Codex Regius (New Testament) - Description

Description

The codex contains 257 thick parchment leaves (23.5 cm by 17 cm), with an almost complete text of the four Gospels. The codex contains five lacunae (Matt 4:22-5:14, 28:17-20, Mark 10:16-30, 15:2-20, John 21:15-25).

The text is written in two columns per page, 25 lines per page, in large, not round uncial letters. It has breathings (Spiritus asper, Spiritus lenis), and accents often added wrongly. It is carelessly written by an ignorant scribe. The letter phi is enormously large, the letter alpha presents the last stage of the uncial script.

The text is divided according to the κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their τιτλοι (titles) at the top of the pages. It contains also the tables of the κεφαλαια (tables of contents) before each Gospel. There is also another division according to the Ammonian sections, with references to the Eusebian Canons at the margin. It contains lectionary markings at the margin (for liturgical reading).

It was badly written by the scribe, who was more probably Egyptian than Greek, with a tendency for writing Coptic rather than Greek.

It has two endings to the Gospel of Mark (as in codices Ψ 099 0112 274mg 579 Lectionary 1602), while John 7:53-8:11 is omitted.

Omissions

• Matthew 12:47 omitted (as in codices Codex Sinaiticus, B, 1009, ℓ 12, ff1, k, syrc, syrs, copsa). Mark 7: 16; 9:44.46; 11:26; Luke 17:36, and John 5:4 are omitted. It contains Luke 22:43-44 (the agony) omitted by other Alexandrian witnesses.

• Matthew 20:23 και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε (and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with), as in codices Sinaiticus, B, D, Z, Θ, 085, f1, f13, it, syrs, c, copsa.

• Luke 9:55b-56a — καὶ εἶπεν, Οὑκ οἴδατε οἵου πνεύματος ἑστε ὐμεῖς; ὀ γὰρ υἰὸς τοῦ ἁνθρώπου οὑκ ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἁνθρώπων ἁπολέσαι ἁλλὰ σῶσαι (and He said: "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of man came not to destroy men's lives but to save them) omitted as in codices Sinaiticus B C Θ Ξ 33 700 892 1241 syr, copbo;

• Luke 11:4 phrase αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου (but deliver us from evil) omitted. Omission is supported by the manuscripts: 75, Sinaiticus, B, f1, 700, vg, syrs, copsa, bo, arm geo.

Additions

• In Matthew 10:12 it reads λεγοντες ειρηνη τω οικω τουτω instead of αυτην. The reading is used by manuscripts: Sinaiticus*,2, Bezae, Washingtonianus, Koridethi, f 1 1010 (1424), it vgcl.
• In Matt. 27:49 codex contains added text: ἄλλος δὲ λαβὼν λόγχην ἒνυξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευράν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὖδορ καὶ αἳμα (the other took a spear and pierced His side, and immediately came out water and blood). This reading was derived from John 19:34 and occurs in other manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type (א, B, C, Γ, 1010, 1293, pc, vgmss).
• In John 20:31 it reads ζωην αιωνιον along with א C(*) D Ψ 0100 f13 it vgmss syrp, h copsa, copbo; majority reads ζωην;

Some readings

In Matthew 1:10 it reads Αμων for Αμως (א, B, C), the reading of the codex agrees with W, f13 and the Byzantine text.