Minuscule 1739

Minuscule 1739
New Testament manuscript
TextActs, CE, Paul
Date10th century
ScriptGreek
Found1897, von der Goltz
Now atGreat Lavra, B 184
Size23 cm by 17.5 cm
TypeAlexandrian text-type
CategoryI / II
Noteclose to 𝔓46 and B

Minuscule 1739 or Codex Athous Laurae 184 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament made of parchment. It is designated as 1739 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and as α 78 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it is dated to the 10th century.[1]

Description

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book), containing the text of the Acts of the Apostles, Catholic epistles, and Pauline epistles on 102 parchment leaves (23 cm by 17.5 cm). The text is written in one column per page, 35 lines per page.[1] The Epistle to the Hebrews is placed before 1 Timothy. It contains marginal notes, with lectionary markings added by a later hand.[2] There is however evidence that the manuscript might originally have been a full copy of the New Testament (without Revelation), due to the current first collection of pages stating they are the 13th, of which twelve earlier collection of pages could have contained the text of the four Gospels.[3]: 142 

It contains a large number of notes drawn from early church fathers such as Irenaeus, Clement, Origen, Eusebius, and Basil of Caesarea, but none later than Basil (329-379 CE), suggesting a relatively early date for the manuscript from which 1739 was copied.[4] The text of this manuscript often agrees with 𝔓46 and Codex Vaticanus.[4] A colophon indicates that while copying the Pauline epistles, the scribe followed a manuscript that contained text edited by Origen.[5][4]

At the end of the Second Epistle to Timothy it has the subscription προς τιμοθεον β' εγραφη απο ρωμης (2nd to Timothy, written from Rome). The same subscription appears in manuscripts Codex Porphyrianus (P), Minuscule 6, 1881, and some others.[6]: 556 

Text

The Greek text of this codex is considered a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed the text of the Epistles in Category I, but the text of the Acts in Category II of his New Testament manuscript classification system.[7] It was not examined using the Claremont Profile Method (a specific analysis of textual data).[8]

Together with the minuscule manuscripts 323, 630, 945, and 1891 it belongs to the textual Family 1739 (in Acts). In the Pauline Epistles this family includes the following manuscripts: Uncial 0121a, 0243/0121b, 6, 424, 630 (in part), and 1881. In a marginal note to the text of 1 John 5:6, a corrector added the reading δι' ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνεύματος (through water, and blood, and spirit) as found in the following manuscripts: Codex Sinaiticus (א)‎, Codex Alexandrinus, 104, 424c, 614, 2412, 2495, ℓ 598m, syh, sa, bo, and by the early church father Origen.[9]: 823 [n 1] Biblical scholar Bart D. Ehrman says this reading is an Orthodox corrupt reading.[10] Due to its affinities with 𝔓46 and Codex Vaticanus, scholar G. Zuntz concluded, "[w]ithin the wider affinities of the ‘Alexandrian’ tradition, the Vaticanus is now seen to stand out as a member of a group with P46 and the preancestor of 1739."[4]

Some notable readings

Acts 8:37

Include verse: 1739 Ea 323 453 945 1891 2818 al
Omit verse: 𝔓45 𝔓74 א‎ A B C 33 81 614 vg syp, h sa bo eth[11]: 315-6 [6]: 345 

Acts 8:39

πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν εὐνοῦχον, ἄγγελος δέ κυρίου ἥρπασεν τὸν Φίλιππον ([the] Holy Spirit fell on the eunuch, and [the] angel of [the] Lord caught up Philip): 1739 A 94 103 307 322 323 385 453 467 945 1765 1891 2298 36a itp vg syh
πνεῦμα κυρίου ἥρπασεν τὸν Φίλιππον ([The] Spirit of [the] Lord caught up Philip): Majority of manuscripts[11][6]: 345 

Acts 12:25

εξ Ιερουσαλημ εις Αντιοχειαν (from Jerusalem to Antioch): 1739 Ea 429 945 syp sa geo
εις Ιερουσαλημ (to Jerusalem): Majority of manuscripts[9]: 464 

Acts 20:28

του κυριου (of the Lord): 1739 𝔓74 C* D E Ψ 33 36 453 945 1891
του θεου (of God): א‎ A B 614 1175 1505 vg sy boms
του κυριου και του Θεου (of the Lord and God): Majority of manuscripts[6]: 384 [n 2]

1 Corinthians 7:5

τη προσευχη (prayer): 1739 h 𝔓11 𝔓46 א‎* A B C D F G P Ψ 6 33 81 104 181 629 630 1877 1881 1962 it vg cop arm eth
τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη (fasting and prayer): Majority of manuscripts[6]: 450 [9]: 591 

1 Corinthians 15:54

το φθαρτον τουτο ενδυσηται αφθαρσιαν και (This corruptible shall put on incorruption)
omit: 1739* 𝔓46 א‎* 088 0121a 0243 614 629 1175 1852 1877 1912 2200
include: 1739c א‎c2 B Cc2(vid) D Ψ 075 1881 Majority of manuscripts[6]: 470 

History

The manuscript was copied by a monk named Ephraim, from whom we have at least three other manuscripts.[5][4] He copied 1739 from an uncial exemplar which may have been from around the 4th century.[5][4] Scholar G. Zuntz finds close links between the manuscript and the text contained in 𝔓46, Codex Vaticanus, teh Coptic Sahidic and Boharic, Clement of Alexandria and Origen.[5][4] The manuscript was studied by E. von der Goltz in 1897 at Mount Athos and is usually known by his name.[12] A collation was made by Morton S. Enslin (in Kirsopp Lake Six Collations).[3] Professor J. de Zwaan and biblical scholar Kirsopp Lake saw the manuscript in 1911, but were unable to take photographs of it for further study.[3]: viii  Scholar Robert P. Blake took a photostat copy of the manuscript in 1921, from which Enslin made a collation (as mentioned above).[3]: viii, 141 

The manuscript is currently housed at the Great Lavra monastery (shelf number B 184), on Mount Athos in Greece.[1][13] It is currently dated by the INTF to the 10th century CE.[13]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ For other variants of this verse see: Textual variants in the First Epistle of John.
  2. ^ For the other variants of this verse see: Textual variants in the Acts of the Apostles.

References

  1. ^ a b c Aland, Kurt; Welte, M.; Köster, B.; Junack, K. (1994). Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments. Berlin; New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 145.
  2. ^ Gregory, Caspar René (1909). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments. Vol. 3. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. p. 1176.
  3. ^ a b c d Lake, Kirsopp; Lake, Silva (1932). Six Collations of New Testament Manuscripts. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock. pp. 141–219. ISBN 978-1-55635-700-8.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Comfort, Philip Wesley (2005). Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography & Textual Criticism. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman. pp. 89–90. ISBN 978-0-8054-3145-2.
  5. ^ a b c d Metzger, Bruce Manning (1981). Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Paleography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-19-502924-0. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce M.; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1981). Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (26 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung. ISBN 3-438-051001. (NA26)
  7. ^ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  8. ^ Wisse, Frederik (1982). The profile method for the classification and evaluation of manuscript evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 83. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4.
  9. ^ a b c Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce Manning; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1983). The Greek New Testament (3rd ed.). Stuttgart: United Bible Societies. ISBN 9783438051103. (UBS3)
  10. ^ Ehrman, Bart D. (1993). The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 60.
  11. ^ a b Metzger, Bruce Manning (2001). A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. p. 316. ISBN 978-3-438-06010-5.
  12. ^ Eduard F. von der Goltz, Eine textkritische Arbeit des zehnten bezw. sechtsten Jahrhunderts, herausgegeben nach einem Kodex des Athosklosters Lawra (T&U 2,4), (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1899), Vorwort.
  13. ^ a b "Liste Handschriften". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 14 December 2024.

Further reading