Category Archives: Palaeography

A New Article on the Date of Codex Sinaiticus

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Brent Nongbri

The October 2022 issue of Journal of Theological Studies will contain an article I wrote on the dating of Codex Sinaiticus. It’s out now in pre-print format, and thanks to my institution–MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society–the article … Continue reading →

Posted in Codex Sinaiticus, Codices, Palaeography, Radiocarbon analysis | 3 Comments

The Inscriptions of the Jewish Catacomb at Vigna Randanini

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Brent Nongbri

Thanks to the amazing Silvia Prosperi at A Friend in Rome, I recently had the good fortune to be able to visit the Jewish catacomb at Vigna Randanini out on the Via Appia. It was a wonderful visit, and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Hawara Homer, Inscriptions, Palaeography | 2 Comments

Digital Images of P64

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Brent Nongbri

I noted before that the Bodleian Library at Oxford had made images of several of their manuscripts freely available online. I see now that they also have put up excellent high resolution digital images of P64, that is, the Magdalen … Continue reading →

Posted in Magdalen College Matthew Papyrus, Palaeography | 4 Comments

Chancery Writing and Greek Literature

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Brent Nongbri

Having spent some time in my last post looking at P.Berol. inv. 11532 and its remarkable handwriting, I am reminded of a couple classic articles by formidable palaeographic experts. The first is a long and in depth study of this … Continue reading →

Posted in Palaeography, Rylands Papyri | Leave a comment

Parchment Book Covers for Papyrus Rolls

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Brent Nongbri

In a series of earlier posts, I examined some of the vocabulary used to describe papyrus rolls, especially those deluxe literary rolls described by Latin poets. One additional feature of these rolls that is sometimes mentioned is a parchment cover. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book covers, Palaeography, Voluminology | 3 Comments

Color Images of the Hawara Homer Online

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Brent Nongbri

Thanks to Gregg Schwendner for the alert: In 2019, the Bodleian Library at Oxford posted very nice color digital images (with a scale!) of MS. Gr. class. a. 1 (better known as the Hawara Homer), a copy of books 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bodleian Library, Hawara Homer, Palaeography, William Matthew Flinders Petrie | 1 Comment

A New Article on P52 in New Testament Studies

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

The latest issue of New Testament Studies contains an article I wrote on P.Ryl. 3.457, a.k.a. P52, the fragmentary leaf from a codex generally regarded as the earliest surviving copy of the Gospel According to John (and indeed earliest surviving … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Bernard Grenfell, Colin H. Roberts, Eric Turner, New Testament, P.Ryl. 3.457, Palaeography, Rylands Papyri | 2 Comments

Vatican Library Website on Greek Palaeography

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

Thanks to Gregg Schwendner for drawing my attention to the Vatican Library website on Greek palaeography prepared by Timothy Janz, scriptor graecus and director of the printed books department of the Vatican Library. The site has an excellent discussion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dead Sea Scrolls, Frank Moore Cross, Guglielmo Cavallo, Palaeography, Vatican Library | 6 Comments

Arthur Hunt, Harold Idris Bell, and Edward Maunde Thompson on the Date of Codex Sinaiticus

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

When it comes to the question of assigning palaeographic dates to Greek literary manuscripts of the Roman period, British papyrologists in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries seem to show some different tendencies. One of the most respected of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Codex Sinaiticus, Codices, Palaeography | 9 Comments

Palaeographic Dating: Graphic Difference Does Not Always Mean Chronological Difference

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Brent Nongbri

In a few days, I hope to complete a post on the date of Codex Sinaiticus. It has been educational for me to revisit the arguments for the dating of this codex. One quotation that I found especially eye-opening was … Continue reading →

Posted in Codex Sinaiticus, Codices, Palaeography | 7 Comments