Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

NAQLUN

EGYPT

THE NAQLUN JOHN:
A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Jacques van der Vliet*)

The manuscript is a complete paper codex
of 72 leaves (144 pages), measuring 19-2 x
12.8 cm. It is contained in a dark brown
leather binding (19-5 x 13 cm) with a blind
tooled decoration of a big cross within
a frame on both front and back (cf. Fig. 6
on p. 169 above).The binding is closed
by an equally decorated envelope flap de-
parting from the lower board and kept in
place by an intricate cross-form leather
strap pulled over a toggle.
The paper is beige to light-brown
owing to discoloring. It is not watermarked
and no wires or chains are visible. The
codex is made up of seven quires composed
of five folded double leaves (20 pages),
except for the last two quires. The sixth
quire consists of six double leaves (24
pages), whereas the composition of the
seventh quire is as yet unclear and needs
autoptic collation. The quires are stitched
together by a thread that is still preserved
in most places.
The codex is essentially complete, even
though not a single page is free from
damage. The first and last leaves of the
codex, which bear respectively a frontis-
piece and colophons, are much ruined.
There is marginal damage throughout,
affecting the upper margins in particular,
but this leaves most of the text intact. Only

the outer upper corners of the pages are
lacking throughout. The loss of text,
however, is usually neglible, apart from the
very last pages where the top lines are
seriously damaged.
The text is written in a single column of
23-26 lines. The written area occupies
about 15.2 x 12.8 cm, leaving broad outer
margins. No ruling is visible. Textual units
are marked off by enlarged and thickened
capitals protruding into the left-hand
margins, but no other marginal signs or
ornaments have been used. Owing to the
loss of the outer upper corners of the pages,
no folio or page numbers have been
preserved. Each quire, on the other hand, is
numbered on its first and last leaf in a de-
corated head-piece.
Decoration is sober but attractive and
makes ample use of colored interlace
patterns. The frontispiece (page 2) is oc-
cupied by a large cross (Fig. 1).2) The first
text page (page 3) bears the name of Saint
John the Evangelist, contained within
a frame strongly reminiscent of a tabula
ansata and also the colophon on page 142
is framed by two lines of interlace
decoration. The first and last page of each
quire bears a head-piece (lost in the last
quire), combining lettering (quire num-
bers, monograms) with modest decorative

*) University of Leiden
1) Cf. similar bindings in L. Depuydt, Catalogue of the Coptic Manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library. Corpus van
verluchte handschriften, (Louvain 1993), vol. 2, pi. 447 ff., mostly also from the Fayoum.
2) Cf. the crosses from Llamouli codices in Depuydt, op. cit., vol. 2, pi. 24 ff.

172