This volume contains a bilingual Coptic-Arabic recension of the Bible (Pentateuch, Minor Prophets, and New Testament) in 41 volumes. Content:. It initially contained the entire Bible and was commissioned by the French Orientalist J.-J. Marcel during Napoleon's occupation of Egypt. It was reportedly copied at the Coptic Patriarchate from an old copy (see more Layton, Catalogue, 247). Vol. 1: Genesis chapters 1-29, 202 fols. Vol. 2: Genesis chapters 30-end, 194 fols. Vol. 3: Exodus chapters 1-24, 210 fols. Vol. 4: Exodus chapters 25-end, 171 fols. Vol. 5: Leviticus, chapters 1-15:19, 143 fols. Vol. 6: Leviticus, chapters 15:19-end, 135 fols. Vol. 7: Hosea, 46 fols. Vol. 8: Joel, 20 fols. Vol. 9: Amos, 38 fols. Vol. 10: Obadiah, 7 fols. Vol. 11: Jonah, 13 fols. Vol. 12: Micah, 29 fols. Vol. 13: Nahum, 13 fols. Vol. 14: Habakkuk, 15 fols. Vol. 15: Zephaniah, 16 fols. Vol. 16: Haggai, 13 fols. Vol. 17: Zachariah, 61 fols. Vol. 18: Malachi, 21 fols. (a small fragment of the volume is accompanied in a separate envelop). Vol. 19: Gospel of Matthew, 201 fols. Vol. 20: Gospel of Mark, 113 fols. Vol. 21: Gospel of Luke chapters 1-12:11a, 154 fols. Vol. 22: Gospel of Luke chapters 12:11b-24, 158 fols. Vol. 23: Gospel of John, chapters 1-10, 132 fols. Vol. 24: Gospel of John, chapters 11-21, 116 fols. Vol. 25: Romans, 131 fols. Vol. 26: I Corinthians, 119 fols. Vol. 27: II Corinthians, 77 fols. Vol. 28: Galatians, 39 fols. Vol. 29: Ephesians, 40 fols. Vol. 30: Philippians, 28 fols. Vol. 31: Colossians, 28 fols. Vol. 32: I Thessalonians, 27 fols. Vol. 33: II Thessalonians, 15 fols. Vol. 34: I Timothy, 31 fols. Vol. 35: II Timothy, 22 fols. Vol. 36: Titus, 14 fols. Vol. 37: Philemon, 6 fols. Vol. 38: Hebrews, 89 fols. Vol. 39: James, 33 fols. Vol. 40: 1 Peter, chapters 1-2:21, 15 fols. Vol. 41: Revelations, 87 fols. Colophons exist at the ends of Vol. 2, 18, 19, 24, 38, and 41. Dates are not provided for each of the volumes, but the following volume are dated: Vol. 2, 1515 AM / 1213 AH (1798-99 CE); Vol. 18, 1515 AM (1799 CE); Vol. 24, 1516 AM / 1214 AH (1799 CE); Vol. 38, 1516 AM (1800 CE); and Vol. 41, 1493 AM / 1190 AH (1776 CE).
Bible
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or 11551
- Dates of Creation
- 1776-1800
- Language of Material
- Arabic Coptic English Greek
- Physical Description
- Codex 41 volumes 3022 ff Material: Western paper (some which are blue-coloured, many restored folios). Dimensions: Ca. 220-240 x 165-180 mm [ca 160-190 x 130-150 mm written; Arabic ca 20-40 mm]. In vol. 20 (Mark), the layout is sometimes un-organized and the Arabic text could be up to 60 mm. Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil; Coptic numerals in some vols. Lines per page: 13-14 lines/page. Script: Naskh. Scribe: (of Arabic text) Naṣīr b. Ayyūb (vol. 2). Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings in red. Decoration: In vol 1 and vol .2: fol. 1v a 'star of David' with birds and floral patterns covers the page. A similar decoration is found at the end of vol. 19 (Matthew) fol. 201r. In general, the volume title is introduced after a headpiece in geometrical pattern in red, white, and black colours. Small geometrical decorations sporadically appear as well. The title page of vol. 23 (Gospel of John) is more elaborate and decorated in yellow, red, and green floral patterns. Miniatures may appear as well. In vol. 26 (I Corinthians), there is an illumination of an ox and a bird on fol. 119r. For a detailed account, see Layton, Catalogue, 249. Binding: Most volumes have the same binding (dark brown, often with a dark red medallion in its midst). Vols. 20 and 22 have modern bindings. The original binding was damaged due to a fire. For a detailed account, see Layton, Catalogue, 249­­-250. Condition: Generally good though some vols heavily damaged by acid burning (cf. vol. 2); the ink has sometimes coloured off on the opposite side (vol. 5). Marginalia: Depending on volume. For instance, some in Greek and English. Catchwords: In the Coptic text, lower right of a verso. Quire marks: In some volumes (typically larger ones), an ending and beginning quire spread may be marked with geometrical figures in red and white in the middle of the upper margins of each page, with Coptic numerals on both sides of the figure. There are normally 14-16 folios in a quire.
Scope and Content
Access Information
Not Public Record(s)
Unrestricted
Acquisition Information
Acquisition information varies by volume.
Other Finding Aids
Bentley Layton, Catalogue of Coptic Literary Manuscripts in the British Library Acquired Since the Year 1906 (London: British Library, 1987), 247-487, 325-327.