Beinecke MS 249                                         Byzantium, s. IX/X, XIII/XIV
Psalmi et Odae Cum Catena, etc. (in Greek)

     I. 1. ff. 1r-7r     [Greek].

          Michael Psellus, De Psalmorum titulis; see G. Parassoglou, "A New
     Manuscript of Psellos' 'On the Titles of the Psalms'," [Greek]
     25 (1972) pp. 440-42, for a list of variant readings based on the printed
     text of E. Kurtz and F. Drexl, eds., Michaelis Pselli Scripta
     Minora in
     Orbis Romanus, Biblioteca dei texti medievali a cura dell' Universita
     Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 5 (Milan, 1936) v. 1, pp. 389-400.

     2. ff. 7v-10v     [Greek]. [Greek].

          Cosmas Indicopleustes, Prologus in Psalmos; PG 88.248-49, at which
     point the text deviates from the printed version.

     3a. ff. 11r-28v    [Greek]// [the text breaks off abruptly. Commentary
     on Psalms 1.1 begins:] /[Greek]...[The scribe stopped copying the
     commentary in the sixth psalm.]

     II. 3b.ff. 29r-307v    //[Greek]. [Commentary ends on f. 306v at the
     conclusion of Psalm 150:] [Greek].

     Psalms 1.1-10.2; Psalms 10.2-90. Folios 29 and 30 are misbound; they
     contain the text of Psalms 27.8-15 and 44.3-9. On f. 31r the text picks
     up where it ended on f. 28v, but portions are lost throughout the codex
     due to the placement of binding tape over the written space. Text for
     the Psalms: A. Rahlfs, ed., Septuaginta, ed. 7, v. 2 (Stuttgart, 1935)
     pp. 1-164. Text for the commentary on the Psalms: no reliable edition
     is available. Cf. R. Devreesse, "Chaines exegetiques grecques," in
     Dictionnaire de la Bible, Supplement I (Paris, 1928) pp. 1114-39.

     4. ff. 308r-331v    [Odae:] [Greek]. [Greek] [Commentary on Odae:]
     [Greek]. [Greek].

          The text of the Odae corresponds to the "Novem Odae ecclesiae
     graecae" in Rahlfs, (op. cit., pp. 164-78) except that his eighth is
     divided in two in MS 249, after v. 56, and two additional Christian
     verses are added after v. 88 (f. 328v): [Greek]...and [Greek].... No
     reliable edition of this catena has yet been published. For discussion,
     see R. Devreesse, op. cit., pp. 1139-40.

          Beinecke MS 249 is composed of two distinct parts, the first of
     which was added at a considerably later date to replace lost or damaged
     leaves at the beginning of the codex. Part I: ff. 1-28; Part II: ff.
     29-331.

          Parchment, ff. 331 + i (paper), 185 x 136. Written in 2 columns,
     ca. 39 lines (the main text occupies only 17 lines of the inner column
     [85 x 53 mm.] and the accompanying commentary completely surrounds it,
     often covering the folio from top to bottom). The scribe of the older
     portion (Part II) ruled the parchment in hard point, on the hair side
     before folding, with double vertical bounding lines. The second scribe
     (Part I) preserved the format established by his predecessor. Prickings
     are sometimes visible in Part II along the outer edge.
          The codex seems to have been composed originally of quires of 8,
     but the rebinding is so close and poorly done that it is impossible to
     collate it accurately. There are no catchwords or signatures, probably
     due to the severe trimming that has also affected lines of the
     commentary.
          Part I written in a heavy round minuscule; Part II in a fine
     regular hand with an admixture of uncial forms.
          Crude headpiece (f. 11r), headings and small initials in red; some
     minor initials in gold.
          First leaf is rubbed and illegible in many places.
          Binding: s. xix. Edges spattered with red. Half tan calf, blind-
     and gold-tooled with marbled paper sides.

          Written in Byzantium ca. 900 and supplemented ca. 1300.
     Eighteenth-century ownership note of Basil Katzeskyriakos (f. 9r).
     Belonged to Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford (1766-1827; bookplate
     and handwritten note of contents inside front cover; no. 450 on
     bookplate, spine and in sale catalogue; Greek letters chi and gamma
     stamped in gold on spine); sold to Payne. Sir Thomas Phillipps (no.
     7713, on spine). Purchased from Laurence Witten with funds from the
     Jacob Ziskind Charitable Trust in 1957 (MS 15).

     Bibliography: Faye and Bond, pp. 45-46, no. 249. 
	     Ziskind Catalogue, p. 47.

     Barbara A. Shailor