Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Base Texts for Transcriptions Again

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In a previous post on “Methodology in Transcribing Greek Manuscripts” I suggested that the use of two different base texts, Nestle-Aland and a Byzantine text like Oxford Textus Receptus 1873, for independent transcriptions of a manuscript might result in the elimination of errors resulting from the use of the same base text where transcribers would risk making the same mistake in trusting their base text too much.

In any case, a reader of our blog, Anthony Pope who for some technical reason could not comment on that post sent me a relevant example I could share of an error  in the Editio Critica Maior of Acts, 28:13 (4) which would likely have been avoided using two base texts:

a περιελοντες 01*. 03. 044. 6. 93. 321. 383. 398. 665. 1127. 1609. 1838. 1842. 2200. 2774

Only the uncials listed read περιελοντες. All the minuscules listed read περιελθοντες, as can be verified from the images on the NTVMR. The error has been reported to the editors and will be corrected in the next revised edition.

Do any readers have other examples or thoughts? Share them in the comments.

3 comments

  1. It is an interesting variant. I was thinking of the περιελοντες reading (which comes from the verb περιαιρέω) as the harder reading on the basis that the arrival (κατηντήσαμεν) happens immediately after 'casting off/weighing anchor'. It seems easier to say 'we came around and arrived in Rhegium' (περιελθοντες). Perhaps someone who has studied Luke's sailing terminology might have an informed view of this.

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  2. RSV: And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium (i.e. περιελθοντες)
    NRSV: then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium (i.e. περιελοντες)

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  3. Dear Tommy,

    περιελοντες is also attested by lectionary 587.

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