Minuscule 33 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, written on parchment. Before the French Revolution was called Codex Colbertinus 2844. It is designated by the siglum 33 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and as δ 48 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative handwriting styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 9th century. The manuscript has several gaps.

It has marginal notes. According to textual critics, it is one of the best minuscule manuscripts of the New Testament.

Description

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book format), containing part of the Prophets of the Old Testament, and all the books of the New Testament except the Revelation of John, written on 143 parchment leaves (sized ) in minuscule letters, with three missing portions in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 9:31-11:11; 13:11-14:60), and Gospel of Luke (Luke 21:38-23:26). The text is written in 1 column per page, 48-52 lines per page.

The text is divided according to the chapters (known as / kephalaia), whose numerals are given in the margin, and their titles (known as τίτλοι / titloi) written at the top of the pages. It contains Prolegomena (introductions) to the Catholic epistles and the Pauline epistles (folios 73-76), and the Euthalian Apparatus (several additional materials to the Epistles such as summaries, lists, text divisions etc.).

Part of almost every leaf has been destroyed by dampness. The leaves were joined so firmly to each other — especially in the Book of Acts — that when separated, a part of the ink has adhered to the opposite page.S. P. Tregelles, "An Introduction to the Critical study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures", London 1856, p. 210. Text is replete with errors of iotacism. The ends of the leaves are damaged.

Order of books Gospels Acts Catholic epistles Pauline epistles (Hebrews placed before 1 Timothy).

The ending of the Epistle to the Romans has the following order of verses: 16:23, 16:25-27, 16:24. This order is also seen in codices Codex Porphyrianus (P), minuscules 104. 256. 263. 365. 436. 459. 1319. 1573., and 1852., and some armenian manuscripts.

Text

Its Greek text is considered to be a representative of the Alexandrian text-type, but with some Byzantine readings, particularly in Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline epistles. Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed it in Category II in the Gospels, and to Category I in the rest of books of the New Testament. According to the Claremont Profile Method (a specific analysis of textual data), it represents the Alexandrian text-type as its weak member.

Some notable readings

(and when the centurion returned to the house in that hour, he found the slave well) - 33 C (N) Θ (0250) f 1241 g sy omit - Majority of manuscripts. (NA26)

(the leaven of the Pharisees) - 33 (the leaven of the breads) - B L 157. 892. (the leaven of the bread) - C L W X 13 700. Majority; Chrys.

omit - 33 D b d e ff ff r sy diatess. incl. - Majority of manuscripts.

(fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet) - 33 Φ a b sy bo (fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet) - Majority of manuscripts.UBS4, p. 108.

(and opened the book) - 33 A B L W Ξ 892. 1195. 1241. ℓ 547 sy sa bo (and unrolled the book) - D K Δ Θ Π Ψ ƒ ƒ 28 565 700 1009. 1010.Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2001), p. 114.

Acts 20:28 (of the Lord) - 33 C* D E Ψ 36 453 945 1739 1891 (of the God) - B 614. 1175. 1505. vg sy bo; Cyprian (of the Lord and God) - Majority of manuscripts.For more details about textual variants of this verse see: Textual variants in the Acts of the Apostles.

omit - 33 A B Codex Laudianus Ψ Codex Vaticanus 2061 81. 1175. 1739. 2464. incl. - Majority of manuscripts.

(not to men) - 33 A B C 048 81. 1175. 1506. 1739. 1881. (not to flesh) - Ψ Majority of manuscripts.

(prayer) - 33 * A B C D F G P Ψ 6. 81. 104. 181. 629. 630. 1739. 1877. 1881. 1962. it vg sa bo arm eth. (fasting and prayer) - Majority of manuscripts.

(and servant) - 33 pc (and teacher of nations) - Majority of Manuscripts.

History

The earliest history of the manuscript is unknown. It was called "the queen of the cursives" by J. G. Eichhorn (1752-1827),"Die Königin unter den Cursiv geschriebenen Handschriften" (J. G. Eichhorn, Einleitung in das NT, Bd. IV, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, Leipzig 1827, S. 217.) but now it has several rivals (81, 892, 1175, 1739).Minuscule 33 at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism The manuscript was examined by many scholars, such as Griesbach,J. J. Griesbach, Symbolae criticae ad supplendas et corrigendas variarum N. T. lectionum collectiones (Halle, 1793), pp. 87-148 who collated its text in Matthew 1-18. It was also studied by Birch and others. The text of the codex was fully collated by S. P. Tregelles in 1850. Tregelles said that, of all the manuscripts he collated (presumably excluding palimpsests), it was the hardest to read.

It was examined and described by Paulin Martin.Jean-Pierre-Paul Martin, Description technique des manuscrits grecs, relatifs au Nouveau Testament, conservés dans les bibliothèques des Paris (Paris 1883), p. 42-43 C. R. Gregory saw the manuscript twice, in 1884 and in 1885. The manuscript was included to a critical apparatus by Kurt Aland in his 25th edition of Novum Testamentum Graece (1963).Michael W. Holmes, From Nestle to the `Editio Critica Maior`, in: The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text, London 2003, p. 128.

Scholz and Martin dated the manuscript to the 11th century. Gregory dated it to the 9th or 10th century. Currently it is dated by the INTF to the 9th century. The codex is now located in the National Library of France (shelf number Cod. Gr. 14) at Paris.

See also

List of New Testament minuscules Biblical manuscript Textual criticism

Notes

References

Further reading

T. C. Geer, The two Faces of Codex 33 in Acts, Novum Testamentum XXXI, 1 (1989).

External links

R. Waltz, Minuscule 33, Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism (2007)