Welcome to the home of “Paratexts of the Bible”. The database contains information on texts and paratexts found in Biblical manuscripts written in Greek. Currently the data set is focused on (but not limited to) Gospel books. This is by far the most popular genre in Byzantine book culture. More than 2400 copies survive. For a large portion of this enormous patrimony, information is provided here (presently ca. 1400 items, about 700 of which with more detail; nearly all relevant manuscripts through the twelfth century are recorded).
The database has as its focus the making of Biblical manuscripts: their “architecture”, their Sitz im Leben and their development over time. Hence, it contains metadata, such as information on textual features, dating, scribes, owners, locations etc., but no digital images of manuscripts or full text transcriptions; rather it links to the best available resources.