Georgian · Bible ·
Anonymous · titus
Work dossier · summary and historical context
The palimpsest A89 / A844 preserves the four Gospels in an early Georgian asomtavruli script, overwritten by a later text. Its fragmentary state, with lacunae and illegible portions, means the edition by L. Kajaia (published on TITUS) provides a diplomatic transcription with critical apparatus but no complete continuous text. The undertext is paleographically dated to the 9th–10th centuries, though no colophon or external witness confirms this. This early Georgian Gospel represents the pre-Athonite translation tradition, later superseded by George the Athonite’s 11th-century revision. The edition reconstructs verses conjecturally, and the text includes unusual toponyms and scribal glosses, reflecting local Georgian traditions.
This palimpsest is a rare witness to the pre-Athonite Georgian Gospel tradition, offering insights into early Georgian biblical translation and scribal practices. Its fragmentary nature and inclusion of local toponyms and glosses highlight regional variations in the transmission of the Gospels. The text is crucial for understanding the development of Georgian Christianity and its literary culture before the standardization by George the Athonite.
The palimpsest A89 / A844 was produced in a Georgian-speaking Christian community, likely within the medieval Kingdom of Georgia or a Georgian monastic center abroad (e.g., on Mount Sinai or in Palestine). The undertext is written in asomtavruli, the oldest Georgian script, and paleographic analysis suggests a date in the 9th–10th centuries, but this remains uncertain due to the lack of a colophon or external corroboration. The Gospels belong to the pre-Athonite translation tradition, which predates the 11th-century revision by George the Athonite at the Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos. This earlier tradition reflects the initial phase of Georgian biblical translation, influenced by Armenian and Greek sources. The palimpsest’s fragmentary state—with overwriting, lacunae, and illegible sections—indicates it was reused, possibly in a later liturgical or scholarly context. The edition by L. Kajaia reconstructs the text from the undertext, but many verses are conjectural, and the exact provenance and original community remain unknown.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
| Coptic | Rendering | Count | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| no glossary terms recorded | |||