Minuscule 253 Explained

Minuscule 253 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), A¹²³ (Soden),^[1] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 11th century.^[2] It has marginalia.

Description

The codex contains the text of the four Gospels on 248 parchment leaves,^[2] with lacunae (Matthew 1:1-8). The text of Matthew 1:1-8 was supplied by a later hand. The text is written in 1 column per page, 27-30 lines per page.^[2]

The text is divided according to the Ammonian Sections, whose numbers are given at the margin, with references to the Eusebian Canons (written below Ammonian Section numbers).

It contains Prolegomena, tables of the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (tables of contents) before each Gospel, and scholia. The biblical text is surrounded by a commentary (catena, Victor's in Mark).^[3] It has some rare readings.^[4]

Kurt Aland the Greek text of the codex did not place in any Category.^[5] It was not examined by the Claremont Profile Method.^[6]

History

Formerly the manuscript was held at the monastery of St. Michael, at Jerusalem. It belonged to Nicephours archbishop of Chesron and Slabinium. It was brought to Moscow, by the monk Arsenius, on the suggestion of the Patriarch Nikon, in the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676). The manuscript was collated by C. F. Matthaei.^[7] It was examined by Matthaei and Treu.

Formerly the manuscript was housed at the Russian State Library at Moscow.^[2]

Archbishop Nicephorus lost this manuscript.^[2]

See also

• List of New Testament minuscules
• Biblical manuscript
• Textual criticism

Further reading

• C. F. Matthei, Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, (Riga, 1782-1788).
• Kurt Treu, Die Griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments in der UdSSR; eine systematische Auswertung des Texthandschriften in Leningrad, Moskau, Kiev, Odessa, Tbilisi und Erevan, T & U 90 (Berlin, 1966), pp. 360–367.

Notes and References

1. Book: Gregory, Caspar René. Caspar René Gregory. Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament. 1908. J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung. Leipzig. 57.
2. K. Aland, M. Welte, B. Köster, K. Junack, "Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments", Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1994, p. 62.
3. Book: Gregory , Caspar René . Caspar René Gregory . Textkritik des Neuen Testaments . J.C. Hinrichs . 1900 . Leipzig . 1 . 172 .
4. Book: Scrivener , Frederick Henry Ambrose . Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener . Edward Miller . . . 1894 . London . 4 . 224 . 1 .
5. Book: Aland , Kurt . Kurt Aland . Aland . Barbara . Barbara Aland . Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) . The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism . . 1995 . Grand Rapids . 132, 138 . 978-0-8028-4098-1.
6. Book: Wisse , Frederik . The Profile Method for the Classification and Evaluation of Manuscript Evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke . . 1982 . Grand Rapids . 57 . 0-8028-1918-4 . registration .
7. Book: Scrivener , Frederick Henry Ambrose . Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener . Edward Miller . . . 1894 . London . 4 . 223 . 1 .