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The Codex Claromontanus

The Codex Claromontanus (Codex Dp or 06) is a bilingual Greek-Latin manuscript of the 6th century containing the epistles of Paul and a stichometric catalogue. Discovered at Clermont-en-Beauvaisis by Theodore Beza, it is held in the National Library of France. Made up of 533 folios, it belongs to the Western text family and is an exceptional witness for textual criticism and the history of the transmission of the Scriptures.

2 min Codex Claromontanus biblical manuscript Western text epistles of Paul textual criticism

The Codex Claromontanus

The Claromontanus, also known as Dp or 06, is a bilingual Greek-Latin manuscript of the sixth century. Here are some key facts about it:

History

Date: Around AD 550.
Discovery: It is named after Theodore Beza, who bought it in a monastery at Clermont-en-Beauvaisis in the Oise.
Current owner: It is currently held in the National Library of France in Paris.

Composition

Text: It contains the epistles of Paul as well as a stichometric catalogue of the Old and New Testaments.
Format: It is made up of 533 folios (24.5 x 19.5 cm).
Language: The text is written in Greek and in Latin on facing pages, which makes it a diglot manuscript. (A diglot manuscript is a document or text written in two different languages, usually arranged in parallel columns or on facing pages).

Importance

Text: It belongs to the Western text, which means that it is very close to the original versions of the Scriptures.
Condition: It is one of the few manuscripts to have been preserved in its entirety.
Study: It is of crucial importance for textual criticism and the history of the biblical texts.

The Claromontanus is a precious witness to the history of the biblical text and the transmission of the Scriptures down the centuries.