| New Testament manuscript | |
Folio 41 verso of Egerton MS 3145, the beginning of the Epistle to Titus
| |
| Text | New Testament † |
|---|---|
| Date | mid 10th[1] or 11th century |
| Script | Greek |
| Now at | British Library |
| Size | 29.3 cm by 20.6 cm |
| Type | Byzantine text-type |
| Category | V |
Minuscule 699 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ104 (von Soden),[2][3] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 11th century. Some leaves of the manuscript were lost. Scrivener labelled it by 603e.[4]
The codex contains the text of the New Testament on 369 parchment leaves (size 29.3 cm by 20.6 cm),[5] with some lacunae[5][6] (Romans 16:19–27; 1 Cor 1:1–11; 2 Cor 10:9–13:13; Gal 1:1–12). Four leaves are unfoliated on paper.[7] The order of books is usual for the Greek manuscripts: Gospels, Acts, Catholic epistles, Pauline epistles (Hebrews before 1 Timothy), Apocalypse.[8]
The text is written in one column per page, 30 lines per page. The text of Matthew 23:1–20 was supplied by a later hand.[8] The headpieces in colour and gold, the large initials in colours and gold, at the beginning of books, small initials in red and gold.[7]
The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the left margin; the τιτλοι (titles) are given at the top or bottom of the pages. There is also a division according to the Ammonian Sections (in Mark 241, the last section in 16:20), but there are no references to the Eusebian Canons.[9]
It contains the tables of the κεφαλαια before each Gospel, lectionary markings in the margin, and subscriptions at the end, Synaxarion, and Menologion.[4][8] It contains many brief scholia on the margin made by prima manu.[9] At the end on three leaves are unfinished επιγραμμα of Pseudo-Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre, on the Seventy disciples and the 12 Apostles.[10]
In the Pauline epistles occur iota adscriptum, and N ephelkystikon always with verbs (except Hebrews 1:14; 12:8.11) is frequent; errors of itacismus occur 49 times: αι (for ε) 5; ε (for αι) 2; ι (for ει) 5; ει (for ι) 8; ει (for η) 5; η (for ει) 3; ω (for ο) 6; ο (for ω) 9; ι (for η) 2; η (for ι) 3; ε (for η) 1; υ (for οι) 1.[10]
There are omissions by homoioteleuton in Philemon 2:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:4; 1 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 4:11.[10]
The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden classified it as part of the textual family Family K1.[11] According to Soden this group represents the oldest form of the Byzantine text, descends from the 4th century and was a result of Lucian's recension.[12]
Kurt Aland the Greek text of the codex placed it in Category V.[13]
According to the Claremont Profile Method it represents textual group Kx in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made. It creates a textual cluster with Codex Athous Dionysiou.[11]
It lacks the text of Matthew 16:2b–3 (signs of the times).[4]
It has some remarkable readings but they are very rare.[10]
Scrivener dated the manuscript to the 10th or 11th century, Gregory dated the manuscript to the 11th century.[4][8] Currently the manuscript is dated by the British Library to the mid 10th century[14] and by the INTF to the 11th century.[6]. Probably it was written in Constantinople.[7]
In 1864, the manuscript was in the possession of a dealer at Janina in Epeiros. It was then purchased from him by a representative of Baroness Burdett-Coutts (1814–1906), a philanthropist,[15] along with other Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.[8] They were transported to England in 1871.[16] Part of the manuscript (Egerton MS 3145) was purchased by the British Museum, on 8 October 1938.[7]
The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate (Burdett-Coutts II. 4), in London.[17] Scrivener examined and collated its text. His collation was edited posthumously in 1893.[18]
It was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Scrivener (603) and Gregory (699).[4]
It was examined and described by S. T. Bloomfield, Dean Burgon, Edward A. Guy. Gregory saw the manuscript in 1883.[8] Herman C. Hoskier collated text of the Apocalypse.[19]
The manuscript is housed at the British Library, in two collections. 302 leaves (Matthew-Galatians, including the Catholics) are housed in the Additional Manuscripts (Add MS 28815) and 67 leaves (Ephesians-Revelation) are housed in the Egerton collection (Egerton MS 3145).[5][6]
