The codex contains a complete text of the four Gospels, on 144 parchment leaves. The text is written in one column per page, 29 lines per page. The headpieces and large initial letters are decorated. It has breathings and accents. It is carelessly written; the error of itacism is very common, especially ε for αι, ο for ω, οι for η, η for ει, etc. According to Scrivener it has 16 omissions by ομοιορτελευτον, iota adscriptum twice, iota subscriptum 52 times. N εφελκυστικον occurs 578 times, a hiatus 6 times. It contains Lectionary markings at the margin, a few τιτλοι were added by a later hand, many numbers of the Ammonian Sections, more often without references to the Eusebian Canons at the margin, which are only partially inserted. At the end of the Gospel of John it contains foreign matter: αρ της φυσεως των ζωων και ερμηνειας του εν αγιοις πρς ημων ιω του χρυσοστομου περι φυσιολογιας. Ο φυσιολογος καλος ελεγξει περι του λεοντος κ.τ.λ.
Text
The Greek text of the codex is a representative of the Byzantine, but with numerous alien readings. Hermann von Soden classified it to the textual family Iκ. Aland did not place it in any Category. According to the Claremont Profile Method it is represents textual family Kx in Luke 10 and Luke 20, but in Luke 1 it has Πa text. The Genealogy of Jesus in Luke presents many variations from the common text. According to F. H. A. Scrivener it has notable readings in Matthew 11:17; 13:22; 27:49; Luke 18:2; John 6:57; 8:38. It lacks the text of the Pericope Adulterae. Matthew 27:35 is given in full, as in codices Δ, Θ, 0250, f1, f13, 1424. There are many corrections in a margin. ; Textual variants The words after the bracket are the readings of the codex.
History
Scrivener dated the manuscript to the 12th century, C. R. Gregory to the 13th century. Currently the manuscript is dated by the INTF to the 12th century. Of the history of the codex 537 nothing is known until the year 1864, when it was in the possession of a dealer at Janina in Epirus. In 1864 the manuscript was purchased by Baroness Burdett-Coutts, a philanthropist, together with other Greek manuscripts. They were transported to England in 1870–1871. The manuscript was presented by Burdett-Coutts to Sir Roger Cholmely's School, and was housed at the Highgate, in London. In 1922 it was acquired for the University of Michigan. The manuscript was described by K. W. Clark in 1937. The manuscript was added to the list ofNew Testament manuscripts by F. H. A. Scrivener and C. R. Gregory. It was examined and collated by Scrivener. Gregory saw it in 1883. It is currently housed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
