Report on the International Conference for the NT Textual Criticism in Athens

Over at the Volos Acadamy for Theological Studies website there is a report on a recent conference in Athens on NTTC.

On February, 22 2016, an International Conference was successfully held at the central building of Athens University (“Al. Argyriadis” Amphitheater), on the general theme: New Testament Textual Criticism: Its Significance for Scholarship, Culture and Church. The conference was co-organized by the Dean’s office of Theological School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Department for the study of the manuscript tradition of the New Testament of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, and attended by a vast number of academics and special researchers who are members and contributors to the Editorial Board of the critical editions of the New Testament “Novum Testamentum Graece” (known as Nestle-Aland) and “UBS Greek New Testament”, which internationally constitute the basis for the scholarly study and the translation of the text of the New Testament.

Speakers included Klaus Wachtel, Holger Strutwolf, Florian Voss, David Trobisch, Greg Paulson, Stephen Pisano, Simon Crisp, Christos Karakolis.

Apparently this was in some way the first scholarly conference being held in Greece on the subject of New Testament Textual Criticism. I’m not sure exactly what that means. But it’s good to see more TC happening in Greece where so many GNT manuscripts are kept. It looks like there was a pretty good crowd too. Full report here.

Update

A blog reader has pointed out that this conference also saw the first a meeting of the new Editorial Committee of the NA/UBS. That is historic. I confess that I still don’t understand what the new committee’s role actually is. Also I thought David Parker was a member. Still, exciting stuff.

Left (from rear to front) David Trobisch, Klaus Wachtel, Holger Strutwolf, Stephen Pisano; right (from rear to front) Christos Karakolis, Simon Crisp, Florian Voss. (Photo: Greg Paulson)

Facsimile Edition of the Korça Codex 93 (GA 2902)

A beuatiful facsimile edition of the Korça Codex 93 (=GA 2902), now deposited in the National Archive of Albania in Tirana, has recently been published in 1300 copies. Here are some extracts from the news flash on the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania: 

The Codex of Korça 93 is part of the collection of one hundred Byzantine and post-Byzantine manuscripts preserved today in the Central State Archives of Tirana, Albania. The Codex is from the 10th century and is written in the form of a cross, a fairly rare occurrence in the Byzantine manuscript tradition and is one of the oldest examples of this category on an international level. 
[...]
The publication of the Facsimile of this very important Codex was made possible by the contributions of the Inter-confessional Bible Society of Albania, the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, and the General Directorate of Archives of Albania. The Facsimile is accompanied by an exhaustive study of the Codex as a paleographic transcription of the Gospel of Luke with the corresponding translation in English. 
[...]
It is worthy to be note the fact that a Facsimile edition of this type is the first in the history of documentary publications in Albania, and has been prepared with the cooperation of local institutions. The field of publication of these kinds of historic resources is of limited circulation in Albania, whether due to the isolation of the past or to the lack of experience and opportunities. The publication of this Codex, as universally representative of the intellectual activity during one of the most thriving cultural periods of Byzantium, in addition to its scientific importance, serve as a contribution to the promotion of cultural heritage in Albania.

Here is a news story covering the presentation of the facsimile edition to Sali Berisha, the Prime Minister of Albania and Jozefina Topalli, Chairwomen of the Parliamant, to whom it is handed over by the Archbishop Anastasios of Albania.



You can also watch a 30 minute long reportage featuring one of the editors, Andi Rembeci, Lecturer in Palaeography and History at the University of Tirana who presents the fascimile alongside the original in great detail (in Albanian). At the end of the clip you can see Rembeci putting the Gospel codex back in its place in the archive.




Thanks to Simon Crisp of the United Bible Society who drew my attention to this new publication. Crisp pointed out that my own article on Papyrus 72 was referred to in the accompanying volume of studies – I wonder what they wrote.

As usual there is the infected issue of dating. The Kurzgefasste Liste indicates 13th century, whereas the Albanian scholars dates the codex to the 10th century.

This codex and many other were photographed by the CSNTM in an expedition in 2007 when they rediscovered many MSS which had not been registered by the INTF – read about this expedition here.

On the CSNTM webpage you also find a description and selected images of the Korça codex.

Birmingham Conference: "Biblical Texts and Reception History"

The 2nd University of Birmingham 

Biblical Studies Postgraduate Day Conference
BIBLICAL TEXTS AND RECEPTION HISTORY
RETROSPECT AND PROSPECTS

6 June 2012 (Wednesday), 10.00am—3.30pm, European Research Institute (ERI), Ground Floor Pritchatts Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
 

The University of Birmingham, in conjunction with the Department of Theology and Religion, is pleased to announce the Second University of Birmingham Biblical Studies Day Conference, open to all Postgraduate Researchers of the University of Birmingham and other Universities.

A number of new perspectives about biblical manuscripts have come to light in the last 100 years, and this development has presented new challenges and opportunities that need to be reflected upon, especially by those in the academe. This conference aims to highlight previous researches and recent developments in the area of the studies of these biblical texts and to explore how these texts have been construed throughout the centuries, and how these affect, if they do, future studies and reception of the same. To set the parameters for discussion, we have invited two guest speakers to share their own professional journeys insofar as the biblical texts are concerned: Prof Larry Hurtado, Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology, University of Edinburgh, and, Dr Simon Crisp, Coordinator for Translation Standards and Scholarly Editions, United Bible Societies (UBS). Select Papers on the topic from postgraduate researchers across the UK also highlights the broader implications of this event.

This conference is FREE, but pre-registration is required, for logistical purposes (please contact Georgia Michaels or Edgar Ebojo ). For conference location, do visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/edgbaston-map.pdf

HT: Edgar Ebojo

More information here.

Jude as a Rapper?

During the recent 7th Birmingham Colloquium of New Testament Textual Criticism, my friend Simon Crisp shared a secret with me. He had recently composed and performed a rap based on Jude (a subject of my interest) in a meeting of UBS Europe Middle East Translation Consultants in 2010. This original performance (the "Ausgangsrap") may be floating around somewhere on Youtube (I haven't found it yet, but here is a nice picture of the author).

In 1997, Lauri Thurén wrote an article with the title "Hey Jude" alluding to the classic Beatles tune. The article itself was not supposed to be performed but Thurén did propose that “Jude is … clearly designed to be read out aloud before an audience” (“Hey Jude! Asking for the Original Situation and Message of a Catholic Epistle”, New Testament Studies 43 [1997]: 454).

Simon Crisp therefore concludes in the introduction to his rap that "the present exercise might be regarded as a justifiable extension of the original intention of the letter." The more detailed relations between Simon's translation and the Greek text he documented in footnotes. However, with Simon's permission I publish it below without them. If anyone is interested in the full version with footnotes it can be downloaded under TC files for a few days:

Jude as a Rapper?

Listen up dudes – this is Jude! I’m JC’s man, I’m Jacob’s bro!

Our Father God loves you real good

You’re called and kept by Jesus Christ

May mercy, peace and love be yours right up to here!


I had in mind to write you, dudes,

About the freedom we all share

But first I had to make it clear

That being a believer means you sometimes have to fight!

Some people have sneaked up on us

(this was their fate from long ago)

These mockers make a mockery of God’s mercy

And they deny JC our lord and master.

I must remind you even if you know

That though our people once were saved from Egypt

They still got zapped because they didn’t believe.

Angels who didn’t keep their proper places

Were sent to hell and kept in chains and darkness

Until the great day of God’s judgement came.

Now Sodom and Gomorrah and their cities

Were just as bad as them – and kinky too

The fire of hell was where they ended up.

These people are the same – it’s like they’re dreamers

They treat their bodies bad, they diss their bosses

They even shake their finger at the angels.

Archangel Michael – man, now he was different

He had a fight about old Moses’ body

But didn’t dare to hurl insults at Satan

Instead he left the whole thing to the Lord.

But these don’t even know what they are dissing

They live and die just like wild animals.

Remember Cain? Well, they did just the same thing

Remember Balaam? Same thing there as well

Remember Korach? Yes, they blew it too.

They are the ones who spoil all your good parties

They got no fear or shame – just scoff the lot;

Clouds without water, trees without fruit and dead,

Throwing up filth and dirt like stormy waves

Like stars in the wrong place, heading for darkness.

Old Enoch (seventh from Adam) he said this:

I saw the Lord with thousands of his angels

He came to give a real hard time to sinners

For all the bad things that they did and said.

They’re always moaning, grumbling and complaining

They’re set on always doing what they want

They shoot off from their mouth at every moment

But they like to sweet talk every time it suits!


Dudes! Don’t forget the words of our great leaders

The ones who serve our good Lord Jesus Christ:

“Before the world ends there will be some mockers

Who do their own thing, making fun of God”.

These are the ones who go off on their own way

They’re all for pleasure now, and not God’s Spirit.

But you – your faith is holy, build it strong

Keep up your prayers, rely on God’s own Spirit

God loves you all, so you can be secure

His mercy lasts for ever – don’t give up!

JC will always see you through OK.

Some people wobble, and they need your kindness

Others you need to pull out of the fire

Be well afraid! It’s really not so easy

To help someone and not fall down yourself.


JC can keep you safe and sound for ever

And when he comes in triumph you’ll be there,

Jumping for joy and with your head held high.

So give our God who saves us all the glory

JC will help us say just what we mean:

God’s powerful, mighty, strong and lives for ever

And so our praise to Him will never end!