This 12th-century manuscript contains part of the commentary on the
Gospel of Matthew by the Church Father Origen (b. c. 185, d. c.
254). The manuscript was produced at the Cistercian abbey of
Pontigny, one of the oldest daughter houses of the Cistercian abbey
of Cîteaux. It was preserved in the abbey's library from the 12th
century until the monastery was dissolved by French revolutionary
forces in 1790.Contents: ff. 2r-175r: Origen, Commentary on
Matthew, Chapter 36-end, beginning ‘Incipiunt capitula omeliarum
adamantij origenis presbiteri in evangelio mathei. Ab eo loco ubi
ait venit ihesus in partes cesaree philippi . usque ad finem ipsius
evangelij . numero triginta sex’ [ed. in Patrologia Graeca , 13,
col. 933-1599 and 1599-1800]. [ff. 1r, 1v, 175v are
blank].Decoration: 2 large foliate interlace initials in red in
frames of purple (ff. 2r, 20v); numerous large initials in blue or
red with arabesque motifs in the same colours, 2 with pink or
yellow added to the inside of their letters (ff. 10v, 53r); plain
medium initials in blue or red, occasionally in green, some with
minor penwork decoration and/or arabesque motifs in the same
colour; plain small initials in blue, green and red. Rubrics in
red. Roman numerals in red. Paraph markers in red. Quire marks in
brown ink on last versos with minor penwork decoration in the same
colour.
