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It may be of help to some of our readers if before proceeding further we give the
meaning of several terms that are continually used in the studying of the ancient
manuscripts:--
UNCIAL.--The word means "an inch long", and is used to indicate those manuscripts
that are written mainly in capital letters. Uncials generally indicate a great age than
cursives.
CURSIVE.--The word means "flowing" or "current". It is used of handwriting that is
in a flowing or continuous style, as distinct from the uncial type.
CODEX.--The word means a "manuscripts volume". Its plural form is "codices".
VERSION.--The word means a "translation".
EDITOR.--In this subject, the title "Editor" is used to indicate the various men who
have from time to time collated the different manuscripts. Such names as Lachmann,
Tischendorf, Tregelles are familiar.
COLLATE.--To "collate" means to "compare critically"
REDACTEUR.--One that collates and arranges. His results are referred to as "The
Redaction of . . . . ."
LACUNA.--The word means a "pit" or "hollow". In manuscripts it indicates a gap in
the writing either through age, tears, holes or missing pages.
PALIMPSEST.--A parchment that has been written upon twice, the first writing
having been partially washed out or erased.
RECENSION.--A critical review of a text. A text established by critical revision.
APPARATUS CRITICUS.--This expression includes all the documents containing
the text considered, with perhaps a list of such documents, the whole forming the material
for the use of the critic in arriving at the original text under review.
CATENA.--This is a commentary compiled from early writers.
PALEOGRAPHY.--The study of the handwriting of ancient documents.
Uncial manuscripts are indicated by capital letters, and cursives, so far as the LXX is
concerned, by numbers. The following notes will give some idea of a few of the most
important manuscripts:--
"A."
CODEX ALEXANDRINUS (British Museum, London). Covers bear the arms of
Charles 1: Presented to James I by Cyril Lucan, Patriarch of Alexandria and
of Constantinople. While it is usually reckoned to date from the first half of the
seventh century, it must be remembered that "the dating of early Greek uncials on
vellum is still very doubtful for want of materials to judge from, and it is possible
that the tradition mentioned above (that it was written by Thecla shortly after the
council of Nicea, A.D.325) is truer than is generally supposed" (F. G. Kenyon,
M.A.). It originally contained the whole Bible, but it has now several lacunae. It
consists of four volumes, the first three containing the O.T. in 639 leaves. "The text
has been corrected throughout by several different hands, the first being nearly, or
quite, contemporary with the original scribe" (F. G. Kenyon).