Subject: Paragraph marks in Vaticanus

From: DC PARKER <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 10:36:21 GMT

I refer to Margaret Dean's query of 4 December.

You need to distinguish between different systems.  By paragraph 
marks, do you mean the chapter divisions?  For the Gospels, the 
system in B is shared only with 040, Codex Zacynthius.  There are 
two separate systems in Acts and the Paulines.  See the material on 
the Euthalian apparatus, including J.A. Robinson, Euthaliana (TS 3.3), 
Cambridge, 1895.

Generally, see C.M. Martini, Il Problema della recensionalita del 
codice B alla luce del papiro Bodmer XIV (AnBib 26), Rome, 1966, 
p.4f.

There are no Eusebian Canons in B (the system is quite different from 
that in B).

For chapter marks and other aids generally, see Metzger's MSS of 
the Greek Bible, esp. pp.40ff and 74.

The chapters in the Gospels divide the text into units of sense.  
Whether that is due to aural or literary organization is not something 
that one could conclude from this evidence, so far as I can see.  The 
use of paragraphs is a fairly obvious way of making life easier, 
especially in texts written in scriptio continua (no space between 
words).

Tim Staker is not correct in saying that there are no divisions in early 
papyri.  For example, the now well-publicised P64 +P67 +P4 has 
divisions.  So does P75 (& see Martini, op. cit, p. 45, which is 
certainly relevant for you).  P66 makes some attempt by the use of 
points to divide up the text.  In fact I can't think of any papyrus I've 
seen that is long enough to be expected to show them, that doesn't.

There may be some helpful material in R. Devreesse, Introduction a 
l'etude des MSS grecs, Paris, 1954.
DC PARKER
DEPT OF THEOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
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