This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. This monograph is a detailed examination of the textual characteristics and relationships of important early Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark (chiefly Codex Washingtonianus [W, and also Family 13 and P45), and challenges the generally accepted view that these manuscripts are witnesses to an early stage of the Ceasarean text-type. The study begins with a discussion and critique of previous studies on the Caesarean text-type, showing the methodological weaknesses that demand a fresh analysis of the data and emphasizing the crucial importance of Codex W for the whole question of the textual history of Mark. Then a methodological approach is set forth, involving both careful quantitative measurement of manuscript agreements and detailed analysis of variants in the interest of determining both the textual relationships and textual character of manuscripts. When this more sophisticated approach is applied to the chief witnesses to the so-called "pre-Ceasarean" text of Mark, it is confirmed that W and P45 do show a significant relationship with each other and that Family 13 is a weaker member of the same group. However, the commonly held view that these witnesses reflect the early stage of the Caesarean text-type is shown to be erroneous. In addition to clarifying the textual relationships of the witnesses, the study defines more accurately their textual character, showing the scribal purposes reflected in the variants that characterize these manuscripts and adding considerably to our knowledge of the forces affecting the early transmission of the text of Mark. This is the first detailed examination of the Markan text of Codex W since the publication of the manuscript and the first published book-length study dealing with the Ceasarean text of Mark since the initial work of Kirsopp Lake and his colleagues Blake and New. This work not only addresses a major issue in the textual history of Mark, but offers methodological suggestions for the continuing investigation of the textual history of the New Testament.

The essays included in this volume present Larry W. Hurtado's steadfast analysis of the earliest Christian manuscripts. In these chapters, Hurtado considers not only standard text-critical issues which seek to uncover an earliest possible version of a text, but also the very manuscripts that are available to us. As one of the pre-eminent scholars of the field, Hurtado examines often overlooked 2nd and 3rd century artefacts, which are among the earliest manuscripts available, drawing fascinating conclusions about the features of early Christianity. Divided into two halves, the first part of the volume addresses text-critical and text-historical issues about the textual transmission of various New Testament writings. The second part looks at manuscripts as physical and visual artefacts themselves, exploring the metadata and sociology of their context and the nature of their first readers, for the light cast upon early Christianity. Whilst these essays are presented together here as a republished collection, Hurtado has made several updates across the collection to draw them together and to reflect on the developing nature of the issues that they address since they were first written.

Horton brings together the latest research on the origins of the gospels and their transmission, and provides the only guide to the Chester Beatty Codex P45. Provides an introduction to the gospel genre and examining literacy among early Christians and all that is known about the origins and transmission of the gospels. Also focuses on the significance of P45, its place as the earliest Christian gospel-book, its unique readings, the earliest extant version of the gospel of Mark, and how the manuscript was found piece by piece by an American collector.

The fruit of more than three decades of research This collection of fourteen essays by Eberhard W. Güting covers important aspects of editorial science with a particular focus on New Testament textual criticism. Essays cover textual emendation, text-critical procedures, literary criticism, history of scholarship, advantages and disadvantages of online manuscripts, and text-critical studies of words and phrases. The addition of a substantial introduction to text criticism makes this a valuable resource for students and teachers. Features Essays concerned with establishing the original text of New Testament writings Nine essays published in English for the first tim Two previously unpublished essays

This accessible handbook provides sound guidance on how to study the New Testament in depth, offering a step-by-step approach to the exegetical task.

Editors Mark Harding and Alanna Nobbs have here brought together the internationally recognized scholarly excellence of Macquarie University faculty and associates to provide a major contribution to the study of the content and environment of the New Testament Gospels. Few books in current New Testament scholarship seriously tackle its social setting and textual tradition beyond a chapter or two. The Content and Setting of the Gospel Tradition integrates the texts with the literary, social, and historical context in which they were written.

This study offers the first sustained examination of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM), a computerized method being used to edit the most widely-used editions of the Greek New Testament. Part one addresses the CBGM’s history and reception before providing a fresh statement of its principles and procedures. Parts two and three consider the method’s ability to recover the initial text and to delineate its history. A new portion of the global stemma is presented for the first time and important conclusions are drawn about the nature of the initial text, scribal habits, and the origins of the Byzantine text. A final chapter suggests improvements and highlights limitations. Overall, the CBGM is positively assessed but not without important criticisms and cautions.