Origen, Homeliae in Testamentum Vetus, in the Latin translations of Rufinus of Aquileia and Jerome, decorated manuscript on vellum [northern Italy, last decades of the twelfth century]

173 leaves, 345mm. by 225mm., wanting a leaf after fol.78, and a gathering from end, else complete, collation: i-ix^{8, x7, xi-xvii8, xviii6, xix-xxii8, numeric quire-signatures, double column, 35 lines in dark brown ink in a tall and slim early gothic bookhand using the Cistercian punctus flexus, capitals touched in yellow, rubrics in red, numerous simple red initials (3- to 10-line),} large initials throughout in same (6- to 17-lines) with elaborate geometric scrolling infill and extensions in red, large initials after fol.104 in red and green with complex geometric patterns within the bodies of the initials, very large initial 'I' (14-line) in red enclosing a geometric panel on fol.1r, instructions to rubricator remaining (see fol.128v), stains to upper part of first leaf and volume somewhat water-damaged and cockled throughout (with occasional small areas of text affected, most serious on fols.169-73), but overall in good and presentable condition, modern red leather over wooden boards, two clasps

provenance

1. Most probably written and decorated for a Cistercian abbey in Lombardy, possibly the abbey of Morimondo near Milan (M. Ferrari, 'Dopo Bernardo' in San Bernardo e l'Italia, 1993, p.290 and 292).

2. Apparently Bishop Paolo Giovio (1483-1552), the historian and humanist; who acquired codices from Morimondo and other monasteries. Sold by one of his descendents to Hoepli (cat.83, 1883, no.103).

3. Philip Hofer (1898-1984).

4. Bergendal MS.15; bought by Joseph Pope from Laurence Witten in September 1981: Bergendal catalogue no.15; Stoneman, 'Guide', p.172 (as no.16); Kristeller, VI, p.456.

text

Origen (c.184/5-253/5) was the earliest major theologian of Christianity, and one of the most widely read biblical scholars of the Middle Ages. His principal work, the Hexapla (the Old Testament arranged in six columns to present the reader with the Hebrew text in both Hebrew and Greek characters alongside four Greek versions), is now lost, but his homilies on the Old Testament were translated into Latin by Rufinus of Aquileia (345-410; 26 homilies on Joshua and 9 on Judges) and Jerome (345-420; 14 homiles on Jeremiah, 9 on Isaiah, 13 on Ezechiel and 1 on Kings) and widely disseminated. The texts are Stegmüller, IV, 6181, 6202, 6205 and 6208; and are edited in Migne, Pat.Lat. 24:937-71 and 25:585-692.