Psalter with Odes

mid-12th c.

parchment

ii, 148, i' leaves

130 × 95 mm

Greek

1 (ff. 1r–136r) Septuagina, Psalmi Psalmi 26–151

Incipit: [mut.] τίνος δειλιάσω; ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν

Note: At f. 69r the psalms of Asaph are separated out by a large headpiece in negative, in red ink with three ornate roundels (compass drawn) within a rectangle.

2 (ff. 136v–148v) Septuaginta, Odae Odae 1–8

Explicit: θάλασσαι καὶ ποταμοί [--- 12 mm ---] [mut.]

Note: The text on f. 148v is rubbed out and the last few letters too faded to decipher.

Physical Description

Support

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1r–148v

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 130 × 95 mm

Folding: Folio

Yellow-brown parchment, quite thin, though strong.

Foliation

Foliation in pencil in the upper right margin: 1–148.

Collation

Textblock

Note: The quire structure of the codex has been seriously compromised by the heavy restauration of the inner margins. It appears composed on quaternions mainly, but the loss of individual leaves must be studied in detail.

Signatures: None visible.

Catchwords: None

Condition

Textblock

The ms has been restored with paper supports. Some portions of the text are rubbed and some were overwritten.

Layout

Locus: ff. 1r–148v

Columns: 1

Written lines: 22

Written area: 100 × 70/75 mm

Note: One text block with four vertical justifications and an additional vertical in the outer margin; the tracing of horizontals is not clearly visible and the text sometimes appears slanting and not following the outer justifications. Interlineum: 4 mm.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

(ff. 1r–148v) Calligraphic minuscule of round allure and quite large module with respect to the size of the ms; it adopts ‘ombelichi’ for epsilons and thetas, and has enlarged open round upsilons and omegas, as well as prominent kappas, rhos and phis. Brown ink.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Shelfmark numbers and a label for Linköping Diocesan Library. (ff. L1r–L2r) Blank pages except for endleaf foliation in Roman numbering (I–II). (f. L2v) An acquisition note by Erik Benzelius the Younger.

(ff. R1r–R1v, RCI–RCI) Blank endleaves, except for a folio number (III) in pencil on (f. R1r).

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Rubrication in paled carmine, with simple enlarged initials and wide dots as separators in the text.

Binding

Description:

White parchment laced-case binding over paper board. Foredge cover extensions. Sewn on three supports. Laced-through endbands oversewn in brown and beige. Edges sprinkled red. Spine label in brown morocco with gilt lettering: Psalmi Davidis Graece.

Binding dimensions: 130 × 95 × 40 mm

History

Origin

mid-12th c. dating on palaeographical grounds. Perhaps originating from provincial areas, e.g. Cyprus.

Provenance

The volume was bought by Erik Benzelius the Younger at a book auction in Stockholm: ‘Ericus Benzelius emi in publica librorum auctione, Stockholmiae’ (f. L2v).

Acquisition

In 1757 Linköping Diocesan Library bought most of the printed books in the estate of the late Erik Benzelius the Younger. Among the printed books there were also some 175 manuscripts; this volume seems to have been one of those included.