Washington Manuscript II - The Psalms (Codex Washingtonensis)

Object Details

• Description

  Large Slavonic sloping uncial writing in medium brown ink, numbers and titles in red; 24 lines to the page; 7 leaves, fragmentary.

  For a full description of the manuscript, see Sanders, Henry A.: Old Testament Manuscripts in the Freer Collection, Part II (University of Michigan Humanistic Series, volume VIII).

• Label

  Charles Lang Freer purchased this codex in 1906, along with the manuscript of Deuteronomy and Joshua (F1906.272). The Psalms manuscript is almost wholly lacking in punctuation, but the nomina sacra (sacred names) are regularly abbreviated, as was customary in Jewish and Early Christian manuscripts. At some point the last part, Psalm 142:8 to Psalm 151, was lost and subsequently, perhaps in the eighth century, replaced with part of another manuscript.

• Provenance

  To 1906

  Ali Arabi, Giza, Egypt, to 1906 [1]

  From 1906 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ali Arabi in Giza, Egypt, on December 19, 1906 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Miscellaneous List, Biblical Mss. Section, S.I. 1466, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  In the Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000 (October 21, 2006 to January 7, 2007)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ali Arabi (ca. 1840-1932) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Egypt

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  400s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Arabi, Ali

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Biblical Manuscripts, Charles Lang Freer collection, Bible, Bible, O.T.

• Culture

  Christians

• Object Type

  Manuscripts