I am enjoying a terrific conference on Codex Sinaiticus at the British Library. There is little time to blog right now, but I thought I would mention the most interesting announcement. A scholar who is working on the bookbindings of St Catherine of Mt Sinai has found what is most probably a new leaf of Codex Sinaiticus within the binding of the book! This was announced today in Father Justin's fabulous presentations of the new finds of 1975 and further developments.
This evening I am heading for the next conference in Birmingham. Maybe I will have time to blog later in the week if there is some internet connection.
This evening I am heading for the next conference in Birmingham. Maybe I will have time to blog later in the week if there is some internet connection.
I especially liked the way Father Justin read the scholar's email in which the latter mentioned the find as possibly of some interest. The text, if I remember well, is from Joshua 1. It is currently debated whether it should be tried to liberate the fragment from the binding (one would like to read the backside as well), or to wait for technological advancements.
ReplyDeleteJoshua 1.10 was mentioned.
ReplyDeleteCould you explain to the ignorant how this works? Where exactly is this found, and why would it be found in the binding?
ReplyDeleteDear Mark,
ReplyDeleteNowadays new paper is used when binding a book, but in those days material was sometimes reused in the production of codices. Apparently, one of the lost leaves of Codex Sinaiticus has now most probably been discovered in the binding of another book in the same monastery by a scholar who examines bookbindings. Only a part is visible but it seems to be enough to confirm that the identification is correct. The image that was presented was persuasive.