Minuscule 438 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), ε 241 (in the Soden numbering),[1] is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century.[2]
The codex contains a complete text of the four Gospels on 452 parchment leaves with only one lacunae (Matthew 1:6-15). The leaves of the manuscript were split in two volumes (211 + 241 leaves). The text is written in one column per page, in 18 lines per page.[2]
The text is divided according to the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (chapters), whose numbers are given at the margin, and their Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: τιτλοι (titles) at the top of the pages. There is also a division according to the Ammonian Sections (in Mark 234, 16:9), with references to the Eusebian Canons (not subscribed).
It contains the Epistula ad Carpianum, Eusebian Canon tables, tables of the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: κεφαλαια (tables of contents) before each Gospel, subscriptions at the end of each Gospel, and pictures of Evangelists.[3] [4]
The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine text-type. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family K1. Aland placed it in Category V.[5]
According to the Claremont Profile Method it represents the textual family Kx in Luke 1 and Luke 20. In Luke 10 no profile was made.[6]
The manuscript was written by Gregory, a monk who died in 1189.[3] It once belonged to Anthony Askew (1722–1774) (as codices 439 and 443). It was examined by Bloomfield. The manuscript was added to the list of New Testament manuscripts by Scholz (1794–1852).[7] C. R. Gregory saw it in 1883.[3]
It is currently housed at the British Library (Add MSS 5111-5112) in London.[2]