Acts of John
Manuscript Acts of John written and illuminated in Egypt, ca. 822/23-913/14.
Attributed to Prochorus.
Texts: fol. 1r: Blank -- fol. 1v: Frontispiece -- fol. 2r: Title: "Life and Metastasis of St. John the apostle and evangelist, narrated by Prochorus, the cousin of archdeacon Stephen, protomartyr of Christ and one of the seven deacons appointed by the holy apostles." -- Acts of St. John Evangelist. Translated from the Greek by Zahn.
Written area ca. 284 x 201 mm. Divisions: Chapter title, with 1 or more dividers above and below, setting off major textual units; ekthesis, enlarged initial, and paragraphus sign setting off paragraphs.
Script: Upright (titles right-sloping). 10 lines = ca. 80 mm
Superlineation: Non-standard. Punctuation: Raised dot in conjunction with a space. Tremas.
Collation: Signed on first and last page of the quire, top inner margin. Monogram, except at 8v. No quire ornaments, headlines or catchwords.
Decoration: Frontispiece on fol. 1v: large decorative cross of knotted rope interlace, with 4 small spearhead finials each accosted by a dove emanating from the center towards the corners of the page and many other s and 2 knotted rope interlace lozenges above and below. Headpiece on fol. 2r: rectangular, infilled with knotted rope interlace, with atriangular extension at right extremity, followed by title with small budded diple in margin of each line, 3 reddened dividers, major initial, and vine-scroll coronis extending into tail margin where a dove is found. Tailpiece on fol. 67r: 4 zeta-shaped coronis signs in alternation with diples, with 2 reddened dividers above and below and 3 confronted doves separated by knotted rope interlace ornament. Paragraphus signs (all reddened): Coronis: angular, vine-scroll (fol. 2r only); diple: dotted; obelus. Signatures and page numbers with horizontal rule above and below, decorated with reddened strokes. Extended letters. Colors: moderate reddish orange (Centroid 37).