Washington Manuscript IV – The Epistles of Paul (Codex Washingtonensis)

The Epistles of Paul (fragmentary): eighty four leaves with legible writing plus 168 fragments; stored in separate envelopes. Upright, square uncial script in brown ink; traces of additions of red ink in titles; one column to a page.

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Historical period(s)
6th century
Medium
Ink on parchment
Dimensions
H x W: 16 x 10.5 cm (6 5/16 x 4 1/8 in)
Geography
Egypt
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1906.275
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio fragment

Keywords
Christianity, Egypt, New Testament
Provenance

To 1906
Ali Arabi, Giza, Egypt, to 1906 [1]

From 1906 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ali Arabi in Giza, Egypt, on December 19, 1906 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, Biblical Mss. Section, S.I. 1468, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Ali Arabi (C.L. Freer source) ca. 1840-1932
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

The Epistles of Paul (fragmentary): eighty four leaves with legible writing plus 168 fragments; stored in separate envelopes. Upright, square uncial script in brown ink; traces of additions of red ink in titles; one column to a page.

Label

Sometimes called Codex Freerianus, this manuscript was acquired in a much-decayed condition; much of the text had been lost. Because the surviving sections are numbered, it has been determined that the complete manuscript had between two hundred eight and two hundred twelve pages-more than necessary for the Epistles of Paul. This suggests the codex also originally contained the Acts of the Apostles and the catholic epistles (those intended for Christians in general rather than a specific congregation).

Published References
  • William Henry P. Hatch. The Principal Uncial Manuscripts of the New Testament. Chicago. pl. 31.
  • Seymour de Ricci, W. J. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. 3 vols., New York, 1935-1940. cat. 4, vol. 1: p. 467.
  • Frederic G. Kenyon. Recent Development in the Textual Criticism of the Greek Bible. London. p. 28.
  • Dr. Michelle Brown. In The Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000. Exh. cat. Washington, 2006. cat. 20, pp. 133, 261.
  • Frederic G. Kenyon. Handbook to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament., 2nd ed. London. p. 197.
  • Kenneth W. Clark. A Descriptive Catalogue of Greek New Testament Manuscripts in America. Chicago. pp. 205-206.
Collection Area(s)
Biblical Manuscripts
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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