Codex Boreelianus

Codex Boreelianus, Codex Boreelianus Rheno-Trajectinus (full name), designated by F^e or 09 in the Gregory-Aland numbering and ε 86 in von Soden numbering, is a 9th (or 10th) century uncial manuscript of the four Gospels in Greek. The manuscript, written on parchment, is full of lacunae (or gaps), many of which arose between 1751 and 1830. The codex was named Boreelianus after Johannes Boreel (1577–1629), who brought it from the East.

The text of the codex represents the majority of the text (Byzantine text-type), but with numerous alien readings (non-Byzantine). Some of its readings do not occur in any other manuscript (so called singular readings). According to the present textual critics its text is not a very important manuscript, but it is quoted in all modern editions of the Greek New Testament.

The manuscript was brought from the East at the beginning of the 17th century. It was in private hands for over 100 years. Since 1830 it has been housed at the Utrecht University.

Description

The codex contains the text of the four Gospels, on 204 parchment leaves (size 28.5 cm by 22 cm), with numerous lacunae (or gaps).^[1] The text of the existing codex begins with Matthew 9:1 and ends with John 13:34. Luke is even more incomplete. In 1751 Wettstein remarked that the codex started at Matthew 7:6 and that only the folia with Matthew 8:25 and Mark 11:6–16 were missing.^[2] It means that in his time the manuscript was far more complete than at present. At present, lacunae of the manuscript include:

Matthew 1:1–9:1; 12:1–44; 13:55–14:9; 15:20–31; 20:18–21:5;

Mark 1:43–2:8; 2:23–3:5; 11:6–26; 14:54–15:5; 15:39–16:19;

Luke – at least 24 gaps;^[3]

John 3:5–14; 4:23–38; 5:18–38; 6:39–63; 7:28–8:10; 10:32–11:3; 12:14–25; 13:34-end.^[4][5]

The leaves are unbound and are kept in loose quires.^[6] The text is written in late uncial script, in two columns per page, with mostly 19 lines per column,^[1] in large uncial letters. Palaeographically the writing is close to the Codex Seidelianus I.^[4]

The letters Η, Μ, Ν, and Π, are square, the letters Ε, Θ, Ο, Σ, and Φ have a round shape.^[7] The letters Δ, Ε, Θ, Ο, and especially Ψ in cruciform, are of the form characteristic for the late uncial script. Φ is large and bevelled at both ends.^[3] The letters were written by an 'elegant and careful' hand.^[7]

The nomina sacra (or sacred names) are written in an abbreviated way: ΘΣ for θεος, ΙΣ for Ιησους, ΧΣ for χριστος, ΚΣ for κυριος, ΥΣ for υιος, ΣΗΡ for σωτηρ, ΣΡΑ for σωτηρια, ΣΡΙΟΣ for σωτηριος, ΟΥΝΟΣ for ουρανος, ΟΥΝΙΟΣ for ουρανιος, ΠΝΑ for πνευμα, ΠΗΡ for πατηρ, ΜΗΡ for μητηρ, ΑΝΟΣ for ανθρωπος, ΣΤΡΣ for σταυρος, ΔΑΔ for δαβιδ, ΙΗΛ for ισραηλ, ΙΛΗΜ for ιερουσαλημ, etc. The words at the end of lines are sometimes abbreviated too.^[8] It uses typographic ligatures.^[9]

The codex has a lot of grammar errors, like hiatus (e.g. νηστευουσιν in Matthew 9:14, ελεγεν in Matthew 9:21, ειπεν in Matthew 9:22, etc.)^[10] and N ephelkystikon.^[11] The error of iotacism occurs infrequently.

The breathings (rough and smooth breathing) and accents (see e.g. Greek diacritics) are given fully and usually correctly.^[3] The breathings are indicated by sigla ⊢ and ⊣, often used in codices from the 9th and 10th century.^[9] In some cases breathings are given incorrectly (e.g. Matthew 9,7.16).^[10]

The text is divided according to the Ammonian Sections, with the usual number of sections, are written on the left margin, but there are given without references to the Eusebian Canons. There is no division according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), but the τιτλοι (titles) are given at the top of the pages, sometimes also at the bottom.^[12] The capitals at the beginning of the sections stand out in the margin to indicate new sections (as in codices Alexandrinus, Ephraemi, and Basilensis.^[8] Although there is no division according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), the tables of the κεφαλαια (tables of contents) are placed before each Gospel (except Matthew – because of its defective character). It has some lectionary markings at the margin.^[4]

The headpieces are decorated, with headings written in gold and red; in some places nicely decorated initial letters can be found (in red or gold).^[4][12] The Ammonian sections are written in red. The pages are numbered; the Greek quire numbers are still found at the top right of some pages. At the top left of the first page of most quires in Gospel of Matthew, Arabic quire numbers are found.^[12]

There are several different correctors, among which the "first hand" worked on the codex, but the total number of corrections is not high.^[12]

• Special features
• 

  Ligatures used in the codex

• 

  Small initial letters

• 

  Large initial letters (decorated)

Text

Folio 9 verso

The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type, but with a number of singular readings.^[12] According to Bruce M. Metzger it is typical Byzantine text.^[13] According to Kurt and Barbara Aland it agrees with the Byzantine standard text 156 times, and 78 times with the Byzantine when it has the same reading as the original text. It does not support the "original" text against the Byzantine. It has 11 independent or distinctive readings. Alands placed it in Category V of New Testament manuscripts.^[1] It is not a very important codex, but it is an important witness of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden classified it as Kⁱ (now it is known as textual family E). According to the Claremont Profile Method it has mixed Byzantine text in Luke 1; in Luke 10 and Luke the manuscript is defective.^[14]

Textual variants (against Textus Receptus)

Folio 111 recto

Folio 128 recto, the beginning of Luke

Folio 147r with text of Luke 6:15b-20a

Folio 173 verso with text of Luke 22:37–43

Folio 200 verso with text of John 8:15–21; John 8:16b-17 was omitted by scribe and added at the margin

Folio 179 recto – the beginning of the Gospel of John

The words before the bracket are the readings of the Textus Receptus (received text used in the West from the 16th century until to the end of the 19th century), the words after are the readings of the codex.^[15]

Against K^r

The words before the bracket are the readings of the K^r (traditional text used in Constantinople and still used by Orthodox Church), the words after are the readings of the codex.

1. ^ The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2007), p. 55
2. ^ ^{a b} The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2007), p. 56
3. ^ The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2007), p. 57
4. ^ The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2007), p. 59
5. ^ The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2007), p. 133

History

The codex is housed at the Utrecht University

H. Deane, a paleographer, in 1876 dated the manuscript to the 8th century, Tischendorf and Gregory to the 9th century; Doedes and Tregelles to the 10th century.^[3] As of 1995, it is dated by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF) to the 9th century.^[1][16]

The Codex Boreelianus is named after Johann Boreel (1577–1629), Dutch Ambassador at the Court of James I of England. There is no record of Boreel's obtaining the codex, but it is generally believed that he brought it to the Netherlands from one of his travels to the Middle East.^[13] The connection to Boreel is indicated by Wettstein, who was given a partial collation of the codex in 1730. The collation was made by Izaak Verburg, rector of the Amsterdam gymnasium, and contained text from Matthew 7:2 to Luke 11. Wettstein adds that he was not aware of its current location.^[2] Wettstein cited the codex in his Novum Testamentum Graecum (1751), also in these parts, which do not survive to the present day (e.g. Matthew 7:9).^[17] Wettstein designated the codex by siglum F,^[2] Gregory designated it by 09 (because number of New Testament manuscripts increased),^[4] von Soden gave for it siglum ε 86.^[18]

After Johann Boreel's death in 1629, the codex itself was in private hands. Boreel’s library was sold in 1632, but the manuscript may not have been among the items for sale. It could have remained in the possession of Boreel’s family, for example, in the hands of his younger brother, the theologian Adam Boreel (1602–54).^[6] On folio 168 recto of the codex is written the monogram NLB with date "February 9, 1756". On pages 40 recto and 40 verso Dutch notes can found, but they are almost illegible.^[6]

The codex resurfaced almost two centuries later, in 1823, and was identified as the Boreelianus by the Utrecht professor Jodocus Heringa (1765–1840). Its leaves had become disordered, and some of them were lost. Scrivener even stated: "Few manuscripts have fallen into such unworthy hands".^[3] The manuscript was now in the private hands of Johannes Michaelis Roukens in Arnhem. In a letter of 11 March 1830 Roukens explained that the manuscript had been in the possession of his father, Arend Anton Roukens, who had inherited it from his father, Johannes Michaelis Roukens.^[6]

In 1841 Tischendorf wanted to see and examine the codex, but he was allowed to read only Heringa’s papers on it ^[6] because Heringa was preparing his collation.^[4] Heringa’s papers were edited and published by Vinke in 1843 under the title Jodoci Heringa El. Fil. Disputatio de codice Boreeliano, nunc Rheno-Trajectino ab ipso in lucem protracto, which includes a full and exact collation of the text.^[3]

In 1850 Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, though with some difficulty, examined the codex.^[3]

Philipp Schaff in Introduction to the American Edition of Westcott-Hort (1881) wrote that it is not an important manuscript.^[12] The same opinion gave biblical scholar Frederic G. Kenyon, according to whom the text of the codex has "comparatively little authority".^[19] Despite these opinions, the codex continues to be cited in critical editions of Novum Testamentum Graece. Edition of Nestle-Aland cited the codex from its first verse – i.e. Matthew 9:1 – in critical apparatus.^[20]

Since 1830, the codex has been located in the library of the Utrecht University (Ms. 1).^[1][16] In March 2007 David Trobisch visited Utrecht and viewed the manuscript with a number of colleagues. In October 2007 the manuscript was digitized.^[6]

See also

• List of New Testament uncials
• Textual criticism
• Biblical commentary

References

Further reading

• Heringa, Jodocus (1843). Disputatio de Codice Boreeliano, nunc Rheno-Trajectino (H.E. Vinke ed.). Utrecht: Kemink et filium. 
• Hatch, William (1939). The Principal Uncial Manuscripts of the New Testament. Chicago. p. LXVII (Plate). 

External links

Images of Codex Boreelianus

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Codex Boreelianus.

• Codex Boreelianus at the Digital Special Collections of the Utrecht University

Articles on Codex Boreelianus

• The Codex Boreelianus: Description and History of the Manuscript, by Bart Jaski of the Utrecht University
• Waltz, Robert. "An Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism". A Site Inspired By: The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism. Retrieved 2010-11-12. 
• Codex Boreelianus Rheno-Trajectinus (F 09). A Fresh Look after 160 Years
• Codex Boreelianus Revisited