Subject: Re: More on 2427

From: DC PARKER <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 15:28:08 GMT

> Date:          Wed, 30 Oct 1996 13:01:37 -0700
> To:            [email-masked]
> From:          "Robert B. Waltz" <[email-masked]>
> Subject:       More on 2427
> Reply-to:      [email-masked]
> 
> I also looked up the quotation casting doubts on it. It's from 
Sherman E.
> Johnston's commentary on Mark (in the Harper's series) and runs 
as follows:
> 
> In recent years a unique MS., Cod. 2427, containing only the gospel 
of
> Mark, has come to the attention of textual scholars. Since it 
obviously
> belongs to the Alexandrian text, and even appears to represent it 
more
> purely than do Vatican and Sinaiticus, as well as containing a few 
unique
> readings, it is of great interest. Its authenticity, however, has not
> been established.
> 

I do not see how a copy could be inauthentic.  A copy is simply a 
copy.  Only if it attempted to appear older than it really was could it be 
somehow dishonest.

The question of percentage agreement in a copy could be very 
misleading.  I have tried to prove that several mss are copies of a 
known MS, and on each occasion have been struck by the degree of 
variation in the copy for which there seems to be no obvious reason.  
But the present theorizing about 2427 is pointless.  If someone is 
willing to look at the MS or a microfilm, then the questions will be 
answered very quickly.

David Parker
DC PARKER
DEPT OF THEOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
TEL. 0121-414 3613
FAX  0121-414 6866
E-MAIL [email-masked]

---

From: "Robert B. Waltz" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 13:36:19 -0700

>copy.  Only if it attempted to appear older than it really was could it be

Seems to me that this is exactly the point. 2427 has a very strong
Alexandrian text, clearly belonging with B.

Paleographers guess that it comes from the fourteenth century, but
*with a question mark*.

So the question becomes, is it authentic, or did somebody decide to
produce a fake? After all, a minuscule with a B-like text is *very*
interesting.

In its defence, I would offer the presence of the Longer Ending of
Mark. If it were a fake, the faker would probably have omitted that.
But that's not proof.

Bob Waltz
[email-masked]