Description
The codex contains almost complete text of the four Gospels on 265 parchment leaves (size 16.3 cm by 12.2 cm). The leaves are arranged in small quarto. Only one leaf of the codex had lost, containing Matthew 14:13-15:16, before it was examined by Philip Traherne.
The text is written in one column per page, 20-26 lines per page in an elegant minuscule letters. The large initial letters in red. The breathings (rough breathing, smooth breathing) and accents are given correctly, in spite of some not numerous but evident errors (e.g. αὑριον, ἐστη, ἀλωπηξ, ἀλεκτωρ, αποστελλῶ).
The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their τιτλοι (titles of chapters) at the top of the pages. There is also another division according to the smaller and more ancient Ammonian Sections (in Matthew 356, in Mark 234, in Luke 342, in John only 219 sections), with references to the Eusebian Canons (written below Ammonian Section numbers).
It contains the Epistula ad Carpianum (Epistle to Carpian) at the beginning of the codex, lists of the κεφαλαια (tables of contents) were placed before each Gospel in the 15th century, and slight illuminations before each Gospel. In the 15th century lectionary markings were added at the margin and the manuscript was prepared for the church service. Every Gospel passage used for church reading is marked at the beginning by αρχαι and at the end by τελη. It has some scholia at the margin.
Movable nu is rare, and the few errors of itacism are of the common kind. It has Iota subscriptum in a few places (e.g. Luke 10:28; 22:23; 23:43; John 5:4), but not Iota adscriptum. It has also some grammar forms, which usually occur in Alexandrian manuscripts: θυγατεραν (Luke 13:16), ειπαν (19:25), πεσατε (23:30), ηγαπησες (17:26), μελαινα (Matthew 5:36), πτερνα (John 13:18). The accusative is often put for the dative after λεγω (e.g. Matthew 8:21; 10:1; Mark 12:38; Luke 5:14). The manuscript uniformly use βαραβας, κηππος, κηππουρος (for βαραββας, κηπος, κηπουρος).
Many clauses are omitted by the error of homeoteleuton (clauses with similar endings).
Read more about this topic: Codex Ephesinus
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