Codex Glazier
Encyclopedia
Codex Glazier, designated by siglum copG67, is a Coptic
uncial manuscript
of the New Testament
on parchment. It is dated palaeographically
to the 4th or 5th century. Textually it is very close to Greek Codex Bezae
.
1:1-15:3. The manuscript ends with Acts 15:3 on folio 155 recto while the following page verso has been left blank. The manuscript has some illuminations; at the end of the manuscript, on additional leaf, it has a picture with a great crux ansata
(cross with handle), a motif appearing in Coptic textiles and stone sculptures. The picture is in colours yellow, red, and brown.
The size of the pages is 12.1 by 10.4 cm. The text is written in one column per page, in 16 lines per page, with wide margins. It has diaeresis; the text is divided according to the chapters, whose numbers are given at the left margin. The pages are numbered.
It is written in Middle-Egyptian dialect of Coptic language. Although the manuscript contains only the first half of Acts its non-fragmentary character is of special significance, for the study of the Western text.
The nomina sacra
are written in contracted forms.
The text of the codex is a representative of the Western text-type
, very close to the Codex Bezae
. Currently it is main manuscript which supports the text of the Codex Bezae in the Acts. It is also only one Coptic manuscript with stricte Western text.
Agreement with Bezae
Acts 2:30 αυτου] + κατα σαρκα αναστησαι τον Χριστον και (according to the flesh to raise up the Christ, and)
Acts 2:47 ημεραν] + εν τη εκκλησια (in the church)
Acts 4:24 ακουσαντες] και επιγνοντες την του θεου ενεργειαν;
Acts 5:18 δημοσια] και επορευθη εις εκαστος εις τα ιδια;
Acts 11:2 it contains the long Western variant, contained by D and d only, "who also met them [the brethren] and reported to them the grace of God". The last part of it is supported by similar reading of G67 "and spoke to them of the mercy of God."
Acts 13:44 according to D and d "and when he had made a long discourse about the Lord", G67 has: "But Paul spoke lengthily in the discourse concerning the Lord Jesus."
Different readings supported by Old Latin
Acts 6:1 men] angel
Acts 7:46 Bezae reads οικω, G67 supports reading θεω;
Acts 12:25 Bezae reads Σαυλος] G67 supports reading ος επεκληθη Παυλος (who was called Paul))
Acts 14:20 Only h and G67, in the report that the disciples gathered around Paul after he was stoned and cast out of the city.
Before 1963 it was part of the private collection of the manuscripts of William S. Glazier, a banker.
In 1983 it was presented along with whole Glazier Collection to the Pierpont Morgan Library. Charles Ryskamp, director of the Morgan Library, described the Glazier Collection as an "important addition to the Morgan Library's". Currently it is housed at the Pierpont Morgan Library (MS. G. 67) in New York
.
Theodore C. Petersen published in 1964 a selection of its readings, but presented them only in an English translation. He planned to provide a critical edition of the codex, but died in 1966.
The manuscript was examined by Petersen, Haenchen, Weigandt, Bober Epp, and Schenke. Elton Jay Epp found several unique readings of the codex. The text of the codex was edited by Schenke in 1991.
The readings of the codex have been incorporated into the apparatus of Nestle-Aland 26th edition of Novum Testamentum Graece
.
Codex Bezae has a lacuna
in 8:29-10:14. The Old Latin Codex Floriacensis
(designated by h), is also lacking in this section up to 9:24a, and after 9:24a. Codex Glazier is an important witness for reconstruction the Western text for this portion. At least 21 reading of Glazier of this portion may represent the Western text.
The manuscript is also important as a witness of the Coptic language, because there is very little manuscript written in Middle-Egyptian Coptic dialect.
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
uncial manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
on parchment. It is dated palaeographically
Palaeography
Palaeography, also spelt paleography is the study of ancient writing. Included in the discipline is the practice of deciphering, reading, and dating historical manuscripts, and the cultural context of writing, including the methods with which writing and books were produced, and the history of...
to the 4th or 5th century. Textually it is very close to Greek Codex Bezae
Codex Bezae
The Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis, designated by siglum Dea or 05 , δ 5 , is a codex of the New Testament dating from the 5th century written in an uncial hand on vellum. It contains, in both Greek and Latin, most of the four Gospels and Acts, with a small fragment of the 3 John...
.
Description
It contains the text of the Acts of the ApostlesActs of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
1:1-15:3. The manuscript ends with Acts 15:3 on folio 155 recto while the following page verso has been left blank. The manuscript has some illuminations; at the end of the manuscript, on additional leaf, it has a picture with a great crux ansata
Crux Ansata
Crux Ansata, subtitle An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church by H. G. Wells is a wartime book first published in 1943 by Penguin Books, Hammonsworth : Penguin Special No. 129. The U. S...
(cross with handle), a motif appearing in Coptic textiles and stone sculptures. The picture is in colours yellow, red, and brown.
The size of the pages is 12.1 by 10.4 cm. The text is written in one column per page, in 16 lines per page, with wide margins. It has diaeresis; the text is divided according to the chapters, whose numbers are given at the left margin. The pages are numbered.
It is written in Middle-Egyptian dialect of Coptic language. Although the manuscript contains only the first half of Acts its non-fragmentary character is of special significance, for the study of the Western text.
The nomina sacra
Nomina sacra
Nomina sacra means "sacred names" in Latin, and can be used to refer to traditions of abbreviated writing of several frequently occurring divine names or titles in early Greek language Holy Scripture...
are written in contracted forms.
The text of the codex is a representative of the Western text-type
Western text-type
The Western text-type is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of Greek New Testament manuscripts...
, very close to the Codex Bezae
Codex Bezae
The Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis, designated by siglum Dea or 05 , δ 5 , is a codex of the New Testament dating from the 5th century written in an uncial hand on vellum. It contains, in both Greek and Latin, most of the four Gospels and Acts, with a small fragment of the 3 John...
. Currently it is main manuscript which supports the text of the Codex Bezae in the Acts. It is also only one Coptic manuscript with stricte Western text.
Agreement with Bezae
Acts 2:30 αυτου] + κατα σαρκα αναστησαι τον Χριστον και (according to the flesh to raise up the Christ, and)
Acts 2:47 ημεραν] + εν τη εκκλησια (in the church)
Acts 4:24 ακουσαντες] και επιγνοντες την του θεου ενεργειαν;
Acts 5:18 δημοσια] και επορευθη εις εκαστος εις τα ιδια;
Acts 11:2 it contains the long Western variant, contained by D and d only, "who also met them [the brethren] and reported to them the grace of God". The last part of it is supported by similar reading of G67 "and spoke to them of the mercy of God."
Acts 13:44 according to D and d "and when he had made a long discourse about the Lord", G67 has: "But Paul spoke lengthily in the discourse concerning the Lord Jesus."
Different readings supported by Old Latin
Acts 6:1 men] angel
Acts 7:46 Bezae reads οικω, G67 supports reading θεω;
Acts 12:25 Bezae reads Σαυλος] G67 supports reading ος επεκληθη Παυλος (who was called Paul))
Acts 14:20 Only h and G67, in the report that the disciples gathered around Paul after he was stoned and cast out of the city.
History
The manuscript is dated to the late 4th or early 5th century.Before 1963 it was part of the private collection of the manuscripts of William S. Glazier, a banker.
In 1983 it was presented along with whole Glazier Collection to the Pierpont Morgan Library. Charles Ryskamp, director of the Morgan Library, described the Glazier Collection as an "important addition to the Morgan Library's". Currently it is housed at the Pierpont Morgan Library (MS. G. 67) in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Theodore C. Petersen published in 1964 a selection of its readings, but presented them only in an English translation. He planned to provide a critical edition of the codex, but died in 1966.
The manuscript was examined by Petersen, Haenchen, Weigandt, Bober Epp, and Schenke. Elton Jay Epp found several unique readings of the codex. The text of the codex was edited by Schenke in 1991.
The readings of the codex have been incorporated into the apparatus of Nestle-Aland 26th edition of Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece is the Latin name editions of the original Greek-language version of the New Testament.The first printed edition was the Complutensian Polyglot Bible by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, printed in 1514, but not published until 1520...
.
Significance
Before the discovering of the Codex Glazier, a number of readings of Codex Bezae had support only of later, mixed Western witnesses and no pure witnesses. In such cases always was difficult to decide whether the reading is to be taken as Western or not. The evidence of Codex Glazier allows to separate old Western readings from late reading. It allows to decide with greater assurance.Codex Bezae has a lacuna
Lacuna (manuscripts)
A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
in 8:29-10:14. The Old Latin Codex Floriacensis
Codex Floriacensis
The Codex Floriacensis, designated by h in traditional system or by 55 in the Beuron system, is a 6th century Latin manuscript of the New Testament. The text, written on vellum, is a palimpsest. Another name of the manuscript is Fleury Palimpsest or Palimpsestus Floriacensis...
(designated by h), is also lacking in this section up to 9:24a, and after 9:24a. Codex Glazier is an important witness for reconstruction the Western text for this portion. At least 21 reading of Glazier of this portion may represent the Western text.
The manuscript is also important as a witness of the Coptic language, because there is very little manuscript written in Middle-Egyptian Coptic dialect.
Further reading
- T. C. Petersen, An Early Coptic Manuscript of Acts: An Unrevised Version of the Ancient So-Called Western Text, CBQCatholic Biblical QuarterlyThe Catholic Biblical Quarterly is a refereed theological journal published by the Catholic Biblical Association of America....
26 (1964), pp. 225–241 - Hans-Martin Schenke, Apostelgeschichte 1, 1 - 15, 3 Im Mittelaegyptischen Dialekt des Koptischen (Codex Glazier) (Texte Und Untersuchungen Zur Geschichte Der Altchristlichen Literatur 137), Berlin: Akademie Verlag 1991; another website.
- Elton Jay Epp, Coptic Manuscript G67 and the Role of Codex Bezae as a Western Witness in Acts, in: Perspectives on New Testament Textual Criticism (Leiden 2005), pp. 15–40