Introductory Notes to the Extended Short Catalogue of Codex Sinaiticus

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1 Introductory Notes to the Extended Short Catalogue of Codex Sinaiticus Common features of pandect bible codices Codex Sinaiticus belongs to a small group of pandect codices: no more than ten exemplars have been preserved since early Byzantine times [see Diagram: Overview Pandect codices]. Characteristic of the pandect codex type is the composite form. They have in common that they incorporate all the books, OT and NT, which were in liturgical use in churches and monasteries in the East. These book-multiplication projects were formidable and ambitious indeed. Although there are differences between the available pandect exemplars in the arrangement of book groups and individual books, and there are long periods between their production (4 th /5 th c. and the 8 th c., 12 th c. and 14 th /15 th c.), the leading idea was the same for each of them -namely the inclusion and integration of all the books required for ecclesial practice. This central notion of the unity of the two Testaments within the covers of a pandect bible, however, was not always recognised in catalogue work, editions and by scholarship in general. The reason for this was the focus on specialisation, accompanied by the isolation of parts of codices from their original context in printed editions and studies. The Short Extended Catalogue aims to re-collect and re-integrate the broken pieces. A comprehensive view on the Sinaiticus Before the scribes (kalligraphoi) of the Sinaiticus could start the actual writing process in their scriptorium, several preparatory actions were necessary: 1) The various corpora of OT books (Septuagint version) had to be gathered together, to be used as models (archetypes) for the copying work, and sorted into pragmatic divisions. Maybe copies of the Hexapla were available, for instance, when the scribal work was conducted in Alexandria (where the Hexapla project commenced), or Caesarea in Palestine. 2) At the same time reliable copies of the four Gospels and the other NT corpora were also collected. Barnabas and Shepherd of Hermas were found worthy of being included also. 3) A plan for the arrangement of the books was devised. First the writings of the OT: Oktateuch, Kings-Chronicles, Ezra, Maccabees, Esther, Tobit, Judith, then the Prophets (4 Major and 16 Minor with additional materials) and finally the Psalms (150+1) and Wisdom books (6). Secondly the Gospels (4 books), the Pauline corpus of letters (14), Acts (1 book), the general (apostolic) corpus of letters (7), the Apocalypse (1 book), Barnabas (letter) and the Shepherd of Hermas (book). 1

2 4) The 380 parchment sheets were prepared for writing, the rough hides cut to the required size, the surfaces of the sheets prepared, the piles of quires formed (and maybe numbered) - that is, the 4 sheets of eight folios - for each sheet was laid upon the other according to the flesh-hair hair-flesh side procedure of the prepared skins. 5) The vertical and horizontal writing lines were set out on the sheets by a pricking technique and accordingly the ruling was conducted, on the back (hair) sides of the skins, executed with a ruler. The folio-pages were arranged into 4 small columns per page for the greater part of the work, with 48 lines of the 4 columns in a regular manner. For the Psalms and 6 Wisdom books a folio-column design of 2 columns per folio-page and the same number of lines was applied. 6) Most probably the whole work was divided over several portions in order to make the effort more feasible and the tasks for several scribes were determined (maybe the actual writing was conducted simultaneously by several persons, or consecutively). The writing of the codex was executed as follows: 7) The individual books were clearly specified with the help of titles at the beginning of each book or letter in the upper margins (repeated throughout the writing with running titles) and at the end of the work, within the column. When the work finished half way down a column, the remainder was left blank. New contents always started at the top of a new column (first line). 8) Perhaps the various model units existed in different formats, writing styles (stemming from earlier periods) and contained different divisions. It is even probable that the production of the codex Sinaiticus was executed on the basis of scrolls, of differing format and quality. These models (we conjecture) were shaped into even portions, clearly distinguished in the codex, and copied in one same writing style (continuous script in small columns). 9) Most importantly, they were copied in column paragraphs (unit delimitation) of varying sizes, creating sense units marked by extended first letters at the beginning of a new paragraph. At the end of a sense unit a half line was left blank, sometimes shorter sometimes longer. Paragraphs functioned to help the reader to read logically, according to the longstanding reading/reciting practices in communal services. All scribes used more or less the same script type; monumental, sovereign majuscules. 10) The piles of quires were bound together into one codex. Remnants of original binding threads have survived and have been detected by codicologists. 11) Covers were added to hold the codex together. The original covers have been lost. We should not exclude the idea that a solid case of wood was fabricated in which the codex was laid for protection. 2

3 Necessary funding of the project 12) A solid funding for the (large) task of copying, as well as the costs of the 380 hides of sheep or goats, was required. The parchment sheets had to be fabricated into ready exemplars, and funds were needed for the honoraria of the scribes over a longer period. 13) Equipment and tools for the kalligraphoi were to be made available. Integration of OT and NT books The books of the Greek Old Testament and New Testament were brought together transmitted in one codex in this fourth century Pandect Bible codex, maybe for the first time in the transmission history of the bible books and in this form. The inclusion of books of such varying heritage, ancient (Old Testament) and more recent (New Testament) meant for the scribes of the Sinaiticus, in fact, a codicological and palaeographical assimilation. They created an outward, formal correspondence, suggesting an internal coherence, despite the differences in origin, writers, form, script, aim and function of the books. The leading idea was, without any doubt, in the first place the integration of the longstanding delivery of OT books and NT writings. Interesting is that the age-long accumulation and the chronological production of books, from Genesis to the Apocalypse and beyond (Barnabas and the Shepherd) is retained in the corpusformation found in codex Sinaiticus. Divisions of book groups and books Of immense interest is the preservation of the liturgical grouping of books in codex Sinaiticus, reflecting the communal and private reading and interpretation practices of early Christian worship. Not only individual books were used, but book groups. The Pentateuch served as model (typos). The other books which came about in later times and accumulated into larger collections used that model. Thus, overviewing the whole of all biblical books, one descends to the level of book groups (see Diagram: included books in Codex Sinaiticus), and then again further to (a lower level) the individual books (bibloi), which all received their place and particular significance within the wider book group context, as well as liturgical. The Psalterion with Kathismata, the liturgical reading divisions, is one of the more important groupings followed at the end of the Wisdom books by the eminent Four Gospel codex unit. Both categories, larger book groups and single books, are clearly marked and delimited within the context of the whole codex. Unit delimitations within columns Another fascinating aspect, much overlooked indeed, are the smaller column divisions within the books, which is a common (palaeographical) design feature of all included books, OT and NT, in codex Sinaiticus. These column divisions are called paragraphs and indicate sense units (extended first letters indicating the beginning of 3

4 a sense unit, preceded by a half blank line), made visible for an adequate understanding of reader and interpreter. These sense units have been completely removed from sight, omitted in editions and translations, primarily because of the chapter and verse divisions that were introduced later. Ancient reading practice, and one can solidly conjecture that this was a liturgical reading, was kept in the sense units of the columns of varying lengths. These sense units are of more interest for the reader and interpreter than the given of how many columns there are per folio-page. They may help to manage the reading of the books in larger units. However, they do not directly assist in an understanding and interpretation of what is read. One of the pressing tasks of modern editors is to turn their attention to these ancient column divisions and to prepare a format in which the sense units are recognised. Tischendorf paid attention to it in his splendid lithographical facsimile edition, but only in a more recent study (Jongkind) that a first effort was done to explore this fascinating manner of writing down liturgical reading. It is impossible for the particular and detailed character to include this important parameter of the sense units in the Extended Short Catalogue Form (a detailed study and evaluation is demanded for this interesting topic), which focus on the main codex contents and internal framework. One will observe that in the Extended Short Catalogue Form the chapter-verse divisions have been omitted, whereas in other catalogues the chapter-verse model is central leading apparatus (see Milne/Skeat, Codex Sinaiticus website). It is our aim to laid some emphasis on the codico-palaeographical framework in our catalogue description in order to prepare the ground for further specific research of the authentic book and column divisions preserved in codex Sinaiticus, assisted by its appearance in other Pandect Bible codices, Vaticanus (4 th c., Vatican), and Alexandrinus (5 th c. London). One may expect that the codex Synaiticus became the model for copies of partial codex units and contributed to a better understanding of the biblical-liturgical corpora of ancient times. A fortiori, the codicological foundation was laid for further transmission of this monument of religious content and craftsmanship. Liturgical provenance It is productive in any search of the place of origin of the Sinaiticus, that one also recognises the liturgical provenance of this Pandect Bible codex. The contents of the codices stem from experience and liturgical reality (empeiria) in synagogue and ecclesia. This is true for biblical scriptures, and it is also true for the other writings which followed and were used together with the scriptures. If we look at the scriptures, we find unsystematic conglomerations of liturgical contents. Take the book of Exodus, for instance, of which the ongoing account often is interrupted by inserted lists, laws, instructions to build a Tabernacle in order to 4

5 install liturgical services for Israel at Sinai, and so on, a composition and structure which can hardly be characterised as systematic. What to say of the compilation of the book of Psalms, clearly shaped for liturgical usage, or the Song of Songs, and the books of the Prophets? The same is perceivable also in the four Gospels, and the apostolic letters and the Apocalypse. All these writings are highly inspired qua content and thought, and one can appreciate the unorganised form precisely for this reason ( ). The Extended Short Catalogue s purpose should guarantee that the core elements of codex type should be described adequately. Select Bibliography C. G. Bateman, Origen s Role in the Formation of the New Testament Canon, University of British Columbia, [ V. N. Beneševič, Les manuscrits grecs du Mont Sinai et le monde savant de l Europe depuis le XVIIe siècle jusqu à 1927, (Texte und Forschungen Zur Byzantinisch-neugriechischen Philologie; Nr. 21), Athens, W. M. De Bruin, Interpreting Delimiters: The Complexity of text Delimitation in Four Major Septuagint Manuscripts, in Studies in Scriptural Unit Division, ed. by M. C. A. Korpel,, J. M. Oesch, Assen, 2002, pp G. Cavallo, Ricerche sulla maiuscola biblica, (Studi e testi di papirologia editi dall Istituto papirologico G. Vitelli dell Università di Firenze, 2), 2 vols., Florence, Codex Sinaiticus Project. The digitised facsimile of all dislocated parts of the codex (OT & NT), with diplomatic rendering [online since 2009]: D. Cockerell, The Binding of the Codex Sinaiticus, in British Museum Quaterly, 10 ( ), pp [plate]. Eusebius of Caesarea, The Ecclesiastical History, Translated by Kirsopp Lake. Vols. 1-2 in The Loeb Classical Library. Ed. by T. E. Page, E. Capps, W. H. D. Rouse, L. A. Post, and E. H. Warmington, London, 1926, A. Grafton, M. Williams, Christianity and the Transformation of the Book. Origen, Eusebius, and the Library of Caesarea, Cambridge, Mass, London, Eusebius of Caesarea, In Praise of Constantine: A Historical Study and New Translation of Eusebius Tricennial Orations. Translated by H. A. Drake. Berkeley, D. Jongkind, Scribal Habits of Codex Sinaiticus, (Texts and Studies Third Series 5), Piscataway, Gorgias, H. J. M. Milne, T. C. Skeat, Scribes and Correctors of the Codex Sinaiticus, including Contributions by Douglas Cockerell, London, H. J. M. Milne, T. C. Skeat, The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus, 2nd edn, London: British Museum, T. N. Mitchell, Codex Sinaiticus as a Window into Early Christian Worship, in Eleutheria: A Graduate StudentJournal,3.1(2014),art.2.[ text=eleu]. D. C. Parker, Codex Sinaiticus : the story of the world s oldest Bible, London and Peabody, MA, Thomas S. Pattie, 'The Creation of the Great Codices', in The Bible as Book: The Manuscript Tradition, ed. by John L. Sharpe III and Kimberly Van Kampen, London: British Library, pp (pp ). The Philocalia of Origen. Gregory and Basil of Nazianzus, Compilers and Editors. Revised text in Greek, J. Armitage Robinson. Cambridge, The Philocalia of Origen. Gregory and Basil of Nazianzus, Compilers and Editors. Translated by George Lewis. Edinburgh,

6 C. von Tischendorf, Bibliorum codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus, 4 vols., St. Petersburg, [repr. Hildesheim, 1969] C. von Tischendorf, Die Sinaibibel : ihre Entdeckung, Herausgabe und Erwerbung, Leipzig,

Ancient New Testament Manuscripts Survey of Manuscripts Gerry Andersen Valley Bible Church, Lancaster, California

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