Origenal work

Between 1933 and 1941 Sir Frederic Kenyon published descriptions of 12 papyrus manuscripts, the Chester Beatty Papyri, principally containing texts of scripture. Number xii included an otherwise unknown homily by St Melito of Sardis. Sir Frederic gave it the title "On the Passion". This was corrected to "On the Pasch" after the discovery of the Bodmer Papyri in 1952. Fourteen years after that the homily was published in Sources Chretiennes 123. Extracts were used in volume ii of Liturgia Horarum (1971) for the Office of Readings on Maundy Thursday and Easter Monday.

I mention all this because a 12th century Greek manuscript in the Bavarian State Library has now been identified as a series of homilies on the Psalms by Origen of Alexandria. See the article by Catholic World Report and also this blog post which includes instructions on how to view pictures of the entire manuscript.


Lionel at Forget the Channel says:

The importance of this find cannot be overestimated.

Plus there's this bloke called Benedict, living in Rome, who used to have something to do with Bavaria:

[Origen] was a true "maestro", and so it was that his pupils remembered him with nostalgia and emotion: he was not only a brilliant theologian but also an exemplary witness of the doctrine he passed on. Eusebius of Caesarea, his enthusiastic biographer, said "his manner of life was as his doctrine, and his doctrine as his life. Therefore, by the divine power working with him he aroused a great many to his own zeal" 

I wonder how long before we get an edition.

Yo, Omar

They made The Wire into a musical, all five seasons. No sign of Scott Templeton though...

The Wire: The Musical with Michael Kenneth Williams from Michael Kenneth Williams

Unlocalised news

As a father of young children I was interested to see the following in my news feeds:

Senator asks airlines to drop seat fee for kids

Senator Charles Schumer is urging airlines to allow families with young children to sit together without paying extra.

Relevant / Sun, 27 May 2012 14:04:53 GMT

Maybe we will take that Tasmanian trip after all. The trouble is that his name doesn't appear among current Senators. Click through to the story and you get the following:

Ancient Versions of the Bible

A couple of days ago I referred to Vetus Latina.    Michael Marlowe has a comprehensive directory of resources for information on ancient versions of the Bible. Some of the links are dead but you can turn up some real gems of information.

Patrick Madrid has left the building

If Patrick Madrid, Isaiah Berlin, Jack London and Paris Hilton were all on an aeroplane it would presumably be nothing like this.