Minuscule 346
Minuscule 346 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, written on parchment. It is designated by the siglum 346 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and ε 226 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative handwriting styles it has been assigned to the 12th century.
It has notes in the margin.
Description
The manuscript is a codex, containing the complete text of the four Gospels on 168 parchment leaves, with one large gap. It also has the liturgical book with hagiographies: Synaxarion and Menologion.The text is written in one column per page, with 31–32 lines per page. According to Biblical scholar F. H. A. Scrivener, it was carelessly written.
The text is divided according to the chapters, whose numbers are given at the margin, and their titles at the top of the pages. There is also a division according to the Ammonian Sections, whose numbers are given at the margin, but without references to the Eusebian Canons.
It contains the tables of contents before each Gospel, lectionary markings in the margin, subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, numbers of "remata", and numbers of Stichometry / stichoi.
Text
The Greek text of the codex has been considered a representative of the Caesarean text-type. The text-types are groups of different New Testament manuscripts which share specific or generally related readings, which then differ from each other group, and thus the conflicting readings can separate out the groups. These are then used to determine the original text as published; there are three main groups with names: Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine. The Caesarean text-type however has been contested by several text-critics, such as Kurt and Barbara Aland. Aland placed it in Category III of his New Testament manuscript classification system. Category III manuscripts are described as having "a small but not a negligible proportion of early readings, with a considerable encroachment of readings, and significant readings from other sources as yet unidentified."It is a member of the textual family ƒ. According to the Claremont Profile Method it belongs to ƒ as a core member.
It has many unusual readings.
History
Gregory dated the manuscript to the 12th century. It is currently dated by the INTF to the 12th century.The manuscript was bought in 1606 at "Callipoli in Salentinis". The manuscript was examined by Scholz and Burgon. It was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Scholz. Text of the codex was collated by Abbott and edited by Ferrar. C. R. Gregory saw it in 1886.
The manuscript is currently housed at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan.