An Exegetical Study of John 2:12: Textual Apparatus and Methodological Clarifications
This exegetical study, prompted by a discussion concerning textual apparatus notation, addresses interpretive challenges posed by the structure and symbols within critical editions of the Greek New Testament (GNT), specifically regarding John 2:12. The discussion commenced with an inquiry into a textual note for John 2:12 in a UBS GNT, 4th revised edition, focusing on the notation for Papyrus 66 (P66), particularly the superscript ‘c’ (P66c), and the multiple listed locations for the manuscript. This initial query highlights a common difficulty encountered by students and scholars in navigating the complexities of textual criticism, wherein precise understanding of apparatus symbols is crucial for accurate textual assessment.
The main exegetical issue, while not directly involving a significant variant reading within John 2:12 itself as presented in the primary text of most critical editions, concerns the foundational understanding of the textual evidence that underpins any exegetical endeavor. Misinterpretation of the apparatus symbols, such as P66c, can lead to confusion about the nature and reliability of manuscript testimony. Therefore, this study aims to clarify such notations, explaining what a superscript ‘c’ signifies in relation to a papyrus manuscript and addressing apparent discrepancies in manuscript location information. By demystifying these elements of the critical apparatus, this analysis strengthens the methodological groundwork for informed textual exegesis of passages like John 2:12, ensuring that interpreters can confidently evaluate the textual basis of their studies.
Μετὰ τοῦτο κατέβη εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἔμειναν οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας.
(Nestle 1904)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- The main text of John 2:12 in Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT (2010) is identical. Both editions present the reading: Μετὰ τοῦτο κατέβη εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἔμειναν οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας. This consistency reflects a highly stable textual tradition for this particular verse.
- While the primary text is consistent, differences may exist within the critical apparatuses of various editions regarding the specific witnesses cited for readings or the classification of variants. Editions such as the UBS GNT (4th or 5th ed.) and NA28 (which is very similar to UBS5) provide extensive apparatuses that note even minor orthographical variants, omissions, or the presence/absence of articles. In contrast, the SBLGNT’s apparatus is generally more selective, focusing on major variants. Therefore, while the reading itself is identical, the presentation and scope of textual evidence supporting it can vary.
Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG)
The notation P66c, as it appears in the textual apparatus of critical editions such as NA28 (Nestle-Aland 28th edition) or the UBS GNT, typically signifies a corrector of Papyrus 66. The superscript ‘c’ is an abbreviation for correctus, indicating a correction made to the original scribe’s text, often by a different hand or a later revision. Papyrus 66 (P66), dating to the late 2nd or early 3rd century CE, is a remarkably significant and early witness for the Gospel of John, covering a substantial portion of the text. Its readings, including both the original text (P66*) and subsequent corrections, are indispensable for reconstructing the early textual history of the New Testament. For John 2:12, if P66c is cited for a particular reading, it implies that the original scribe had a different reading, which was subsequently altered. Understanding the nature of such corrections (e.g., correction of scribal error, assimilation to another textual tradition, theological amendment) is a key aspect of textual criticism, providing insight into the transmission process. The NA28 apparatus would delineate the specific variants where P66c provides testimony, allowing scholars to assess the weight of the correction against the original reading.
Regarding the listed locations for P66 (Cologny; Dublin; Cologne), this likely reflects a complex historical trajectory or fragmentation of the manuscript. While the primary and most substantial collection of P66 is indeed housed at the Bibliotheca Bodmeriana in Cologny, Switzerland, many ancient papyri have experienced convoluted histories involving acquisition, sale, and even physical fragmentation across different collections. It is plausible that smaller fragments were once housed elsewhere, or that initial cataloging had ambiguities or referred to temporary holdings. For scholarly purposes, however, P66 is unequivocally associated with the Bodmer Library. The query itself underscores the importance of precise manuscript identification and location for rigorous textual research, even as historical complexities can sometimes obscure these details.
Lexical Notes:
- κατέβη (katébē): This verb is the aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular, derived from καταβαίνω (katabainō), meaning “to go down, descend.” According to BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature), καταβαίνω typically signifies physical descent, as in moving from a higher geographical point to a lower one (e.g., from the hill country of Galilee, where Cana is located, to Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee). It can also denote figurative descent or arrival. In John 2:12, the geographical context unequivocally points to a literal, physical descent, emphasizing the change of location and the journey.
- Καφαρναοὺμ (Kapharnaoum): BDAG identifies this as “Capernaum,” a significant town situated on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. This location was central to Jesus’s Galilean ministry, often serving as a base of operations. Grammatically, it functions as an indeclinable proper noun, a substantive marking a specific geographical landmark. The movement to Capernaum in this verse thus signifies the establishment of a temporary base for Jesus and his burgeoning entourage following the wedding at Cana.
- ἀδελφοὶ (adelphoi): This is the masculine plural of ἀδελφός (adelphos), meaning “brother.” BDAG defines ἀδελφός primarily as a male offspring of the same parents, but also more broadly as a fellow member of a community, a kinsman, or a spiritual brother. In the context of Jesus’s family, it refers to his biological brothers, whose names (James, Joses, Simon, and Judas) are explicitly mentioned in Synoptic Gospels (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). KITTEL’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT, Vol. I, pp. 144-146) provides an extensive entry on ἀδελφός, detailing its wide range of applications from familial and national kinship to communal and spiritual brotherhood. Here, it largely maintains its primary familial sense, underscoring Jesus’s human relationships and the involvement of his immediate family in his early ministry.
Translation Variants with Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
John 2:12, in its critically established Greek text, presents a relatively straightforward narrative statement with a high degree of textual stability. Consequently, there are few significant textual variants that directly impact its core meaning. However, subtle grammatical and rhetorical nuances within the standard text can still be explored, leading to different emphases in English translation, even in the absence of explicit manuscript divergences.
One such nuance is found in the phrase οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας (ou pollas hēmeras, “not many days”). While a literal translation is accurate, the negative phrasing can be rendered more idiomatically or positively in English to convey the intended brevity. Grammatically, πολλάς (pollas) is an adjective in the accusative feminine plural, agreeing with ἡμέρας (hēmeras), and quantifies the duration of their stay. The negation οὐ (ou) directly modifies “many,” signifying a brief period. Rhetorically, this brevity suggests a transitional phase in Jesus’s ministry, a temporary stop before more significant events unfold, likely anticipating his imminent journey to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:13).
Another point for grammatical and rhetorical consideration is the repeated use of the conjunction καὶ (kai, “and”) in the enumeration of those accompanying Jesus: αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ (autos kai hē mētēr autou kai hoi adelphoi autou kai hoi mathētai autou). This rhetorical device, known as polysyndeton, emphasizes each individual and group joining Jesus, highlighting the expansion of his entourage and the communal aspect of his early ministry. While a literal “and… and… and…” might sound somewhat cumbersome in English, a thoughtful translator could choose to retain some of this additive emphasis or rephrase to convey the collective unity and breadth of his companions.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The rigorous attention to detail in the textual apparatus, encompassing the precise interpretation of notations like P66c and the accurate identification of manuscript locations, forms the indispensable bedrock of responsible biblical exegesis. While John 2:12 itself presents a text of notable stability, the methodological rigor employed in its study profoundly impacts our confidence in the underlying Greek text. The passage concisely describes a brief, transitional move by Jesus, accompanied by his family and disciples, to Capernaum, a strategic location that precedes a significant shift towards the public demonstration of his ministry. The grammatical structure effectively highlights the composition of his traveling party and underscores the temporary nature of their sojourn in Capernaum.
- “After this, he went down to Capernaum—he, his mother, his brothers, and his disciples—and they remained there for a few days.”
This translation emphasizes the collective journey and the brevity of their stay with a common English idiom “for a few days,” which is a natural rendering of “not many days.” - “Subsequent to this, Jesus descended to Capernaum, accompanied by his mother, his siblings, and his learners, and their residence there was for a short duration.”
This version employs slightly more formal vocabulary (“subsequent to this,” “descended,” “siblings,” “learners,” “residence,” “short duration”) to achieve a more elevated, academic tone, while maintaining clarity and reflecting the polysyndeton. “Siblings” is used to encompass the broader familial meaning of ἀδελφοὶ. - “Following the wedding, he journeyed down to Capernaum, joined by his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; their stay there lasted only a few days.”
This translation rephrases the list of companions for improved flow and explicitly integrates the preceding context (“Following the wedding”) for enhanced coherence, while clearly conveying the limited duration of their stay.
—– Original Message —– Sent: 18. november 2010 16:43
That is correct.
Yes.
I would suggest this book, but it is not free ($39.95 from Logos.com where you can get an electronic version.)
Comfort, P. W., & Barrett, D. P. (2001). The text of the earliest New Testament Greek manuscripts. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
Iver Larsen
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Iver has explained the symbols well. If there is no correction, the entry is simply p66; if there is a correction, one will find both p66* and p66c in the apparatus. Same goes for other manuscripts.
For a pretty good image of p66, see here: http://www.bible-researcher.com/papy66big.jpg. This image zooms in size fairly well and is quite readable. The first line and most of the second line is the last part of John 7:52, followed by 8:12-16. There are at least two corrections in this photo: a minor correction (the insertion of an epsilon above the line in line 10 of the photo), and a major one in 7:52, at the top of the page. Here the original scribe wrote (apologies if I hose up the transliteration; I am using a capital letter “C” for the sigma of the manuscript):
NHCON KAI IDE OTI EK THC GALILAIAC O PROFHTHC OYK EGIRETAI
The corrector then came along and corrected the text in three steps (not necessarily in this sequence): the corrector (1) erased, sort of, the “O” at the beginning of the second line; (2) drew a single diagonal line over the “P” of PROFHTHC in the second line of text, and (3) drew two diagonal lines over the “E” of EK in the first line of text. The paleographers interpret the diagonal lines to mean “first read PROFHTHC, then go back to EK.” So the text as corrected reads:
NHCON KAI IDE OTI PROFHTHC EK THC GALILAIAC OYK EGIRETAI
Apologies for going a bit beyond the scope of b-greek, but I hope this will not only answer Susan’s query but be of wider interest as well. thanks, Mike Holmes
—–Original Message—– Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 5:44 AM
and a fourth question:
Farther down in the same UBS4 GNT John 2:12 textual apparatus entry, a different textual variant lists P66*. What’s the “*”?
Thanks in advance —
Susan Jeffers
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek — B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
—– Original Message —– Sent: 18. november 2010 16:43
That is correct.
Yes.
I would suggest this book, but it is not free ($39.95 from Logos.com where you can get an electronic version.)
Comfort, P. W., & Barrett, D. P. (2001). The text of the earliest New Testament Greek manuscripts. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
Iver Larsen
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Iver has explained the symbols well. If there is no correction, the entry is simply p66; if there is a correction, one will find both p66* and p66c in the apparatus. Same goes for other manuscripts.
For a pretty good image of p66, see here: http://www.bible-researcher.com/papy66big.jpg. This image zooms in size fairly well and is quite readable. The first line and most of the second line is the last part of John 7:52, followed by 8:12-16. There are at least two corrections in this photo: a minor correction (the insertion of an epsilon above the line in line 10 of the photo), and a major one in 7:52, at the top of the page. Here the original scribe wrote (apologies if I hose up the transliteration; I am using a capital letter “C” for the sigma of the manuscript):
NHCON KAI IDE OTI EK THC GALILAIAC O PROFHTHC OYK EGIRETAI
The corrector then came along and corrected the text in three steps (not necessarily in this sequence): the corrector (1) erased, sort of, the “O” at the beginning of the second line; (2) drew a single diagonal line over the “P” of PROFHTHC in the second line of text, and (3) drew two diagonal lines over the “E” of EK in the first line of text. The paleographers interpret the diagonal lines to mean “first read PROFHTHC, then go back to EK.” So the text as corrected reads:
NHCON KAI IDE OTI PROFHTHC EK THC GALILAIAC OYK EGIRETAI
Apologies for going a bit beyond the scope of b-greek, but I hope this will not only answer Susan’s query but be of wider interest as well. thanks, Mike Holmes
—–Original Message—– Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 5:44 AM
and a fourth question:
Farther down in the same UBS4 GNT John 2:12 textual apparatus entry, a different textual variant lists P66*. What’s the “*”?
Thanks in advance —
Susan Jeffers
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek — B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
and a fourth question:
Farther down in the same UBS4 GNT John 2:12 textual apparatus entry, a different textual variant lists P66*. What’s the “*”?
Thanks in advance —
Susan Jeffers
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
According to Comfort and Barratt, the manuscript is housed as follows:
Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland: Bibliotheca Bodmeriana (P. Bodmer II); one leaf is in Cologne, Germany: Institut für Altertumskunde der Universität zu Köln (inv. nr. 4274/4298).
So, one leaf is in Köln, Germany, the rest in Geneva. I don’t where Dublin comes in. Maybe there is a copy there in the Chester Beatty Library. Looking at their website, I can see that they have p45, p46 and p47, but I do not find a reference to p66. http://www.cbl.ie/Collections/The-Western-Collection/Papyri/Biblical.aspx
Comfort and Barratt also say that “P66 has preserved the work of three individuals: the original scribe, a thoroughgoing corrector (diorthōtēs), and a minor corrector.”
P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.
In the case of John 2:12, the first writing did not include the word AUTOU after ADELFOI, but the diorthōtēs then inserted the word between the lines. The reading without AUTOU is also found in p75, a close relative of p66 from the same area but made a few decades later. B is also lacking AUTOU, but B seems to be dependent on p75, at least there is a lot of agreements between them.
Susan, Iver is right. I was able to examine the Chester-Beatty papyri personally this year and P66 is not there. They are located in the Chester-Beatty library behind the Dublin Castle, on the second floor, left hall. Among newer ones, the four oldest texts are located on a pyramid shape platform in the center of the exhibit. They are P45, P46 and P47 and as well as one OT text. You can read my observations if you are interested: Investigating Ireland => http://cupandcross.com/index.php/investigating-ireland/
Dony K. Donev
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Iver wrote:
“P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.”
So, if I’m understanding correctly, these corrections are actually visible in the writing on the sheets of papyrus — is that right?
As opposed to “corrections” hypothesized by scholars e.g. in theories of markan priority or source theory?
So that, on one page of the papyrus, one could see both the P66* wording (the original) along with the wording of the corrections (P66c)?
Very interesting. Can you suggest a book or (preferably) online source where I can read more about this?
Thanks!!!
Susan Jeffers
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
One of the most complete works dealing with the manuscripts is that which Iver quoted
Comfort, Philip Wesley and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. A corrected, enlarged ed. of The complete text of the earliest New Testament manuscripts. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 2001. george gfsomsel
… search for truth, hear truth, learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, defend the truth till death.
– Jan Hus _________
________________________________ href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] Sent: Thu, November 18, 2010 6:43:58 AM
Iver wrote:
“P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.”
So, if I’m understanding correctly, these corrections are actually visible in the writing on the sheets of papyrus — is that right?
As opposed to “corrections” hypothesized by scholars e.g. in theories of markan priority or source theory?
So that, on one page of the papyrus, one could see both the P66* wording (the original) along with the wording of the corrections (P66c)?
Very interesting. Can you suggest a book or (preferably) online source where I can read more about this?
Thanks!!!
Susan Jeffers
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Thanks very much to all who replied to my query. I have ordered the Comfort book – I heard him speak a couple of times at SBL, back when I was still able to get there (arthritis now makes it too tough to get around)… I have several books by Dr. Comfort, but not this one. I also ordered the pocket-size GNT from Bob Jones U.
—–
What with (U.S.) Thanksgiving coming up — let me just say THANK YOU to all of you. You make b-greek such a wonderful place for those who love and study Scripture in Greek — and the Greek of Scripture —
Charis kai eirene humin!
(sorry I’ve never mastered either the transliteration code, nor figured out how to make the Greek characters themselves appear)
Susan Jeffers
and a fourth question:
Farther down in the same UBS4 GNT John 2:12 textual apparatus entry, a different textual variant lists P66*. What’s the “*”?
Thanks in advance —
Susan Jeffers
href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]
According to Comfort and Barratt, the manuscript is housed as follows:
Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland: Bibliotheca Bodmeriana (P. Bodmer II); one leaf is in Cologne, Germany: Institut für Altertumskunde der Universität zu Köln (inv. nr. 4274/4298).
So, one leaf is in Köln, Germany, the rest in Geneva. I don’t where Dublin comes in. Maybe there is a copy there in the Chester Beatty Library. Looking at their website, I can see that they have p45, p46 and p47, but I do not find a reference to p66. http://www.cbl.ie/Collections/The-Western-Collection/Papyri/Biblical.aspx
Comfort and Barratt also say that “P66 has preserved the work of three individuals: the original scribe, a thoroughgoing corrector (diorthōtēs), and a minor corrector.”
P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.
In the case of John 2:12, the first writing did not include the word AUTOU after ADELFOI, but the diorthōtēs then inserted the word between the lines. The reading without AUTOU is also found in p75, a close relative of p66 from the same area but made a few decades later. B is also lacking AUTOU, but B seems to be dependent on p75, at least there is a lot of agreements between them.
Susan, Iver is right. I was able to examine the Chester-Beatty papyri personally this year and P66 is not there. They are located in the Chester-Beatty library behind the Dublin Castle, on the second floor, left hall. Among newer ones, the four oldest texts are located on a pyramid shape platform in the center of the exhibit. They are P45, P46 and P47 and as well as one OT text. You can read my observations if you are interested: Investigating Ireland => http://cupandcross.com/index.php/investigating-ireland/
Dony K. Donev
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Iver wrote:
“P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.”
So, if I’m understanding correctly, these corrections are actually visible in the writing on the sheets of papyrus — is that right?
As opposed to “corrections” hypothesized by scholars e.g. in theories of markan priority or source theory?
So that, on one page of the papyrus, one could see both the P66* wording (the original) along with the wording of the corrections (P66c)?
Very interesting. Can you suggest a book or (preferably) online source where I can read more about this?
Thanks!!!
Susan Jeffers
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
One of the most complete works dealing with the manuscripts is that which Iver quoted
Comfort, Philip Wesley and David P. Barrett. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. A corrected, enlarged ed. of The complete text of the earliest New Testament manuscripts. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 2001. george gfsomsel
… search for truth, hear truth, learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, defend the truth till death.
– Jan Hus _________
________________________________ href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected] Sent: Thu, November 18, 2010 6:43:58 AM
Iver wrote:
“P66 is known for it many corrections. The original or first writing is called P66*. As the scribe was writing, he would at times discover a mistake in the middle of word, then erase one or more letters and continue writing. Then someone went over the ms again carefully and made hundreds of corrections. James Royse believes that it was the scribe himself who afterwards corrected his own work. Philip Comfort and others think it was a different, more careful person. In any case, there seems to also have been a third person later making some few adjustments. P66c refers to the corrected version.”
So, if I’m understanding correctly, these corrections are actually visible in the writing on the sheets of papyrus — is that right?
As opposed to “corrections” hypothesized by scholars e.g. in theories of markan priority or source theory?
So that, on one page of the papyrus, one could see both the P66* wording (the original) along with the wording of the corrections (P66c)?
Very interesting. Can you suggest a book or (preferably) online source where I can read more about this?
Thanks!!!
Susan Jeffers
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
— B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek B-Greek mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
Thanks very much to all who replied to my query. I have ordered the Comfort book – I heard him speak a couple of times at SBL, back when I was still able to get there (arthritis now makes it too tough to get around)… I have several books by Dr. Comfort, but not this one. I also ordered the pocket-size GNT from Bob Jones U.
—–
What with (U.S.) Thanksgiving coming up — let me just say THANK YOU to all of you. You make b-greek such a wonderful place for those who love and study Scripture in Greek — and the Greek of Scripture —
Charis kai eirene humin!
(sorry I’ve never mastered either the transliteration code, nor figured out how to make the Greek characters themselves appear)
Susan Jeffers