Forms part of the Kenneth Willis Clark Collection of Greek Manuscripts (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)

Format: Manuscript codex.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Layout: Written in 1 column of 24-25 lines; ruled for 24 lines of text.

Script: The hand is a well-practiced minuscule with occasional uncial characters, vertical, pendant, with small rounded letters interspersed by enlarged letters. There is a slight tendency for forward movement on finial strokes created by penlifts, indicating rapidity in writing. The ink for the text is black, with kephalaia, hypotheses, and canon numbers in a deep reddish-orange. The hand appears to be 12th century, very similar to the hand of Gregory 514 in letter formations, ligatures, penlifts, characters per line, and alternation of small and large letters.

Original and forged decorations: Running penwork ornament with foliate finials and undulating line with arc accents. On fol. 1v there remains evidence of an original ornament--probably a portrait of the evangelist--which was bound in the initial gathering with the kephalaia, but is now wanting; fol. 2r, portrait of the Evangelist Matthew, copied from Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, ms. gr. 93b; green pigment from the ornament appears on the lower half of fol. 2r. Fol. 46v, Portrait of the Evangelist Mark, portrait copied from Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, ms. gr. 189, fol. 316v; on fol. 45v there remains green pigment from an ornament, probably the original portrait, on the following leaf which is now wanting; the pigment appears on the lower half of the leaf in a rectangular shape. On fol. 77v there is residual green pigment from an ornament, probably the original portrait, on the following leaf which is now wanting. The pigment appears on the lower half of the leaf in a rectangular shape. Fol. 78v, Portrait of the Evangelist Luke, portrait copied from Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, ms. gr. 189 f. 206v; on the lower half of leaf 147v there is residual green pigment from an ornament, probably the original portrait, on the following leaf which is now wanting. Fol. 111v, Portrait of the Evangelist John, copied from Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, ms. gr. 189 fol. 1r.

The palette of the added miniatures and headpieces are very similar to that used for the forged paintings in the Archimedes Palimpsest. Lacking at least 18 leaves and a gathering at the end; 7 leaves have been removed and loosely inserted; the miniatures, which are on loose sheets, are copied from plates in H. Omont, Miniatures des plus anciens manuscrits Grecs de la Bilbiotheque Nationale, 2nd edition, Paris, 1929. Seven leaves were removed from the manuscript and the text mostly washed off, causing the leaves to shrink slightly. St. Mark should follow fol. 49, copied from B.N. ms. gr. 189, fol. 316b, Omont, pl. 89; illuminated headpiece should follow fol. 82, original but washed and repainted; St. Luke should follow fol. 87, closely copied from B.N. ms. gr. 189, fol. 206b, Omont, pl. 89; illuminated headpiece should follow fol. 97, copied from original headpiece on leaf following fol. 82 but wrongly placed sideways in a margin left blank for gloss; two ornamental devices should follow fol. 100, hares with tree-like device and Saints Athanasius and Gregory of Nazianus, adapted from B.N. ms. gr. 550, f. 209, Omont, pl. 113; St. John should follow fol. 110, miniature painted upside-down in error, copied from B.N. ms. gr. 189, fol. 1, Omont, pl. 88; St. Matthew should follow fol. 155, copied from B.N., ms. gr. 93b, Omont, pl. 88.

Title cataloged from existing description.

Binding: A post-mediaeval blind-stamped binding.