Image: St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 51, p. 7.
(www.e-codices.unifr.ch)
The Insular Gospel Books transcription project plans to make full electronic transcriptions of all of the the manuscripts of Latin Gospels copied in Irish script.
The Insular tradition offers distinctive and fascinating evidence for the history of the transmission of the Latin biblical text. Using the latest digital tools, the transcriptions created by this project will enable visitors to read and compare the texts of these remarkable manuscripts. In addition, scholars will be able to use the data to shed light on the tradition the Gospels in Ireland from earliest times until around the twelfth century.
There are twenty-eight gospel manuscripts written in Irish script, and a further ten manuscripts which are related to this tradition. A list of these, with links to images and full-text transcriptions are found on the Manuscripts tab above. The Bibliography tab gives details of relevant publications in this field.
The Insular Gospel Books project was initiated by Professor Martin McNamara in 2012, in collaboration with Dr Hugh Houghton. Current partners include Dr David Shepherd and Dr Daniele Pevarello of the Centre for Biblical Studies, Trinity College Dublin. The project is affiliated to the International Greek New Testament Project. We are grateful to our funders, who are listed on the Acknowledgements tab, and would be glad to hear from anyone interested in contributing to the goals of the project.
Images and transcriptions open in new windows or tabs, which may appear behind this browser window.
Irish Latin Gospel Books
Numbers and sigla are as given in McNamara,
Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association 38 (2015)
The two-letter
sigla originate from Bonifatius Fischer, Die lateinischen Evangelien bis zum 10.
Jahrhundert. I. Varianten zu Matthäus (1988); II. Varianten zu Markus (1989);
III. Varianten zu Lukas (1990); IV. Varianten zu Johannes (1991). Freiburg:
Herder. The series has been extended for mauscripts not included by Fischer.
| No. | Sigla | Name | Location | Images | Transcription status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | |||||
| 1 | Xr VL 14 |
Codex Usserianus Primus | Dublin, Trinity College, MS 55 (A.IV.15) | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
John | |
| 2 | Hp VL 20 |
Fragmentum Sangallense | St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1395, pp. 430-3 | Images | – | – | – | John |
| 3 | Hβ VL 26 β |
St Paul in Kärnten (Carinthia), Stiftsbibliothek St Paul im Lavanttal, 1/1, fol. 1-2 | – | – | – | |||
| 4 | Hm VL 35 |
The Book of Mulling | Dublin, Trinity College, MS 60 (A.I.5) | Matthew | John | |||
| 5 | Hn | Mulling Fragments | Dublin, Trinity College, MS 60 (A.I.5), ff. 95-98 | – | – | |||
| 6 | Hγ | St Gall Luke Fragments | St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1394, pp. 101-4 | Images | – | – | ||
| 7 | Hg VL 28 |
Codex Usserianus Secundus "The Garland of Howth" |
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 56 (A.IV.6) | Images | Matthew | John | ||
| 8 | Hλ VL 44 |
Rosenthal fragment | Harvard University, Houghton Library MS Typ 620 | Images | – | – | – | |
| 9 | Ed | The Book of Durrow Codex Durmachensis |
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 57 (A.IV.5) |
in prep. |
in prep. |
|||
| 10 | Hq | The Book of Kells Codex Kennanensis |
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 58 (A.I.6) | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
||
| 11 | Hf | Cadmug Gospels | Fulda, Landesbibliothek Bonifatius 3 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
| 12 | Ji | Milan, Bibl. Ambrosiana I.61 sup. |
in prep. |
|||||
| 13 | Hε | Turin, Biblioteca Nazionale O.IV.20 | ||||||
| 14 | Hs VL 48 |
St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 51 | Images | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | |
| 15 | Hi | Book of Dimma | Dublin, Trinity College, MS 59 (A.IV.23) |
in prep. |
||||
| 16 | Ho | Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson G. 167 | – | – | ||||
| 17 | Ha | London, British Library, MS Additional 40618 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
|
| 18 | Hw | Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, M.p.th.f.61 | Images | – | – | – | ||
| 19 | Ht | Stowe St John | Dublin, Royal Irish Academy D.II.3, fol. 1-11 | Images | – | – | – |
in prep. |
| 20 | Hα | Domnach Airgid | Dublin, Royal Irish Academy 24.Q.23 | Images | ||||
| 21 | Hd VL 61 |
The Book of Armagh Liber Ardmachanus |
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 52 | Images |
in prep. |
|||
| 22 | Hu VL 47 |
St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 60 | Images | – | – | – | John | |
| 23 | Hr | MacRegol Gospels Rushworth Gospels |
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Auct. D.2.19 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
| 24 | Hδ VL 27 |
St Gall Bilingual Gospels | St Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 48 | Images | John | |||
| 25 | Hy | MacDurnan Gospels | London, Lambeth Palace Library 1370 |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
|
| 26 | Hk | Oxford, Corpus Christi College 122 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
|
| 27 | Hj | London, British Library, MS Harley 1023 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
|
| 28 | Hz | Gospels of Máel-Brigte | London, British Library, Harley 1802 | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
Gospel Books written outside of Ireland but with Irish Connections
Numbers are as given in McNamara, Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association
38 (2015)
| No. | Sigla | Name | Location | Images | Transcription status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | |||||
| 1 | Hl | St Chad Gospels Lichfield Gospels |
Lichfield, Cathedral Library, s.n. | Images | ||||
| 2 | Hh | Hereford Gospels | Hereford, Cathedral Library P.I.2. | |||||
| 3 | Be | Egerton Gospels Gospels of Marmoutier |
London, British Library, MS Egerton 609 | Images |
in prep. |
|||
| 4 | Gr | Augsburg Gospels Harburg/Maihingen Gospels |
Augsburg, Universitätsbibliothek, Fürstlich Oettingen-Wallerstein'sche Bibl. I.2.4o2; | Images |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
in prep. |
| 5 | Bt VL 30 |
Gospels of St Gatien | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouv. acq. lat. 1587 | Images | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
| 6 | Hc | Book of Deer | Cambridge, University Library, Ii.VI.32 | Images | ||||
| 7 | Ge | Echternach Gospels | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 9389 | Images | ||||
| 8 | He | Book of Cerne | Cambridge, University Library, Ll.I.10 | |||||
| 9 | Hb | Bern, Burgerbibliothek, 671 | ||||||
| 10 | Hx | Bodmin Gospels Petroc Gospels |
London, British Library, Add. MS 9381 | Images | ||||
The TEI XML transcriptions are also available to download in a zip file
Download transcriptions (zip, 860 KB)
Bibliography of work on Insular Gospel Books.
The following publications are particularly associated with the project:
- Martin McNamara,"The Text of the Irish Latin Gospels", The Folio. The Newsletter of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center for Preservation and Research, Claremont, CA, vol. 6. no. 3, Fall 1986, pages 1-3 (unnumbered).
- Martin McNamara, "The Text of the Latin Bible in the Early Irish Church. Some Data and Desiderata," in Irland und die Christenheit/Ireland and Christendom. Bibelstudien und Mission. The Bible and the Missions, P. Ní Chatháin and M. Richter (eds), Stuttgart, 1987, 7-55.
- Martin McNamara,"The Echternach and Mac Durnan Gospels. Some Common Readings and their Significance", Peritia 6-7 (1987-1988), 217-22.
- Martin McNamara,"Celtic Scriptures: Text and Commentaries" An Introduction to Celtic Christianity, James P. Mackey (ed.), Edinburgh, 1989, 414-40.
- Martin McNamara, Studies on Texts of Early Irish Latin Gospels (A.D. 600-1200) (Instrumenta Patristica 20). Steenbrugge: Abbatia S. Petri; Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990
- Martin McNamara, "Non-Vulgate Readings of Codex Amb I.61 sup.: I. The Gospel of Matthew" Sacris Erudiri 33 (1992), 183-257
- Martin McNamara, "Non-Vulgate Readings of Codex Ambrosianus I.61 sup. The Gospel of Matthew." Philologia Sacra. Biblische und patristische Studien für Hermann J. Frede und Walter Thiele zu ihrem siebzigsten Geburtstag, R. Gryson (ed.). Freiburg: Herder, 1993, vol. I, 177-192.
- Martin McNamara, "Irish Gospel Texts, Amb. I 61 sup., Bible Text and Date of Kells." in The Book of Kells. Proceedings of a Conference at Trinity College Dublin 6-9 September 1992. Aldershot: Scolar Press 1994, 78-101.
- Martin McNamara, "The Celtic-Irish Mixed Gospel Text: Some Recent Contributions and Centennial Reflections", in Filologia mediolatina 2 (1995), 69-108; = Collected Essays p. 289-326.
- Martin McNamara,"The Biblical Text of Sankt Gallen Stiftsbibliothek codex 51: with Special Reference to the Fourth Gospel", in Ogma. Essays in Celtic Studies in honour of Proinséas Ní Chatháin. M. Richter and J.-M. Picard (eds.), Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002, pp. 264-267.
- Martin McNamara,"The Latin Gospels, with Special Reference to Irish Tradition", in The Earliest Gospels. The Origin and Transmission of the Earliest Christian Gospels - The Contribution of the Chester Beatty Gospel Codex P45 (JSNT Supplement Series 258) ed. by C. Horton, London, New York 2004, p. 88-106; = Collected Essays 264-88.
- Martin McNamara, "End of an Era in Early Irish Biblical Exegesis: Caimin Psalter Fragment (11th-12th century) and Gospels of Máel Brigte (1138 A.D.)" Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association 33-34 (2010-11), 76-121
- M. McNamara, "Bible Text and Commentaries in Ireland 600-800 A.D. An Overview", Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association 35 (2012), pp. 121-146.
- Martin McNamara, The Bible and the Apocrypha in the Early Irish Church (A.D. 600-1200). Collected Essays (Instrumenta Patristica et Mediaevalia 66), Turnhout: Brepols, 2015.
- Martin McNamara, "Irish Gospel Texts Publication Project" Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association 38 (2015)
- H.A.G. Houghton, The Latin New Testament. A Guide to its History, Texts, and Manuscripts Oxford: OUP, 2016
The following works deal with individual manuscripts or other aspects of this area
of research:
- T. K. Abbott, Euangeliorum uersio antehieronymiana ex codice Usseriani, 2 vols., Dublin, 1884
- E. H. Alton and P. Meyer, Euangeliorum Quattuor Codex Cenannensis, 3 vols. Bern, 1951
- E.S. Buchanan, The Four Gospels from the Irish Codex Harleianus (Sacred Latin Texts 3), London: Heath Cranton & Ouseley, 1914
- P. Cox, ed., The Book of Kells. MS 58 Trinity College Library Dublin. Facsimile edition, with commentary Lucerne: Facsimile Verlag Luzern, 1990
- Peter J. Doyle, "A Study of the Text of St. Matthew's Gospel in the Book of Mulling and of the Palaeography of the Whole Manuscript" (Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, National University of Ireland [University College Dublin], 1967)
- Peter J. Doyle, "The Text of St. Luke's Gospel in the Book of Mulling", PRIA 73 C (1973), 177-200.
- David N. Dumville, A Palaeographer's Review: The Insular System of Scripts in the Early Middle Ages Volume One (Kansai University Institute of Oriental and Occidental Studies. Sources and Materials Series 20-1). Kansai University Press: Suita, Osaka [Japan], 1999, 35-40
- H. Glunz, "The Gospel Glosses in the Harleian MS 1802 (about 1140, from Armagh)", in History of the Vulgate in England from Alcuin to Roger Bacon, Cambridge, 1933, pp. 328-341
- J. Gwynn, Liber Ardmachanus. The Book of Armagh Dublin, 1913
- J. Rendel Harris, The Codex Sangallensis (Δ). A Study in the Text of the Old Latin Gospels London: C. J. Clay and Sons, 1891
- J. M. Heer, Euangelium Gatianum. Quatttuor Euangelia latine translata ex codice Monasterii Gatiani Turonensis Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 1910
- L. J. Hopkin-James, The Celtic Gospels. Their Story and their Text London: Humphrey Milford, 1934
- H. C. Hoskier, The Text of Codex Usserianus Secundus. London, 1919
- H.A.G. Houghton, "A Newly Identified Old Latin Gospel Manuscript: Würzburg Universitätsbibliothek M.p.th.f.67." Journal of Theological Studies 60.1 (2009) 1-21.
- H.A.G. Houghton, "The Gospel according to Mark in Two Latin Mixed-Text Manuscripts" Revue Bénédictine 126.1 (2016)
- H. J. Lawlor, Chapters on the Book of Mulling, Edinburgh, 1897.
- A. A. Luce, G. O. Simms, P. Meter and L. Bieler, Euangeliorum Quattuor Codex Durmachensis 2 vols. Olten, Lausanne, Freiburg, 1960
- Patrick McGurk, Latin Gospel Books from A.D. 400 to A.D. 800, Aldershot: Ashgate, 1994
- J. Mizzi, "The Old-Latin Element in Jn. I, 29-III, 26 of Cod. Sangallensis 60" Sacris Erudiri 28 (1978-1979), 33-62
- P. Ó Néill, "The Earliest dry-point glosses in Codex Usserianus Primus", in 'A Miracle of Learning': Studies in Manuscripts and Irish Learning, T. Barnard, D. Ó Cróinín & K. Simms (eds.) Aldershot: Ashgate, 1998, 1-28
- P. Ó Néill, "The Dry-Point Glosses in Codex Usserianus Primus: Addenda and Corrigenda" Peritia 14 (2000), 430-431
- H. C. M. Rettig, Antiquissimus quatuor Evangeliorum canonicorum Cidex Sangallensis Graeco-Latinus interlinearis nunquam adhuc collatus Zürich: Friderici Schulthess, 1836
- J. Rittmueller, "The Leabhar Breac Latin and Middle-Irish Homily 'In Cena Domini' [Mat 26:17-29]: An Edition and Source Analysis." (Ph. D. Dissertation, Harvard University, 1984; published Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International, 1989): chapter five: 'The Sources of In Cena Domini, Part I: The Gospel Commentary of Máel Brigte ua Máeluanaig and its Hiberno-Latin Background', pp. 254-305; in expanded form in Peritia 2 (1983), 151-214
- J. Stevenson and G. Waring, The Lindisfarne and Rushworth Gospels 4 vols., Surtees Society 28, 39, 43, 48 (Durham, 1854, 1861, 1864, 1865)
- John Stuart, The Book of Deer Edinburgh: Spalding Club, 1869
- Kenichi Tamoto, ed., The Macregol Gospels or The Rushworth Gospels. Edition of the Latin text with the Old English interlinear gloss transcribed from Oxford Bodleian Library, MS Auctarium D. 2. 19 Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 2013
We are grateful to acknowledge funding from the following organisations:
- The Irish Biblical Association Publications committee (grant towards the pilot project in 2012)
- The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (annual grant for transcription from 2013-16)
- The UKRI Talent and Research Stabilisation Fund (2023)
We would like to thank the officers of the International Greek New Testament Project for accepting this as an affiliate project from 2013 onwards.
We are grateful to the Verbum Project, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council between 2002 and 2005, for permitting re-use of its transcriptions of certain manuscripts of the Gospel according to John under a Creative Commons licence.
The following have worked on the project or contributed transcriptions:
- Professor Hugh Houghton
- Dr Alan Bale
- Dr Samuel Gibson
- Dr Anna Persig
- Emanuele Scieri
- Andrew Sperlin
- Dr Alan Taylor Farnes
- Dr Elena Spangenberg Yanes
If you have any suggestions regarding this website or are interested in contributing to the project, please contact us at itsee@contacts.bham.ac.uk.