Unpublished Sacred Monuments

It is not necessary to indicate the order in which the individual Greek fragments follow one another if we were to follow the Syriac text. Indeed, all the leaves—each of which consists of two Syriac pages in octavo format making up a single Greek page in quarto format—have been separated by the care of the library supervisors and placed in the order required by the continuity of the Greek text. All the fragments of the Gospel of Luke are contained within the first ninety leaves of the Syriac text. Furthermore, as is common in very old palimpsest palimpsest: a manuscript where the original text was scraped off so the parchment could be reused codices, there is a great inequality in the pages of every leaf. We have long and often taught that this arises from the fact that the side of the parchment which once touched the flesh was rendered much softer than the side which had been covered by hair. In these softer parts of the parchment, the difficulty of reading the text is usually much greater than in the others.

It remains for us to explain certain places in detail as we survey the individual leaves.

Leaf I recto (page 3). The first letter of the inscription, K original: κ (kappa), as well as the final letters AIA original: αια (alpha-iota-alpha), have been trimmed away along with the greater part of the letter L original: λ (lambda). Furthermore, several letters of the inscription, especially both instances of O omicron and the E epsilon, do not have a round shape but rather a drawn-out or oblong form. A very similar pattern is found in the index of chapters in the other Wolfenbüttel codex Latin: Guelpherbytano of the Gospels. We have already spoken of this matter above on page XVI. The first three lines of Column 1 were written in red ink Latin: minio. Because of this, they have completely faded away. The numbers 1, 2, and 3 original: α', β', γ' which were added in the margin, as well as the number 10 original: ι' at line 23, have been lost along with the margin itself. A dot is rarely placed at the end of chapters; certainly, we have not included one except where we could perceive it with our own eyes.

Leaf I verso (page 4). In column 2, line 1, the mark "⌋" which we published after the word "of the" original: του seems to be the first part of the letter K kappa, so that it was likely written as "of the Lord" original: ΚΥ (abbreviation for Kyriou) rather than "of Jesus" original: ΙΥ (abbreviation for Iesou). In the same place at line 14, we have published the number 72 original: οβ', for it certainly appears so. The ends of lines 23, 24, and 25 in the same place have been trimmed off.

Leaf II recto (page 5). The beginnings of several lines are trimmed away. We have enclosed the reconstructions of these missing parts in brackets everywhere. The number 82 original: πβ' mostly survives because, as usually happens with these numbers, it occupies a place slightly higher than the initial letter that follows it.

Leaf III recto (page 7). In column 1, the first three lines were written in red ink. Consequently, what we have published in this place cannot be considered absolutely certain. We have already spoken of the dot placed after the words "concerning which" original: περι ων in line 23. Similarly, in Codex L a Greek manuscript of Luke and John kept at Oxford, there is a comma in the same place. In line 25, we have published "very much" original: ΛΙΑΝ (lian) as the last word. It certainly seemed to be written in this manner rather than "smooth" original: ΛΕΙΑ (leia), though I had my doubts. In column 2, line 24, a dot, if it was perhaps written, certainly does not appear.

Leaf III verso (page 8). In column 2, line 18, the letter "s" sigma in the name Zacharias has been erased.

Leaf IV recto (page 9). In column 2, line 3, the word "fearless" original: αφοβοσ (aphobos) appears: the same error is found in Codex G an Oxford codex of the four Gospels and others.*)

Leaf IV verso (page 10). This page has the softer part of the parchment; hence the whole of column 1 is quite difficult to read. In line 3, it is not entirely certain whether "mercies" original: σπλα was written, or whether—as becomes probable by comparing page 23, column 2, lines 1 and 2—it was written as "tender mercies" original: σπλαγχ or σπλαχ. However, as this word is read here and there in ancient codices with the "g" gamma omitted, I thought it should be published that way. Line 14, occupying roughly the middle of the page where the Syriac codex was folded, is almost entirely [unclear] across both columns...

*) Stars have been painted here and there to indicate that this commentary on individual passages should be consulted.
**) Furthermore, in the specimen of the text which the illustrious William Cureton published in the preface of the book The Festal Letters of Athanasius (p. XXXII), in column 1, line 14, "joy all" original: χαιροσ παν was transcribed by error instead of "from the hand of all" original: χειροσ παντῶ; likewise in column 2, line 25, "he will please" original: αρεσει instead of "he releases" original: αφιεσι.