DCL MS. B.II.9St Jerome, On the minor prophets
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

St Jerome's In prophetas minores (a commentary on the Old Testament books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi) that was one of the group of books donated by William of St Calais, bishop of Durham (died 1096). It was written in Normandy towards the end of the 11th century by a scribe called Hugo Pictor.

Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1mgf06g264f.html

Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment

Extent: i+209+i f
Size: 330 mm x 245 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation


Secundo folio: et fine
Collation

I9 (=10 lacks 1, probably a flyleaf), II-XI8, XII10, XIII8, XIV6, XV-XXV8, XXVI6 (=8 with 7-8 cancelled)

Signatures: Original quire signatures (large red Roman numeral with a dot to either side) on final versos, lower margin, centre (except the reduced final quire where on first recto, lower margin centre)
Layout

39-44 lines in 2 columns

Script

Written in Caroline Minuscule by one scribe, Hugo Pictor (who is identified in his colophon in Oxford Bodleian Bodley 717). Mynors identifies two hands, but Gameson attributes this to the scribe attempting to complete the commentary on Micah by the end of a quire.

Decoration

Each commentary and its major sudivisions is indicated by large decorated initials at least 8 lines high and at least a line of coloured capitals opening the text. Initials are formed from animals and foliage.

Corrections and annotation

Running headings added in 12th century (now severely cropped).

Binding

Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound most of the Cosin Manuscripts in the 19th century)

Manuscript history
Creation

Written in Normandy, end of 11th century.

Provenance

The ninth item on the list of books donated to the Priory by William of St Calais (in DCL MS A.II.4). Recorded in the Cloister library catalogue 1395, DCL MS B.IV.46, f.22r under Libri Jeronimi G. Inscriptions f.1r: Liber Sancti Cuthberti de Dunelm (late 12th century) and G Explanacio Ieronimi xij prophetarum.de communi libraria monachorum dunelm (15th century). Press marks G, later changed to T, and Pi T.

Manuscript contents
(A)     f.1-207r
Modern title: On the minor prophets
Original title: In duodecim prophetas
Author: Jerome, Saint (-419 or 420)
Date: [before 1096]
Incipit: Si in explanationibus omnium prophetarum sancti spiritus indigemus adventum
Explicit: et si credideritis iam uenit in helya iohannem intelligens
Rubric: Incipit explanationum in Osee prophetam beati Ieronimi presbiteri Liber primus ad Pammachium
Language: Latin
Edited: St Jerome, Commentarii in prophetas minores

Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. B.II.9 - Jerome, Minor Prophets
Digitised in 2015 as part of the Durham Priory Recreated Project
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t1mgf06g264f.html
Bibliography

Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.   OCLC citation, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).

S. Hieronymi presbyteri opera. Pars 1, Opera exegetica. 6, Commentarii in prophetas minores   OCLC citation [post Dominicum Vallarsi textum edendum curavit M. Adriaen] Corpus Christianorum. Series latina 76-76A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1969-70)

Mynors, R., Durham Cathedral manuscripts to the end of the twelfth century. Ten plates in colour and forty-seven in monochrome. With an introduction [including a list of all known Durham manuscripts before 1200]   OCLC citation, (Durham: 1939)

Index terms