Minuscule 502 Explained

Minuscule 502 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), 589 (in the Scrivener's numbering), ε 245 (in the Soden numbering),^[1] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. It was adapted for liturgical use. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century.^[2] It was adapted for liturgical use.

Description

The codex contains the text of the four Gospels on 235 parchment leaves (size) with only one lacuna (Matthew 1:1-8:5). The text is written in one column per page, 22 lines per page.^[2]

The text is divided according to the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. There is also a division according to the Ammonian Sections, with references to the Eusebian Canons (written at the margin below Ammonian Section numbers).^{[3] [4]}

It contains Prolegomena, tables of the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (tables of contents) are placed before each Gospel, lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical use), incipits, liturgical books with hagiographies (Synaxarion, Menologion), and subscriptions at the end of each Gospel.

Text

The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden included it to the textual family K^x.^[5] Aland placed it in Category V.^[6]

According to the Claremont Profile Method it represents textual family K^x in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made. It belongs also to the textual cluster 74.^[5]

History

It is dated by the INTF to the 12th century.

The manuscript was written by one Leo. Formerly it belonged to the monastery of St. Maximus. In 1853 it was bought together with Minuscule 503 from Constantine Simonides.

It was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by F. H. A. Scrivener (589) and C. R. Gregory (502).

It was examined by Bloomfield, Scrivener, and Gregory (in 1883).

According to Gregory it could be written by the same hand as Minuscule 644.

It is currently housed at the British Library (Add MS 19387) in London.

See also

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

Further reading

• Book: Gregory , Caspar René . Caspar René Gregory . Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes . J.C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung . 1 . 1900 . Leipzig . 196 .

Notes and References

1. Book: Gregory, Caspar René. Caspar René Gregory. Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament. 1908. J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung. Leipzig. 66.
2. Book: Aland , K. . Kurt Aland . M. Welte . B. Köster . K. Junack . Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments . . 1994 . Berlin, New York . 77 . 3-11-011986-2 .
3. Book: Scrivener , Frederick Henry Ambrose . Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener . Edward Miller . . . 1894 . London . 4 . 1 . 259 .
4. Book: Gregory , Caspar René . Caspar René Gregory . Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes . J.C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung . 1900 . Leipzig . 1 . 196 .
5. 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 . 61 . 0-8028-1918-4 . registration .
6. 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 . 139 . 978-0-8028-4098-1.