University of Chicago Library, Goodspeed Manuscript Collection Ms. 141, New Testament. Gospels (Janina Gospels). Greg. 2409. Patmos, Greece, 12th century.

Contents

Four gospels in Greek. Contains portions of Matthew and Mark. Ammonian section numbers and lectionary headings, incipits, and notes. Formerly Goodspeed Ms. Grk. 21.

  1. fols. 1r-41v Matthew (begins at 12:41 with αυτην οτι).
  2. fols. 42r-42v Kephalaia of Mark.
  3. fols. 43r-55v Mark (begins at 1:10 with [πε]ριστεπαν, and ends at 7:27 with γαρ...).

Decoration

Initials

Minor initials set off from the text in red.

Physical Description

Support

Parchment. 214 x 161 mm.

Number of Leaves

55 leaves.

Foliation

1-55. Modern foliation in Arabic numerals in pencil.

Collation

The manuscript is comprised of 8 quires, 5 through 12, and leaf 2 of quire 13. Estimate of content lost: approximately 33 leaves of quires 1-4; leaf 8 of quire 5 (after fol. 6, Matthew 14:24-15:6); leaf 8 of quire 9 (after fol. 37, Matthew 27:10-28); leaves 1, 4, and 8 of quire 11 (each respectively after fols. 42, 44, 47, Mark 1:1-10, 1:44-2:14, 3:31-4:13); leaf 7 of quire 12 (after fol. 53, Mark 6:22-37); leaf 1 of quire 13 (Mark 6:53-7:10); leaves 3-8 of quire 13, and an estimated 16 quires (after fol. 55, Mark 7:27-end, and the gospels of Luke and John.

Quire numbers on the last leaf (verso) of quires 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12.

Dimensions

Written space 140 x 105 mm (fol. 3r). Each column is 140 x 45 mm with a space of 15 mm between.

Layout

2 columns, 25 lines. Ruling with hard point. Pricking in outer margins.

Writing

Written in minuscule script in black ink. The scribe applied flourishes and small beads to letters δ (delta), ε (epsilon), ζ (zeta), and τ (tau), and an abbreviation of και.

Punctuation includes high point, comma, marks of elision and interrogation. Quotation marks in left margin next to each line of quoted text.

Text Divisions

Titles in red.

Condition

Some cockling, tearing, and creasing of leaves. Water and mold stains. Random insect damage. Smears of red ink (fols 28r-29r), and a pen-trial (fol. 30r).

Binding Description

Covers lost. Quires stitched together with cord.

History

Origin

A correspondence has been documented between the script of the present manuscript and that of Sinai, St. Catherine, Gr.157 (Greg. 1194), which contains a colophon recording scribe, place of origin, and dedicatee. It has been proposed therefore, that the derivation of the two works is the same, and that Ms. 141 (Greg. 2409) was written by John the Monk at the Monastery of St. John the Evangelist on Patmos during the abbacy of Theoktistos, 1128 to 1157.

Provenance

Medieval to early 20th century provenance unknown. Belonged to Dr. E. C. Depostes of Chicago, who purchased the leaves in Janina, the present-day Ioánnina, Greece in 1916.

Acquisition

Acquired by the University of Chicago from Dr. Despostes with funds provided by real estate developer Arthur T. Galt, April 1931.

Bibliography

  1. Seymour de Ricci, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935), vol. 1, p. 571.
  2. Kenneth W. Clark, A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament Manuscripts in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1937), pp. 255-256.
  3. Merrill Mead Parvis, "The Janina gospels." (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1944).
  4. ———, "The Janina Gospels and the Isle of Patmos," Crozer Quarterly 21 (January 1944), pp. 30-40.
  5. ———, The Story of the Goodspeed Collection ([Chicago]: s.n., 1952), pp. 17-18.
  6. New Testament manuscript traditions. An exhibition based on the Edgar J. Goodspeed Collection of the University of Chicago Library, the Joseph Regenstein Library, January-March, 1973. University of Chicago. Library. Dept. of Special Collections. Exhibition catalogs ([Chicago: s.n., 1973]), 36, no. 43.