Subject: Re: number of NT MSS.

From: Michael Holmes <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 09:01:57 -0500 (CDT)

Re Ron Minton's query about the number of MSS:
Petersen and Waltz have nicely stated the difficulties in determining the
number of extant MSS of the Greek NT.  But Ron may still wish to know the
*nominal* number of MSS listed in the latest ed. of the Kurzgefasste Liste:
5664 (99 papyri; 306 majuscules; 2856 minuscules; 2403 lectionaries).  In
terms of actual MSS represented by this number, it needs to be reduced by at
least two in the papyri (p33+58; p64 + 67), and perhaps four (p11+14?; p4 =
64/67?).  In the majuscules, at least 39 numbers (1 of every 8!) are
bracketed, indicating that they are part of another MS.  In view of these
corrections, I would hazard a guess that the nominal number above overstates
the actual number by perhaps 10%?  But that is only a guess; it is worth
noting that the Kurzgefasste Liste, fully aware of the nominal character of
5664, declines to offer an estimate of the actual number.
Mike Holmes

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From: Maurice Robinson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 10:22:47 -0400 (EDT)

On Tue, 9 Sep 1997, Michael Holmes wrote:

> bracketed, indicating that they are part of another MS.  

My own listing of the MSS in chronological order (perparation for my
upcoming sabbatical research) also contains a list of MSS which have been
combined with other MSS, manuscript numbers which are not use, and also
MSS cited which are apparently now lost.  

Should anyone want a copy of this list, I will be happy to either post it
on the tc-list or forward it to Jimmy Adair to be put up as a download
file.

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From: "Robert B. Waltz" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 10:40:00 -0500 (CDT)

>on the tc-list or forward it to Jimmy Adair to be put up as a download

I'll defer to Jimmy Adair on this one, since his site is more official
than mine. But if TC doesn't want it, I will post it on my web site.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

                        Robert B. Waltz
                     [email-masked]

Want more loudmouthed opinions about textual criticism?
Try my web page: http://www.skypoint.com/~waltzmn
(A site inspired by the Encyclopedia of NT Textual Criticism)

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From: "Mr. Helge Evensen" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 01:04:27 -0700

> on the tc-list or forward it to Jimmy Adair to be put up as a download

I definitely would like to have a copy of that list.

Thanks

-- 
- Mr. Helge Evensen

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From: "James R. Adair" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 16:52:42 -0400 (EDT)

Maurice Robinson has provided us with his summary of some of the data in
Aland's Kurzgefasste Liste, and I've added it to the TC Links page,
accessible from the TC home page.  The direct address is
http://purl.org/TC/extras/Robinson-list.html.  This document lists the
number of papyri, uncials, and minuscules assigned to each century, as
well as a summary for each century.

Jimmy Adair
General Editor of TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism
-------------------> http://purl.org/TC <--------------------

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From: Jim Deardorff <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 10:13:15 -0700 (PDT)

In working my way into Metzger's 1968 book, I am wondering if more is
known now about which texts the classical German bible depends upon. 
Metzger mentions that Luther's translation was of Erasmus's 2nd edition,
but his footnotes indicate uncertainty on whether it relied more upon
Erasmus's Greek or his Latin text, or even upon Luther's memorization of
the Vulgate.  But since Erasmus relied upon (unspecified?) Greek texts as
well as the Vulgate, this may indicate a stronger dependence still for the
German bible upon the Vulgate.  Perhaps Ulrich could give an opinion here. 

I'm interested mainly in the German Bible's Gospel of Matthew.  I've
noticed from N-A that it seems to share a few more commonalities with
Vaticanus on major variants in Matthew than with other mss, and wonder, if
this should be significant, how it might have come about.

Jim Deardorff