A Unique Commentary Manuscript: GA457 and the Pauline Catena Tradition

Biblical commentaries seem to have played an important role in theological and exe- getical discussions in the East and West from the fourth century onwards. Most of the material in catenae remains unpublished, with little in the way of critical texts. Regarding the catenae on the Pauline epistles there is no thorough examination of the manuscript tradition and the patristic material that is preserved in them. Most, but not all, catenae manuscripts have been listed by scholars over the last century. However, Gregory-Aland 457, not identified as a commentary in the Kurzgefasste Liste, is a cat- ena manuscript of Paul with a unique type of commentary which may help to illuminate the history of the genre. This article investigates the sources from which the commen- tary has been taken. It pays particular attention to unidentified scholia and any scholia found in the wrong place. It also looks at the affiliation of the biblical text to determine whether it was copied from another catena manuscript or is a new composition. More general comments about Pauline catena tradition will be offered on the basis of this manuscript.