Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts : Gospel book

Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts

<p style='text-align: justify;'>This fragment, probably copied in the 15th century, consists of two quires probably taken from the back of a <i>Gospel book</i>. These contain a standard summary listing of the lections to be read in church from the Gospels through the course of the year, following the typical format beginning with the <i>synaxarion</i> (lections of the movable calendar, beginning from Easter), followed by the <i>menologion</i> (lections of the fixed calendar, beginning from 1 September), and then a short selection of lections for miscellaneous occasions. They must have been removed from the manuscript to which they previously belonged in modern times, since they bear modern folio numbers in pencil which begin from the number 261.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>These quires have previously been described as coming from a lectionary, but this is highly unlikely, since in a lectionary the biblical text itself is divided into the lection passages and arranged in their sequence, rendering a listing such as this superfluous. Such listings are instead found in books where the biblical text is presented in its normal order, to guide the clergy in finding the right passages for the day. They were sometimes included in manuscripts from the outset, but often appear as a later supplement to an existing book. Which was the case here cannot be determined without identifying the manuscript from which these quires were removed.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The original content of the fragment is followed by text in a later hand added into what was originally blank space on the final folio, listing a selection of lections and giving musical information for chanting the <i>eothina</i>, the lections of the Resurrection.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dr Christopher Wright</p>