Description of 048
The codex contains the text of the Acts of Apostles, General epistles, and Pauline epistles, in a fragmentary condition. Only 21 parchment leaves – from original 316 – have survived. They constitute folios 198-199, 221-222, 229-230, 293-303, 305-308 of Vaticanus Graecus 2061. Size of the original pages was 30 cm by 27 cm.
The surviving leaves contain texts (according to Nestle-Aland 26th): Acts 26:6-27:4, 28:3-31; James 4:14-5:20; 1 Peter 1:1-12; 2 Peter 2:4-8, 2:13-3:15; 1 John 4:6-5:13, 5:17-18, 5:21; 2 John; 3 John; Romans 13:4-15:9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:11, 3:22, 4:4-6, 5:5-11, 6:3-11, 12:23-15:17, 15:20-27; 2 Corinthians 4:7-6:8, 8:9-18, 8:21-10:6; Ephesians 5:8-end; Philippians 1:8-23, 2:1-4, 2:6-8; Col. 1:2-2:8, 2:11-14, 22-23, 3:7-8, 3:12-4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 5-6, 1 Timothy 5:6-6:17, 6:20-21, 2 Timothy 1:4-6, 1:8, 2:2-25; Titus 3:13-end; Philemon; Hebrews 11:32-13:4.
The other sources give slightly different contents, because in some parts the manuscript is illegible (according to Batiffol and Gregory the folio 221 of the codex contains text of Acts 26:4-27:10).
Actual order of books: Acts of the Apostles, Catholic epistles, and Pauline epistles (Hebrews after Philemon); but this is not sure. The original order could be different. The titles of biblical books are short, e.g.: Προς Θεσσαλονικεις α, Ιωαννου β.
The text is written in three columns per page, 40-41 lines per page, 12-15 letters per line. The letters are square and round. The initial letters are not much bigger and they are not written at the margin before the column. It has not breathings and accents, also there is no diaeresis, over the letters ι and υ, usually used in other manuscripts frequently. It lacks the Euthalian Apparatus, and this is evidence for the early dating of the manuscript. Only in some places are given marks for liturgical readings.
The manuscript is one of the very few New Testament manuscripts to be written with three columns per page. The other two Greek codices written in that way are Codex Vaticanus (Uncial B/03) and Uncial 053. The trilingual minuscule codex 460 is, naturally, also in three columns (one per language).
The nomina sacra are written in an abbreviated way (ΘΣ, ΙΣ, ΧΣ, ΠΝΑ, etc.). The words written at the end of line are also abbreviated. At the margin to Romans 15:1 is written Κ Ζ ΜΕΤΑ Τ Π, it means "The seventh Sunday after the Pentecost". In the Byzantine Synaxarion the lesson of Romans 15:1-7 is red in this Sunday.
Read more about this topic: Codex Vaticanus 2061
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