Manuscripts

I. Goal of the Presentation

A. Gain elementary knowledge of how we have God’s Word

B. Understand how we can be sure it is accurate

II. Old Testament Transmission

A. Earliest Period

1. Moses penned around 1400 BC

2. No original writings ("autographs")

3. Earliest Manuscripts (250 BC - 130 AD)

a. From Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)

b. Discovery in 1947 by a shepherd near the Dead Sea

c. Excavation at Qumran (10 other caves)

d. Pushed earliest copies back a millennium

e. ~900 fragments/manuscripts found

f. Non-biblical sources dating back to 550 BC

B. Silent Period

1. From 300 AD - 800 AD

2. Little copying during this time

3. Only fragments of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Kings, and Job found

C. Masoretic Text

1. From 800 AD - 1400 AD ("Masoretic Period")

2. "Masoretes" - Jewish scribes and scholars (transmitters of tradition)

3. Mainly from Tiberias

4. Only consultable texts before 1947

5. 35,000 fragments and manuscripts

6. Contributions: Standardized vowel points for Hebrew (preserved traditional reading/vocalization)

D. Early Witnesses

1. Purpose: Testify to accuracy/corruption of text

2. Samaritan Pentateuch

a. Most recent copy from 925 AD

b. Importance: Samaritan rather than Jewish origin

c. Original probably written in 200 BC

d. Witness to a proto-Masoretic Text

e. Shows scribal changes (e.g., Deuteronomy 27)

f. Connection to John 4 (woman at the well and worship location)

III. New Testament Transmission

A. Comparison: OT vs. NT

1. OT: Stable text, millennium (Jewish Temple oversight)

2. NT: Fast and far spread (missionary zeal, no central authority)

3. Spread of copies lessened chance of total corruption

4. Ability to arrive at original writings today

B. Three NT Witnesses

1. Greek Manuscripts

a. More than 5,000 copies

b. Four categories: Papyri, Majuscules, Minuscules, Lectionary

c. Quantity: Minuscules & Lectionary

d. Value: Papyri & Majuscules

e. ~60 contain all 27 NT books; ~150 contain all but Revelation

f. Majority contain Gospels, Paul, or Acts & James-Jude

g. Most Christians historically did not own a complete Bible

h. Comparison to Homer’s "Iliad" (1,800 copies; earliest complete 900 AD vs. NT's 5,000 copies; earliest complete 330-360 AD)

i. Strength of basis for trust in current Bible

2. Versions (Early Translations)

a. Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Gothic ( hundreds to thousands in each)

b. Help compare and identify earliest readings

c. Drawbacks: Must analyze for error

3. Patristic Citations (Early Church Fathers)

a. Provide accuracy of Greek readings in specific times/places

b. Some discuss manuscript differences/commonalities

c. Downfalls: Own errors, adjusted text for context, difficulty distinguishing citations from memory

d. Three-strand cord of evidence (Greek, Versions, Patristics)

IV. Mistakes in Transmission

A. Focus on NT due to accessibility and data

B. Two Broad Categories of Errors:

1. Unintentional (80-90% of errors - "variants")

a. Errors of Sight (confused letters, skipped sections)

b. Errors of Hearing (misheard dictation)

c. Errors of Writing (wrong letter/word)

d. Errors of Judgment (adding marginal notes into text)

2. Intentional (Rest of the errors)

a. Revising Grammar/Spelling

b. Harmonizing Similar Passages (e.g., Gospels)

c. Eliminating Apparent Discrepancies/Difficulties (e.g., Mark 1:2-3)

d. Conflating the Text (using both variants)

e. Adapting Different Liturgical Traditions

f. Making Theological/Doctrinal Changes

C. Handling Errors: Categorizing Variants

1. "Meaningful" (changes meaning) and "Viable" (potential