Textus Receptus Bibles
Wessex Gospels c.1175
Anglo-Saxon
| 2:1 | Note: Cum natus esset iesus in bethleem in diebus herodis regis ecce magi ab oriente. R. Eornestlice þa se hælend akenned wæs on iudeissere bëëthlëëm on þas kynges dagen herodes. þa coman þa tungel-witegen. fram east-dæle to ierusalem |
| 2:2 | & cwæðen. hwær is se iudea kyng þe akenned is. Soðliche we geseagen his steorran on east-dæle. & we comen us hine to ge-eadmedenne. |
| 2:3 | Þa herodes þt geherde þa warð he gedrefeð & eal ierosolime-wære mid him. |
| 2:4 | & þa gegaderede herodes ealle ealdres þare sacerdæs & folkes writeres. ænd axode hwær crist akenned wære. |
| 2:5 | Ða sægden hyo him. on iudeissere bethlëëm. Witodlice þus ys awriten. þurh þanne witegan. |
| 2:6 | Ænd þu bethlëëm iudea-land. witodlice ne eart þu læst on iudea ealdran. of þe forð gæð se heretoga seþe recð min folc israel. |
| 2:7 | Herodes þa cleopede on sunder-spræce þa tungel-witegan. & befran hyo georne hwanne se steorre heom ateowede. |
| 2:8 | Ænd he asende hye to bethlëëm & þus cwæð. Fareð & axiad geornlice be þam childe. & þanne ge hit gemeteð kyðað eft me. þæt ich cume & me to him gebidde. |
| 2:9 | Þa hyo þæt bebod geherden þa ferden hyo. & soðlice se steorre þe hye on east-dæle geseagen. heom beforen ferde. oððe he stod ofer. þær þæt child wæs. |
| 2:10 | Soðlice þa þa tungel-witegan þanne steorre ge-seagan fagenedon swiðe micele gefean. |
| 2:11 | & geoden into þam huse hyo metten þt child mid marian hys moder. & hyo aþeneden hyo. & hyo to hym gebæden. And hyo untyndon heora gold-hordes. & him lac brohten. þæt wæs gold. & stor. & mirre. |
| 2:12 | And hyo onfengen andswere on swefnum þæt hyo eft to herode ne hwyrfden. ac hyo on oþerne weig on hire riche ferden. |
| 2:13 | Note: Apparuit angelus domini in sompnis ioseph dicens: accipe puerum et matrem eius. R. Þa þa ferden þa atewede drihtnes engel iosepe on swefne. & þus cwæð. Aris & nym þæt child. & hys moder & fleog on egypte-land & beo þær oð þæt ic þe segge. Toward is þæt herodes secð þæt child to forspillene. |
| 2:14 | He aras þa & nam þæt chyld & his moder on niht. & ferde into egypte. |
| 2:15 | & wæs þær oððe herodes forð-sið. þæt wære gefeld þæt þe fram drihtne gecweðen wæs. þurh þanne witegan. Of egypte ich minne sune geclypede. |
| 2:16 | Ða wæs herodes swiðe gebolgen for þam þe he befæht (sic) wæs fram þam tungel-witegan. & he asende þa. & ofsloh ealle þa chyld þe on bethlëëm wæron. & on eallen hire gemæren fram twiwintren elde & binnæn þan æfter þare tyde þe he ge-axode fram þam tungel-witegen. |
| 2:17 | Ða wæs gefylled þt gecweðen wæs þurh ieremiam þam witegan. |
| 2:18 | Stefne wæs on heahnysse gehyrd. wop & michel þotorung. rachel weop hire bearn. & hye nolde beon gefrefred. for þam þe hyo næren. |
| 2:19 | Note: Defuncto autem herode ecce apparuit angelus domini in somp nis ioseph in egypto dicens R. Soðliche þa herodes wæs forð-faren. witodliche on swefne drihtnes ængel ætywede ioseph on egypte. |
| 2:20 | & þus cwæð. Aris ænd nym þæt child. & his moder & far on israele-land. Nu synden forð-farene þa þas cyldes sawle sohten. |
| 2:21 | He aras þa & onfeng þæt cyld & his moder & com on israele-land. |
| 2:22 | Þa he gehyrde þæt archelaus rixede on iudea-þeode for þane heroden. he ondredde þider to farene. & on swefnen gemineged he ferde on galileisse dales. |
| 2:23 | & he com þa & eardode on þare chestre þe is genemned nazareth. þæt wære gefylled. þæt gecweðen wæs þurh ieremie þanne witega. for þan þe he nazareisc byð genemned. |
Wessex Gospels c.1175
The Wessex Gospels (also known as the West-Saxon Gospels) are a full translation of the four gospels of the Christian Bible into a West Saxon dialect of Old English. Designated Royal MS 1 A XIV, it is historically important.
- The Wessex Gospels are the oldest translations into English without the Latin.
- The gospels are written in the Old English West Anglo-Saxon dialect of Northumbria.
- Royal MS 1 A XIV is written on parchment and is also known as the Codex Evangeliorum Anglice.
- The title written at the top of the page, ‘Text[us] iv evangelior[um] anglice’, is reproduced in the 14th-century catalogue of the Benedictine Christ Church library, but at the Reformation this book was one of many acquired from religious houses by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1532 to 1534, whose name is written at the top of the page.
- Seven extant copies exist today. The earliest version dates from 990AD.
- Royal MS 1 A XIV was copied directly from MS 441 in the Bodleian library at Oxford. We know this as the same passages have been omitted from both. It has a transmission jump of 185 years.
- MS 441 (990AD) is extant and still resides in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, England. It was given to the library by Baron Hatton in 1671. Paleographical evidence suggests a Canterbury origin. The earliest extant evidence of ownership is through Archbishop Matthew Parker (1504-75).
- MS Corp. Ch Coll Camb 140 (1000AD) is in Corpus Christi College Cambridge.
- Royal MS 1 A XIV (1175AD) is in the British Library and was presented to the British Museum by King George II in 1757 from the Old Royal Library.
- Royal MS 1 A XIV once belonged to the Prince of Wales: Henry Frederick, (1594-1612), eldest child of King James the First.
Why is this important?
- Desiderius Erasmus had access to these MSS before starting his translation of the Textus Receptus. In the five years prior to starting his translation work Erasmus was Professor of Divinity at Cambridge at a time when the university's benefactors owned these manuscripts.
- The King James Bible translators had access to these manuscripts. All the six KJV translation companies where housed at Oxford, Cambridge and Westminster and all had access to the Wessex Gospels.
- The codex contains the long ending in Mark chapter 16.
- The codex contains the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53-8:11)