Uncial 068 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 3 (Soden), is a Greek uncial manuscript of the New Testament, dated paleographically to the 5th century. Tischendorf designated it by Ib, Scrivener by Nb. It has some marginalia.

Description

The codex contains a fragments of the John 13:16-27; 16:7-19 (with lacunae), on 2 parchment leaves (26 cm by 24 cm). The text is written in two columns per page, 18 lines per page in large uncial letters. It has no capital letters.

It is a double palimpsest, the Greek biblical text was overwritten twice in Syriac language, in the 9th century, and in the 10th or 11th century. It contains hymns of Severus in Syriac. The Ammonian Sections are present, but the Eusebian Canons absent. It contains breathing and accents. It has itacistic errors (e.g. κρεισεως in John 16:8).

Contents John 13:16-17.19-20.23-24.26-27; 16:7-9.12-13.15-16.18-19Kurt Aland, Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum. Locis parallelis evangeliorum apocryphorum et patrum adhibitis edidit, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart 1996, p. XXII.

Text

The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text-type, with some non-Alexandrian readings (e.g. J 16:12). Aland placed in Category III.

John 16:7-8,12-15 [πεμ]ψω αυτον [προ]ς υμας [και ελθ]ων εκει [νος] ελεγξει τον [κοσ]μον περι [αμαρ]τιας και [περ]ι δικαιοσυ νης και περι κρεισεως ετι πολλα εχω λε γειν υμιν αλλ ου δυνασθαι βαστα ζειν αρτι οταν δε ελθη εκεινος το πνα της αλη θειας οδηγησει υμας εις πασαν την αληθειαν

John 16:15-16.18-19 Δια τουτο ειπον οτι εκ του εμου λαμβανει και α ναγγελει υμιν μεικρον και ουκ ετι θεωρειτε με και παλιν μεικρο και οψεσθαι με οτι υπαγω προς τουτο [τι εστι] ο λεγει [το μικρο] ουκ οιδα[μεν τι] λαλει Εγνω [ο ις οτι η] θελον [αυτον ε] ρωταν και [ειπεν] αυτοις περι [του] του ζητειτε

History

Currently the manuscript is dated by the INTF to the 5th century.

The manuscript was found in 1847 in the monastery at Nitrian Desert and brought to London. It was examined and deciphered by Tregelles and Tischendorf (about the same time).

Location The codex is now located at the British Library (Add MS 17136) in London.

See also List of New Testament uncials Textual criticism Double palimpsests British Library, Add. 17212 Codex Vaticanus 2061

References

Further reading

Constantin von Tischendorf, Monumenta sacra et profana II (Leipzig: 1857), pp. 311-312. U. B. Schmid, D. C. Parker, W. J. Elliott, The Gospel according to St. John: The majuscules (Brill 2007), pp. 59-60. [text of the codex in new reconstruction]