The Echternach and Mac Durnan gospels: some common readings and their significance

Abstract

Following on an introductory section on the Mac Durnan Gospels (London, Lambeth Palace Library, MS 1370, Armagh, saec. IX), this paper presents 100 peculiar readings of the Gospels of Echternach (Paris, BN lat. 9389), which are neither Vulgate nor of the Irish (‘Celtic’) family, but which agree with the Mac Durnan Gospel readings and in many instances also with two twelfth-century Armagh Gospels (London, BL Harley 1802, i.e. ‘Mael Brigte Gospels’ and London, BL Harley 1023) and, in a number of instances, with the readings of the Book of Armagh. The evidence indicates the need for a fuller study of the Echternach Gospel text and points to an Armagh dimension in Irish gospel texts.