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Add MS 11281

Record Id:
032-002109039
Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
032-002109039
MDARK:
ark:/81055/vdc_100000000040.0x00019a
LARK:
SLARK:
Format:
ISAD(G)
Reference (shelfmark):
Add MS 11281
Title:

წმინდა მამათა ცხოვრება (Lives of Holy Fathers)

Scope & Content:

Patristic manuscript - describes 15 lives of Saints from Palestine, Egypt and Syria.

Created during the golden age of Georgian church literature in the 11th century; it also remains one of the principal sources of monastic life during the Byzantine period.

It is a parchment written in the Georgian Monastery of the Holy Cross near Jerusalem. This manuscript contains 6 works by Cyril of Scythopolis and 2 works by Athanasius of Alexandria.

  • Fol. 1 Life of St. Anthony by St. Athanasius bishop of Alexandria (54 folios) 1-56v
  • Fol. 57r Life of St. Saba by Cyril of Scythopolis (88 folios) 57r-144v
  • Fol. 145r Life of St. Chariton, author unknown (16 folios) 145r-162r
  • Fol. 162v Life of St. Euthymius by Cyril of Scythopolis (47 folios) 162v-210r
  • Fol. 210v Life St Theodosius by Cyril of Scythopolis (19 folios) 210v-227v
  • Fol. 228v Life of Barlaam the Syro-Caucasian, author unknown (17 folios) 228v-245v
  • Fol. 246r Life of St. Ephrem (of Syria) author unknown (28 folios) 246r-274r
  • Fol. 274v Life of St. John of Oraha, author unknown (11 folios) 274v-285v
  • Fol. 286r Life of St. Kyriakos by Cyril of Scythopolis (14 folios) 286r-299v
  • Fol. 300r Lives of Stephanos and Nikon by St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria (19 folios) 300r-305v
  • Fol. 305v Life of St Paul (the bishop) by elder John (14 folios) 305v-319r
  • Fol. 319r Life of St. John the Hermit (of the Lavra of St. Sabas) by Cyril of Scythopolis (15 folios) 319r-333v
  • Fol. 333v Life of St. Abba Symeon the Simple by Leontius of Naples (Nikopolis) in Cyprus (31 folios) 333v-364r
  • Fol. 364v Life of St. Gerasim by Cyril of Scythopolis (5 folios) 364v-369v

We learn from the text that the scribe was the monk 'Black John' and that he wrote during the time when Iovane was Prior and Giorgi was Abbot.

The scribe 'Black John' (შავ იოვანე) gives his name in the title on fol.1r, and concludes his task with a colophon on fol.369r dated 21 December, stating that he has finished, and asking for the prayers of the reader. John mentions himself also on folios 56v, 78r (at bottom in red), 92v (6th line from the bottom in red, small hand), 185r (line 5 in red, after chapter heading), 191v (line 5 from bottom), 245v (at bottom in red) 253v (line 10 in red).

Collection Area:
Oriental Manuscripts
Project / Collection:
Additional Manuscripts
Hierarchy Tree:
[{ "id" : "032-002109039", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 11281: წმინდა მამათა ცხოვრება (Lives of Holy Fathers)" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
Hierarchy Record Ids:
032-002109039
Is part of:
not applicable
Hierarchy:
032-002109039
Container:
not applicable
Record Type (Level):
Fonds
Extent:
1 manuscript
Digitised Content:
http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_11281 (digital images currently unavailable)
Thumbnail:
Languages:
Georgian
Scripts:
Georgian
Start Date:
1000
End Date:
1099
Date Range:
11th century
Era:
CE
Access:

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User Conditions:
Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Parchment. Modern binding.

Dimensions: Size external 350 mm x 250 mm, of text 280 mm x 170 mm.

Foliation and script: 369 folios, written 28 lines to a page, in a fine large, bold ecclesiastical minuscule khutsuri in quires of 8; the numbers marking the beginning and end of each quire have been altered in most cases in modern ink, but the original lettering can also be seen. Quires 1-7 are only numbered at the end. Quires 8-46 are numbered both at the beginning and at the end.

The number of folios is marked at the beginning or each section in the lower margin.

Some folios, e.g. fol. 81v and 82r are worth reproduction as palaeographical models.

There are numerous marginal notes and later additions to the text.

The red spots on fol. 1 could refer to the cruciform showing that it belongs to the monastery of the Holy Cross.

The MS has several subsequent damages:

  • The first lines on the folios 1-7 are missing;
  • Fol. 34v : line 10 and 11 from the bottom of are partly erased;
  • Fol. 42v : line 6 and 15 from the top are partly erased;
  • Fol. 80v: the last nine lines have almost been washed out;
  • On fol. 175v lines 10 and 11 are erased and another passage is substituted;
  • The first five lines on fol. 179r and the first three on fol. 179v are erased;
  • After the colophon two thirds of fol. 210r are left blank;
  • On fol. 215v the last five lines are almost washed out;
  • Nearly the whole of fol. 228 is missing;

The minor damages of the same sort can be seen throughout the text.

Custodial History:

This MS was written in the monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The monastery of the Holy Cross became an important centre of learning and is referred to by Latin pilgrims as Monasterium Georgianum.

Source of Acquisition:
The MS was aquired in 1837 by the British Museum. A note on the fly-leaf at the beginning reads: 'Purchased of an Armenian Priest named Casanji , of Alexandria, Nov. 11, 1837' which is followed by another note underneath 'Written in the Ancient Georgian character & supposed to contain Monastic Institution'.
Administrative Context:

This MS was written in the monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The monastery of the Holy Cross became an important centre of learning and is referred to by Latin pilgrims as Monasterium Georgianum.

Exhibitions:
Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People under Heaven, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 26 September 2016 - 8 January 2017
Material Type:
Archives and Manuscripts
Legal Status:
Not Public Record(s)