The first three folios of the manuscript contain the conclusion of a martyrdom of
Saint Phocas in a version that differs from other known accounts. On the remaining
six folios is part of an early text of the prayer of Athanasius when dying, which
is known only from MS. Or. 7029 in the British Museum, a paper manuscript dated 992
AD, published by E.A. Wallis Budge, Miscellaneius Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper
Egypt, London 1915, 503-511, 1012-1020. |
Each page of the manuscript originally contained two columns of text, but the outer
columns have been broken off and only occasional letters are still visible on a few
of the pages. The lower part of each leaf is also broken away diagonally. We can make
a rought estimate of the amount of text lost by comparing the text of the prayer of
Athanasius with that published by Budge, although there are so many variants between
the two, especially in the way of additions and omissions, that the results can only
be approximate. In the papyrus the number of letters in a line varies from 7-12, with
an average of 9. If we estimate the amount of text lost from each page on a basis
of 9-letters lines, folios 4-6 would seem to have had about 25 lines to the column
on both recto and verso; and folio 8 approximatelly 28 lines on recto and verso. Whether
the dicrepancy is actual or is only apparent because of interpolations in the later
text is uncertain; but the manuscript is not so carefully written that we should be
surprised at some variation in the number of lines to the page or column.;We may figure
roughly that each line occupies about .87 cm so that from 25-30 lines would occupry
from 22-26 cm. The upper margin varies from 2.5-3.5 cm, and, if we allow for approximately
the same lower margin, the height of the page would have been originally from 27-33
c,. The width of the column is on the average 7.5 cm, and the intercolumnar space
is about 1.5 cm, so far as we can judge where letters from the second column remain.
The inner margin is 3.5 cm and we should assume that the outer margin would have been
at least 2.5 cm. This would give the total width of the page as at least 22,5 cm.;It
is impossible to reach any definite conclusions about the original structure of the
manuscript. According to the direction of the fibers on the recto and verso of each
leaf, the arrangement is as follow (V - vertical fibers; H - horizontal fibers):;1
(HV) - 2 (VH) - 3 (VH) - 4 (VH) - 5 (VH) - 6 (VH) - 7 (HV) - 8 (HV) 9 (VH).;Folios
1-2 are a conjugate pair which formed the center of a quire. Some adhesive and a short
piece of the binding cord remain within the fold, and, although the two leaves were
broken apart, there is no question as to the continuity of the fibers across them.
In this double leaf the usual practice of placing the sheet of papyrus so that, when
it was foldede, the surface with the horizontal fibers would be toward the inside
was not followed. If we assume that the arrangement of this center spread was followed
throughtout, folios 3-6 would have to belong to the quire of which folios 1-2 form
the center, which would threfore have consisted of 10 leaves. Folios 8 and 9 would
then form the center of a second quire of only four leaves, of which folio 7 would
be the first leaf, the last leaf being lost. But in view of the other irregularities
in the manuscript it would hardly de safe to say that any exact procedure was followed
in making upthe quires. Indeed we may have a single quire manuscript with the sheets
laid down haphazardly as far as the direction of the fibers was concerned, or we may
have a manuscript of several quires with a different number of leaves in each quire.
;Holes for striching the folios together are found in pairs from 1-1.5 cm from the
center fold, one hole in each pair being slightly above and to one side of the other.
Five of these pairs remain on the largest fragments, with a sixth discernible at the
lower broken edge. In the lowest pair the holes are so close together as to be almsot
on top of each other. Since the holes show no evidence of abnormal wear, it seems
unlikely that they represent two separate bindings, but rather that the sheets were
sewed together wih a number of short horizontal stichtes. Naturally the evidence on
the subject of the sewing and binding of these early ppayrus codices is very scanty,
but what we have points to the fact that two types of sewing were used, either vertical
through the center of the quire, or along the side of the quire so that when the book
was opened the threads would be seen passing horizontally across the back of the leaves.
The piece of thread that remains in the fold of the first pair of leaves seems not
to fit the original holes along the inner margin of the leaves, but from its length
and posiiton seems rather to belong to another, perhaps later, stitching done through
the center of the folded leaf. The manuscript was perhaps originally sewed through
the side of the quires and not bound. Later it may have been resewed through the spine
in order to facilitate binding. The remains of adhesive in the fold of folios 1-2,
and also on the inner margin of folio 6, may result from the gluing of a strip of
parchment or papyrus over the fold to reinforce it for the second sewing.;The manuscript
is written in rather irregular, heavy, square uncials with few fine lines. The dialect
is Sahidic, but with some peculiarities that are found perhaps more often in Fayumic
tects. |