The codex contains a complete text of the Gospels on 297 parchment leaves. The text is written in one column per page, 19 lines per page inminuscule letters. The initial letters are in gold. Simple headpieces and tailpieces are in gold. The text of the Gospels is divided according to the κεφαλαια, whose numbers are placed at the margin of the text. The τιτλοι of the κεφαλαια are given at the top of pages. Lists of the κεφαλαια are placed before each Gospel. There is also a division into smaller sections, the Ammonian sections with references to the Eusebian Canons.This is done in Gospel of John very rarely. It contains the Epistula ad Carpianum, Eusebian Canon tablesat the beginning of the codex, subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, illustrations of the evangelists, lectionary markings at the margin in gold. It lacks Mark 11:26.
Text
In Matthew 27:16 it has the famous textual variant "Ιησουν τον Βαραββαν". This variant is found in Codex Koridethi, and manuscripts of textual family f1. The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Caesarean text-type. Aland placed it in Category III. According to the Claremont Profile Method it has mixed text in Luke 1, Alexandrian text in Luke 10, and represent the textual family Kx in Luke 20. It belongs to the textual subgroup 35. It contains, together with minuscule 162, the remarkable reading inGospel of Luke 11:2: ἐλθέτω τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ καθαρισάτω ἡμᾶς, instead of ελθετω η βασιλεια σου in the Lord's Prayer. This peculiar reading does not appear in any other manuscript, but it was derived from very old archetype, because it is present in the Marcion's text of the third Gospel and is also attested by the church father Gregory of Nyssa. In Luke 11:4 the phrase αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου is omitted. This omission is supported by the manuscripts: Sinaiticus, B, L, f1 vg syrs copsa, bo, arm geo. In Mark 5:9 it has απεκριθη λεγων as in codices E, 565. The other manuscripts have: In Mark 10:19 — the phrase μη αποστερησης is omitted for οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν ; the reading is supported only by, Vaticanus,, Codex Nitriensis, lat, copsa, copbo, arm, geo; In John 8:7 it has αναβλεψας instead of ανακυψας, along with UΛf13 In John 8:8 it contains, together with U, 73, 331, 364, 658, 782, 1592 and some Armenian manuscripts, the unique addition ενος εκαστου αυτων τας αμαρτιας. This textual variant have also some Latin manuscripts. 652 has this variant on the margin added by a later hand. Minuscule 264 has this variant in John 8:6. Hoskier exhibits 2724 variations from the Textus Receptus. 270 textual variants are not used by any other manuscript.
History
The author of the codex is unknown. Probably it was written in Constantinople. The manuscript was bought in 1882 for the British Museum. It was examined by Dean Burgon, described and collated by W H Simcox and Scrivener. The manuscript is now located in the British Library in London.
