Hagiography

Accession number:

MS M.596

Title:

Hagiography

Created:

Egypt, 871-872.

Binding:

Ancient binding: According to Petersen: fragmentary upper and lower covers of leather, over papyrus boards. According to Petersen, the binding is a companion piece tot hat of M.594, which also originally belonged to the monastery of Apa Epima in Narmoute, and also must have been made at the same bindery. (Binding cataloged separately as MS M.596A.)

Credit:

Purchased for J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1911.

Description:

[i], 37 leaves (2 columns, 41-43 lines), bound : vellum, ill. ; 375 x 289 mm

Provenance:

Donated to the Monastery of Saint Apa Epima of Pŝōnte at Narmoute, or Medinet Madi; Saint Michael (Dayr al-Malāk Mīkhāʼil); found in 1910 near the village of Hamuli, Fayyūm Province, Egypt, at the site of the Monastery of Saint Michael; purchased in Paris in 1911 in three lots (fol. i, fol. 19, and the remainder) for J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) from Arthur Sambon, a dealer acting in behalf of a consortium of owners including a certain J. Kalebdian; J.P. Morgan (1867-1943).

Notes:

Manuscript hagiographic and homiletic miscellany; written and illuminated in Egypt, and completed on AM 588 (i.e., either on Aug. 30, 871 or Aug. 28, 872).
2 sewing repairs.
Colophons: 1) fol. ir: Memorial (?): For Deacon Gabri of the Monastery of St. Michael (?near present-day Hamuli). 2) fol. iv, below frontispiece: Memorial (?): For Deacon Gabri. "I am Gabri the Deacon, servant of God and son of Michael Archangel." 3) fol. iv: Memorial (name only): For Iōannēs (with crude drawing of human bust). 4) fol. 37r b: Memorial and donation in Coptic: For the monastic leader (proestōs Papa Papiou, his son Kuri, Deacon Seuēros, and his son [Iōannēs]; to the Monastery of St. Apa Epima of Psōnte at Narmoute, or Medinet Madi, in the Faiyum. 5) fol. 37r b: Copyist and date of copying in Greek: By Deacon Papostolos; AM 588. 6) fol. 37r b: Donation in Coptic: By [Iōannēs]. 7) fol. 37r b: Copyist in Coptic, in cryptography: By Papōstōlōs. 8) fol. 37r, bottom (2 columns wide): Memorial in Coptic: For Deacon Makari, son of the late [Iōannēs], a priest.
According to the Coptic Encyclopedia (1991) Demetrius of Antioch and Evodius of Rome are fictitious characters.
Written area ca. 315 s 216 mm. Divisions: Brown leather tab fastened to center of fore-edge at fol. 26 at major division of the codex; ekthesis, enlarged initial, and paragraphus sign setting off paragraphs. Exceeding letters of last line of the page written below end of the line at fol. 30r.
Script: Upright (titles and colophons right-sloping). 10 lines = ca. 76 mm
Superlineation: Non-standard. Punctuation: Raised reddened dot in conjunction with a space; reddened colon and space filler at ends of paragraphs. Tremas.
Collation: Signed on first and last page of the quire, top inner margin. No quire ornaments, monograms, headlines or catchwords.
Fol. i, with original call number Pierpont Morgan Library MS M.663.3, was identified by T.C. Petersen with the present manuscript on June 8, 1933.--Cf. PML files.
Scribe: Papostolos.
Decoration: frontispiece, headpieces, tailpiece ornaments, marginal ornaments, paragraphus signs, signatures and page numbers, extended letters. Colors: strong orange, moderate yellow, dark yellowish green (chemically altered).

Language:

Coptic, the Sahidic dialect

Resources:

Description/Bibliography

Century:

9th century

Genres:

Sermons

Illuminated manuscripts

Miniatures (Illuminations)

Headpieces (layout features)

Tailpieces (layout features)