Minuscule 87
| New Testament manuscript | |
| Name | Codex Trevirensis |
|---|---|
| Text | Gospel of John |
| Date | 11th century |
| Script | Greek |
| Now at | Cusanusstift |
| Size | 36.5 cm by 25.7 cm |
| Type | ? |
| Category | none |
Minuscule 87 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, made of parchment. It is designated by the siglum 87 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and CL22 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts.[1] Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 11th century.[2] It was formerly dated to the 12th century by Biblical scholars Frederick H. A. Scrivener, and Caspar René Gregory.[3][4]
Description
The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book format), containing the text of the Gospel of John, with a surrounding catena (biblical commentary taken from early church apologists and teachers), on 231 parchment leaves (sized 36.5 cm by 25.7 cm).[2][4][5][6] There are some missing sections, with the current list of verses as follows: John 1:1-27, 1:29-49, 1:51-4:18, 4:21-7:52, 8:12-19:40, John 20:1-21:25.[5] The text is written in one column, 39 lines per page.[5] The main text of John and surrounding catena are written in minuscule script.[5]
The gospel title is small, and written in gold ink.[5] Due to the extensive commentary on the verse, John 1:1 is repeated several times in the first 10 pages of the manuscript.[5] The church fathers identified within the catena are: John Chrysosteom, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Basil of Caesarea.[5]
Text
Biblical scholar Kurt Aland did not place the Greek text of the codex in any Category of his New Testament manuscript classification system.[7] The text of the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53-8:11) is omitted.[5]
History
The manuscript was formerly held in the Monastery of Prodromos in Constantinople, as per a note on the reverse side of leaf 4:
| Greek Text | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ἡ βίβλος αὕτη, τῆς μονῆς τοῦ Προδρόμου | This book [is from] the Prodromos Monastery, |
| Τῆς Κειμένης ἔγγϊστα τῆς ἀετίου | of Keimeni near Aetis, |
| Ἀρχαϊκῆ δὲ τῆ μονῆ κλῆσις Πέτρα | the Ancient Monastery of Klesis Petra[3][5] |
This is also seen in minuscules 178 and 774.[3]
The manuscript once belonged to the famous scholar, philosopher and mathematician, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, together with the manuscript 129.[4] It came from Constantinople; it was housed at Trier.[3] It was examined by Balthasar Cordier, and biblical scholar Johann M. A. Scholz.[4]
It was added to the list of the New Testament manuscripts by Scholz. Textual critic Johann J. Wettstein's 87 is minuscule 250, and not minuscule 87.[3] Biblical scholar Caspar René Gregory tried to find this manuscript twice in 1884 in Trier and Cusa, but was unsuccessful.[3]
It is currently dated by the INTF to the 11th century.[6] It is presently housed in at the Cusanusstift (Bd. 18), in Bernkastel-Kues.[2][5][6] In 2026, the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts published online colour images of the manuscript.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ Gregory, Caspar René (1908). Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament [The Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament]. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. p. 51.
- 1 2 3 Aland, Kurt; M. Welte; B. Köster; K. Junack (1994). Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments [A Concise List of the Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament]. Berlin; New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 51. ISBN 3-11-011986-2.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments [Textual Criticism of the New Testament] (in German). Vol. 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 148. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- 1 2 3 4 Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1. London: George Bell & Sons. p. 206.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Minuscule 87 / GA 87". Plano, TX: The Center for the Study of New TEstament Manuscripts. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- 1 2 3 "Liste Handschriften: Minuscule 87". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
Further reading
- Cordier, Balthasar (1630). Catena patrum Graecorum in s. Joannem ex antiquissimo Graeco codice MS. nunc primum in luce edita [Catena of Greek Fathers on St. John from the Most Ancient Greek Codex MS, now Published for the First Time]. Antwerp: Plantiniana Balthasaris Moreti.
- de Montfaucon, Bernard (1715). Bibliotheca Coisliniana olim Segueriana (in Latin). Paris: Ludovicus Guerin & Carolus Robustel. p. 110. Retrieved 2026-08-15.