Manuscript Migration: The Multiple Lives of the Rubenstein Library's Collections
Heritage to Heirloom: Greek MS065
This Christian liturgical manuscript was created in the eleventh century for the use of the Greek Orthodox church of St. Stephen in Pisidia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The manuscript is written in a fine hand on hundreds of parchment pages.
In the 16th century, the manuscript received a new binding. On the upper cover is a silver gilt repoussé depiction of the Crucifixion and various other Biblical figures. Inscribed on the cover are the words, “This lectionary is the property of the Church of St. Stephen of Pisidia” Ὁ παρον ευαγγελϊον ϊστο ναον του αγϊου στεφανος της πισιδϊας
In 1954, the manuscript was included in the estate sale of Archbishop Kladis at the Greek Consulate in Izmir, Turkey, where it was purchased by Sfc. Philip Conalis. Sergeant Conalis was an American army officer who served as an interpreter for NATO in Turkey. In early 1975, Conalis sold the manuscript to Lathrop Harper Booksellers, Inc., in New York City.
In 1975, the Friends of Duke Library purchased this manuscript from Lathrop Harper Booksellers. On May 15th, 1975, at a ceremony in the Biddle Room of Special Collections, the manuscript was presented to celebrate the inauguration of the Kenneth Willis Clark Collection of Greek Manuscripts.
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Research contributed by Elizabeth Schrader, PhD in Religion in 2023, Duke University.
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