Peter M. Head, «The Habits of New Testament Copyists. Singular Readings in the Early Fragmentary Papyri of John», Vol. 85 (2004) 399-408
After an introduction that discusses the role that singular readings have played in the analysis of scribal habits, including an earlier study of synoptic gospel manuscripts by the same author, this study examines singular readings in the early fragmentary papyri of John’s Gospel. The study confirms earlier research showing that the most common singular readings concern spelling and that word order variations, word substitutions and harmonisations to context are also not uncommon. Omission of words is more common than addition.
402 Peter M. Head
thirty(13). This would involve a singular omission of two arguably redundant
words.
P90 (P. Oxy 2523; Oxford, Ashmolean) consists of part of a full page
(with extant margins at the top and bottom as well as one side) from a
papyrus codex of the second half of the second century that coincidentally
covers the same portion of text as P52 — John 18,36–19,7. In terms of singular
readings we note one ei variation: umein in recto, line 18; 18,39[2] (14), the
spelling of ekrazan in 19,6 (verso, line 17: probably a nonsense reading for
ekraxan, as 01*) and a transposed word order involving su ei in 18,37 (recto,
line 6). At 19,6 P90 lacks the second staurwson (an omission shared with P66*
054c 1010 ita e r1) combined with the addition of auton (shared with P60(vid) 01 A
Dsupp Q 054 f13 Maj.) which results in a singular combination of two shared
variants (although neither individual reading is singular).
P66 (Geneva, P. Bodmer II) comprises substantial portions of John 1–21
from around 200, if not earlier. Although its singular readings were studied
by Colwell and listed by Royse, one subsequently published fragment and
fresh identifications of unidentified fragments add some additional evidence,
which for the sake of completeness, we note here. The new portion (Köln,
Univ.: Institut für Altertumskunde, Inv. Nr. 4274/4298) provides evidence for
four consecutive pages from the inside of the penultimate quire (pp. 135-8:
John 19,8-11.13-15.18-20.23-24) (15). Here we find one singular omission of
su (19,9) and clear confirmation of the singular addition of leg]omenou
(19,13 already noted by Royse, following Martin’s transcription, as P66vid) (16).
Among the identifications that may be regarded as certain we note the
singular word order kagw arw auton (20,15) (17).
P95 (Florence, Biblioteca Laurenziana PL II/31) is a small fragment of
John 5,26-29.36-38 dated by the editor early in the third century (18). A
singular reading occurs at 5,28 (recto, line 7) with akousant]e" (other forms
of the same verb are attested in other manuscripts at this point). This may be
a harmonisation to context (the same participle occurs in v. 26) (19). Two other
singular readings have been suggested for material which is not extant: firstly
either additional words or a complex transposition is needed in the first line
(13) Catalogue of the Greek and Latin Papyri in the John Rylands Library Manchester.
Volume III: Theological and Literary Texts (No3. 457–551) (ed. C.H. ROBERTS)
(Manchester 1938) 3; ELLIOTT – PARKER, John. The Papyri, 72.
(14) T.C. SKEAT, the editor, also suggested ume[in in recto, line 17; OxyPap L (1983) 3-
8; but the epsilon has not been confirmed by subsequent viewers, cf. ELLIOTT – PARKER,
John. The Papyri, 116 who read um[in (which my own viewing confirms).
(15) M. GRONEWALD, “Johannes-evangelium, Kap. 19,8-11.13-15.18-20.23-24, Kölner
Papyri 5â€, PapyCol 7 (1985) 73-76, 296-298.
(16) ROYSE, Scribal Habits in Early Greek New Testament Papyri, 389; cf. V. MARTIN
– J.W.B. BARNS, Papyrus Bodmer II, Supplément Evangile de Jean, 14-21 (Geneva
1962) 36.
(17) K. ALAND, “Neue neutestamentliche Papyri IIIâ€, NTS 20 (1974) 357-381, on p.
378 re fragment 2 = 20.15-16/19.
(18) J. LENAERTS, “Un papyrus de l’Évangile de Jean: PL II/31â€, CÉg LX (1985)
117–120.
(19) Minuscule 579 reprises v. 25 at the end of v. 28 by adding kai oi akousante"
zhsousin (SWANSON, John, 61).