Subject: Re: Sinaiaticus

From: Nichael Cramer <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 96 13:16:47 EDT

[Note:  This failed before, so I'm going to try sending it from another
host -- N]

To: [email-masked]
cc: [email-masked],
        John van der Hoek <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Sinaiaticus

On Wed, 24 Apr 1996, John van der Hoek wrote:
> Dear Jim West,
> > Is there an edition available which contains Sinaiaticus alone?
> > Thanks,
> > Jim West
> There is a book which I came accross : The New Testament: Sinaitic Version
> in Greek and English, edited and translated by a Dalmer R.Ford, published by
> Vantage Press, NY 1993 [0-533-10622-2].
> 
> Perhaps some scholars reading this list can comment on its merit.

While, I'm not a scholar, but I do know (and own) the book so perhaps I 
can give some comments.

First Vantage Press is a "vanity" press; i.e. the authors pay to have 
their work published.  

(Many here may be familar with Vantage Press without knowing it.  They are
responsible for one of my favorite bits in the NYTimes Book Review.  Each
Sunday Vantage Press runs a listing several of their new books --I presume
this is part of the package deal for the author.  Wonderful stuff; very
"earnest":  "A heartwarming saga of twelve years as a teacher in a small
rural junior highschool in western Kansas."  "Robust, life affirming
poetry written by an ex-ships cook in the Canadian navy."  "Build your 
own fuel-free auto!"  As I say, I never miss it.)

So, as I say, this book translated by Mr Ford was also published by this
firm.  As I said above, I'm not equipped to comment in detail, but a
couple of points come directly to mind. 

1] The Greek text (NT only) is printed without any critical apparatus (as 
a result, no notice is made of the various correctors, etc.)

2] Concerning the English text, whatever the merits of Mr Ford as a
transcriber, many of his renderings raise questions as to his skill as a
translator.  To take a single example in the final clause of Luke 2:14, now
famous for its text-critical problems, Mr Ford's transcription reads (with
most modern editions):
 
       ...EN ANThRWPOIS EUDOKIAS

This raises two issues.

First --according to the apparatus in the UBS3 here in my office-- at
least one of the correctors of Sinaiticus "corrected" this to the later
"TR" reading by removing the final Sigma.  Even if we agree with the
majority of modern scholarship that the above is the "correct" reading, it
would be useful to know that such a variation exists.  Again, a reader of
Mr Ford's book has no way of knowing this. 

Second, more seriously, Mr Ford sticks to the "traditional" translation, 
("... peace and goodwill towards men") ignoring the reading that he 
himself gives in the Greek[!]

3] On a similar note, no mention is made of how the transcription of the
Greek text was undertaken.  Given that this publisher is clearly not
exactly expert in these matters --and given the sorts of error mentioned
above-- I think it seems safe to say that one should approach the Greek
text with caution, also. 

So, in short, my advice would be that, unless one were equipped to judge
individual readings independently, this edition be taken primarily as an
interesting curiosity.  OTOH it is only US$24.95; where else are you going
to find a copy of the NT text of Sinaiticus for that price?  ;-)

Nichael
[email-masked]
http://www.sover.net/~nichael/

---

From: Maurice Robinson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 18:03:00 -0400 (EDT)

> to find a copy of the NT text of Sinaiticus for that price?  ;-)

I would note that the so-called "Concordant Greek NT", which remains in 
print, despite the poor and artificial nature of its interlinear 
translation (breaking all words into their component parts in order to 
get the "real" meaning), presents in old uncial type the combined text of 
Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus (2/3 = the resultant text).  

Wherever any one of those MSS deviates from the consensus text (or in a 
very few cases where all three go their separate ways), the differences 
are duly recorded in smaller uncial type above the line with note of 
which MS(S) deviate from the printed main text.  Also, all correctors or 
original hands are duly noted wherever they differ from the consensus 
text.  

Basically, with that edition, one could if desired reconstruct the 
entire text of any one of those three MSS.  The edition may be worthless 
for any other purpose aside from textual criticism, but in this regard, 
it is the best and cheapest edition of those three great uncials 
currently available.  I don't have the address at hand, but it can be 
ordered from the Concordant Publishing Concern somewhere in California at 
a very reasonable price.

_________________________________________________________________________
Maurice A. Robinson, Ph.D.           Assoc. Prof./Greek and New Testament
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary     Wake Forest, North Carolina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~