MS. Kennicott 15

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession)

Language(s): Latin

(p.1)

Gen.-Deut., beg imperf. at Gen.4.18 due to the loss of a leaf after p.4 (pref. Stegmüller, Repertorium 284, also beg. imperf., and 285); Iosue (pref. 311); Judie.; Ruth; I–IV Reg. (pref. 323); I, II Paralip. (pref. 328); I Esdras and Nehemiss written as one book (pref. 330), III Esdras, here called II; Tobias (pref. 532); Iudith (pref. 335); Hester (pref. 341).

(p.319)

Iob (pref. 344); Psalterium duplex: the Hebrew and Gallican versions (pref. beg: Liber iste quem Hebrei nablum, and 430), followed by the apocryphal psalm Pusillus eram; Parabolae (pref. 457); Eccles. (pref. 462), Cantica; Sep.; Ecclesiasticus.

(p.469)

Is. (pref. 482); Ierem. (pref. 487) and Lament.; Baruch (pref. 491); Ezech. (pref. 492); Dan. (pref. 494); Osee (pref. 500 and 507); Ioel (pref. 511 and 510); Amos (pref. 515, 512, 513); Abdias (pref. 519); Ionas (pref. 523); Miche (pref. 526); Naum (pref. 528); Habacuc (pref.531); Sophon. (pref. 534); Aggeus (pref. 538); Zach. (pref. 539); Malach. (pref. 543).

(p.616)

I, II Machab. (pref. 547, 553, 551).

(p.652)

Math. (pref. 590 and 589); Marcus (pref. 607); Lucas (pref. 620); Iohannes (pref. 624); preface of Jerome to the four gospels (596); Eusebian canons.

(p.723)

Prefaces to the Pauline epistles: Rom. (651, 670, 674, 677); I, II Cor. (690 and 697); Galat. (709); Ephes. (724); Philip. (733); Coloss. (741); I. II Thess. (743 and 759); I, II Tim. (761 and 771); Titus (775).

(p.727)

Rom.; I, II Cor. wanting 10.14-end due to the loss of a leaf after p.746 (pref. 684 and 700); Galat., beg. imperf. at 1.14; Ephes. (pref. 715); Philip. (pref. 728); Coloss. (pref. 736); I, II Thess. (pref. 747 and 752); II Tim. (pref. 765 and 772); Titus (pref. 780); Philemon (pref. 784); Hebr. (pref. 793).

(p.771)

Actus (pref. 637).

(p.792)

Can. Epp. (pref. 809).

(p.801)

Apoc. (pref. 839).

Each book is preceded by capitula, which do not coincide with the chapter divisions in use in this MS., or with the ‘modern’ chapter divisions, e.g. Exodus 91 capitula, 139 divisions in the text; Deut. 86 capitula, 177 divisions.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: parchment

Extent: iii + 816 pages

Dimensions (leaf): 265 × 190 mm.

Dimensions (written): 220 × 125 mm.

Edges badly cropped by binder.

Collation

1(8) (wants 2 and 3), 2(10)–32(10), 33(8), 34(10), 35(10), 36(10) (1 cut out), 37(4), 38(2), 39(2) (+ 1 added at the end), 40(8), 41(10), 42(10), 43(10) (1 cut out), 44(4)

Layout

2 cols., 59 lines

Hand(s)

Written above top line.

Decoration

Fine historiated and other initials. By two hands. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 385, pl. XXXIV)

Pink and blue initials on gold, pink and blue background, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage and flowers, grotesques, beasts, birds, animal masks, human and animal heads on pp. 2, 32, 57, 75, 99, 121, 136, 152, 156, 177, 195, 215, 235, 251, 274, 298, 304, 312, 321, 337, 338, 339, 350, 357, 364, 357r, 371, 380, 388, 397, 543, 574, 587, 591, 593, 599, 607, 609, 617, 638, 673, 687, 705, 727, 735, 749, 752, 754, 756, 758, 759, 762, 763, 764, 765, 772, 792, 794 (mutilated), 798, 800, 802.

Smaller gold initials on pink and blue background on pp. 3, 120, 154, 234, 273, 280, 288, 297, 303, 311, 319, 414, 428, 444, 469, 500, 537, 572, 596, 591, 593, 597, 598, 599, 602, 603, 605, 607, 608, 614, 616, 652, 672, 685, 704, 765, 771, 792, 801.

Historiated initials on gold and blue background:

p. 339

initial B
A scribe seated at a lectern, writing, in the upper part of the initial; King David playing psaltery in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 1).

p. 350

initial D
Anointment of David. Samuel holds a horn with oil over David's head (Psalm 26).

p. 357

initial D
King David pointing to his mouth (Psalm 38).

p. 364

initial D
Fool holding a club (Psalm 51).

p. 371

initial S
Half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in the upper part of the initial; King David praying in waters in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 68).

p. 380

initial E
King David playing psaltery in the upper part of the initial; musician playing fiddle in the lower part of the initial; other musical instrumsnts are shown in both parts (Psalm 82).

p. 388

(initial C)
Half-figure of Christ, holding a book and blessing, in the upper part of the initial; two men looking up in the lower part of the initial (Psalm 97).

p. 397

(initial D)
Seated bearded saint, holding a book, inviting another saint to sit to his right (Psalm 109).

p. 416

(initial P)
Seated master instructing three tonsured pupils, one holding a book (Proverbs).

p. 428

(initial U)
Seated king (Ecclesiastes).

p. 433

(initial O)
Christ holding consecrated bread and placing a crown on the head of the Church, who stands before him holding a chalice (The Song of Songs).

p. 435

(initial D)
King seated, holding a sceptre (Wisdom).

p. 445

(initial O)
Seated young man, holding a scroll with lettering 'SALOMON' (Ecclesiasticus).

p. 472

(initial U)
Isaiah, holding a scroll with letterin 'ISAIA PROPHETA' (Isaiah).

p. 503

(initial U)
Ieremiah, holding a scroll with lettering ' IEREMIAS PROPHETA' (?) (partly rubed off) (Ieremiah).

p. 597

(initial U)
Obadiah seated, holding a book, finger raised in a gesture of teaching (Obadiah).

p. 599

(initial U)
Micah seated, holding a book (Micah).

p. 602

(initial O)
Nahum seated, holding a book (Nahum).

p. 604

(initial O)
Habakkuk seated, holding a book (Habakkuk).

p. 606

(initial U)
Zephaniah standing, hands raised (Zephaniah).

p. 614

(initial O)
Malachias, seated, holding a book (Malachias).

p. 653

(initial L)
Jesse Tree: sleeping Jesse and a small scene of Annunciation in the horizontal bar of L; two seated kings, Virgin Mary and Christ in the vertical bar of L; coiled tendrils, flowers and leaves in the background (St. Matthew's Gospel).

p. 743

(initial P)
St. Paul seated, holding a book (Corinthians II).

Binding

18th cent. vellum binding.

History

Origin: 13th century, first half ; French, Paris (?)

Record Sources

Typescript description by Bodleian Library staff, revised by Peter Kidd and Elizabeth Solopova, c. 2000

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2017-07-01: First online publication.

A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges