Durham Cathedral Library MS. A.II.7
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

Glossed Bible, Old Testament (Kings-Nehemiah), written in France in the early 12th century.

Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1mbg257f051.html

Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment

Extent: iii+182+i f
Size: 422 mm x 250 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation of main book runs: 3-21, 21*-92, 92*-182.


Secundo folio: stulasset eum a domino
Collation

(A): I-VI10; VII7 (=8 with leaf 8, probably blank, cancelled); (B) I-VI10; VII9 (=10 with leaf 10, blank, cancelled); (C) I-III10; (D) I10; II6 (8 with leaves 7 and 8, blank, cancelled)

Catchwords: Some contemporary catchwords survive cropping by the binder.
Signatures: Some contemporary signatures survive cropping by the binder.
Layout

A volume made up of four parts in separate stints by the same scribe, originally assembled in the conventional order but by the time of the contents list they had been re-arranged into the order now found.

Script

Written in Textualis quadrata for the biblical text; more akin to semi-quadrata in the gloss, very neat. One scribe for text and gloss in all parts. Tiny notes by the scribe, evidently dating stints of work, survive (more or less cropped) at the extreme top or bottom of the first and/or last leaves of quires.

Decoration

Decorated initials, at least 6 lines high, mark all the biblical incipits.

Binding

Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)

Manuscript history
Creation

Written in France, early 13th century.

Provenance

Inscription: liber Sancti Cuthberti ex dono magistri Willelmi de Dunel' Regum Esdre Neemias Vque libri Salomonis Machabei Glosati' (before 1249)


sancti Cuthberti ... in quo continentur 4 libr Regum Quinque libri Salomonis et ij Libri machabeorum et Esdre. Glosati’ (mid 13th century)
Pressmark C erased and replaced with E E Quatuor libri Regum cum alijs ix. de communi libraria monachorum dunelm' (15th century)
Manuscript contents
SECTION: (A)    
(a)     f.3r-21v
Modern title: I Kings, glossed
Language: Latin
(b)     f.21v-35r
Modern title: II Kings, glossed
Language: Latin
(c)     f.35r-53v
Modern title: III Kings, glossed
Language: Latin
(d)     f.53v-68v
Modern title: IV Kings, glossed
Language: Latin
SECTION: (B)    
(e)     f.69r-88r
Modern title: Proverbs, glossed
Language: Latin
(f)     f.88v-95r
Modern title: Ecclesiastes, glossed
Language: Latin
(g)     f.95v-102r
Modern title: Song of Songs, glossed
Language: Latin
(h)     f.102v-111v
Modern title: Wisdom, glossed
Language: Latin
(i)     f.111v-136r
Modern title: Ecclesiasticus, glossed
Language: Latin
SECTION: (C)    
(j)     f.137r-155v
Modern title: I Maccabees, glossed
Language: Latin
(k)     f.155v-166v
Modern title: II Maccabees, glossed
Language: Latin
SECTION: (D)    
(l)     f.167r-174v
Modern title: I Esdras, glossed
Language: Latin
(m)     f.174v-182v
Modern title: II Esdras (Nehemiah), glossed
Language: Latin

Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. A.II.7 - Bible, Old Testament Kings-Nehemiah, glossed
Digitised September 2016 as part of the Durham Priory Library Recreated project
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1mbg257f051.html
Bibliography

Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.   OCLC citation, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).

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