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A Survey of Recent Research on the Ancient Versions of the New Testament1
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
Extract
In the following chronicle an attempt is made to survey recent research on the ancient versions of the New Testament. By recent is meant publications which appeared during the five-year period from 1950 to 1954. Under the rubric ancient versions are included the following versions which were made during the first millennium of the Christian era: the Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Gothic, Armenian, Old Georgian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Sogdian and Old Slavic versions. In some cases it was difficult to discriminate between studies dealing with patristic authors and their Scriptural text, and studies dealing with the early versions per se. In most of such cases it was thought wise to follow an inclusive policy and to make some reference to the patristic study.
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References
page 1 note 2 Paul, Feine and Johannes, Behm, Einleitung in das Neue Testament, 9te Aufl. (Heidelberg, 1950), pp. 31926.Google Scholar
page 1 note 3 Max, Meinertz, Einleitung in das Neue Testament, 5te Aufl. (Paderborn, 1950), pp. 4261.Google Scholar
page 1 note 4 Gsta, Lindeskog, Anton Fridrichsen and Harald Riesenfeld, Inledning till Nya Testamentet (Stockholm 1951), pp. 32335 (by Riesenfeld).Google Scholar
page 1 note 5 Schaefer, K. Th., Grundriss der Einleitung in das Neue Testament, g 2te Aufl. (Bonn, 1952), pp. 3845.Google Scholar
page 1 note 6 McNeile, A. H., An Introduction to the Study of the New Testament, revised by C. S. C. Williams (London, 1952), pp. 40815.Google Scholar
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page 1 note 9 Published by Basil Blackwell at Oxford, 1951.
page 1 note 10 (London, 1954), pp. 3169.
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page 2 note 1 (New York, 1954), 174 pp.
page 2 note 2 Kenyon, Frederic G., Der Text der griechischen Bibel. Aus dem Englischen bersetzt von Hans Bolewski (Gttingen, 1952), 167 pp. Though not a word for word translation, it is true to the original. In his preface Bolewski refers very briefly to certain work done since 1937.Google Scholar
Perhaps it may be mentioned here that the second edition of H. Wheeler Robinsons The Bible in its Ancient and English Versions (Oxford, 1954) is a lithographic reproduction of the first edition of 1940, to which has been added a ten-page appendix by W. D. McHardy on the Dead Sea Scrolls. McHardy has also revised the bibliography at the end, and has added eight plates of illustrations.
page 2 note 3 Vogels, Heinrich Josef, Handbuch der Textkritik des Neuen Testaments, 2te Aufl. (Bonn, 1954).Google Scholar
page 2 note 4 Hirunuma, Toshio, The Growth of the New Testament (Kyoto, 1950), The Ancient Versions, pp. 178235 (in Japanese).Google Scholar
page 2 note 5 Translation prepared under the direction of Arbez, E. P. and McGuire, M. R. P., Guide to the Bible, An Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture, vol.1 (Westminster, Md.; and Rome, Tournai, Paris, 1951), pp. 393438. A third, revised edition of the original French work appeared in 1954.Google Scholar
page 2 note 6 Included in Parvis, M. M. and Wikgren, A. P., editors, New Testament Manuscript Studies, The Materials and the Making of a Critical Apparatus (Chicago, 1950), pp. 2568 and 177208.Google Scholar
page 3 note 1 Being Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile, no. 6 (Stockholm, 1954), Xvii, 411 pp. (to be secured from Dean Jakob Aunver, Odensgatan 15-I, Uppsala, Sweden).
page 3 note 2 Richard, Simon, Histoire critique des versions de Nouveau Testament (Rotterdam, 1690).Google Scholar
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page 3 note 5 Evangelium Colbertinum, herausgegeben und untersucht von Heinrich Josef Vogels; I, Text; II, Untersuchungen (Bonner biblische Beitrge, ivv; Bonn, 1953), 166; 182 pp.Google Scholar
page 4 note 1 Nouum Testamentum Domini Nostri Iesu Christi latine secundum editionem sancti Hieronymi; Pars III, fasc. iii, Apocalypses Iohannis, ed. Sparks, H. F. D. (Oxford, 1954).Google Scholar
page 4 note 2 Josef, Dobrovsk, Fragmentum Pragense Evangelii S. Marci, vulgo autographi, ed. Bohumil, Ryba (Prague, 1953), 149 pp., 33 plates.Google Scholar
page 4 note 3 Karl, Theodor Schfer, Die Zitate in der lateinischen Irenusabersetzung and ihr Wert fr die Textgeschichte des Neuen Testamentes, Vom Wort des Lebens, Festschrift fr Max Meinertz, ed. Nikolaus, Adler (MunsterW., 1951), pp. 509.Google Scholar
page 4 note 4 Johannes, Schildenberger, Die Itala des hl. Augustinus, Colligere fragmenta, Festschrift Alban Dold zum 70. Ceburtstag am 7.7.1952, herausgegeben von Bonifatius Fischer und Virgil Fiala (Beuron in Hohenzollern, 1952), pp. 84102.Google Scholar
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page 5 note 1 Sparks, H. F. D., A Celtic Text of the Latin Apocalypse Preserved in Two Durham Manuscripts of Bede's Commentary on the Apocalypse, journal of Theological Studies, new series, v (1954), PP. 22731.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 5 note 2 Traditio, viii (1952), 38997.
page 5 note 3 In his series of articles on Das Neue Testament nach dem syrischen Text, published monthly in Bibel and Liturgie from xix, (October 1951), 1620 to xx, 2 (November 1952), 368, Severin Grill supplies a German translation of the principal passages of the New Testament where the Syriac texts (chiefly the Peshitta) differ from the Greek and Latin texts. The choice of the passages was made partly from a devotional and homiletical point of view. Grill's Lexicon syriaco-latinum in Novum Testamentum (Heiligenkreuzer Studien, Nr. 9, Vienna, 1952), 94 pp., is of but limited usefulness.
page 5 note 4 Giuseppe, Messina, Diatessaron persiano; I, Introduzione; II, Testo e traduzione (Rome, 1951), cxiv, 389 pp. On the basis of Messina's preliminary publication of the first fourth of the Harmony, two articles were published in which the authors dealt with problems relating to the testimony of the Persian Harmony to Tatian's original work; namely, B. M. Metzger, Tatian's Diatessaron and a Persian Harmony of the Gospels, journal of Biblical Literature, Lxlx (1950), 26180; and A. J. B. Higgins, The Persian Gospel Harmony as a Witness to Tatian's Diatessaron, journal of Theological Studies, new series, iii (1952), 837.Google Scholar
page 6 note 1 Louis, Leloir, S. Ephrem, Commentaire de l'vangile concordant, version armunienne (Louvain, 1953), xi, 364 pp. (C.S.C.O. vol. 137); and the Latin translation (Louvain, 1954), vi, 261 pp. (C.S.C.O. vol. 145). In a letter to the present writer (dated 10 January 1955), Leloir indicated that he is at work on a book which will assemble the Syriac text of all the Gospel quotations scattered throughout the Syriac works of Ephraem, to be based on printed editions of Ephraem and controlled, whenever possible, by reference to manuscripts. Perhaps it may be mentioned here that in 1948 N. Akinian announced the discovery of four Diatessaron manuscripts (in Armenian), Handes amsorya, lxii (1948), cols. 4215; the deserve, indeed demand, further examination.Google Scholar
page 6 note 2 Salad, A., Quelques epigrammes de l'Anthologie Palatine et l'iconographie Byzantine, Byzantinoslavica, xii (1951), 128, especially 912.Google Scholar
page 6 note 3 Evans, Owen E., The Negative Form of the Golden Rule in the Diatessaron, Expository Times, LXIII (1951), 312.Google Scholar
page 6 note 4 In Synoptische Studien, Alfred Wikenhauser zum 70. Geburtstag dargebracht von Freunden, Kollegen and Schlern. Herausgegeben von, Joseph Schmid and Anton, Vogtle (Mnchen, 1954), pp. 27889.Google Scholar
page 7 note 1 The articles on this subject which Vbus published during 1950 and 1951 are The Oldest Traces of the Peshitta, Muson, LXIII (1950), 191204; A Critical Apparatus for the Vetus Syra, Journal of Biblical Literature, Lxx (1951), 1238; and Neuentdecktes Textmaterial zur Vetus Syra, Theologische Zeitschrift, VII (1951), 308.
page 7 note 2 Arthur, Vbus, Studies in the History of the Gospel Text in Syriac, being tome 3 in the Subsidia of Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, vol. 128 (Louvain, 1951), xxv, 219 pp. Vbus indicates in the Preface that he is at work on volume two of these Studies, in which he will provide evidence from many Syriac authors, both those previously edited and those still unedited, to support his reconstruction of the history of the Gospel text in Syriac.Google Scholar
page 7 note 3 See Metzger's caveat in journal of Biblical Literature, LXX (1950), 767.
page 7 note 4 Zur Geschichte des syrischen Evangelientextes, Theologische Literaturzeitung, 1952, cols. 70510, in which he summarizes his previous study of The Gospel Text of Jacob of Serug, Journal of Theological Studies, new series, II (1951), 5763; compare also his critique of Vbus in Rabbula of Edessa and the Peshitta, Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, XXXIII (1951), 20310.
page 7 note 5 E.g. Neue Angaben ber die textgeschichtlichen Zustnde in Edessa in den Jahren ca. 32640; Ein Beitrag Zur Geschichte des altsyrischen Tetraevangeliums (Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile, no. 3; Stockholm, 1951), 60 pp.; Die Evangelienzitate in der Einleitung der persischen Mrtyrakten, Biblica, xxxVII1 (1952), 22234; and Das Alter der Peschitta, Origins christianus, XXXVII (1954), 110.
page 8 note 1 Matthew, Black, The New Testament Peshitta and its Predecessors, Bulletin of Studiorum Novi Testaments Societas (1950), pp. 5162; and The Text of the Peshitta Tetraeuangelium, Studia paulina in honorem. Johannis de. Zwaan septuagenarii (Haarlem, 1953), pp. 207.Google Scholar
page 8 note 2 Black in de Zwaans Festschrift, pp. 267.
page 8 note 3 Casey, R. P., New Testament Manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library, journal of Theological Studies, new series, II (1951), 648.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 8 note 4 Antonius, Chbli, An Ancient Copy of the Gospels, Al-Machriq, revue catholique orientale, XLVI (1952), 42532.Google Scholar The bilingual manuscript, described by Chbli, contains 951 pages and was written A.D. 1677. In a second article bearing the same title as the former (Ibid. pp. 57189), Chbli deals with another bilingual copy of the Gospels, which contains 544 pages and which was written in 1565. The Syriac text of this manuscript, if one may judge on the basis of a collation of Luke xxii. 30 ff., made by the present writer utilizing the only plate which Chebli provides, agrees with the edition of Pusey and Gwilliam, except for an inconsequential variant in v. 32 (
). The Arabic version, according to G. Graf who comments on Chblis article (Oriens christianus, XXXVIII fourth series, II; 1954, 154), is that of the Egyptian vulgate, which appears also in the Polyglot Bibles.
page 8 note 5 Ishac, Armal, Description of Syriac Gospel Lectionaries in Estrangela Script, Al-Machriq, XLVII (1953), 52441, with five plates.Google Scholar
page 9 note 1 Arthur, Vbus, New Data for the Solution of the Problem Concerning the Philoxenian Version, Spiritus et Veritas Kundzins, K.Festschrift, edidit Auseklis, Societas Theologorum Universitatis Latviensis (Eutin, 1953), pp. 16986; see especially p. 183.Google Scholar
page 9 note 2 Texts and Studies, second series, edited by Dodd, C. H., vol. 1 (Cambridge, 1954), 457 pp.Google Scholar
page 9 note 3 (ibid.) p. 21. It may also be mentioned here that, in the continuing search for manuscripts in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, several parchment fragments of the Palestinian Syriac Bible have been recently discovered. According to R. de Vaux (Revue biblique, LX 1953, 85), and J.-T. Milik (ibid. p. 526) they are Joshua xxii. 911; Matt. XXI. 305; Luke iii. 1, 34; Acts x. 3642; and Col. i. 1618, 20 f. (the first and the last two passages have been previously unknown in Palestinian Syriac). It is to be hoped that the text of these fragments will be made available without undue delay.
page 9 note 4 The Ancestry of the Harklean New Testament, The British Academy Supplemental Papers, No. VII (London, 1945).
page 9 note 5 Etudes Harklenes, Revue biblique, LVII (1950), 55082.
page 9 note 6 Gnther, Zuntz, Die Subscriptionen der Syra Harclensis, Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlndischen Gesellschaft, CI, (1951), 17496.Google Scholar
page 10 note 1 Kahle, P. E., The End of St Marks Gospel. The Witness of the Coptic Versions, journal of Theological Studies, new series II (1951), 4957.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 10 note 2 Lefort, L. Th., Fragments bibliques en dialecte akhmimique, Muson, LXVI (1953), 130.Google Scholar
page 10 note 3 Kahle, P. E., editor and translator, Bala'izah. Coptic Texts from Deir el-Bala'ah in Upper Egypt (London, 1954), 1396 pp.Google Scholar
page 10 note 4 This fragment of Philippians was first published by Kahle in Muson, LXIII (1950), 14757.Google Scholar
page 11 note 1 Fernand, Moss, Bibliographia Gotica, a Bibliography of Writings on the Gothic Language, to the End of 1949, Mediaeval Studies (Toronto), XII (1950), 237324Google Scholar (pp. 25564 deal with the Biblical version). A supplement appeared three years later, (Ibid.) xv (1953), 16983.
page 11 note 2 Hans, Steubing, Miscellen zur gotischen Bibelbersetzung des Ulfilas, Zeitschrift fr Kirchengeschichte, Vierte Folge, LXIV (1952 1953), 13745.Google Scholar
page 11 note 3 Lyonnet, S., Les origins de la version armnienne et le Diatessaron (Rome, 1950), 303 pp.Google Scholar
page 12 note 1 Arthur, Vbus, La premire traduction armnienne des vangiles, Recherches de science religieuse, XXXVII (1950), 5816.Google Scholar
page 12 note 2 Klijn, A. F. J., An Old Witness of the Armenian Text, journal of Theological Studies, new series, II (1951), 16870.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 12 note 3 Allen, Wikgren, Additional Armenian New Testament Manuscripts in the Kurdian Collection, journal of Biblical Literature, LXXII (1953), 11526. While this article was passing through the press, the attention of the author was drawn to the catalogue of manuscripts in the library of the Patriarchal Convent of St James in Jerusalem, prepared by Norair Bogharian (Mayr couak jeragra srbo akobean, erkrord hator (Jerusalem, 1954), 292 pp.), which lists numerous patristic commentaries on New Testament books.Google Scholar
page 12 note 4 Oskian, P. H., Two Armenian Gospel Manuscripts in Zahle, Handes amsorya, LXV (1951), cols. 659 (in Armenian).Google Scholar
page 13 note 1 Augustin, Szekula, The Short Ending of Mark in the Armenian Version, Handes amosorya, LXIV (1950), cols. 44852 (in Armenian).Google Scholar
page 13 note 2 Joseph, Molitor, Georgien und seine Bibel Trier thelogische Zeitschrift (Postor Bonus), LXII (1953), 918.Google Scholar
page 13 note 3 Joseph, Molitor, Die georgische Bibelbersetzung, ihr Werdegang and ihre Bedeutung in heutiger Sicht, Oriens christianus, XXXVII (fourth series, 1; 1953), 239. It should be mentioned also that Lyonnet devotes a chapter to aspects of the Georgian version in his previously mentioned volume on Les origins de la version armnienne et la Diatessaron, pp. 14465.Google Scholar
page 13 note 4 The volume on John appeared in 1950, namely The Old Georgian Version of the Gospel of John from the Adysh Gospels with the Variants of the Opiza and Tbet Gospels, edited with a Latin translation by Blake, Robert P. and Maurice, Brire (Patrologia orientalis, XXVI, 4; Paris, 1950, pp. 455599).Google Scholar
page 13 note 5 Wilhelm, Peschen, Die Charaktervokale des altgeorgischen Verbums in der bersetzung des Matthus und Markus und den Palimpsest Texten (Bonn, 1939), p. 11.Google Scholar
page 13 note 6 Joseph, Molitor, Das Adysh-Tetraevangelium, neu bersetzt und mit altgeorgischen Paralleltexten verglichen, Oriens christianus, XXXVII (fourth series, 1; 1953), 305; XXXVIII (fourth series, II; 1954), 1140; to be continued.Google Scholar
page 14 note 1 Oriens christianus, XXXVII (fourth series, 1; 1953), 8999.
page 14 note 2 Vbus, A., Die Spuren eines lteren thiopischen Evangelientextes im Lichte der literarischen Monumente (Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile, 2; Stockholm, 1951), 40 pp.Google Scholar
page 14 note 3 Vbus, A., Ta'mera Iyasus, Zeuge eines lteren thiopischen Evangelientypus, Orientalia christiana periodica, XVII (1951), 4627.Google Scholar
page 14 note 4 Carlo, Conti Rossini, II Fisiologo etiopico, Rassegna di studi etiopici, X (1951), 551. According to B. E. Perry in Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopdie, xx, 1 (1941), col. 1116, Die aithiopische Version ist besonders wertvoll als Zeuge fr den frhen P. Text. This judgement is based on Fritz Hommels German translation of the Ethiopic text (Leipzig, 1877; reprinted in Romanische Forschungen, v 1890, 1336).Google Scholar