List of Coptic Pocket and Miniature Manuscripts

Alin Suciu, 17/02/2020 
N.B. Here are all the Coptic manuscripts I know of max. 12 × 10 cm. The list does not include the Bohairic small size manuscripts (which are late productions) and the Sahidic paper codices (also late). Any suggestion is welcome.

 

 

Location

Manuscript

Contents                    

Size (h × w)

Dialect

Material

1

Montserrat Abbey

P. Monts Roca inv. 760[1]

Schøyen Collection MS 1363

Song of Songs 4:8-9, 8:1-4

Song of Songs 4:12-14, 5:8-9

9 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

2

Washington, Freer collection

Fragment no. 2

Matthew 1:22ff.

9 × 5.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

3

Washington, Freer collection

MS no. 1

Psalms

8 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

4

Washington, Freer collection

Fragment no. 9

Job 24:19-25:3, 27:10-19

8.5 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

5

London, British Library; Berlin, Staatsbibliothek

BL Or. 3518; Or. oct. 408[2]

Apocalypse

9 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

6

Louvain, Université catholique

Lefort no. 27[3]

Anaphora

8 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

7

Crum, Coptic MSS Brought from the Fayyum

Plate 2[4]

Catholic Epistles

10 × 8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

8

Washington, Freer collection

Fragment no. 1

Psalms

10 × 9 cm

Sahidic

parchment

9

Montserrat Abbey

P. Monts Roca II 28[5]

1 Thessalonians 5:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-18

9.4 × 8.6 cm

Sahidic

parchment

10

Ann Arbor, Michigan University Library

MS 166

Letter of Abgar; Paul of Tamma, Epistula, De cella; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Ruth

9.5 × 8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

11

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library

Codex C (originally two separate MSS)

Psalms 1-50; Matthew 1:1-2:1

10.5 × 8.5 cm; 9.5 × 8.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

12

Chicago, University of Chicago

No. 10485[6]

Proverbs

11 × 8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

13

Princeton

P. Cotsen 1[7]

Biblical texts, ascetic writings and school exercises

11.5 × 9.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

14

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library

Codex B

Acts of the Apostles; Gospel of John

12 × 10 cm

Sahidic

parchment

15

New York, Morgan Library and Museum

Codex Glazier[8]

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-15:3

12 × 10 cm

Middle Egyptian

parchment

16

Oxford, Bodleian Library

Crum, Wadi Sarga[9]

Melito of Sardes, On Passover

12 × 10 cm

Sahidic

parchment

17

Cairo, Coptic Museum (?)

Qasr el-Wizz 65-10-61[10]

Stephen of Thebes, Sermo asceticus

Less than 10 × 10 cm

Sahidic

parchment

18

Harvard University, Sackler Art Museum

1984.669[11]

Oracles

7.5 × 6.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

19

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College

MS 541 78[12]

Oracles

8 × 5+ cm

Middle Egyptian

parchment

20

Helsinki, Helsinki University

Ilves collection

Anaphora

7.8 × 6.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

21

London, British Library

Or. 5438(1)[13] = Crum 264

Paul of Tamma, De cella

7 × 6.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

22

Manchester, John Rylands

P.Ryl. Copt. Ms 7

Proverbs 23:34-24:7, 23-27

6.5 × 6.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

23

Montserrat Abbey

P. Monts. Roca inv. no. 735[14]

Paul of Tamma, De Humilitate; Anoup, Commandments

5 × 5.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

24

Cambridge University Library

No siglum (new Thompson fragments)

Susanna

7 × 6.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

25

Cambridge University Library

No siglum (new Thompson fragments)

Unidentified (sermon?)

5.5 × 4.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

26

Moscow, Pushkin Museum

I.1.b.670[15]

Psalms

ca. 8 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

27

Schøyen Collection

MS 1365[16]

Acts 7 :40; 11:24-28

7 × 6 cm

Sahidic

parchment

28

Köln, University Library

P. Köln 492 – Inv. 20838e[17]

Acts of Phileas

7.5 × 5.7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

29

Unknown location

 

Greek-Coptic glossary[18]

6.8 × 6.3 cm

Sahidic

parchment

30

Helsinki, Helsinki University

Ilves Collection

Unidentified literary text

6.8 × 6.7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

31

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

K 8693

Proverbs 27:9-22

7.5+ × 7.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

32

London, British Library

BL Or. 5287(4) = Crum 941

Psalms

9 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

33

London, British Library

BL Or. 13886(4) = Layton 113

Unidentified (Testimonies on Christology)

6.3 × 4.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

34

Barcelona, Palau Ribes

PPalau Rib. Inv. 77

Unidentified literary text

????

Sahidic

parchment

35

Montserrat Abbey

P.Monts.Roca inv. 98

Unidentified literary text

6 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

36

London, British Library

BL Or. 5287(5) = Crum 948

Psalms 113:18-114:7, 118:61-77

9.5 × 8.9 cm

Sahidic

parchment

37

New Haven, Beinecke Library

P.CtYBR inv. 2118[19]

Proverbs 20:28-21:4, 21:6-16

8.5 × 8.4 cm

Sahidic

parchment

38

Berlin, Papyrussammlung

P. Berol. 10585

Galatians

7.6 × 8.7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

39

Berlin, Papyrussammlung

P. Berol. 11949

John 4:1-10

10.5 × 8.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

40

Oxford, Bodleian Library

e.17

Martyrdom of Paphnutius

8.4 × 8.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

41

Oxford, Bodleian Library

f.8, f.9, d.187a

Anaphora

7.6 × 7.6 cm

Sahidic

parchment

42

Oxford, Bodleian Library

f.10

Unidentified literary text

7.6 × 6.3 cm

Sahidic

parchment

43

Oxford, Bodleian Library

f.11

Unidentified literary texts?

6.3 × 6.3 cm

Sahidic

parchment

44

Oxford, Bodleian Library

f.13

Unidentified literary text

9.5 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

45

Oxford, Bodleian Library

f.103

Acts of Andrew

8.3 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

46

Jena, University Library

P.Ien. inv. 649

Acts of Andrew

ca. 5.9 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

47

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.88

Unidentified literary text

???

Sahidic

parchment

48

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.4

Matthew 10:14-21

7 × 6.3 cm

Sahidic

parchment

49

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.5

2 Timothy 2:20-22; Titus 1 :1-6

9.5 × 8.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

50

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.6-7

Life of Hamoi

9.5 × 8.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

51

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.8

Unidentified literary text

9.5 × 8.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

52

Oxford, Bodleian Library

g.9

Isaiah

5 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

53

Heidelberg, University Library

P.Heid. Inv. Kopt. 452

James

6 × 6.5 cm

Old Bohairic

parchment

54

London, British Library

Or. 4916(7) = Crum 947

Psalms 106:9-18, 108:13, 14, 16, 17

7.3 × 5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

55

London, British Library

Or. 4916(4) = Crum 936

1 Samuel 29:5-9, 30:21-24

7.6 × 7.9 cm

Sahidic

parchment

56

London, British Library

Or. 4919(4) = Crum 340

Timothy of Alexandria, Miracles of Mena

8.5 × 8.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

57

London, British Library

Or. 5438(2) = Crum 265

1 Peter

6.3 × 4.4 cm

Sahidic

parchment

58

London, British Library

Or. 4916(6) = Crum 446

Psalms 105:4-10, 145:10-146:8

9.8 × 8.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

59

Berlin, Papyrussammlung

P. Berol. 11948[20]

Athanasius of Alexandria, Letter

10 × 7.2 cm

Sahidic

parchment

60

London, British Library

Or. 6696(1)-(2)

Psalms

9.5 × 8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

61

Louvain, Université catholique

Lefort no. 47

Unidentified literary text

8.5 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

62

London, British Library

Or. 6877 = Layton 64

Anaphora

9.5 × 7.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

63

Unknown location (from Antinoe)

Inv. 18.10.2005

4 Maccabees 5

???

Sahidic

parchment

64

Copenhagen, Carlsberg Collection

P. Carlsberg 500

Medical recipes

9 × 8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

65

Halle, Seminar für Klassische Altertumswissenschaften

P. Hal. Inv. 57

Psalms 13:6-14:3; Psalms 16:6-11.

8.2 × 7.1 cm

Sahidic

parchment

66

Halle, Seminar für Klassische Altertumswissenschaften

P. Hal. Inv. 58

Galatians 1:5-9

8.5 × 6.8 cm

Sahidic

parchment

67

Heidelberg, University Library

P.Heid. Inv. Kopt. 439 + 441

Psalms 144:8-14; 144:14-21

ca. 9 × 7 cm

Sahidic

parchment

68

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

K 8696

Unidentified

???

Sahidic

parchment

69

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

K 67

Ruth 3:14-18; 4:1-3

9.2 × 9.5 cm

Sahidic

parchment

70

Durham, NC, Duke University

P.Duk.inv. 282

Isaiah 37 or Kings 19

???

Sahidic

parchment

71

Utrecht, University Library

B.5.6.2

2 Timothy 1:5-8, 9-10

5.7* × 8.1 cm

Sahidic

parchment


[1] S. Torallas Tovar, Biblia Coptica Montserratensia. P. Monts. Roca II (Orientalia Montseratensia, 2; Barcelona: Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat – Consejo superior de investigaciones coentíficas, 2007) 55-58.

[2] W.E. Crum, Catalogue of the Coptic Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1905) 29a-b (= no. 142).

[3] L.-T. Lefort, Les manuscrits coptes de l’Université de Louvain vol. 1: Textes littéraires (Louvain: Bibliothèque de l’Université, 1940) 102-104 and pl. 9.

[4] W.E. Crum, Coptic Manuscripts Brought from the Fayyum (London: David Nutt, 1893) 2-5 (= no. 2) and pl. 1b.

[5] Torallas Tovar, Biblia Coptica, 111-113.

[6] W. Worrell, The Proverbs of Solomon in Sahidic Coptic according to the Chicago Manuscript (The University of Chicago Oriental Institute Publications, 12; Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1931).

[7] S. Bucking, “A Sahidic Coptic Manuscript in the Private Collection of Lloyd E. Cotsen (P. Cotsen 1) and the Limits of Papyrological Interpretation,” Journal of Coptic Studies 8 (2006) 55-78; Idem, Practice Makes Perfect: P. Cotsen-Princeton 1 and the Training of Scribes in Byzantine Egypt (Cotsen Occasional Papers; Los Angeles: Cotsen Children’s Library, 2011).

[8] H.-M. Schenke, Apostelgeschichte 1, 1-15, 3 Im Mittelägyptischen Dialekt des Koptischen (Codex Glazier) (Texte und Untersuchungen, 137; Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1991).

[9] W.E. Crum, Wadi Sarga (Coptica, 3; Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel-Nordisk Forlag, 1922) 47-49 and pl. 1.

[10] This fragment was discovered in 1965 at Qasr el-Wizz. The fragment has been sent to me for identification by Alexandros Tsakos in 2013. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the fragment are unknown.

[11] A. Luijendijk, Forbidden Oracles?: The Gospel of the Lots of Mary (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum, 89; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014).

[12] Cf. S. Clackson, “Corpus Christi College Library MS. 541 Hoskyns Collection,” 5 (unpublished checklist dated 8/5/2002).

[13] A. Suciu, “Sitting in the Cell: The Literary Development of an Ascetic Praxis in Paul of Tamma’s Writings. With an Edition of Some Hitherto Unknown Fragments of De Cella,” Journal of Theological Studies n.s. 68 (2017) 141-171.

[14] S. Torallas Tovar, “A New Sahidic Coptic Fragment: Sortes Sanctorum or Apophthegmata Patrum?,” Journal of Coptic Studies 17 (2015) 153-164.

[15] A.I. Elanskaya, The Literary Coptic Manuscripts in the A.S. Pushkin State Fine Arts Museum in Moscow (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, 18; Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994) 408-410.

[16] Hans-Gerhard Bethge, “Neue Bibeltexte: Fragmente koptischer Handscriften - Ein Werkstattbericht,” in Ägypten und Nubien in spätantiker und christlicher Zeit, Akten des 6. Internationalen Koptologenkongresses Münster, 20-26. Juli 1996 Vol. 2: Schrifttum, Sprache und Gedankenwelt (Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 1999).

[17] G. Schenke, “Ein koptischer Textzeuge der Acta Phileae”, in Honi soit qui mal y pense. Studien zum pharaonischen, griechisch-römischen und spätantiken Ägypten zu Ehren von Heinz-Josef Thissen (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta, 194; Leuven–Paris–Walpole, MA: Peeters, 2010) 609-615; Idem, “P.Köln 492: Das Martyrium des Phileas von Thmuis”, in Kölner Papyri vol. 12, ed. by Ch. Armoni et al., Paderborn–München–Wien–Zürich: Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, 2010b (Papyrologica Coloniensia, 7/12, Abhandlungen der Nordrhein Westfälischen Akademie der Wissenschaften), 209–213; A. Bausi, “The Coptic Version of the Acta Philae,” COMST Newsletter 8 (July 2014) 11-13.

[18] H.I. Bell and W.E. Crum, "A Greek Coptic Glossary," Aegyptus 6 (1925) 177-226. See https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20475/lot/1002/

[19] S. Emmel, “Coptic Biblical Texts in the Beinecke Library,” Journal of Coptic Studies 1 (1990) 13-28.

[20] M. Pieper, “Zwei Blätter aus dem Osterbrief des Athanasius vom Jahre 364 (Pap.Berol.11948),” Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 37 (1938) 73-76; A. Camplani, “Athanasio e Eusebio tra Alessandria e Antiochia (362-363): Osservazioni sul Tomus ad Antiochenos, l’Epistula catholica e due fogli copti (edizione di Pap.Berol. 11948),” in E. Covolo – R. Uglione – G.M. Vian (eds.), Eusebio di Vercelli e il suo tempo (Roma 1997).

There are only a few manuscripts in the table above which can be dated with some degree of certitude. The five codices that came from the Monastery of Apa Jeremias are dated slightly before 600 CE, on the basis of some coins discovered together with them. With the exception of these manuscripts, only Codex Glazier can be more or less accurately dated. Thus, 14C tests made upon a small piece of the wrapping band of this manuscript were done 1994, indicating a production-date between 420 and 598.

It seems therefore that in the 5th-6th century CE such small format manuscripts were very fashionable in Egypt. They were probably vademecums intended for personal use, as suggested not only by their small format, but also by the particularly beautiful calligraphy of some of these manuscripts. 

William Worrell speculated that the small-size manuscripts were made out of the scraps which remained after the parchment was cut off for the manufacture of larger codices. This is a palatable explanation for the presence of the pilosity marks on the skin from which these manuscript are made. It is a well known fact that the pilosity holes tend to enlarge at the edges of the animal’s skin. As to the provenance of the manuscripts, Worrell maintained their possible Fayyumic origin. While some of these manuscripts came indeed from Middle Egypt, it is difficult to establish if the production of such artifacts can indeed be confined to this region. For example, the fragments from Stephen of Thebes’ Sermo asceticus were discovered in 1965 at Qasr el-Wizz in Nubia, albeit this manuscript was most likely imported from Egypt.