Unpublished Sacred Monuments

They possess an elegance such that they can easily be attributed to the scribe of the codex A codex is an ancient book format with handwritten pages bound together, rather than a scroll. himself. Folio 43 verso (page 88): across that entire page, the writing of which is well preserved in places, no numbers could be recognized, although we returned to search for them repeatedly. In the same place, column 2, line 1, "but" original: αλ[λα] (alla): it is most probable that it was written thus; but the cut-off part is based on conjecture An educated guess by a scholar to fill in missing or unreadable text based on context.. Folio 44 recto (page 89), column 1, line 13, "He began" original: Ηρξατο (Ērxato): written as we have published it, not "they began" original: ηρξαντο (ērxanto); likewise "to give" original: διδωναι (didōnai) in line 22 and "teaching" original: διδασκον (didaskon) in column 2, line 21. Column 1, line 22, I read "tribute" original: φορον (phoron), not "tributes" original: φοροὺς (phorous); this is certain because of the letter "n" original: ν (nu) that remains. Furthermore, neither throughout this entire page nor the one that follows do the Ammonian numbers A system of numbering the sections of the Four Gospels, created by Ammonius of Alexandria in the 3rd century. appear to have been added. Folio 44 verso (page 90), column 2, line 1, "he hoped" original: ηλπιζεν (hēlpizen): what we have published is certain because the lowest part of the letter Z remains. Likewise, in the following sections, we have published several letters which, based on the surviving parts, cannot be called into doubt. Column 2, line 24, we published "bright" original: λαμπ[ραν] (lampran): for it is much more probable that it was written thus, given the proportion of the space, than "bright" followed by a numeral original: λαμπραν α̅. In the last line, however, we have not indicated the cut-off letters. Folio 45 recto and verso (pages 91 and 92): on both of those pages, no numbers could be found except for two which are clearly visible. Folio 45 verso (page 92), column 1, lines 10 and 11, "I set before" original: παρατιθειμι (paratitheimi): the ending "set before" original: θειμι (theimi) is certain; nor do I doubt the letter that precedes it, although at first glance I wavered between H and I. The same must be said for "stand" original: στηθι (stēthi) in column 2, line 7. In the same place, line 21, we have published JOSEPH original: IΩCHΦ and not JOSEPH’ original: IΩCHΦ’. However, the spot where an apostrophe is usually placed is completely covered by a second layer of writing.

II.

RELICS RESCUED FROM THE FIRE OF THE MOST FAMOUS COTTON CODEX.

The history of that Cotton Codex is quite remarkable. We learn how it came to England and into that very library from which it still takes its name (although it has long since become part of the British Museum) from a note that Richard James, once the keeper of the Cotton Library, had placed at the front of the codex. Henry Owen later included this note in the preface of the Collation of Grabe which he published.*) It reads as follows:

"A book of Genesis illuminated with very beautiful figures, and written in most ancient capital letters about fourteen or fifteen centuries ago; which two Greek Bishops brought with them from Philippi to England in the time of Henry VIII, offering it as a gift to him, and claiming that it was received from an ancient tradition that it once belonged to the master, Saint Origen. Queen Elizabeth, of happy memory, placed it in the Royal Library..."

*) The title of the book is: A Collation of the Cotton Codex of Genesis with the Roman Edition. Made long ago by the most distinguished man Johannes Ernestus Grabe, and now finally published with the greatest care by Henry Owen, M.D., Fellow of the Royal Society, Rector of the Church of St. Olave. London, 1778.