DVD Available of Ehrman vs. Wallace Debate

Latest news from the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts:

On October 1, 2011 Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and CSNTM's Executive Director, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, debated the reliability of the text of the New Testament at Southern Methodist University. This was the largest debate over the text of the New Testament in history. A professional film crew recorded the debate, which is now available to you. In this exciting dialogue you have the opportunity to listen to two leading scholars talk about this issue from opposing viewpoints. Can we trust the text of the New Testament? You decide.

The DVD is priced at only $15.50 plus shipping and handling. Currently only the USA format (NTSC) is available. Pick yours up today.

The DVD is copyrighted by CSNTM; please do not replicate or distribute it.

Click here to purchase DVDs

There is a video trailer about the debate, which is a bit too melodramatic for my taste, but here it is:



For my own thoughts on this debate, see here.

ETC Dinner at SBL

It looks (to Tommy and myself) as if Monday evening should be the time for our annual ETC dinner at SBL (by far the majority of other receptions are on the weekend nights). In the programme there is an ECM session (P21-325; 4:00PM - 7:30PM), so it would probably be best to begin after that session I suppose (not sure whether the business part of that session is open or closed, but someone could tell us in the comments). But we are open to objections and alternative plans in the comments (for a few days anyway). Also ideas for places to eat would be welcome.

Cf. 2010, 2009, 2008

The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research

A new important book published by SBL has just appeared:

The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research edited by Klaus Wachtel and Michael W. Holmes.

ISBN 1589836243
Status Forthcoming
Price: $34.95
Binding Paperback
Publication Date November, 2011
Hardback edition available from Brill Academic Publishers (www.brill.nl)

The volume represents the published contributions of a colloquium organized in Münster 2008 by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, in which I participated. For more background, read my reports and comments on the colloqium:

Day 1

Day 1 continued

Day 1-2

Images from the colloquium and CBGM software and database

Publisher's description of the published volume:

This collection of essays by respected scholars represents the state of the art of textual criticism as applied to the New Testament. Addressing core topics such as the causes and forms of variation, contamination and coherence, and the goals and the canons of textual criticism, it presents a first-class overview of traditional and innovative methodologies as they are applied to reconstructing the initial wording of the New Testament writings. In this context, the new Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) is introduced and discussed extensively. Integrating established approaches and procedures, the CBGM features a new category of external evidence: genealogical coherence of witnesses.

Klaus Wachtel is Research Associate, Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung at Münster University. He is co-editor of Novum Testamentum Graecum, Editio Critica Maior. Michael W. Holmes is University Professor of Biblical Studies and Early Christianity at Bethel University. He is editor of The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition.

The volume front matter, including the table of contents and introduction is available here.

Robots and Archives

The archival corollary to "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" would be "Who digitally copies the digital copies?" As we digitally images our manuscripts, we must ask how will we be maintain the digital images as they become more prolific than the originals? DVD images may become corrupt as soon as 20 years or may last considerably longer. The US Library of Congress has risen to task of copying their materials with robots. In the Time Magazine video below, the inventor of the system discusses his system which copies video media en masse.

Novum Testamentum

The most recent issue of Novum Testamentum 53.4 (2011) has three articles of interest:

Some Observations on the Relevance of the “Early Byzantine Glossary“ of Paul for the Textual Criticism of the Corpus Paulinum
pp. 358-375(18)
Author: Jongkind, Dirk

The Chrestos/Christos Pun (1 Pet 2:3) in P⁷² and P¹²⁵
pp. 376-387(12)
Author: Caulley, Thomas Scott

The Content of Vatopedinus 853 (= Minuscule 1720 Gregory-Aland)
pp. 388-389(2)
Author: Guignard, Christophe

SBL/AAR iPhone/iPad App Released

James F. McGrath tells us that an app for iPhone and iPad designed for those attending the AAR/SBL 2011 Annual Meeting has been released. Click here to get it on iTunes!