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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

Discover the fascinating aspects of Minuscule 788, a key Greek manuscript illuminating the Caesarean Text-Type of the New Testament. This exploration covers its structural details, textual variations, and historical journey, offering valuable insights for students and scholars of biblical texts.

Introduction to Minuscule 788

Minuscule 788, categorized under Gregory-Aland and von Soden’s numbering systems as a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, provides a significant glimpse into the textual history of the New Testament. Written on parchment, paleographic analysis places this manuscript in the 11th century, making it a valuable piece in understanding the transmission of the New Testament text.

GA 788, showing the opening verses to the Gospel of Mark

Detailed Description of Minuscule 788

This manuscript is a codex, an early form of the book, containing the texts of the four Gospels on 219 parchment leaves, each measuring 22 cm by 17 cm. The text, written in two columns per page, with 26 lines each, exhibits a single gap in John 21:20-25.

Notably, Minuscule 788 is organized with chapter numbers (κεφαλαια) and titles (τιτλοι) for easy reference. It incorporates the Ammonian Sections, a division method of the Gospels, with references to the Eusebian Canons. Unique to this manuscript is a Gospel Harmony noted in John’s Gospel, providing a comparative study of the Gospels.

Additional contents include the Epistula ad Carpianum by Eusebius of Caesarea, explaining his gospel harmony system, chapter lists (κεφαλαια) for each Gospel, introductions (Prolegomena), and liturgical markings for church readings. The manuscript features hagiographies, a Synaxarion, and a Menologion, along with end-of-gospel subscriptions, art, and lists of phrases (ρηματα) and lines (στιχοι) used in each Gospel.

Textual Character of Minuscule 788

Minuscule 788’s Greek text is identified with the Caesarean text-type, a category of New Testament manuscripts distinguished by specific shared readings. Initially identified by Burnett Hillman Streeter, this text-type has been subject to scholarly debate, with figures like Kurt and Barbara Aland offering critique. Hermann von Soden classifies it within his textual family Iιb. Kurt Aland categorizes it as a Category III manuscript, indicating a blend of early readings with notable Byzantine influence and other unidentified sources.

Per the Claremont Profile Method, Minuscule 788 is a core member of the textual family ƒ13 in Luke 1, Luke 10, and Luke 20.

Textual variants of interest include the omission of Matthew 16:2b–3, placement of Luke 22:43-44 after Matthew 26:39, and the Pericope Adulterae following Luke 21:38.

Historical Journey of Minuscule 788

The history of Minuscule 788 is traced back to the 11th century, with its origin in Calabria for a man named Leo. Recognized by Caspar René Gregory in 1886, its early history is shrouded in mystery, including a purported but unconfirmed raid on the monastery Porta Panagia in 1823. The manuscript, along with others, eventually found its way to the National Library of Greece in Athens, where it resides today (National Library of Greece, Codex 74).

Minuscule 788 stands not just as an ancient manuscript but as a testament to the complex and dynamic history of the New Testament’s textual transmission. Its contents, textual character, and historical journey offer invaluable insights for biblical scholarship and textual criticism.

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).