Minuscule 540 Explained

Minuscule 540 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 439 (in Soden's numbering),^[1] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on a parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 14th century.^[2] Scrivener labelled it by number 553.^[3] It has marginalia. The manuscript has no complex context.

Description

The codex contains the text of the Gospel of Mark, on 27 parchment leaves (size), with some lacunae (3:21-4:13; 4:37-7:29; 8:15-27; 9:9-10:5; 10:29-12:32). It is written in one column per page, 17-21 lines per page.^[2] According to Scrivener it is neatly written. The original codex consist 48 leaves.^[3]

The error of itacism is rare (20 occurrences); it has iota subscriptum; error of homoioteleuton is found only in Mark 9:38; N εφελκυστικον occurs 25 times, mostly with ειπεν.^[4]

The text is divided according to the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, with their Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. There is also a division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections, with references to the Eusebian Canons (written below Ammonian Section numbers).^{[3] [5]}

Text

The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine. Aland placed it in Category V.^[6]

History

C. R. Gregory dated the manuscript to the 14th century.^[5] Currently it is dated by the INTF to the 14th century.^[2]

In 1864 the manuscript was purchased from a dealer at Janina in Epeiros, by Baroness Burdett-Coutts (1814–1906), a philanthropist, together with other Greek manuscripts (among them codices 532-546). They were transported to England in 1870-1871.^{[5] [7]}

The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate (Burdett-Coutts II. 26. 1), in London.^[5] It was examined and collated by Scrivener in his Adversaria critica sacra (as m).^[8]

It was added to the list of the New Testament manuscripts by F. H. A. Scrivener (553) and C. R. Gregory (540).^[3] Gregory saw it in 1883.^[5]

It is currently housed at the University of Michigan (Ms. Inv. No. 23a) in Ann Arbor.^[2]

See also

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

Further reading

• Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, Adversaria Critica Sacra: With a Short Explanatory Introduction (Cambridge, 1893), pp. XLVI-XLVII. (as m)
• Kenneth W. Clark, A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament Manuscripts in America (Chicago, 1937), pp. 293–294.

External links

• Images of the minuscule 540 at the CSNTM

Notes and References

1. Book: Gregory, Caspar René. Caspar René Gregory. Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament. 1908. J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung. Leipzig. 67.
2. Book: Aland , Kurt . Kurt Aland . M. Welte . B. Köster . K. Junack . Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments . . 1994 . Berlin, New York . 78 . 3-11-011986-2 .
3. Book: Scrivener , Frederick Henry Ambrose . Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener . Edward Miller . . . 1894 . London . 4 . 1 . 254 .
4. Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, Adversaria critica sacra (Cambridge, 1893), p. XLVI.
5. Book: Gregory , Caspar René . Caspar René Gregory . Textkritik des Neuen Testaments . Hinrichs . 1900 . Leipzig . 1 . 201 .
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.
7. Robert Mathiesen, An Important Greek Manuscript Rediscovered and Redated (Codex Burdett-Coutts III.42), The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 76, No. 1 (Jan., 1983), pp. 131-133.
8. F. H. A. Scrivener, Adversaria critica sacra (Cambridge, 1893).