Codex Vaticanus 354

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book), containing the complete text of the four Gospels written on 235 parchment leaves ({{×|36|24|cm}}).{{r|MGBGP}} The text is written in two columns per page, 27 lines per page, 15-17 letters per line.{{Cite book | first1=Kurt | last1=Aland | author-link1=Kurt Aland | first2=Barbara | last2=Aland | author-link2=Barbara Aland | translator=Erroll F. Rhodes | title=The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism | edition=2nd | page=113 | year=1995 | publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company | location=Grand Rapids | isbn=978-0-8028-4098-1}}{{r|MGBGP}} Contrary to what biblical scholar Caspar René Gregory stated, it has breathings and accents.{{r|MGBGP}}{{Cite book | first=Caspar René | last=Gregory | author-link=Caspar René Gregory | title=Textkritik des Neuen Testaments | volume=1 | page=65 | year=1900 | publisher=J.C. Hinrichs | location=Leipzig | url=https://archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n77/mode/2up}} The nomina sacra (sacred names, this being words/titles considered sacred in Christianity) are employed in the manuscript. The text is divided according to the chapters (known as {{lang|grc|κεφαλαια}} / kephalaia), whose numbers are given in the margin, and their titles (known as {{lang|grc|τιτλοι}} / titloi) at the top of the pages.{{r|MGBGP}} There is also a division according to the smaller Ammonian sections, with references to the Eusebian Canons.{{r|Gregory|MGBGP}}

It contains the Epistle to Carpius (a letter from the early church father Eusebius outlying his gospel section division tables and usage), tables of contents (also known as {{lang|grc|κεφαλαια}}) before each Gospel, and subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, along with the numbers of lines (known as στιχοι / stichoi). It contains many later corrections and margin notes predominantly added by later hand. It also includes neumes, and it is one of the oldest manuscript with neumes.{{r|Gregory|MGBGP}} The writing is large, oblong and compressed, which is characteristic of a style labelled "Slavic".{{r|MGBGP}}

File:Codex Vaticanus 354 Matthew 8,1-10.JPG

The Greek text of this codex is considered a representative of the Byzantine text-type in close relationship to Codex Mosquensis II (V) and Codex Washingtonianus (W). Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed it in Category V of his New Testament manuscript classification system.{{r|Aland}} Category V manuscripts are described as "manuscripts with a purely or predominantly Byzantine text."{{r|Aland|p=336}} According to Aland's test passages, the manuscript agrees 206 times with the majority Byzantine text, 105 times with the Byzantine and "original" text, 4 times with the "original text" against the Byzantine, and has 12 distinct readings (these being readings found only in this manuscript).{{r|Aland}} It belongs to the textual family Family K1.

In a marginal note beside {{bibleref|Matthew|27:21}}, it reads: "In many ancient copies which I have met with I found Barabbas himself likewise called Jesus; that is, the question of Pilate stood there as follows, {{lang|el|Τινα θελετε απο των δυο απολυσω υμιν, Ιησουν τον Βαραββαν η Ιησουν τον λεγομενον Χριστον}}; for apparently the paternal name of the robber was Barabbas, which is interpreted Son of the teacher".Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2001, p. 56

File:Codex Vaticanus 354 John 5,4.JPG

The disputed texts of Luke 22:44, {{bibleref|John|5:4}}, and Pericope Adulterae are marked by asterisks (※) as questionable texts.{{r|Gregory}} In the latter it reads {{lang|el|επορευετο}} instead of {{lang|el|επορευθη}}.

The name of the scribe was Michael, a monk, who finished his work "in the month of March, the fifth day, the sixth hour, the year 6457, the seventh indiction".{{Cite book | first=Bruce Manning | last=Metzger | author-link=Bruce M. Metzger | title=Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Paleography | page=110 | year=1991 | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=New York; Oxford | isbn=978-0-19-502924-6}}

The manuscript was examined and described by Bianchini.{{Cite book | first=Giuseppe Maria | last=Bianchini | author-link=Giuseppe Bianchini | title=Evangeliarium Quadruplex Latinae Versionis Antiquae Seu Veteris Italicae | volume=1 | year=1749 | publisher=Pantheon | location=Rome | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fnupQ_aLWrsC}} It was collated with some errors by Andrew Birch in 1781–1783,{{Cite book | first=Andrew | last=Birch | author-link=Andrew Birch | title=Variae lectiones ad textum IV evangeliorum : ex codd. mss. Bibliothecae Vaticanae, Barberinae, S. Basilii, Augustinianorum Eremitarum Romae, Borgianae Velitris, Laurentianae, S. Marci Venetorum, Vindobonensis caesareae, Parisiensis, Escurialensis, Havniensis regiae, quibus accedit varietas lectionis versionum Syrarum, Veteris, Philoxenianae et Hierosolymitanae | page=IV-V | year=1801 | publisher=N. Moller & Filius | location=Kopenhagen | lang=latin | url=https://archive.org/details/variaelectiones00bircgoog/mode/2up}} but collators in his day rarely noticed orthographical forms. In 1866, textual critic Constantin von Tischendorf corrected the collation of Birch. Tischendorf states that the facsimile of Bianchini was coarsely executed, so he made another for himself.{{cite book | first=Frederick Henry Ambrose | last=Scrivener | author-link=Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener | author2=Edward Miller | title=A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament | volume=1 | edition=4 | page=146 | year=1894 | publisher=George Bell & Sons | location=London}}

The codex is currently located in Rome (Bibl. Vat. Gr. 354).{{r|Aland}}{{Cite web | title=Liste Handschriften: Codex Vaticanus 354 (S) | location=Münster | publisher=Institute for New Testament Textual Research | url=http://intf.uni-muenster.de/vmr/NTVMR/ListeHandschriften.php?ObjID=20028 | access-date=16 March 2013}}

{{Portal|Bible}}

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{{Reflist}}

• Giovanni Mercati, [https://archive.org/stream/unframmentodell00mercgoog#page/n12/mode/1up "Un frammento delle Ipotiposi di Clemente Alessandrino"] (Studi e testi, 12; Rome, 1904)
• Edward Maunde Thompson, [https://archive.org/stream/greeklatin00thomuoft#page/214/mode/2up An introduction to Greek and Latin palaeography], Clarendon Press: Oxford 1912, p. 215.

{{commons category|Codex Vaticanus 354}}

• [https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.gr.354 Digital Colour Images of Codex Vaticanus 354] online at the Digital Vatican Library
• [http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/ManuscriptsUncials.html#uS Codex Vaticanus 354, S (028)] at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism

Category:Greek New Testament uncials

Category:10th-century biblical manuscripts

Category:Manuscripts in the Vatican Library