New Articles and Reviews in the TC Journal

Volume 21 (2016) of TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism is now complete (the whole issue is here).

Two new articles and five new reviews have just been added. As one of the editors I must say that we are very happy with the development of the journal in recent years:

Articles (new)

Georg Gäbel, The Import of the Versions for the History of the Greek Text: Some Observations from the ECM of Acts

Abstract: In this article, I discuss the relevance of the versions for Greek textual history, taking as my starting point the forthcoming Editio Critica Maior of Acts. After a brief introduction to the citation of versional material in the ECM of Acts, three groups of examples are presented: (1) examples where each versional variant is correlated with one Greek variant, (2) examples of variants found in versional witnesses belonging to the D-trajectory and believed to have existed in now lost Greek witnesses, and (3) examples for the mutual influence of Greek and versional texts. I conclude that (1) careful attention to the versions will benefit our understanding of Greek textual history, that (2) some variants of Greek origin not attested in the Greek manuscripts now known can be reconstructed on the basis of the versions, and that (3) in some cases, particularly in bilingual manuscripts, there is likely to have been versional influence on the Greek text.

Katie Marcar, The Quotations of Isaiah in 1 Peter: A Text-Critical Analysis

Abstract: This article examines the quotations of Isaiah in 1 Peter in order to determine, as far as possible, the author’s Vorlage. It first defines quotations (as opposed to allusions), evaluates the importance of introductory formula or terms, and contextualizes this study in terms of comparable analyses in Pauline studies. After this methodological ground-clearing, the textual forms of the following six Isaianic quotations are analysed in detail: 1 Pet 1:24–25 (Isa 40:6–8), 1 Pet 2:6 (Isa 28:16), 1 Pet 2:8 (Isa 8:14), 1 Pet 2:22 (Isa 53:9), 1 Pet 2:25 (Isa 53:6), and 1 Pet 3:14–15 (Isa 8:12–13). These quotations are studied in light of evidence from the proto-MT, Dead Sea Scrolls, Old Greek (OG), the hexaplaric recensions, and other relevant sources of textual information. The article concludes that quotations of Isaiah in 1 Peter generally agree with the OG, with a few exceptions where they are closer to the proto-MT, and bear no evidence of a Hebraizing revision except in quotations of Isaiah that are also quoted by Paul.

Reviews (new)

Mark Billington and Peter Streitenberger (eds.), Digging for the Truth: Collected Essays Regarding the Byzantine Text of the Greek New Testament: A Festschrift in Honor of Maurice A. Robinson (Chris S. Stevens, reviewer). See also a reply by Timothy J. Finney.

Carla Falluomini, The Gothic Version of the Gospels and Pauline Epistles: Cultural Background, Transmission and Character (Marcus Sigismund, reviewer)

Karen H. Jobes and Moisés Silva, Invitation to the Septuagint (2nd edition; Mark A. Hassler, reviewer)

Lorenzo Perrone (ed.), Die neuen Psalmenhomilien: Eine kritische Edition des Codex Monacensis Graecus 314 (Thomas J. Kraus, reviewer)

Stanley E. Porter and Andrew W. Pitts, Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism (Ernst Boogert, reviewer)

19th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies: Ge'ez Versions of the Bible

Those who have an interest in or are conducting research on the  Classical Ethiopic (Ge’ez) versions of the Bible, early Jewish  literature or early Christian literature are herewith advised of an academic conference that will take place next year:

As part of the 19th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, to be held from 24-28 August, 2015, at the University of Warsaw, Poland.
Panels are being organized on ‘Critical Editions of Biblical Books’  (by Maija Priess, Hamburg), ‘Early Christian Literature Preserved in Classical Ethiopic (Ge’ez)’ (by Timothy B. Sailors, Tübingen) and ‘Literary Genres and Text Carriers in Ethiopian Manuscript Culture’ (by Alessandro Bausi, Antonella Brita and Denis Nosnitsin, Hamburg).

Descriptions of these panels can be found on the conference website, under the section ‘Classical Ethiopic’. There are also sections on Literature, Linguistics and History that may be of interest. See  http://ices19.uw.edu.pl/index.php/panelspapers/

The call for papers has been extended and is open until 15 December 2014. Paper proposals must be submitted via the official conference website: www.ices19.uw.edu.pl

Bible Odyssey Featuring "Alexandrian Text" and "Early Versions"

A year ago or so I was invited to contribute to SBL's project Bible Odyssey which was launched about two months ago. I was told that this week my article on the "Alexandrian Text" is highlighted on the Bible Oddysey home page, together with an article on  "The Earliest Versions and Translations of the Bible" by Brennan Breed and a timeline of "The History of the English Bible" and a newly added videoclip on Early Christian Martyrdom featuring Candida Moss.

Just a week ago, John Kutsko of the SBL sent out a report about the two first months of the website, and it turns out that "People are very interested in ... 'life in first century Galilee' and 'how the Hebrew Bible relates to the ancient Near East,' as well as 'the binding of Isaac' and 'the woman caught in adultery.'” The last entry is written by my friend Jennifer Knust and we have worked a lot together on this topic for some years now. There is a related video clip in which Amy Jill Levine discusses the pericope adulterae, and another entry on the manuscript history of the passage (John 8:1-11) by another friend of mine, Chris Keith. Earlier this year, Chris, Jennifer and I contributed to a conference at SEBTS, the Pericope Adulterae symposium.

Kutsko continues his report on the Bible Odyssey webpage saying that many visitors come from North America and Europe, but that there is also strong traffic from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Israel. Personally, Kutsko thinks the "Ask the Scholar" button (see the magnifying glass on the image above, or go here) is the coolest of all. Here they have received questions such as:

• Why does God speak in the plural in Genesis?
• Was John the Baptist an Essene?
• How many scholars believe that Q existed as a source for Matthew and Luke?
• Has the biblical figure of Satan evolved?
• Why is ‘almah in Proverbs 30:19 translated differently?
• How does domestic architecture vary in the Second Temple period?