Unpublished Sacred Monuments

Now, indeed, as we survey the individual fragments of the text with notes interspersed here and there, we shall indicate which additions of variant readings can be adopted from Owen’s collation of Grabe’s work.

Page 95. Grabe indicated the beginning of the Cotton manuscript with these words: "evening, and there was morning, the third day:" original Greek: εσπερα, και εγενετο πρωι, ημερα τριτη Genesis 1, 13. In verse 14, it is clear that the word "upon" original Greek: επι is missing. According to Grabe’s testimony, the word "earth" original Greek: γης is followed by: "and let them rule over the day and over the night," original Greek: και αρχετωσαν της ημερας και της νυκτος of which we have published the remaining traces. As for Grabe’s note that "these were written by a more recent hand, though using ancient letters that seem to have been newly drawn," this should be qualified so that the addition itself must undoubtedly be attributed to the original scribe, even if a later corrector restored it. Likewise, the final "into" original Greek: εις is missing. In verse 18, "he saw" original Greek: ιδεν appears instead of "he saw" original Greek: ειδεν. From verse 20 until the end of verse 25, the text is missing. In verse 26, it is said that "the" original Greek: των is missing before "creeping things," original Greek: ερπετων unless perhaps "the scribe, writing with a more recent hand, omitted 'the' των while adding 'and all' και παν." Moreover, all the portions we published under section II. A. were undoubtedly supplied by a second hand (roughly of the eighth century). The abbreviations "of God" original Greek: θλσυ and θσυ, likely scribal variants for θεου written on this page can be said to be almost entirely foreign to the first hand; although in 6, 16, according to Grabe’s testimony, the Cotton manuscript itself had "cubit" original Greek: πηχην instead of "cubit" original Greek: πηχυν. In the margin at verse 11 and following, something was written in minuscule letters, from which approximately the letters ple - - te - - ba - - original Greek: πλη - - τε - - βα - - remain.*) On the other page of this leaf, no writing survives, nor does anything seem to have been written. In verse 28, instead of "fill," original Greek: πληρωσατε the Cotton manuscript is said to have "multiply," original Greek: πληθυν[ετε] to which word the letter th the Greek letter theta: θ at the start of line 12 seems to refer. Regarding verse 31, Grabe says: "written plainly by a recent hand, it reads as in the Roman edition." Regarding Chapter II, Grabe notes: "This entire chapter is missing, except for the final words 'he shall be joined' original Greek: προσκολληθησεται until the end, in which the Cotton manuscript agrees with the printed Roman edition."

Page 96. According to Grabe’s testimony, in the Cotton manuscript verse 1, "more prudent" original Greek: φρονιμωτερος, comparative appears instead of "most prudent" original Greek: φρονιμωτατος, superlative; in verse 5, "he had known" original Greek: ειδει instead of "he knew" original Greek: ηδει; "that in the" original Greek: οτι εν η instead of "that the" original Greek: οτι η; and "your" original Greek: υμων instead of "our" original Greek: ημων. However, it omits from verse 6 until the end of the chapter. Likewise, it omits from 4, 5 "his sacrifices" original Greek: θυσιαις αυτου until 4, 17 "having conceived." original Greek: συλλαβουσα In verse 17, "of the son" original Greek: του υιου is missing. In verse 18, we published "Mehujael," original Greek: μαουϊλ and that reading must be maintained. Grabe has: "Mehujael," original Greek: μαουηλ "although in the place of 'l' λ, an 'a' α was mistakenly written." But that the writer intended -ia -ια and not -il -ιλ is made probable even by the dots over the 'i' ι. Again, Grabe notes: "from those words in verse 18, 'the Lamech' original Greek: τον λαμεχ until verse 25, everything is missing in the manuscript."

Page 97. According to Grabe’s testimony, in 5, 4, the Cotton manuscript omits "which he lived" original Greek: ας εζησε and has "seven hundred years" original Greek: επτακ. ετη instead of "years, seven hundred"; in 5, 8, after "Seth," original Greek: σηθ it adds "which he lived;" likewise in verse 11, after "nine hundred," it repeats "years." original Greek: ετη However, verse 12 and following until verse 18 are missing.

Page 98. At 5, 20, Grabe notes "years and nine hundred" original Greek: ετη και εννακοσια (cf. our section VIII. A. verse 9) instead of "and nine hundred years." Likewise at verse 24, "was found" original Greek: ηυρισκετο instead of "was found" original Greek: ευρισκ. (a spelling variation); at verse 25, "seven and eighty and one hundred years" original Greek: επτα και ογδοηκοντα και εκατον ετη instead of "seven years and sixty and one hundred;" at verse 26, "and eighty" original Greek: και ογδοηκοντα ("this word was written by a very recent hand, but undoubtedly copied from ancient letters") "and seven hundred" original Greek: και επτακοσια instead of "and eight hundred." At verse 29, from the words "and from the earth," original Greek: και απο της γης everything is missing until 6, 4, "in those days." original Greek: ταις ημεραις εκειναις At 6, 7, "of the birds" original Greek: των πετεινων instead of "birds;" and "I was angered" original Greek: εθυμωθην instead of "I considered/regretted." original Greek: ενεθυμηθην At verse 8, "before/in the presence of" original Greek: ενωπιον instead of "before." original Greek: εναντιον At verse 12, "he saw" original Greek: ιδεν instead of "he saw;" original Greek: ειδε at verse 13, "to Noah" original Greek: προς νωε instead of "to Noah;" original Greek: τω νωε at verse 15, "length" original Greek: μηκος instead of "the length;" original Greek: το μηκος at verse 16, "cubit" original Greek: πηχην instead of "cubit," original Greek: πηχυν and "two-storied" original Greek: διωρυφα instead of "two-storied," original Greek: διωροφα adding the words: "but soon it has 'three-storied'." original Greek: τριωροφα He testifies that verse 17 and following until the end of the chapter are missing.

Page 99. According to Grabe’s testimony, in 7, 1, the Cotton manuscript had "I saw" original Greek: ιδον instead of "I saw;" original Greek: ειδον in verse 2, it omitted "but from the cattle [that are] not..." original Greek: απο δε των κτ. των μη

*) Such traces of another hand are indeed rare now. They seem to have been more frequent in the past. For as Grabe testifies on page XII of the cited work, they were often noticed by him; likewise, he says many things were restored by a more recent hand, and furthermore, he maintains that the codex "was compared and emended by the scribe himself or some contemporary of his with the original or rather with another manuscript."