Subject: Re: Collation

From: Jim West <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 16:37:14 -0400 (EDT)

At 03:30 PM 8/21/96 -0400, you wrote:

>
>On the contrary, items such as these -- whether itacistic variation,
>spelling errors/variants, or movable nu and sigma which in no way affect
>the translation or exegesis of the text or even the interpretation of near
>variants -- are basically irrelevant for textual criticism, and should
>_not_ appear in a general critical apparatus.  Even a vast and
>comprehensive apparatus such as that of Von Soden does not waste its time
>with mere itacism, let alone movable nu or sigma (although it does list
>variations between the generally insignificant "all" and "alla"). 
>
>Of course, if someone is presenting a full collation or exact
>representation of the complete unaltered text of a MS, items such as these
>should be included.  But this is a completely different item from that
>which should properly appear in a critical apparatus. 
>
>The only real significance among the variants cited for P75 is the
>indication regarding certain tendencies toward itacism and spelling errors
>on the part of the scribe of P75.  If these continually recur, then P75
>would be marked as an untrustworthy witness in variant readings where its
>testimony might be merely due to accident rather than as a reflection of
>the original text of its exemplar.  
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Maurice A. Robinson, Ph.D.           Assoc. Prof./Greek and New Testament
>Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary     Wake Forest, North Carolina
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>

The point of my posting was not to generate a discussion of itacisms
(valuable though this may be).  In my estimation no variant is
insignificant, and I certainly do not want an editor to determine for me
what is relevant and what is not.  
That was the meaning of my original post.  I am sorry I was not clear enough
about this.

Yours,

Jim West

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Professor of Biblical Languages, CCBI
Adjunt Professor of Biblica Studies, Quartz Hill School of Theology