Biblical Manuscripts in the Freer Collection

The Biblical Manuscripts in the Freer Collection, a collection of nine biblical manuscripts, date from the 3rd to 6th centuries. Most of the manuscripts are written in Greek, four in Coptic. They are important witnesses of the history of the text of New Testament and Septuagint. The collection was established by Charles Freer (1854–1919), an industrialist from Detroit, Michigan and is held at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

All these manuscripts were purchased at the beginning of the 20th century in Egypt by Charles Freer. Four manuscripts were bought on 19 December 1906 from an Arab dealer named Ali in Giza, not far from Cairo. Freer paid £1,600. Upon the next expedition to Egypt, Freer met with Ali and acquired a Coptic codex of the Psalms and the earliest papyrus codex of the Minor Prophets.

Formerly these manuscripts were held in Detroit, Michigan, in Freer's private collection. He gave his art collections to the United States together with funds for a building to house them. The building cost $1,000,000, all of which was paid by Freer.[http://www.detroit1701.org/FreerHouse.htm Charles Lang Freer Home] from Detroit1701.org

The Freer Gallery of Art was opened in 1923.

Manuscripts

W^I: Greek parchment codex, containing Deuteronomy and Joshua, from the early 5th century (designated as Washington Manuscript I by the Freer/Sackler Gallery).{{Cite web |url=https://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.272 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154648/https://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.272 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}
Rahlfs 1219: Incomplete Greek parchment codex of the Psalms from 5th century (designated as Washington Manuscript II by the Freer/Sackler Gallery).{{Cite web |url=https://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.273 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122211340/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.273 |archive-date=2015-01-22 |url-status=dead }}
W (Codex Washingtonianus): Contains the four Gospels from the 5th century, with some material from 6th century (designated as Washington Manuscript III by the Freer/Sackler Gallery).{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.274 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102258/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.274 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}
Fragmentary Codex Freerianus, contains Pauline epistles from the 5th century (designated as Washington Manuscript IV by the Freer/Sackler Gallery).{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.275 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907050045/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1906.275 |archive-date=2015-09-07 |url-status=dead }}
W: Twelve Prophets on papyri - before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this was the oldest Greek manuscript of Twelve Prophets, of the 3rd century A.D.{{Cite web|url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/biblical.asp|title = Collections: Biblical Manuscripts}} (designated as Washington Manuscript V by the Freer/Sackler Gallery).{{Cite web |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1916.768 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170204/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1916.768 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=2015-03-14}} [https://asia.si.edu/object/F1916.768/]
Coptic manuscript of Psalms from the 5th century.{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1908.32 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091409/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1908.32 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1916.768 |title=Object View | Open F|S | Collections | Freer and Sackler Galleries |access-date=2015-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170204/http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1916.768 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}

Gallery of Biblical Manuscripts

File:Canon Table from a Gospel manuscript.jpg

File:Washington Manuscript IV - The Epistles of Paul (Codex Washingtonensis).jpg

File:Washington Manuscript V - The Minor Prophets (Codex Washingtonensis).jpg

File:Washington Manuscript III - The Four Gospels (Codex Washingtonensis).jpg

File:Washington Manuscript II - The Psalms (Codex Washingtonensis).jpg

File:Descent into Hell and the Ascension from a Gospel according to Four Evangelists.jpg

File:Copy of The Gospel according to the four Evangelists.jpg

File:The Orthodox Hymnal (Sharaknotz).jpg

File:Folio from an Armenian Manuscript- The Annunciation.jpg

File:Washington Manuscript I - Deuteronomy and Joshua (Codex Washingtonensis).jpg

File:Partial Psalter, 126 fragmentary leavesjpg.jpg

File:Portrait of Mark in a Gospel According to the Four Evangelists.jpg

File:St. John of the Ladder (Climacus)- illustration from a Klimax manuscript.jpg

File:The Gospel according to the Four Evangelists.jpg

File:Fragment of two conjugate leaves from a Service-book.jpg

File:Adoration of the Magi in a Gospel according to the four Evangelists.jpg

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20100607155335/http://www.asia.si.edu/archives/finding_aids/biblicalmanuscriptsandgoldtreasure.htm The finding aid for this collection from The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. ] Includes biographical information, relevant name and subject terms, and descriptions of the series.

Biblical Manuscripts in the Freer Collection

Manuscripts

Gallery of Biblical Manuscripts

References

External links

Further reading