Manuscript narrative concerning the early life of the Virgin written and decorated in Egypt.
Sewing repair at fol. 19.
Texts: Fragmentary narrative concerning the Early Life of the Virgin Mary, title wanting. Delivered Kiyahk 3 (November 29 or 30 Julian), the Presentation of Mary. Episodes from the early life of the Virgin Mary are narrated, but the work does not deal exclusively with her. In the second half, Jesus answers questions addressed to him by the apostles. Melitians called Sarakotes are attacked at length. The narrative material concerning Mary faintly resembles that of the Protoevangelium of James. See Hyvernat, 1935, p. 140-146.
Colophon: 1) fol. 28v: very fragmentary and illegible.
Parallels of the present manuscript include MS C.4 and Clarendon Press B.3.14 + Z 117 edited and translated into English by Robinson. Extracts of the present manuscript edited and translated into English in Depuydt.
Written area ? x ca. 187 mm. Divisions: Ekthesis, reddened enlarged or sometimes greatly enlarged initial, and paragraphus sign (reddened budded diple) setting off paragraphs; some passages, especially quotations, makred by a reddened dotted diple in margin of each line.
Script: Upright. 10 lines = ca. 91 mm
Superlineation: Non-standard. Punctuation: Raised reddened dot. Tremas.
Correction on fol. 8v: superlinear addition.
Collation: Signed on first and last page of the quire, top inner margin. No remains of quire ornaments, monograms, headlines or catchwords.
Decoration: Initials infilled with reddened dots, signatures, page numbers (large and red), extended letters. Color: Red (chemically altered).
Related fragments probably include: a number of tiny fragments found in a small box labeled "M634 Copto A II" stored in a large box labeled "P."