In the Vatican Library at Rome.
This is a most valuable
copy of the Prophets, written in Egypt in the sixth century, in a fine
bold uncial hand.
The editor of this manuscript, Dr Ceriani, has shown
that the text, as originally written, is that of Hesychius;
& its
value is still further increased by the fact that an almost contemporary
hand has added a great number of various readings in the margin from
a copy of the Haxaplar text.
These marginal readings include the additions
made by Origen, generally accompanied by the proper critical marks (obelus
or asterisk), together with readings from Aquila, Symmachus, &
Theodotion.
Plate IX (above) gives a representation of a page of this
manuscript (the whole of which has been published in a photographic facsimile)
containing Ezek.v.12-17.
[A papyrus fragment of this passage, also containing
the Hexaplar text & symbols,
was acquired in Egypt by Mr B P Grenfell in 1894-5, & is now in the
Bodleian Library at Oxford. It was apparently written about the fourth
century.]
In the margin will be seen several asterisks, which are repeated in the
line itself at the point at which the insertion begins (e.g. lines 6, 10), & before
the beginning of each line of the passage affected, while the metobelus,
indicating the close of the inserted passage, is represented by a sort
of semicolon (e.g. lines 2, 7).
In most cases the name of the version from
which the inserted passage was taken is indicated by an initial in the
margin, α standing for Aquila (e.g. line 1), θ for Theodotion
(lines 6, 11, 15, 17, 22), & σ or
συ for Symmachus.
Where Hesychius has introduced words on his
own account which were not in the written Septuagint, the asterisk indicating
such words has been written by the original scribe, & has ample space
allowed it in the writing;
but the great majority of the critical signs
have been added by the reviser, & show that the insertion had already
been made by Origen in his Hexaplar text, which Hesychius often followed.
The small writing in the margin consists of notes added in the thirteenth
century, of no textual importance.
Description & picture from 'Our Bible & the
Ancient Manuscripts' by Sir Frederick Kenyon (1895 - 4th Ed. 1939) Pg
71
& Plate IX. (Page fragment illustrated: 29.5 x 18cm.)
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