The Manuscripts of Paul

Contents: Introduction * Table of Papyri and Uncials * Table of Minuscules 1-500 * Table of Minuscules 501-1000 * Table of Minuscules 1001-1500 * Table of Minuscules 1501-2000 * Table of Minuscules Over 2000 * Notes *

Introduction

Textual critics are dependent on their materials -- in this case, manuscripts. But how is a student to know which manuscripts contain which text? No one can possibly examine all the manuscripts now available.

To make matters worse, not all editors agree on the nature of the text found in the manuscripts.

This article attempts to summarize the judgments passed by previous editors. The tables below list all non-fragmentary manuscripts cited regularly in at least one of the major recent critical apparati (Merk, Nestle-Aland26, Nestle-Aland27, UBS3, UBS4). Notes on sources and how to interpret the data follow the table. Fragmentary manuscripts are omitted as they should be dealt with on a more detailed basis.

Table of Papyri & Uncials

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
P13a1034III/
IV
Heb#HHI
Free
Generally goes with P46 B sa.
P46II/
III
p#H-CI
Free
Along with B, head of a very early text-type. Somewhat wild, especially in Romans. Zuntz called this type "proto-Alexandrian," and included in in P46 B 1739 sa bo; in my opinion, the Bohairic goes with Aleph A C 33 while 1739 heads its own text-type.
Aleph (01) d2IVeapcrHHIEarliest and purest manuscript of the true Alexandrian text. Closest relative is 33.
A (02)d4Ve#ap#cr
HHILargely Alexandrian, of the early type, with a few mixed readings.
B (03)d1IVeap#cHHIAlong with P46 and sa, the head of the earliest known text-type.
C (04)d3Ve#a#p#c#r#HHIIEarly Alexandrian text. Fairly pure example of the type; much less mixture than in the gospels.
D (06)a1026VIp# Gk/LatIa1CaII
(Dc III)
Earliest "Western" witness. Two copies (Dabs1 and Dabs2) known. The facing Latin text is not parallel, and is close to the Old Latin b. Not an ancestor of F G; D has more major divergences but fewer minor divergences from the Alexandrian text.
F (010)a1029IXp# Gk/LatIa1CaII"Western" text. Sister or cousin of G. The facing Latin text is not fully parallel; it contains a mix of vulgate and Old Latin readings with perhaps some assimilation to the Greek (or vice versa!). Beautifully but badly copied.
G (012)a1028IXp# Gk/LatIa1CaIII"Western" text. Sister or cousin of F, but generally the more accurate of the pair. The interlinear Latin closely follows the Greek. The text has many minor departures from the Alexandrian text, but fewer major shifts than D.
H (015)a1022VIp#HHIIIAlexandrian, of a late cast, with many Byzantine readings. Said to have been corrected from a Pamphilian ms., but most corrections are Byzantine.
I (016)a1041Vp#HHIIVery pure and early Alexandrian; close to Aleph.
K (018)I1 (Apr1)IXp#c CommKVByzantine. Pair with 0151.
L (020)a5IXa#p#cKKVByzantine.
P (025)a3IXa#p#c#r#HHIIILargely Byzantine, with some late Alexandrian readings
Y (044) d6IX?e#ap#cHHIIIAlmost purely Byzantine, with some late Alexandrian readings (rather similar to P) in the later epistles.
048a1Va#p#c#HIIApparently mostly Alexandrian but with many free readings.
049 (S)a2IXap#c(CK)VByzantine.
056O7Xapc Comm(K)VByzantine; pair with 0142.
075Op3Xp# CommIIIMostly Byzantine with some late Alexandrian readings.
0121
(0121a, M)
a1031X1-2C#HHIIIFamily 1739 with some Byzantine infusion. Zuntz dates to century XII.
0121b
(M)
a1031X?Heb#HHIIINow considered part of 0243 (which see).
0142O6Xapc Comm(H)VByzantine; pair with 056
0150X2IXp# CommIIIMostly Byzantine with some late Alexandrian readings.
0151X21IXp# CommVByzantine; pair with K/018.
0243
(+0121b)
X1C# 2C
(Heb#)
II?Very pure family 1739 text, especially in Corinthians. Probably a near cousin of 1739. See the entry on family 1739.
0278IXp#Late Alexandrian with a strong Byzantine overlay.
0285
(+081)
VIp#(H[I])(H)Late Alexandrian with assorted mixed readings

Table of Minuscules 1-500

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
1d254XIIeapcIa3CaV
2a253XIIapcIb1CbVNow officially renumbered 2815
5d453XIVeapcIa2CaIII
6d356XIIIeapcHHIIIBase text is family 1739, close to 424**. Heavy overlay of late Byzantine readings.
33d48IXe#a#p#c#HHIPrimarily Byzantine in Romans, which comes from a later hand. This text may related to 2344. The remaining books are purely Alexandrian, close to Aleph. All pages of Paul are intact, but there is some damage from damp.
35d309XIeapcrIb2Cb
38d355XIII#eapcIa3Ca
43a270XIIeapcIbCb
69d505XVe#a#pc#r#Ia3CIIIMostly Byzantine, with some late Alexandrian readings. Group with 462 2344.
81a1621044a#pcHHIIGood Alexandrian witness. Transitional between early and late forms.
88a200XIIapcrIa1CaIIIMostly Byzantine with some late Alexandrian (family 2127) readings. Also occasional wild ("Western"?) readings.
104a1031087apcrHHIIILate Alexandrian with a heavy Byantine overlay. Some readings reminiscent of family 1611.
177a106XIapcrIa3CaV
181a101XapcrIa1CaIIIPrimarily Byzantine with hints of something else (mostly in Corinthians). This earlier substrate appears akin to 1877.
203a2031111#apcrIc2CaV
206a365XIII#apcIb1CbVAlmost purely Byzantine; probably groups with 429.
216a4691358#apcIb2Cb
218d300XIII#eapcrIa3CaIII
221a69XapcIc2CcV
223a186XIVap#cKcVSlightly impure example of von Soden's Kc group.
226d156XIIeapcIa3CaV
241d507XIeapcrIa3Ca
242d206XIIeapcrIb1Cb
255a174XIVapcIa3Ca
256a216XI#apcr
Gk/arm
Ia3CaIIFamily 2127, with particularly strong links to the Armenian.
257a466XIVapcIc2Cc
263d372XIIIeapcIa3CaIIIFamily 2127 (a rather weak member)
319a256XII#apcIa3Ca?V
321a254XII#apcIaCa
323a157XIIapcIb2(Cb)III
326a257Xap#cHHIIIPrimarily Byzantine with some late Alexandrian readings.
330d259XIIeapcIa3CaIIIFamily 330. Forms a pair with 451 in all books except Hebrews, where 330 becomes Byzantine. More distantly kin to 2492.
336a500XVapcrIbCb
337a205XII#apcrIa3CaV
365d367XIIeap#cKIIIFamily 2127. Particularly close to 2127 itself, of which it might almost be a descendent with Byzantine mixture.
378a258XIIapcIc2CcV
383a353XIIIapcIc2Cc
385a 5061407#apcrIc2(Cc)V
424**O12XIapcrHHIIIThe corrections clearly belong to family 1739 (in fact, they seem to be the purest text of this type). They are particularly close to 6. 424* is purely Byzantine.
429a398XIVapcrIb1CbVApparently almost purely Byzantine; group with 206.
436a172XapcIa3CaIIILate Alexandrian with Byzantine mixture; perhaps closest to 1962.
440d260XIIeapcIb2Cb
441O18XIIIa#Ro1C#
Comm
IIIContains Acts Romans, and most of 1 Corinthians. Bound with 442. Late Alexandrian and Byzantine.
442O18XII/
XIII
1C#-He
c Comm
IIContains part of 1 Cor, the rest of Paul, and the Catholics. Bound with 441. A good late Alexandrian text.
451a 178XIapcKIIIFamily 330. 451 is almost a sister of 330, except that it retains its quality in Hebrews, where 330 is Byzantine. 2492 is a more distant relative. See the entry on 330.
459a1041092apcrH?IIILate Alexandrian with much Byzantine corruption. Akin to family 2127.
460a397XIII#apc Gk/
Lat/arab
Ia3Ca
462a359XI/
XII
apcIa3CaMostly Byzantine with some late Alexandrian readings. Group with 69 2344.
467a502XVapcrIa2CaIII
489d4591316#eapcIa2Ca
491d152XI#eapcIb2(Cb)V

Table of Minuscules 501-1000

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
506d101XI#eapcrIc2CcV
522d6021515/
1516
eapcrIb1CbV
547d157XIeapcIa3CaV
614a364XIIIapc#Ic2CcIII?Byzantine. Pair with 2412; group with 876.
623a1731037#apc
Comm
Ia2CaIIIMostly Byzantine with a handful of early readings
629a460XIVapc
Gk/Lat
KIIIAbout 75% Byzantine, but the only minuscule with significant "Western" readings. These seem to derive from the Latin; most agree with the vulgate or the Old Latin a.
630 a461XIVa#pcIbIIIWeak family 1739 in Romans & Corinthians; gradually turns pure Byzantine in the later epistles. Pair with 2200.
635a161XIapcIb1Cb
642a552XIV#apcIa3CaV
794d454XIV#eapcIa3CaV
823d368XIII#eapcIb2Cb
876a356XIIapcIc2CcByzantine; possibly group with 614 and 2412.
913a470XIVapcIc2Cc
915a382XIIIapcIa1CaIII
917a264XIIapcIa1CaIII
919a113XIapcrIaCaV
920a55XapcrIb?CaV
927d2511133eapcIa2Ca
941d369XIIIeapcIb1Cb
999d353XIIIeapcIa3CaV

Table of Minuscules 1001-1500

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
1022a480XIVapcKxByzantine in Romans-Thessalonians; good family 1611 text in Pastorals and Hebrews
1099a368XIVapcIbCbV
1108a370XIII#apcIc1Cc
1149d370XIIIeapcIb2CbV
1175a74XIap#cHHIGood late Alexandrian text, except in Romans and (probably) Thessalonians, where it is Byzantine.
1241d371XIIe#a#pcH?K?IIIText from first hand is Byzantine. The sundry supplements (1C 2:10f., 2C 13:3f., Gal, Eph. 2:15, Phil., Col., Heb. 11:3f.) are mixed late Alexandrian and Byzantine.
1245a158XIIapcIc1Cc
1311a1701090apcIa3Ca
1319d180XII#eapcIa3CaIIIFamily 2127. The family is often called after 1319, although 2127 is a better witness to the type.

Table of Minuscules 1501-2000

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
1505d165XIIeapcKxIIIFamily 1611. Pair with 2495 (with 1505 the better of the two). Colophon falsely dates to 1084.
1506Qe4021320eRo#1C
Comm
IIExcellent early Alexandrian text, close to Aleph. Noteworthy for omitting Romans chapter 16.
1518a551XIVapcIc1CcLost, but probably family 1611. May have resurfaced as 1896.
1573d398XII/
XIII
#eapc(Ir)(Kr)IIIFamily 2127
1610a4681364apcIc2Cc
1611a208X?apcrIc1CcIIIBest surviving witness of family 1611.
1738a164XI#apcIa3CaV
1739a78XapcIb2?
(lists
as H)
D?
(lists
as H)
ICore member of family 1739, preserving about 90% of the family text. Sister or nearly of 0243. Marginal commentary from assorted sources (paralleled in 1908). In Paul, most of the marginalia are from Origen (in Acts and the Catholics they are from other sources). Colophon claims Romans was copied from Origen's commentary and the rest from an Origenic manuscript, but there is no evident change in text-type.
1758a396XIII#apcIb1Cb
1799e610?!XII/
XIII
a#pc(Iphir)Primarily Byzantine, with occasional block mixes of weak late Alexandrian and family 1739 texts. Edited text; paragraph divisions marked by the insertion of adelfoi or similar heading, probably based on the lectionary (lectionary readings are marked in the margin).
1827a3671295#apcIa2Ca
1831a472XIV#apcIb1Cb
1835a56XapcIa3CaV
1836a65Xpc#Ia1CaIII
1837a192XI#apcIa3Ca
1838a175XI#apcIa2CaIII
1845a64XapcIa3Ca(III)
1852a114XIII#apcrH (Ro)
Ic1?
H(Ro)
Cc
IIILate Alexandrian mixed with Byzantine in Romans. Elsewhere mostly Byzantine.
1867a154XII#apcIc2Cc
1872a209XIIapcrIb2CbV
1873a252XIIapcIa2Ca
1877a455XIVapcIIIMostly Byzantine, with some sections of something else. This other text is probably the same as that underlying the non-Byzantine portions of 181.
1881a651XIVpc#IIFamily 1739 with some Byzantine corruptions. Best complete family text after 1739.
1891a62XapcIbCbV
1898a70XapcIa1Ca
1908Opi103XIp CommHIIICommentary (in Romans) parallels that in 1739, but the text is poorer. Outside Romans, text is rather Byzantine.
1912a1066Xp#Ia1CaIII
1960a14311366p#Badly mutilated text of Paul seems to belong with von Soden's Kr text.
1962X10XI/
XII
p# CommIIFairly high-quality late Alexandrian text, loosely related to family 2127; some links to 436
1984Qpi43XIVp# CommMostly Byzantine, with some special readings shared with 1985.
1985Qpi551561p# CommMostly Byzantine, with some special readings shared with 1984.

Table of Minuscules 2001 and over

Gregory NumberSoden Symbol DateContent Soden DescMerk DescAland DescComment
2005a1436XIVap#Ic1CcIIIProbably family 1611, although not yet properly studied.
2127d202XIIeap#cIa3CaIIBest member of family 2127, a late Alexandrian group containing also 256 263 365 1319 1573 etc.
2138a1161072#apcrIc1CcIIIHead of the family 1611 group in Acts and the Catholics, but here much attenuated.
2143a184XIIapcIa2Ca
2147d299XI/
XII
#eapcIc2CcV
2200d414XIVeapcrIIIWeak family 1739 in Romans & Corinthians; mostly Byzantine in the later epistles. Pair with 630.
2298a171XIIapcIb2CbV
2344XI#a#p#c#rIIIMostly Byzantine with some late Alexandrian readings. Group with 69 462. 33supp (Romans) may also go with this text.
2412XII#apcIII?Almost purely Byzantine. Pair with 614; group with 876.
2464IXap#cIILate Alexandrian with some Byzantine mixture. Few dramatic readings; the Alands should probably have rated it category III, not II. Byzantine in Romans.
2492XIVeapcIIIArguably the best text of family 330, although somewhat distant from the pair 330 451. See the entry on 330.
2495XV#eapcrIII?Family 1611. A late and somewhat degraded cousin of 1505.

Notes

Gregory Number -- The standard numerical designation for manuscripts, based on the system created by Caspar Rene Gregory.

Soden Symbol -- The designation given to the manuscript by H. von Soden. The user is referred to von Soden's work or the commentaries for a discussion of these symbols, many of which cannot even be reproduced in HTML format.

The Gregory/Soden equivalences given here are taken primarily from Kurt Aland, Kurzgefasste Liste der Grieschischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments (de Gruyer, 1963). They have been checked against Merk where necessary.

Date -- as given by the most recent catalogs (NA27 or the Kurzgefasste Liste). Arabic numerals indicate a precise date listed in a colophon; roman numerals indicate centuries (as judged by paleographers).

Contents -- briefly describes the contents of a manuscript. e=Gospels; a=Acts; p=Paul; c=Catholics; r=Apocalypse. The symbol # indicates a defect. If it follows the description of a section (e.g. p#) it indicates that the manuscript is defective in that section; if it precedes the list, it means that the nature of the defect is unknown to me. Thus, ap#c indicates a manuscript which contains Acts, Paul, and the Catholics, which is defective for part of Paul; #apc indicates a manuscript of those same books which is defective in a way unknown to me. Comm indicates a commentary manuscript; polyglot manuscripts are also noted.

The information here is taken from the Kurzgefasste Liste, from NA27, from a variety of special studies, and from my own researches.

Soden Description -- this indicated the classification in which von Soden placed the manuscripts. There is no room here for a full discussion, but we may note that H is the Aexandrian text (comprehending, in this case, the P46/B and family 1739 text). K is the Byzantine text. The various I groups include the "Western" text and a wide variety of manuscripts of lesser value and other types. Of these, Ia1 corresponds roughly to the "Western" text. Ia3 consists of late Alexandrian manuscripts (plus family 330). This group includes all of family 2127, as well as a number of texts loosely related to family 2127. Ic1 is family 1611.

The information from this section again comes from the Kurzgefasste Liste, supplemented by Merk and other authorities.

Merk Description -- These are the classification used in Augustinus Merk's Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine. It will be observed that, for the most part, they correspond with von Soden's, except that C has been substituted for I. This list is also generally useful for Bover's edition, although Bover does not offer group names. A question mark or parenthesized entry in this column indicates that Merk's list of manuscripts does not correspond to his manuscript groupings; the reader is referred to the group lists.

Aland Description -- Kurt and Barbara Aland undertook to classify "all" minuscules according to quality. In The Text of the New Testament (translated by Erroll F. Rhodes, Eerdmans, 1989) they listed their results. A category I manuscript was considered most important for establishing the text (practical translation: a category I manuscript is supposed to be free of Byzantine influence). A category II manuscript is somewhat poorer and more mixed; category III is important "for the history of the text"; category V is Byzantine. In practice, these categories are an assessment of Byzantine influence.

It will be noted that not all manuscripts have been rated. Some (e.g. 1799) were not collated. In most instances, however, it appears to be because the manuscript is very slightly mixed -- not purely Byzantine, but not clearly anything else, either. In some cases I have been unable to determine why the Alands did not give a rating.

Comment -- this is my attempt to provide the "last word." Where I have examined a manuscript, I give my results (based either on examination of collation or on statistical studies of 550 readings).