University of Chicago Library, Goodspeed Manuscript Collection Ms. 140, New Testament. Gospels (Garabed Gospels). Armenia, 1609.

Contents

Four gospels in Armenian. Eusebian section numbers in the margins against the text. Concordances in the lower margins. Pentecostal lection numbers. Formerly Goodspeed Ms. Arm. 23.

  1. pp. 1-208 Matthew.
    Note: Blank (pp. 209-210).
  2. pp. 211-340 Mark (lacking).
  3. pp. 341-542 Luke.
  4. pp. 543-544 Preface of Luke (lacking).
  5. pp. 545-680 John (lacking).
  6. pp. 681-682
    Colophon: The scribe Karapēt (Garabed) Xanghaluc‛i (1609).

Decoration

Marginal vignettes contain a portrait, arabesques, birds, flowers, and medallions.

Miniatures

  1. p. 11John the Baptist, Portrait: John stands in the right margin, his hand extended to indicate the adjacent text.

Headpieces

Headpieces at each gospel's opening of bird, floral, and foliate motifs in red, green, blue, and black (pp. 1, 211, 341, 545).

Initials

Major initials of Matthew, Mark, and Luke's opening lines (30-60 mm) are composed of beads and leaves. John's opening initial (100 mm) is formed by his eagle symbol. Minor initials are formed by figures of birds or flowers.

Physical Description

Support

Paper. 215 x 155-158 mm.

Number of Leaves

341 leaves.

Foliation

1-682. Modern pagination in Arabic numerals in pencil.

Collation

30 numbered quires.

Dimensions

Written space 145 x 100 mm (p. 49). Each column is 145 x 45 mm with a space of 10 mm between.

Layout

2 columns, 17 to 19 lines. Ruling with hard point. Pricking in outer margins.

Writing

Written chiefly in bolorgir script in dark brown ink.

Text Divisions

Titles in red.

Condition

Water stains. Some retracing of faded text. Several leaves lost.

Binding Description

Bound in pigskin over boards. Fore-edge flap. Nail holes are present and the outlines of crosses once attached. Doublures of unbleached linen.

History

Origin

The manuscript was written in Armenia and completed in 1609 (Armenian Era 1058) by the priest Karapēt (Garabed) Xanghaluc‛i (his colophon, pp. 681-682). It was commissioned by Tiratur, who presented it to a church in the Armenian village of Tuřnach‛ay. The priest Nikōghos is remembered in two prayers (pp. 50, 208), and named the scribe in one, an indication he began writing the manuscript which Karapēt completed.

Provenance

A prayer (p. 542) contains the name Keřas, possibly a one-time owner. University of Chicago bookplate (front doublure).

Acquisition

Acquired by the University of Chicago from H. M. Tashjian of Chicago, May 1, 1931.

Bibliography

  1. Merrill Mead Parvis, The Story of the Goodspeed Collection ([Chicago:] s.n., 1952), pp. 18-19.
  2. Erroll F. Rhodes, An Annotated List of Armenian New Testament Manuscripts, Annual Report of Theology 1 (1959), pp. 133-134 (1035).
  3. 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. 68.
  4. Avedis K. Sanjian, A catalogue of medieval Armenian manuscripts in the United States (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976), pp. 189-191.