Sisters of Sinai

I've just received a copy from Amazon of Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Found the Hidden Gospels, by my colleague, Janet Soskice. It promises to be a fun holiday read, and to make Janet her fortune. Here's the blurb:

"Sisters of Sinai" tells an extraordinary tale of nineteenth century exploration; how two Scottish sisters made one of the most important ancient manuscript finds of the age. Hidden in a cupboard beneath the monastic library at St Catherine's in the Sinai desert the twins discovered what looked like a palimpsest: one text written over another. It was Agnes who recognized the obscured text for what it was - one of the earliest copies of the Gospels written in ancient Syriac. Once they had overcome the stubborn reluctance of Cambridge scholars to authenticate the find and had lead an expedition of quarrelsome academics back to Sinai to copy it, Agnes and Margaret - in middle years and neither with any university qualifications - embarked on a life of demanding scholarship and bold travel. In this enthralling book, Janet Soskice takes the reader on an astonishing journey from the Ayreshire of the sisters' childhood to the lost treasure trove of the Cairo genizah. We trace the footsteps of the intrepid pair as they voyage to Egypt, Sinai and beyond, Murray's guide book in hand coping with camels, unscrupulous dragomen, and unpredictable welcomes. We enter the excitement and mystery of the Gospel origins at a time when Christianity was under attack in Europe. Crucially this is the story of two remarkable women who, as widows, were undeterred in their spirit of adventure and who overcame insuperable odds to become world class scholars with a place in history.

Obituary, Reuben J .Swanson

There is an obituary of Reuben J. Swanson in The Western Star here.

More Articles of Interest

In the "Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum" 12 (2008), there appeared a noteworthy article by Daniel Stökl Ben Ezra:

"Canonization – a Non-Linear Process? Observing the Process of Canonization through the Christian (and Jewish) Papyri from Egypt"

The article is in English, the abstract in German:

Eine quantitative Analyse der christlichen und jüdischen literarischen Papyri Ägyptens aus dem zweiten bis zum fünften Jahrhundert mit dem Ziel der Untersuchung der Ausbildung des alt- und neutestamentlichen Kanons bietet gegenüber herkömmlichen Untersuchungen von Zitaten und Anspielungen in der patristischen Literatur den Vorteil eines direkteren Zugriffs auf antike Vorlieben für bestimmte Bücher. Als Resultate sind festzuhalten: Wählt man Athanasius’ Liste kanonischer Bücher, werden apokryphe Schriften im Verhältnis zu kanonischen Schriften im Laufe der Zeit immer weniger kopiert. Diese Entwicklung ist jedoch nicht linear. Im vierten Jahrhundert ist ein ansteigendes Interesse an apokryphen Büchern auszumachen (z.B. 1Enoch, Jannes und Jambres, Paulusakten), das eventuell mit der Vielfalt verschiedener christlicher Bewegungen in Ägypten (Melitianer, Arianer, Mönchtum) in Zusammenhang zu bringen ist. Die Vorwürfe verschiedener Kirchenväter, Häresie und Lektüre unkanonischer Schriften hingen zusammen, scheinen angesichts des papyrologischen Befundes nicht ganz aus der Luft gegriffen. Zumindest ist ein simultanes Ansteigen beider Phänomene auszumachen. Der Kanon, vor allem der des Alten Testaments, ist noch nicht abgeschlossen. Das Interesse an den euterokanonischen Schriften des Alten Testaments nimmt eher zu. Der Hirt des Hermas ist bis zum vierten Jahrhundert ebenso beliebt wie zentrale kanonische Bücher.

On a similar subject the same author published an article in Novum Testamentum 51 (2009): "Weighing the Parts. A Papyrological Perspective on the Parting of the Ways"

Abstract:

A comparison of the ideological composition of the Qumran library and Christian libraries from ancient Egypt, reconstructed from pre-Constantinian papyri, reveals a profound difference in the amount of group-specific material: ca. 28% Qumran “sectarian” at Qumran vs. ca. 60% “Christian” books in ancient Egyptian Christian libraries. Even for the second century, where we have much less data, the divide is quite great. If we take Qumran as example for a Jewish sectarian library, still focused largely on the Hebrew Bible and writings shared with other Jews, Christian libraries portray an independent group-specific identity, quite early on.

I wonder if Peter or Tommy may have some comments on these articles ...

Recent Articles and Reviews in Textual Criticism in NTS, NovT, and TC

New Testament Studies

Volym 55 Number 1, 2009

Ulrich Schmidt, "1 Thess 2.7b, c: ‘Kleinkinder, die wie eine Amme Kinder versorgen’," 116-120

Abstract:

In einer exzellenten Studie hat B. R. Gaventa unlängst Bilder der Weiblichkeit in der paulinischen Theologie erörtert.1 Sie beginnt dabei mit einer Besprechung von 1 Thess 2.7b, entscheidet sich für die lectio difficilior NHPIOI statt HPIOI, und zwar sowohl aus textkritischen Gründen als auch aufgrund der Verwendung des Lexems NHPIOS bei Paulus.2 So wäre ‘infant’/Kleinkind bzw. unmündig zu lesen und TROFOS als ‘nurse’/Kindermädchen bzw. ‘wet nurse’/Amme zu verstehen. So kommt man zu folgender Textfassung:
2.7b ALLA EGENHQHMEN NHPIOI EN MESW hUMWN
2.7 WS EAN TROFOS QALPH TA hEAUTHS TEKNA.

[I transcribed the Greek font]

Novum Testamentum

Volume 51, Number 1, 2009

Ulrich Victor, "Textkritischer Kommentar zu ausgewählten Stellen des Lukas- und des Johannesevangeliums," pp. 30-77

Abstract:

Because of the completely contaminated textual tradition of the NT, it is essential that the textual critic as a rule confines himself to the instruments of philology and exegesis, the so-called internal criteria. The customary evaluation of manuscripts and manuscript groups according to their assumed quality and value within the tradition or according to their geographical distribution on the one hand ignores the reality of the transmission, and is on the other hand not a rationally defensible procedure. In this contribution I will demonstrate the arbitrary nature of the customary approach, while showing at the same time the gains to be made for the text by applying internal criteria.

Book review, pp. 90-94

Jeffrey Kloha reviews Jan Krans, .Beyond What Is Written: Erasmus and Beza as Conjectural Critics of the New Testament(Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2006), x + 384 pp., ISBN 978-9004152-86-1, ISBN 90-04-15286-5, € 138.00. (= NTTS, 35)

Book notes, pp. 99-103

J. K. Elliott writes brief notes on some books of interest, e.g., on Detlef Fraenkel's update of Alfred Rahlfs, Verzeichnis der griechischen Handschriften des alten Testaments I, 1: Die Überlieferung bis zum VIII. Jahrhundert (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2004) xxxiv + 566 pp., ISBN 3525534477

and

Roderic L. Mullen (ed.), The Gospel according to John in the Byzantine Tradition (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2007) l + 273 pp., ISBN 9783438051325.

Volume 51, Number 2, 2009

Book notes, pp. 199-204

J. K. Elliott writes brief notes on recent books, e.g., one of particular interest on James R. Royse,Scribal Habits in Early Greek New Testament Papyri (Leiden: Brill, 2008) xxix + 1052 pp. ISBN 9004161818 €265 (= New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents 36)

TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism

Vol 13 (2008)

Tobias Nicklas, "Das Christentum der Spätantike: Religion von 'Büchern', nicht (nur) von Texten Zu einem: Aspekt der 'Materialität von Kommunikation'"

Abstract:

The author explores the question of whether early Christianianty should properly be called a "religion of books" rather than a "religion of the (single) book." He particularly looks at the early Christian use of the codex as the preferred book form.

Paola Marone, "Optatus and the African Old Latin"
Abstract:

This article looks at and analyzes the "African Old Latin" according to Optatus. By examining certain aspects of the quotations within the Adversus donatistas (i.e., quotations that appear in two variant forms), the author attempts to establish the context in which a revision took place.

P. J. Williams, "An Evaluation of the Use of the Peshitta as a Textual Witness to Romans"
Abstract:

The author evaluates NA27's representation of P as a witness to the text of the New Testament. Of 150 variants for which P is cited, he discusses those 48 for which he believes the citations are questionable or wrong.

I also note with satisfaction that all former volumes of the TC Journal is now back on-line after the servercrash! Some dead links still remain to be fixed.

Good Survey of Text and Manuscripts of Josephus

Tommaso Leoni, 'The Text of Josephus's Works: An Overview' in Journal for the Study of Judaism, 40.2 (2009), 149-184.
This is a really useful survey of the manuscripts and other witnesses to the text of Josephus.

Lane on Warfield on Humanity of Scripture

Rob Bradshaw has posted an essay by Tony Lane that discusses an important aspect of the thought of an earlier evangelical textual critic:
A.N.S. Lane, 'B.B. Warfield and the Humanity of Scripture' Vox Evangelica 16 (1986), 77-94.