Minuscule 171

Minuscule 171
New Testament manuscript
TextGospels
Date14th century
ScriptGreek
Now atBiblioteca Vallicelliana
Size14.4 cm by 10.9 cm
TypeByzantine text-type
CategoryV
Notemarginalia

Minuscule 171 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament Gospels, written on parchment. It is designated by the siglum 171 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and ε 407 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative writing styles (palaeography), it has been dated to the 14th century. The manuscript has complex contents and full marginal notes.

Description

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book format), containing the complete text of the New Testament Gospels, made of 254 parchment leaves (sized 14.4 cm by 10.9 cm). The text is written in one column per page, with 20 lines per page. The column size is 8.5 cm by 6.5 cm, with the main text written in black ink, and the initial capital letters in red ink. It is ornamented with silver.

The text is divided according to the chapters (known as κεφαλαια / kephalaia), whose numbers are given in the margin, and their titles (known as τιτλοι / titloi) written at the top of the pages. There is also a division according to the smaller Ammonian Sections (236 in Mark 234, the last in 16:12), with references to the Eusebian Canons written below the Ammonian section numbers (both early divisions of the Gospels into sections.).

It contains prolegomena, tables of contents before each Gospel (also known as κεφαλαια), lectionary markings in the margin, lessons (known as αναγνωσεις / anagnoseis), and subscriptions at the end of each Gospel.

Text

The Greek text of the codex is considered to be a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed it in Category V of his New Testament manuscript classification system. Category V manuscripts are described as "manuscripts with a purely or predominantly Byzantine text.": 336 

According to the Claremont Profile Method (a specific analysis of textual data), it represents cluster Π171 in Luke 1, Luke 10, and Luke 20.

History

The earliest history of the manuscript is unknown. It was once in the property of Achilles Statius, as also was minuscule 169. It was examined by biblical scholar Giuseppe Bianchini, and textual critic Andrew Birch (about 1782), and biblical scholar Johann M. A. Scholz. Biblical scholar Caspar René Gregory saw it in 1886.

It is currently dated by the INTF to the 14th century. It is presently housed at the Biblioteca Vallicelliana (shelf number C. 73.2), in Rome.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gregory, Caspar René (1908). Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament [The Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament]. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. p. 54.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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] (in German) (2 ed.). Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 57. ISBN 3-11-011986-2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Liste Handschriften: Minuscule 171". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testaments [Textual Criticism of the New Testament]. Vol. 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 162.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1 (4 ed.). London: George Bell & Sons. p. 215.
  6. 1 2 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.
  7. ↑ Wisse, Frederik (1982). The Profile Method for the Classification and Evaluation of Manuscript Evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 56. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4.