Category Archives: Codices

The Oxyrhynchus Codex of Philo of Alexandria

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

It might not look like much at first glance, but one of the scraps published in the 2016 volume of The Oxyrhynchus Papyri (volume 82) belongs to a quite fascinating codex. I’m talking about P.Oxy. 82.5291, a small corner of … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Oxyrhynchus Philo | 7 Comments

Palimpsests among the Tura Codices

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

A question concerning papyrus (rather than parchment) palimpsests came up recently in the comments over on Bart Ehrman’s blog. I thought I would post here a good example of a papyrus palimpsest, namely the papyrus codex containing the commentary on … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Palimpsests, Tura Papyri | Leave a comment

The Barcelona-Montserrat Greek-Latin Codex: Another “Bodmer” Codex with Mixed Contents

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In addition to the so-called Bodmer composite codex (LDAB 2565, which I described in some detail here), the same ancient collection seems to have included another papyrus codex with equally (if not more) diverse contents. The Barcelona-Montserrat “miscellaneous” codex (LDAB … Continue reading →

Posted in Barcelona-Montserrat Greek-Latin Codex, Bodmer Papyri, Codices, Robinson Papyri | 9 Comments

The Modern Lives of an Ancient Coptic Book: P.Bodmer XXII + VK 783

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

A couple years ago, Roberta Mazza traced the “modern biography” of a fragmentary papyrus leaf containing the Gospel According to John, P.Oxy. 15.1780 (better known to New Testament scholars as P39). It’s a fascinating article that can be downloaded here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Bodmer Papyri, Codices, Van Kampen Collection | 3 Comments

A Repair to the Bodmer Composite Codex

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

I’ll just make one last post (for now) on the Bodmer composite codex and its curious features. This post has to do with one of the leaves of the paschal sermon of Melito, P.Bodmer XIII. As was customary for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer composite codex, Bodmer Papyri, Book binding, Codices | Leave a comment

P.Bodmer XX+IX and the Bodmer Composite Codex

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In my last post, I provided a provisional diagram of the Bodmer composite codex (LDAB 2565). I also mentioned that I did not think the booklet consisting of P.Bodmer XX (the Apology of Phileas) + P.Bodmer IX (Psalms 33-34) was … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer composite codex, Bodmer Papyri, Book binding, Codices | 1 Comment

The Bodmer “Composite” Codex: A Diagram

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

The so-called Bodmer “Composite” or “Miscellaneous” codex (LDAB 2565), is a fascinating, but somewhat confusing artifact.

Posted in Bodmer composite codex, Bodmer Papyri, Book binding, Codices | 5 Comments

A Review of Georgios Boudalis, The Codex and Crafts in Late Antiquity

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In 2016, I gave paper that revisited the old question of the rise of the codex. There has been a lot of work done over the years on why the codex may have come to replace the roll, but there … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer Papyri, Book binding, Codices, Nag Hammadi, Tablets | 5 Comments

Symposium Report—Early Codices: Production, Destruction, and Modern Conservation

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

I intended to write some thoughts on this symposium earlier, but I’ve been busy finishing up the proofs and index for my book (more on that later). This was a wonderful event. The day began with a guided tour of … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Hamuli Codices, Morgan Library | 1 Comment

Online Manuscripts at the Morgan Library

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

I mentioned in an earlier post that I would be in New York for a symposium on early codices. Well, that took place on Friday, and it was fantastic. My head is still spinning from all that I learned, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Hamuli Codices, Morgan Iliad, Morgan Library | 7 Comments