Surah 20:70

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 1)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 2)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 3)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 4)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Vat. ar. 1785
This 9-folio parchment fragment is an important early witness to the Quranic text, exhibiting a transitional script that blends elements of Hijazi IV and early Kufic B.Ia styles. It completely lacks vocalization and uses simple dashes for diacritics, which supports its early production date.

Cairo, Egyptian National Library and Archives, qāf 117 (Bergsträßer archives) (Scan 1)
This codex is a composite of six different fragments photographed by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930. The fragments encompass a wide range of distinct script styles, from early Ḥiǧāzī and Kūfī to later Maġribī, reflecting a diverse collection of leaves bound or kept together at the Khedivial Library in Cairo.

Cairo, Egyptian National Library and Archives, qāf 117 (Bergsträßer archives) (Scan 2)
This codex is a composite of six different fragments photographed by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930. The fragments encompass a wide range of distinct script styles, from early Ḥiǧāzī and Kūfī to later Maġribī, reflecting a diverse collection of leaves bound or kept together at the Khedivial Library in Cairo.

Muṣḥaf of Najaf Ashraf (Codex 1 of Imām ʿAlī Library)
This codex contains a colophon attributing it to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and dating it to 40 AH (660 AD), though scholars believe this colophon was added later. It also features a waqf (endowment) deed written on the first page in 1775 AD.

Meknes, Private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, no call number
This nearly complete early Kufic Quran was photographed by Otto Pretzl during a research trip to Morocco in 1934. While the main body belonged to the private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, fragments of this codex have since been dispersed to the Royal Library in Rabat, the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, and sold through auction houses like Christie's.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c)
Carbon dating of fragments from Arabe 324 (c) places its origin between 660-780 AD. The manuscript is part of a composite codex, where Arabe 324 (c) and Gotha Ms. orient. A 462 are original leaves, while other sections such as Arabe 324 (a) and (d) were added centuries later to replace damaged or missing pages.

Saray Medina 1a (Karatay 3)
This almost complete codex is notable for being written by at least six different scribes in Kufic script. Originally documented in Gotthelf Bergsträßer's archives as 'Medina 1a', its folios were later repaired with paper edges, and a few missing pages were completed in Naskh script.

Samarkand Kufic Quran
This monumental manuscript is one of the oldest surviving Qurans, traditionally believed to be the personal copy of Caliph Uthman stained with his blood. After being taken by Russian imperial forces in 1868 to Saint Petersburg, it was repatriated to Tashkent in 1923.

Cairo, Khedivial Library, Moritz 1905, table 31-36 (Scan 1)
The physical manuscript is currently lost and its origin is unknown; it survives today only through six photographs published in Bernhard Moritz's monumental 1905 album 'Arabic Palaeography'.

Cairo, Khedivial Library, Moritz 1905, table 31-36 (Scan 2)
The physical manuscript is currently lost and its origin is unknown; it survives today only through six photographs published in Bernhard Moritz's monumental 1905 album 'Arabic Palaeography'.

Moritz 1905, Tables 39-40 (Scan 1)
This codex fragment was documented in Bernhard Moritz's 1905 'Arabic Palaeography' album and was reportedly discovered in the ancient Egyptian city of Bahnasa (Oxyrynchos). Scholars suggest it may originally belong to the same large codex as other early Quranic fragments currently held in the Vatican, Paris, and the Khalili Collections.

Moritz 1905, Tables 39-40 (Scan 2)
This codex fragment was documented in Bernhard Moritz's 1905 'Arabic Palaeography' album and was reportedly discovered in the ancient Egyptian city of Bahnasa (Oxyrynchos). Scholars suggest it may originally belong to the same large codex as other early Quranic fragments currently held in the Vatican, Paris, and the Khalili Collections.

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. oct. 1819 (Scan 1)
This manuscript features unique historical touches including faded notes from multiple hands, penciled-in Surah headings, and a small geometric drawing accompanied by blessings. Its original red-brown leather covers, decorated with a blind-tooled pattern of crossing hatched bands, were preserved by being bound directly into its newer binding. Additionally, the text displays colorful editorial marks, with missing letters like Alifs later added in red and green ink.

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. oct. 1819 (Scan 2)
This manuscript features unique historical touches including faded notes from multiple hands, penciled-in Surah headings, and a small geometric drawing accompanied by blessings. Its original red-brown leather covers, decorated with a blind-tooled pattern of crossing hatched bands, were preserved by being bound directly into its newer binding. Additionally, the text displays colorful editorial marks, with missing letters like Alifs later added in red and green ink.

Rampur Raza Library No. 1
This manuscript is a highly prized copy traditionally ascribed to the penmanship of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph. It features modern gold and colored borders on the paper margins.

Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. Ar. 1605 (11)
This manuscript leaf is part of the same original codex as fragments 9 and 10 in the Vatican's Arabic collection. Although heavily damaged by humidity, it preserves a denary (ten-verse) divider after verse 73, which aligns with the verse numbering system of Basra.
![Cairo, Khedivial Library, "qāf 3" (Gotthelf Bergsträßer archives) [maṣāḥif 387], in kūfī type C script, showing Surah 20:70 from 8th Century AD found in Egypt, currently housed at Egyptian National Library and Archives, Cairo](https://mss.readyapologia.com/quran/codex_01335/213_manuscript-1335-page-42968-image-28677.jpg)
Cairo, Khedivial Library, "qāf 3" (Gotthelf Bergsträßer archives) [maṣāḥif 387]
This extensive 8th-century manuscript is well-known today through a collection of 471 photographs taken by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930, preserving its contents in his archive.

Istanbul, Topkapı Palace Museum, "Saray 50386" (Karatay 42)
This near-complete Kufic Quran is bound in brown leather over wood with arabesque interlacing and iron rings. It bears the foundation seal of Sultan Osman III, and its first three leaves as well as sura headings are illuminated.

Topkapı Palace Museum, Saray 50395 (Scan 1)
This nearly complete codex is an exceptional document, as complete codices in Kūfī D script style are extremely rare. The manuscript features illuminated pages for the first three and last six folios, as well as at surah beginnings.

Topkapı Palace Museum, Saray 50395 (Scan 2)
This nearly complete codex is an exceptional document, as complete codices in Kūfī D script style are extremely rare. The manuscript features illuminated pages for the first three and last six folios, as well as at surah beginnings.

Arabe 399
This manuscript features a forged colophon claiming it was copied in 798 AD by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. An old legend also suggested it was a diplomatic gift sent to Charlemagne, though scholars have proven both the attribution and the legend to be false.

Codex Petermann I 38
This manuscript, comprising 213 parchment folios, contains the entire second half of the Quran starting from Surah Maryam (19). It was documented by Wilhelm Ahlwardt in his 1887 catalogue of Arabic manuscripts at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and is notable for its robust Early Kufic script (D.Vb) with characteristic letterforms, such as the initial and medial 'kāf' often resembling 'dāl'.

Copenhagen, Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Cod. Arab. 36 (Scan 1)
This manuscript was part of the first palaeographical study of Arabic script in the West, written by Jakob Georg Christian Adler in 1780. Acquired by Friedrich Buchwald in the 17th century, the fragment features a carpet-like tooled design binding with gilded frames and Danish state emblems on the spine.

Copenhagen, Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Cod. Arab. 36 (Scan 2)
This manuscript was part of the first palaeographical study of Arabic script in the West, written by Jakob Georg Christian Adler in 1780. Acquired by Friedrich Buchwald in the 17th century, the fragment features a carpet-like tooled design binding with gilded frames and Danish state emblems on the spine.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 325 (c) (Scan 1)
This manuscript is written in an unclassified script style featuring a long-returning Alif, an open V-shaped 'Ayn, and an X-shaped Lam-Alif. Interestingly, while individual verses are not separated, groups of verses are marked by a circle.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 325 (c) (Scan 2)
This manuscript is written in an unclassified script style featuring a long-returning Alif, an open V-shaped 'Ayn, and an X-shaped Lam-Alif. Interestingly, while individual verses are not separated, groups of verses are marked by a circle.
