The León Palimpsest, designated l or 67 (in the Beuron system),[1] is a 7th-century Latin manuscript pandect of the Christian Bible conserved in the cathedral of León, Spain. The text, written on vellum, is in a fragmentary condition. In some parts it represents the Old Latin version, while following Jerome's Vulgate in others. The codex is a palimpsest.[2]
From its location in Léon, this palimpsest is sometimes referred to as the Codex Legionensis; but this name is more commonly applied to the 10th-century Vulgate Bible at the Basilica of San Isidoro, León (Codex Gothicus Legionensis, or 91, 92 and 133 in the Beuron system).[1] Nor should the León palimpsest be confused with another 10th-century pandect in León, of which the second volume is conserved in the cathedral archive of Léon (number 193 in the Beuron system).[1]
Description
The text of the New Testament has survived on 40 leaves of the codex. The leaves have measures 37 by 24 cm. The text is written in 2 columns of 38-55 lines per page.[3] The text is written in a semi-uncial hand, in Visigothic characters. The fragments contain texts of James 4:4 - 1 Peter 3:14; 1 John 1:5 - 3 John 10; Acts 7:27-11:13; 14:21-17:25. It contains also a fragment of the Books of Maccabees.[4] The text of the codex represent a Vulgate with Old Latin elements, especially in the First Epistle of John.[2] The text is close to the Liber Comicus.[4] The codex also contains the text of the Comma Johanneum (1 John 5:7).[5] As it is a palimpsest, the text could be overwritten. The younger upper text contains a 10th-century writing of Rufinus' translation of Eusebius' Church history.[4] The whole book contains 275 leaves, of which 185 have had their underwiting deciphered.[3][6]
It was discovered by Rudolf Beer. It was examined and described by Samuel Berger.[2][10] It was examined by Bonifatius Fischer and Thiele.[4] Fischer edited its text in 1963.[8]
Currently it is housed in the archive of León Cathedral, where it is designated as codex 15.[4] The manuscript is cited in several critical texts of the Greek and Latin New Testament.[9]
^ abcdeBruce M. Metzger, The Early Versions of the New Testament, Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 316.
^Aland, B.; Aland, K.; J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, B. Metzger, A. Wikgren (1993). The Greek New Testament. Stuttgart: United Bible Societies. p. 819. ISBN978-3-438-05110-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) [UBS4]
^Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2013), "The Latin Bible, c. 600 to c. 900", in Marsden, Richard; Matter, E. Ann (eds.), The New Cambridge History of the Bible; Volume 2; from 600 to 1450, CUP, p. 74
^Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2013), "The Latin Bible, c. 600 to c. 900", in Marsden, Richard; Matter, E. Ann (eds.), The New Cambridge History of the Bible; Volume 2; from 600 to 1450, CUP, p. 75
^ abAland, B.; Aland, K.; J. Karavidopoulos, C. M. Martini, B. Metzger, A. Wikgren (2009). The Greek New Testament (4 ed.). Stuttgart: United Bible Societies. p. 25*. ISBN978-3-438-05110-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) [UBS4]