| New Testament manuscript | |
 The first page of the Gospel of Mark | |
| Text | Gospels † |
|---|---|
| Date | 12th century |
| Script | Greek |
| Now at | University of Michigan |
| Size | 28 cm by 23 cm |
| Type | Caesarean text-type |
| Category | III |
| Hand | minute |
| Note | member off13 |
Minuscule 543 (in theGregory-Aland numbering ofNew Testament manuscripts), ε 257 (invon Soden's numbering of New Testament manuscripts) and labelled 556 by biblical scholar and textual criticF. H. A. Scrivener,[1][2]: 255 is aGreekminusculemanuscript of theNew Testament, written onparchment. Using the study of comparative handwriting styles (palaeography) it has been assigned to the 12th century.[3]
The manuscript contains the text of the fourGospels, with somegaps and some unusual grammar forms and numerous errors. The manuscript is housed at theUniversity of Michigan.[3]
The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book), containing the text of the fourGospels on 184 thick parchment leaves (size 28 cm by 23 cm), with severalgaps (Matthew 12:11-13:10; Mark 8:4-28; Luke 15:20-16:9; John 2:22-4:6; 4:52-5:43; 11:21-47). One leaf was misplaced during its binding. The parchment is coarse and yellowed by age.[4]: 28
The text of the codex was written two columns per page, 27-30 lines per page,[3] 17 letters per line,[4]: 28 in a minute hand using brown ink.[4]: 30 The same scribe copied all four Gospels.[4]: 28 Breathings (utilised to designate vowel emphasis) and accents (used to indicate voiced pitch changes) are employed in regular form, but in some sort of system.Iota subscript (a small Greek letter ι (iota) written underneath vowels in certain words to indicate a change ofsound) is not used, thoughiota adscriptum (where the ι is written as part of the main text with the same function as the iota subscript) occurs very often, especially in the Gospel of Mark.[5]: XIX
The titles to the Gospels ofMatthew andMark run:Ευαγγέλιον εκ του κατά Ματθαίου (Μάρκου) (The Gospel of that according to Matthew (Mark)).[n 1] The titles toLuke andJohn are the usual:Ευαγγέλιον κατά Λουκάν (Ιωάννην) (The Gospel according to Luke (John)).[2]: 255
The lists of the chapters (known asκεφαλαια /kephalaia) are placed before each Gospel; the numbers of theκεφαλαια are given at the left margin, with their titles (known asτιτλοι /titloi) in red at the top of the pages. There is a division according to the Ammonian Sections, with references to theEusebian Canons (an early system of dividing the four Gospels into different sections). It contains lectionary markings (to indicate what verse was to be read on a specific day in the churches yearly calendar),Synaxarion (a list ofsaint's days),Menologion (a list of readings to be read each calendar month), subscriptions, lists of how many phrases (known asρηματα /rhemata) are used in each gospel, and how many lines (known asστιχοι /stichoi) are written in each gospel.[2]: 255 [6]The list ofκεφαλαια to Matthew is missing, and the Gospel of Matthew begins on the first page of the codex.[4]: 28 It has additional non-biblical material:TheLimits of the Five Patriarchates (as in codices69 and211), of which one page is lost.[4]: 27 [7]
Thenomina sacra are contracted in the usual way, but there are a number of words which the scribe failed to abbreviate. In some of the cases where nomina sacra are uncontracted, they have the heavy bar signifying contraction. υιος (son) is contracted only once (John 4:47). On the other hand, it gives the unusual abbreviations for the other nomina sacra. Some unusual ones are σταυρωσον (crucify), which is written asστωσον; σταυρωθη (to be crucified) —στρωθη; andπαρθένος (virgin) is contracted to παρθνος.[4]: 28–29
Quotations from theOld Testament are indicated in the left margin by a rubricated letter or sign.[4]: 30
Almost all the necessary corrections of misspellings have been made. Sometimes a stroke of the pen indicates an error, perhaps to be corrected later.[4]: 30 Some corrections seem to be written by the first hand (e.g. Matthew 4:10; 5:19) others plainly by a second hand (Matthew 6; Luke 3; 10:35).[5] The apostrophe is used even when not required, especially in εξ', and ουκ'.[4]: 30
According tο Scrivener,movable nu occurs 416 times especially with wordsειπεν,εστιν. In Matthew 12:7; Luke 8:10; John 5:46; 7:7; 8:27 there is ahiatus for lack of it.[5]: XIX The error ofiotacism occurs 358 times: ει for ι (16 occurrences),ι for ει (35),ο forω (40), ω for ο (33), αι for ε (13),ε for αι (31), ει for η (23), η for ει (19), η for ι (11), ι forη (7), ε for η (11), η for ε (2), οι for ι (3), ω for ου (20), η for υ (3), υ for η (5), υ for οι (1), υ for ει (1), η for οι (1), οι for η (1), ι for υ (1), οι for ει (2).[5]
There are many errors byhomoeoteleuton, where words/phrases are skipped over when the words/phrase following ends with the same letters (Mark 2:18; 4:24; 12:26; 14:70; 15:14; Luke 12:22.47; 13:28.29; John 4:14).[5]: XIX
There are some unusual forms like:ανεπεσαν, ειπαν, εθεωρων, εμελλεν, εμπροσθε, εσπλαγχνισθη, ιδαμεν, ιδεν, σαρκαν, συνετιθεντο.[5]: XIX
The Greek text of the codex has been considered a representative of theCaesarean text-type. It belongs to the textual familyƒ13, known also as theFerrar Group/Family.[8] The handwriting and the menology show the manuscript is a close member of the group.[4]: 26 According to biblical scholars and textual criticsKurt andBarbara Aland, it agrees with the Byzantine standard text 151 times, and 72 times with the Byzantine when it has the same reading as the original text. It agrees 31 times with the original text against the Byzantine. It has 57 independent or distinctive readings. It is currently placed inCategory III.[9]According to theClaremont Profile Method, it represents the textualƒ13 inLuke 1,Luke 10, andLuke 20, as a core member.[8]
ThePericope Adulterae follows Luke 21:38, as in other manuscripts of theFerrar Family.[2]: 255
The words after the square bracket are the readings of the codex (before the square bracket are readings of theTextus Receptus).
Concerning the history of the manuscript, nothing is known until the year 1864, when it was in the possession of a dealer atJanina in Epeiros. It was then purchased from him by a representative ofBaroness Burdett-Coutts (1814–1906), a philanthropist,[10] together with other Greek manuscripts (among them codices532-546).[6] They were transported to England in 1870–1871.[11]
The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate (Burdett-Coutts III. 5), in London.[5]: XVI–XVII In 1922 it was acquired for the University of Michigan[4]: 26 [12] It is currently housed at theUniversity of Michigan (Ms. 15) inAnn Arbor.[3]
J. Rendel Harris pointed out that the menology of the Ferrar group contains saints which appear to be peculiar toCalabria orSicily.[13] Abbe Martin had previously stated that certain palaeographical traits to be observed in these manuscripts were characteristic of Calabrian scriptoria.[4]: 26
Scrivener observed a close textual affinity to theFerrar group and announced in 1883 in the third edition of "Plain Introduction" as pertaining to the same class.[2]: 236 Scrivener collated its text and it was edited posthumously in 1893.[5]: 1–59 This collation was not wholly accurate and Jacob Geerlings, from theUniversity of Utah, gave a new and more accurate collation in 1932.[4]: vii
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For more bibliography see:Family 13
