The Story of Codex H (GA 015)
2023–2024, Great Lavra Monastery – Mt. Athos Greece, Torino – Italy, Paris – France, University of Glasgow – Scotland UK.
“The Story of Codex H (GA 015)” unravels the fascinating and complex history of a significant ancient Greek manuscript. Dating back to the sixth century, Codex H is a copy of Paul’s letters in Greek and holds the earliest evidence of the Euthalian apparatus, a system of textual divisions and annotations. This valuable codex was unfortunately disassembled between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, its pages repurposed as binding material and flyleaves for other manuscripts.
Today, the surviving fragments of Codex H are scattered across the globe, housed in institutions in Paris, Torino, Kyiv, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and even remaining at the Megisti Lavra. The project aimed to digitally reconstruct Codex H as it existed before its disassemblage, offering a deeper understanding of its history and significance. This endeavor involved tracing the journey of its scattered pages backward in time, from their current locations to their origins on Mount Athos.
Beyond its textual importance, the story of Codex H sheds light on the ethical considerations surrounding the movement of ancient manuscripts. The project highlights how these ancient copies traveled through time and space, revealing the various ways they were acquired and preserved, and prompting new discussions about responsible scholarship and building relationships with the communities who originally safeguarded these treasures.
In 2023, multispectral images of the majority of the existing material were created by the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library (EMEL), aiding in the reconstruction and study of this remarkable manuscript. Additionally, faint traces of ink transfer were analyzed to reconstruct a significant amount of pages that no longer exist.
