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THEOLOGICAL AND LITURGICAL TEXTS, partly a PALIMPSEST over Biblical leaves, both in Syriac, MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
Beirut, 882 [palimpsested leaves, 6/7th century]
260 x 170mm approx. 63 leaves: 16(of 8, lacking i & viii), 28, 34(of 8, lacking all but iv & v), 4-58, 66(of 8, ?vii &viii cancelled blanks), 7-88, 97(of 8), 20-25 lines written in black ink in an estrangela script, rubrics or headings in red (cockling and darkening affecting most folios, rarely affecting legibility, some pages on guards, two leaves loose). Modern brown leather over wooden boards with metal studs.
NINTH-CENTURY THEOLOGICAL MANUSCRIPT, PARTLY PALIMPSEST OVER 6TH/7TH-CENTURY OLD TESTAMENT
PROVENANCE:
1. The scribe Theodosius, in a colophon on f.48, recorded his completion of the preceding chapter in the monastery of Mar Johannes in the region of Beirut on 6 Adar 1193 by the Alexandrian calendar. This is 6 March 882 of the Christian era.
2. Prof. W.A. Neumann-Wien: see A Baumsterk, 'Zwei syrisch erhaltene Festgebete des byzantinischen Rite, OrChr 3. Ser. 14, vol.36, 1941, p.56.
2. K.W. Hiersemann, Liepzig: his 1921 Katalog 487 and 1922 Katalog 500. Katalog 487 included two Syriac manuscripts of theological writings referred to as Codex Syriacus I and Codex Syriacus II. Syriacus I was lost during the Second World War, the present manuscript is Codex Syriacus II.
3. Arnold Mettler-Specker, St Gallen: his sale Parke-Bernet, 'Iluminated and other IX to XVIII Century Manuscripts etc.. Property of a Distinguished Continental Collector', lot 300.
4. Purchased from Emil Offenbacher 1 December 1948.
CONTENT:
1. Martyrius (Sahdona) on the Holy Fathers, from the Book of Perfection ff.1-14 line 24: A. de Halleux, 'Un chapitre retrouvé du Livre de la Perfection de Martyrius, Le Muséon, 88, 1975, pp.253-296.
2. Canon for Pentecost ff.15-16v: A. Baumsterk, 'Der jambische Pfingstkanon des Johannes von Damaskus in einer alten melchitisch-syrischen Übersetzungh, OrChr 3. Ser. 14, 36, 1941, pp.205-223; H. Husmann, 'Die melkitische Liturgie als Quelle der syrischen Qanune jaonie, Melitene und Edessa, OCP, 41, 1975, pp.1-56.
3. St James the Monk, sermon ff.17v line 1-20 line 21.
4. St John the Monks commentary on the Beatitude 'Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5, 3) ff.20 line 21-27v line 6: described by Strothmann as providing a better text than the oldest known copy, BL Add. Ms 17170.
5. Apophthegems on Pachomius and Silvanus ff.27 line 7 to 30v line 9
6. St John Klimakos, Ladder of Divine Ascent , xxviii, (MPG 88, cols 1129-1140) in Syriac ff.30v line 9-34 line 22.
7. Three prayers to the Virgin ff.34 line 23-34v line 4.
8. St Ephraem, verses on Creation ff.35 line1-37 line11.
9. Isaac of Ninevah on peace ff.37 line12-39 line15.
10. James of Sarug on the dead ff.39 line15-40 line11.
11. St Ephraem, prayer in verse ff.40 line 11-40v line38.
12. Abraham of Nephthar, sermon ff.41v line 1-44 line16.
13. Epiphanius of Salamis (Cyprus), explanation of Hebrew names, in Syriac ff.44 line18-44v line 12.
14.ff.44 line 13-46v line 7.
15.Severian of Gabbala, chapter from his homily on the Birth of Christ.
16.Colophon f.48 lines 16-24.
17. Isaac of Antioch on humility ff.49 line 1-53 line 11.
18. Isaac of Antioch, sermon on Isaiah 40, 6 'All flesh is as grass ff.49 line 1-53 line11.
19. James, verses on love, ff.58v line 9-59 line 18.
20. St Ephraem, verse prayer ff.59v line 1-59v line 24.
21. James the Monk, letter to a friend ff.60 line1-61 line 27.
22. Christmas prayer f.62 lines 1-5.
23. Prayer on the Presentation in the Temple f.62 lines 5-26: for both prayers see A. Baumstark 'Zwei syrisch erhaltene Festgebete des byzantichen Ritus, OrChr 3, Ser.14, vol 36, 1941, pp.52-67.
24. Table for reckoning Easter f.62v lines 27-33.
This wide-ranging and interesting selection of texts, including several unique survivals or variants, represents the work of some of the greatest figures of the early Syriac church.
It is of additional interest that a third of the book is a palimpsest with the underlying Biblical text, again in Syriac, having been dated to the 6th or 7th century on the basis of the similarity in script with manuscripts in Milan (Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Codex A 269 Inf) and Wolfenbüttel (Herzog August Bibliothek, Guelf 3.1.300 Aug 2e) written before 633 . Photography under ultraviolet light at the Vetus-Latina-Institut in Beuron, enabled the text to be identified as sections from chapters 24-33 of the Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy 1 and 3.
Both the underlying Old Testament text and the 9th-century theological writings were discussed and reproduced in facsimile by Werner Strothmann: Codex Syriacus Secundus: Bibel-Palimpsest aus dem 6./7. Jh. (Katalog Hiersemann 500/3), 'Göttinger Orientforschungen, I. Reihe: Syriaca, Band 13, (Wiesbaden,1977). A copy will be included with the manuscript.
Beirut, 882 [palimpsested leaves, 6/7th century]
260 x 170mm approx. 63 leaves: 1
NINTH-CENTURY THEOLOGICAL MANUSCRIPT, PARTLY PALIMPSEST OVER 6TH/7TH-CENTURY OLD TESTAMENT
PROVENANCE:
1. The scribe Theodosius, in a colophon on f.48, recorded his completion of the preceding chapter in the monastery of Mar Johannes in the region of Beirut on 6 Adar 1193 by the Alexandrian calendar. This is 6 March 882 of the Christian era.
2. Prof. W.A. Neumann-Wien: see A Baumsterk, 'Zwei syrisch erhaltene Festgebete des byzantinischen Rite, OrChr 3. Ser. 14, vol.36, 1941, p.56.
2. K.W. Hiersemann, Liepzig: his 1921 Katalog 487 and 1922 Katalog 500. Katalog 487 included two Syriac manuscripts of theological writings referred to as Codex Syriacus I and Codex Syriacus II. Syriacus I was lost during the Second World War, the present manuscript is Codex Syriacus II.
3. Arnold Mettler-Specker, St Gallen: his sale Parke-Bernet, 'Iluminated and other IX to XVIII Century Manuscripts etc.. Property of a Distinguished Continental Collector', lot 300.
4. Purchased from Emil Offenbacher 1 December 1948.
CONTENT:
1. Martyrius (Sahdona) on the Holy Fathers, from the Book of Perfection ff.1-14 line 24: A. de Halleux, 'Un chapitre retrouvé du Livre de la Perfection de Martyrius, Le Muséon, 88, 1975, pp.253-296.
2. Canon for Pentecost ff.15-16v: A. Baumsterk, 'Der jambische Pfingstkanon des Johannes von Damaskus in einer alten melchitisch-syrischen Übersetzungh, OrChr 3. Ser. 14, 36, 1941, pp.205-223; H. Husmann, 'Die melkitische Liturgie als Quelle der syrischen Qanune jaonie, Melitene und Edessa, OCP, 41, 1975, pp.1-56.
3. St James the Monk, sermon ff.17v line 1-20 line 21.
4. St John the Monks commentary on the Beatitude 'Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5, 3) ff.20 line 21-27v line 6: described by Strothmann as providing a better text than the oldest known copy, BL Add. Ms 17170.
5. Apophthegems on Pachomius and Silvanus ff.27 line 7 to 30v line 9
6. St John Klimakos, Ladder of Divine Ascent , xxviii, (MPG 88, cols 1129-1140) in Syriac ff.30v line 9-34 line 22.
7. Three prayers to the Virgin ff.34 line 23-34v line 4.
8. St Ephraem, verses on Creation ff.35 line1-37 line11.
9. Isaac of Ninevah on peace ff.37 line12-39 line15.
10. James of Sarug on the dead ff.39 line15-40 line11.
11. St Ephraem, prayer in verse ff.40 line 11-40v line38.
12. Abraham of Nephthar, sermon ff.41v line 1-44 line16.
13. Epiphanius of Salamis (Cyprus), explanation of Hebrew names, in Syriac ff.44 line18-44v line 12.
14.ff.44 line 13-46v line 7.
15.Severian of Gabbala, chapter from his homily on the Birth of Christ.
16.Colophon f.48 lines 16-24.
17. Isaac of Antioch on humility ff.49 line 1-53 line 11.
18. Isaac of Antioch, sermon on Isaiah 40, 6 'All flesh is as grass ff.49 line 1-53 line11.
19. James, verses on love, ff.58v line 9-59 line 18.
20. St Ephraem, verse prayer ff.59v line 1-59v line 24.
21. James the Monk, letter to a friend ff.60 line1-61 line 27.
22. Christmas prayer f.62 lines 1-5.
23. Prayer on the Presentation in the Temple f.62 lines 5-26: for both prayers see A. Baumstark 'Zwei syrisch erhaltene Festgebete des byzantichen Ritus, OrChr 3, Ser.14, vol 36, 1941, pp.52-67.
24. Table for reckoning Easter f.62v lines 27-33.
This wide-ranging and interesting selection of texts, including several unique survivals or variants, represents the work of some of the greatest figures of the early Syriac church.
It is of additional interest that a third of the book is a palimpsest with the underlying Biblical text, again in Syriac, having been dated to the 6th or 7th century on the basis of the similarity in script with manuscripts in Milan (Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Codex A 269 Inf) and Wolfenbüttel (Herzog August Bibliothek, Guelf 3.1.300 Aug 2
Both the underlying Old Testament text and the 9th-century theological writings were discussed and reproduced in facsimile by Werner Strothmann: Codex Syriacus Secundus: Bibel-Palimpsest aus dem 6./7. Jh. (Katalog Hiersemann 500/3), 'Göttinger Orientforschungen, I. Reihe: Syriaca, Band 13, (Wiesbaden,1977). A copy will be included with the manuscript.