which one is a binion and the others quaternia.
- Quires 1-2⁸ ff. 1-16
- Quire 37^4-1 ff. 305-307 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
There are modern quire signatures on these added quires in double Latin letters, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. They survive on all quires (aa-cc).
Material: ff. 1r-16v, 305r-307v Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Unidentified motif ( Watermark height: 40 mm, width: 40 mm. ) in the gutter, similar to Harlfinger Indeterminé 2. This example is dated to c. 1518.
Format: Codex
Condition: Wear and tear to the edges of the folios have been repaired with Japanese paper. There are older repairs to the gutter using paper strips. The paper has become soft around the fore-edges and corners. There is some water staining and areas of dirt.
Script:
ff. 1r-16v, 305r-307v were copied by Hand A, in a calligraphic mixed minuscule script, slanting to the left, in brown ink, with considerable variation in letter size and some flourishing of tails into the margin, which are sometimes decorated with single cross-bars.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot and accentuation of all nomina sacra. Accents are sometimes joined to letters, abbreviations and nomina sacra strokes.
The modern nu and loop epsilon are present, and there is inclusion of letters within omicron. Notable recurrent forms include a very horizontally elongated S-shaped abbreviation of καί, minuscule alpha at the end of lines with a looped tail, and minuscule nu with a long tail extending diagonally to the left.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and lower and middle commas.
Layout: ff. 1r-16v, 305r-307v A single column of 14 lines. Written height: 137 mm, width: 95 mm.
Decoration: The beginning of the text on f. 1r is preceded by a rectangular headpiece in red ink.
The text begins on f. 1r with an ornamented initial in red ink.
Additions:
There are later marginal annotations and pen-trials in Greek by various different hands.
What appears to be a sequence of quire signatures in Greek numerals, in black ink, appears in the upper margin, distributed throughout the manuscript, but bears minimal resemblance to the actual quire structure.
Origin: These quires were inserted to replace losses, probably in the 14th century, as suggested by the material and style of script.

Section shown in images 37 to 550

Classmark: Part II
Title: Acts and Epistles book (continued)
Date of Creation: 11th century
Filiations:
The manuscript was categorised by Aland as conforming to the majority text.
Note(s): Gregory-Aland 1277; von Soden α 194 (Kx); The text of the Acts and Epistles on ff. 17r-268r is accompanied by a marginal catena, of standard type
Collation:
This part consists of 36 quires, all quaternia. One of the original quires was lost before Quire 3, later substituted by the current Quires 1-2. A quire has been lost after Quire 10 and another after Quire 14.
- Quires 3-6⁸ ff. 17-48
- Quire 7^8-4 ff. 51-54 The first, second, seventh and eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
- Quires 8-9⁸ ff. 57-72
- Quire 10^8-4 ff. 75-78 The first, second, seventh and eighth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
- Quire 11⁸ ff. 89-96
- Quire 12^8-2 ff. 98-103 The first and last folios have been lost, with loss of text.
- Quires 13-15⁸ ff. 105-136
- Quire 16^8-1 ff. 137-143 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
- Quires 17-21⁸ ff. 145-184
- Quire 22^8-1 ff. 185-192 The seventh folio has been lost, with loss of text.
- Quires 23-25⁸ ff. 193-216
- Quire 26^8-2 ff. 217-224 The fourth and fifth folios have been lost, with loss of text.
- Quire 27^8-2+2 ff. 225-232 The orignal first and last folios have been lost, and later replaced by subsititute folios (ff. 225 and 232, Part III).
- Quires 28-35⁸ ff. 233-296
- Quire 36^8-1 ff. 297-303 The last folio has been lost, with loss of text.
There are quire signatures in Greek numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower left, probably original to the production of the manuscript. They survive on Quires 3, 6, 8-9, 11, 14-24, 26, 28-29, 31-32 (βʹ, εʹ, ζʹ-ηʹ, ιαʹ, ιδʹ, ιϛʹ-κεʹ, κζʹ, κθʹ-λʹ, λβʹ-λγʹ), and traces on Quires 4, 25
From Quire 33 onwards, signatures of the above sequence cease to appear, but are substituted in the same position by signatures in Greek numerals in black ink, of later date. These survive on Quires 33-36 (λδʹ-λζʹ)
Material: Parchment (FHHF), quite thin and of and good quality.
Format: Codex
Condition: Damage in the gutter has been repaired with paper strips, some from manuscript waste, and there are modern repairs here with Japanese paper. There is significant wear and tear to the edges of some folios, which has been repaired in places with Japanese paper. There is severe cockling and some creasing. The text is abraded in places, and has sometimes been overwritten in black ink. The ink of some annotations has been partially transferred to the facing page (ff. 30v-31r). There is mild water staining and areas of dirt.
Script:
The main text of ff. 17r-224v, 226r-231v and 233r-303v was copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule Perlschrift, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size. The full range of reintroduced majuscule letter-forms is present.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Syllabic abbreviation marks often take an early, angular form. Breathings are angular and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only, and nomina sacra are unaccentuated. The double grave accent is in use.
Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points, lower comma, question mark and full stop. Upper points are often placed unusually high.
Headings and subscriptions have been written by the same hand in Alexandrine majuscule script, in brown ink.
The catena to ff. 17r-224v, 226r-231v and 233r-303v was copied by Hand C in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear throughout the line. Syllabic abbreviation marks often take an early, angular form. Breathings are both angular and round, and mute iota is absent. Use of the double dot is functional only, and nomina sacra are unaccentuated.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma and full stop.
Layout: ff. 17r-256v A single column of 19 lines. Written height: 125 mm, width: 100 mm. Pricking does not survive. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 48C1dpq (This does not correspond to any example in the Leroy-Sautel repertoire). Text hangs from the lines. ff. 257r-303v A single column of 18 lines. Written height: 130 mm, width: 105 mm. Pricking survives in the lower margin, but most has been lost to cropping. Ruled in hardpoint, system Leroy 1, type Leroy 46C1pq (This does not correspond to any example in the Leroy-Sautel repertoire). Text hangs from the lines.
Decoration: Each text begins with an ornamented initial, outlined in brown ink with red and blue paint infill as far as f. 243v (e.g. ff. 129v-130r, 136v, 141v), and then, from 255v onwards, outlined in red with blue infill or outlined in blue with red infill (e.g. ff. 264r, 282r). The scribe has placed small guide-letters in brown ink in the margin to indicate which letters should be placed where.
Items in chapter lists begin with simple minor initials in red ink. The scribe has placed small guide-letters in brown ink in the margin to indicate which letters should be placed where.
The transition between texts is sometimes marked by simple vignettes in brown ink.
Additions:
As part of the original production of the manuscript, the text has been provided with marginal κεφάλαιον (chapter) numbers and titles (τίτλοι), in brown ink.
As part of the original production or soon afterwards, a marginal catena has been added, in brown ink. When appearing in the upper and lower margins, this text hangs from the horizontal ruling lines which appear to have been added for this purpose.
Marginal lection notes, along with ἀρχή and τέλος marks for the beginning and end of lections, have been added by a later hand, in red ink.
There are later marginal annotations and pen-trials in Greek by various different hands. These include a note regarding ownership by an unnamed monastery on f. 94r: "ετουτών τών πράξαποσταλον να μι τον αποξενοσι τινὰς και εχη το κριμα και ενε του μοναστηρηού"
What appears to be a sequence of quire signatures in Greek numerals, in black ink, appears in the upper margin, distributed throughout the manuscript, but bears minimal resemblance to the actual quire structure.
Modern notes in English have been added, in pencil, regarding the loss of folios and quires.
Origin: The original manuscript was probably copied in the 11th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Section shown in images 177 to 192

Title: First Letter of Peter
Note(s): Defective at the beginning (begins 1 Pet 1:10; TLG 0031.021
Excerpts:
Incipit: f. 105r τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος προφητεύσαντες
Explicit: f. 112v ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν Χριστῶ Ἰησοῦ ἀμήν
Final Rubric: f. 112v Πέτρου ἐπιστολὴ αʹ

Section shown in images 1 to 559

Title: Part III
Date of Creation: 13th century
Material: Parchment, of medium thickness and quite poor quality.
Format: Codex
Condition: The outer margin of f. 225 has been cut away.
Script:
The replacement folios ff. ff. 225r-225v, 232r-232v were copied by Hand D, in mixed minuscule script, upright or slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.
Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings appear only at the end of lines. Breathings are round and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot and accentuation of all nomina sacra. Accents are sometimes joined to nomina sacra strokes.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, lower comma and full stop.
Lection notes have been written in the same style in red ink.
Layout: ff. 225r-225v, 232r-232v A single column of 19 lines. Written height: 125 mm, width: 100 mm.
Decoration: The beginning of the new text on f. 232v is marked with a crude initial letter, outlined in brown ink with red infill.
Sections begin with simple minor initials in red ink.
The transition between texts on f. 232r is marked by a simple vignette in red ink.
Additions:
The scribe has provided the text with marginal lection notes, along with ἀρχή and τέλος marks for the beginning and end of lections, placed in gaps left in the text for the purpose, in red ink.
Origin: These folios were inserted to replace losses, probably in the 13th century, as indicated by the style of script.

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