{{New Testament manuscript infobox | form = Minuscule | number = '''642''' | image = | isize = | caption= | name = | sign = | text = Acts of the Apostles, Catholic epistles, Pauline epistles † | script = Greek | date = 14th century | found = | now at = Lambeth Palace | cite = | size = {{×|21.1|14.8}} | type = Byzantine text-type | cat = III/V | hand = | note = }}

'''Minuscule 642''' (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 552 (von Soden),<ref name = Gregory1908>{{cite book|last=Gregory|first=Caspar René|author-link=Caspar René Gregory|title=Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament|url=https://archive.org/stream/diegriechischen00greggoog#page/n81/mode/2up|year=1908|publisher=J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung|location=Leipzig|page=70}}</ref> is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on paper. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 14th century. The manuscript is lacunose.<ref name = Aland>K. Aland, M. Welte, B. Köster, K. Junack, "Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments", ''Walter de Gruyter'', Berlin, New York 1994, p. 84.</ref> Gregory labelled it by 217<sup>a</sup> and 273<sup>p</sup>; Scrivener labelled it by 185<sup>a</sup> and 255<sup>p</sup>.<ref name = Scrivener>{{Cite book | last = Scrivener | first = Frederick Henry Ambrose | author-link = Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener |author2=Edward Miller | title = A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, vol. 1 | publisher = George Bell & Sons | year = 1894 | location = London | edition = 4 | page = 296 }}</ref>

== Description ==

The codex contains the text of the Acts of the Apostles, Catholic epistles, Pauline epistles, on 209 paper leaves (size {{×|21.1|14.8}}),<ref name = Aland/> with large lacunae (Acts 2:36–3:8; 7:3–59; 12:7–25; 14:8–27; 18:20–19:12; 22:7–23:11; 1 Corinthians 8:12–9:18; 2 Corinthians 1:1–10; Ephesians 3:2-Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:12-Tit 1:6; Hebrews 7:19–9:12).<ref name = Gregory/>

The writing is in one column per page, 22–26 lines per page.<ref name = Aland/> It was written by four different hands. The breathings and accents are very irregular. Some words are half-written.<ref name = Exact/>

N ephelkystikon is rare, and the itacisms are pretty numerous (πνεμα for πνευμα).<ref name = Exact>F. H. A. Scrivener, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Fh0DAAAAQAAJ ''An Exact Transcript of the Codex Augiensis''] (Cambridge and London, 1859), p. LX</ref>

It contains Prolegomena, tables of the {{lang|grc|κεφαλαια}} (''tables of contents'') before every book, numbers of the {{lang|grc|κεφαλαια}} (''chapters''), lectionary markings at the margin, ''incipits'', Menologion, subscriptions at the end of each book, and numbers of {{lang|grc|στιχοι}} at the margin.<ref name = Gregory>{{Cite book | last = Gregory | first = Caspar René | author-link = Caspar René Gregory | title = Textkritik des Neuen Testaments | publisher = Hinrichs | year = 1900 | location = Leipzig | volume = 1 | page = 281 | url = https://archive.org/stream/textkritikdesne00greggoog#page/n293/mode/2up }}</ref><ref name = Scrivener/>

The order of books: Acts of the Apostles, Catholic epistles, and Pauline epistles. Epistle to the Hebrews is placed after Epistle to Philemon.<ref name = Gregory/>

According to the subscription at the end of the Epistle to the Romans, the Letter was written προς Ρωμαιους εγραφη απο Κορινθου δια Φοιβης της διακονου; the same subscription have manuscripts: 42, 90, 216, 339, 462, and 466*;<ref>Bruce M. Metzger, ''A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament'' (2001), p. 477.</ref>

== Text ==

The Greek text of the codex has the higher value in the Catholic epistles and much lower elsewhere. The text of the Catholic epistles Kurt Aland placed in Category III, the text of the Acts and the Pauline epistles Aland placed in Category V, it means it is a representative of the Byzantine text-type.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Aland | first1 = Kurt | author-link = Kurt Aland | last2 = Aland | first2 = Barbara | author-link2 = Barbara Aland | others = Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) | title = The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company | year = 1995 | location = Grand Rapids | page = 133 | isbn = 978-0-8028-4098-1}}</ref>

According to Wachtel it has between 20% and 30% non-Byzantine readings in the Catholic Epistles.<ref>[http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/Manuscripts501-1000.html#m642 Minuscule 642 (GA)] at the ''Encyclopedia Textual Criticism''</ref>

== History ==

The manuscript is dated by the INTF to the 14th century.<ref name = INTF>[http://intf.uni-muenster.de/vmr/NTVMR/ListeHandschriften.php Handschriftenliste] at the Münster Institute</ref> The early history of the manuscript and the place of its origin is unknown.

The manuscript was brought from a Greek monastery to England by Joseph Dacre Carlyle (1759–1804), professor of Arabic, along with the manuscripts 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 488, 470.<ref name = Scrivener/>

The manuscript was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Scrivener (185<sup>a</sup> and 255<sup>p</sup>) and Gregory (217<sup>a</sup> and 273<sup>p</sup>). Gregory saw the manuscript in 1883.<ref name = Gregory/> In 1908 Gregory gave the number 642 to it.<ref name = Gregory1908/>

The manuscript currently is housed at Lambeth Palace (1185), at London.<ref name = Aland/><ref name = INTF/>

== See also ==

{{Portal|Bible}} * List of New Testament minuscules * Biblical manuscript * Textual criticism

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * F. H. A. Scrivener, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Fh0DAAAAQAAJ ''An Exact Transcript of the Codex Augiensis''] (Cambridge and London, 1859), pp.&nbsp;LIX-LXI. (as d)

== External links == * [http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/Manuscripts501-1000.html#m642 Minuscule 642 (GA)] at the ''Encyclopedia Textual Criticism''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minuscule 0642}} Category:Greek New Testament minuscules Category:14th-century biblical manuscripts