Thu Jun 6 14:21:36 1996

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Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 14:16:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nichael Cramer 
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Subject: Re: "Alexandrian" Text
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On Thu, 6 Jun 1996, Maurice Robinson wrote:
> The problem with the first sentence above is precisely what I was
> addressing by citing the Hodges quote.  Independent creation of
> "Byzantine-like" readings certainly can and did occur.  I previously noted
> that many of those same type of readings _did_ fall by the wayside during
> the "process".  However, the question of precisely -how- the specific
> pattern of readings which characterizes the Byzantine Textform tended to
> come about by such a method, without collusion or imposition of specific
> textual authority still remains a mystery which process theorists seem
> unable to resolve. 

But it seems to me that the flow of logic here is precisely backwards.  
We now have a Byzantine text-type which evolved over several centuries, 
which we now see has features which we characterize as "Byzantine" but 
acknowledging this is certainly not the same as insisting that those who 
created those peculiar variations were governed by some "hidden hand".

Rather the logic here, it seems to me, would be the same as asking how
could Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and all the rest, working independently,
have come up with a style of music which we (now) call "Classical"?  Or
how, separated by vast geographical areas and long stretches of time, our
ancestors could have come up with our present English language? 

As in these examples, there were certainly conventions and a certain
enviormental "ambience" (as it were) which would tend to reinforce certain
aspects and to drive out certain others.  The development of these
creations might _tend_ to be driven in certain direction --that is the
nature of such enterprises.  But to insist that there must have been a 
central guiding force is to look through the wrong end of the telescope. 

Nichael Cramer
nichael@sover.net
http://www.sover.net/~nichael/

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