Category Archives: Manuscript Collections

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

P.Ryl. 1.1: A Datable Papyrus Codex of Deuteronomy in Greek

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In a previous post, I discussed the phenomenon of papyrus codices made from reused documents. Among this group is a very interesting item in the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester. In fact, it was the first piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Chester Beatty Papyri, Codices, Palaeography, Rylands Papyri | 7 Comments

Codices Made from Reused Documents

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Typically, ancient papyrus codices were made by cutting off sheets from a long roll of blank papyrus, stacking the sheets, and folding them into quires. There is, however, a small group of somewhat odd papyrus codices that were made in … Continue reading →

Posted in Chester Beatty Papyri, Codices | 4 Comments

The Yale Genesis

Posted on February 3, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Among the ancient Greek manuscripts in the Beinecke Library at Yale University is a fragment of a leaf of a papyrus codex containing the book of Genesis. It constitutes another interesting case of palaeographic analysis, both for the variety of … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Codices, Colin H. Roberts, Eric Turner, Maurice Nahman, Palaeography, Yale Papyri | 6 Comments

Palaeography and the Hawara Homer: Part 3, A Christian Example of the “Rounded Majuscule”

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

PSI 11.1200 is a collection of fragments of a papyrus roll that contained Plato’s Gorgias (LDAB 3770). Framed together in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, the fragments were excavated at Oxyrhynchus by a team led by Evaristo Breccia in … Continue reading →

Posted in Guglielmo Cavallo, Hawara Homer, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Palaeography | 1 Comment

Palaeographic Vocabulary: (In)appropriate

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Thanks to Peter Malik for helpfully clarifying what is meant by the judgment that some palaeographic comparisons are “inappropriate.” As illustrations, he cites a couple examples from my work—my claims for graphic similarities between P.Bodmer XX and P.Bodmer II and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer Papyri, Palaeography | 1 Comment

Palaeographic Methodology

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

Peter Malik on the ETC blog has initiated a useful discussion of palaeographic method that invokes a bit of my own work. In general, he writes in favor of coming to terms with the fact that the analysis of handwriting … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer Papyri, Palaeography | 7 Comments

The Bodmer Papyri: 3D Views

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Brent Nongbri

In an earlier post, I provided an up-to-date inventory of the papyrus and parchment books from Roman Egypt in the Fondation Martin Bodmer. I’ve been working on these books for a while, and I recently partnered up with the Bodmer … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodmer Papyri | Leave a comment

The Tura Papyri: Archival Footage

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Brent Nongbri

In my previous post on the Tura Papyri, I mentioned that the books are said to have been discovered in 1941 during the clearing of quarries south of Cairo for use by the British military. The earliest detailed account of … Continue reading →

Posted in Find Stories, Tura Papyri, Videos | 1 Comment