Minuscule 261 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 282 (Soden), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century.K. Aland, M. Welte, B. Köster, K. Junack, "Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments", Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1994, p. 62. It has full marginalia.

Description

The codex contains the text of the four Gospels on 175 parchment leaves (), with some lacunae (Matthew 1:1–11:1; 14:25–19:21; Luke 24:39–53; John 20:15–21:19). The first 28 leaves are paper.

The text is divided according to the (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. There is also another division according to the Ammonian Sections (in Mark 241, the last in 16:20), but without references to the Eusebian Canons.

It contains tables of the (tables of contents) before each Gospel, lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical reading), (lessons), and subscriptions at the end of each Gospel (later hand), with numbers of . It is correctly written. Lacuna at Matthew 1:1–11:1 was supplied by a later hand in the 14th century on a paper.

Text

The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family K1. Aland placed it in Category V.

According to the Claremont Profile Method it represents textual family Kx in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made.

History

At the end of the codex is written: το παρον Βιβλιον υπαρχον της αγιοτατης μετροπολεως ξανθης του τιμιου προδρομου, και οστε βουληθη αποξενοσαι τουτο εκ του μοναστηριου ταυτης να εχη τας αρας των τιη θεοφορων πατερων λ.J. M. A. Scholz, Biblisch-kritische Reise in Frankreich, der Schweiz, Italien, Palästine und im Archipel in den Jahren 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821: Nebst einer Geschichte des Textes des Neuen Testaments, Leipzig, 1823, pp. 3-4.

The manuscript was held at the monastery of the Prodromous (Forerunner) at Constantinople. The manuscripts was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Johann Martin Augustin Scholz (1794-1852). C. R. Gregory saw the manuscript in 1884.

The manuscript is currently housed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gr. 52) at Paris.

See also Biblical manuscript List of New Testament minuscules Textual criticism

References

Further reading