Textus Receptus Bibles
Wessex Gospels c.1175
Anglo-Saxon
| 3:1 | End eft he eode on ge-samnunge. & þær wæs an man for-scruncen handde hæbbende |
| 3:2 | & hyo gemden hwader he on reste-dagen ge-hælde þt hyo hine ge-wreiden. |
| 3:3 | Þa cwæð he to þam men þe for-scrun-cene hand hæfde. aris ge-mang heom. |
| 3:4 | Ða cwæð he alyfð reste-dagen wel to donne hwæðer ðe yfele sawle ge-hælen hwaðer to for-spillen. & hyo swigedon. |
| 3:5 | & hyo be-sceawiende mid eorre ofer hire heorte blindnisse. he un-rot cwæð to þam men. ä-þene þine hand. & he a-þenede hyo. þa warð his hand ge-hæled sone. |
| 3:6 | Ða farisei mid herodianiscen ut-gangende þeohtendon on-gean hine. hu hyo hine for-don mihton. |
| 3:7 | & þa ferde se hælend to þare sæ. mid his leorning-cnihten & mycel menigeo him felgede fram galilea. & iudea. |
| 3:8 | & ierusalem. & fram idumea. & be-geonden iordane. & to him com mycel menige ymbe tyrum & sydonem ge-herende þa þing þe he worhte. |
| 3:9 | & he cwæð to his cnihten þt hyo hym on scype þenedon for þare manigeo þæt hyo hine ne of-þrungen. |
| 3:10 | Soðlice manege he hælde. swa þt hyo æt-rinen his. & swa fele swa untrumnysse |
| 3:11 | & unclæne gastes hæfden. Ða hyo hyne ge-seagen hyo to-foran hym astrehten. þus cweðende clepeden. þu ert godes sune. |
| 3:12 | & he hym swiðe for-bead. þt hyo hine ne ge-swuteledon. |
| 3:13 | & on ænne munt he ferde & to hym ge-clypede þa þe he wolde & hyo to hym comen |
| 3:14 | & he dyde þt hyo twelf mid him wæren & he hyo asende godspell to bodienne. |
| 3:15 | & he heom anweald sealde untrumnysse to hælenne. & deofel-seocnysse ut to adrifenne. |
| 3:16 | & he nemde symon petrum |
| 3:17 | & jacobum zebedej. & iohannem his broder & him naman on-sette boaneries þt is þunres bearn. |
| 3:18 | & andream & philippum. & bartholomeum & thomam. & iacobum alphej. & taddeum & symonem chananeum. |
| 3:19 | & iuda scarioth. se hine sealde. |
| 3:20 | & eft him to com swa mycel manigeo þt hyo næfden hlaf to ætenne. |
| 3:21 | & þa hyo hine ge-hyrden hyo ferden þæt hyo hine namen & þus cwæðen. Soðlice he is on hatheortnysse ge-wend. |
| 3:22 | & þa bokeres þe wenden fram ierusalem cwæðen. Soðlice he hafð belzebub & on deofle ealdre he deofel-seocnisse ut-adrifð. |
| 3:23 | & he hyo to-gadere ge-cleopede. & on bispellen heom to cwæð. hu maig sathanas sathana un adrifen (sic) |
| 3:24 | & gif his rice on him sylfen byoð to-dæled hu maig hit standen. |
| 3:25 | & gyf þt hus ofer hit sylfen bið to-dæled hu maig hit standen. |
| 3:26 | Ænd gif sathanas winð an-gen hine sylfne he beoð to-dæled & he standen ne maig ac hafð ende. |
| 3:27 | Ne maig man þane strangen his ehte & his fate be-reafian & on his hus gan butan man þanne strangen ærest ge-binde þanne his hus reafige. |
| 3:28 | Soðlice ic eow segge ealle synne sende manne bearne for-gefene & bismerunge þam þe hye bysmeriged. |
| 3:29 | Soðlice ic eow segge se þe þanne halgan gast bysmerieð se næfð on ecnysse for-gyfenysse. ac beoð eches geltes sceldyg. |
| 3:30 | for þam þe hyo cwæðen. he hafð unclæne gast. |
| 3:31 | Þa comen to him his moder & his ge-broðre & þær-ute stoden & to him senten. & to hym clepeden. |
| 3:32 | & mycel maniga ymbe hine sæt. & to him cwæðen. Her is þin moðer & þine broðre ute & seceð þe. |
| 3:33 | He þa heom andswerede & cwæð. hwilc is min moder & mine ge-broðre. |
| 3:34 | & he quoth. Ða be-healdende þe him abuten sæten. her is min moder & mine ge-broðre. |
| 3:35 | Soðlice se þe deð godes willen se is min moder & min broðer & mine swustren. |
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)