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.
The Habits of New Testament Copyists 407
we find the singular word order t[hn fwnhn twn allo]triwn (34); on line 20
(John 10,6) we read ti hn aJ (cf. tina hn aJ; P66* has ti, corrected with na hn a);
on line 28 (John 10,10) we have a singular addition: d]e (between o and
klepth"); on the second page, line 9 (John 11,1) we have another singular
addition of eke[i; in line 12 we find an unusual spelling of Mariam (John
11,2), using a Coptic letter: mari6a[m; finally at line 23 evidence supports the
addition of two words at 11,5: th]n m[ariam, this addition is found in other
manuscripts, but the resulting reconstructed word order here is singular: th"
marqan kai thn mariam thn adelfhn auth" (35).
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If we simply collect the various singular readings that we have discussed
in the main section of this paper we would find that spelling variations
account for the vast bulk of singular readings: thirteen in all (most of these
variations are probably due to pronunciation). In four places we found
singular transpositions of word order (involving two, three, four and eight
words). In general, omission was more common than addition with seven
separate omissions totalling seventeen words (6 × one word, 1 × two words,
1 × nine words [although again we should note that the two latter omissions
were corrected]); indeed the only singular additions, of two words in total (2
× one word) occurred in one manuscript, a late bilingual text. We also found
four examples of word substitution or the use of a different form of a verb, in
two of these cases harmonisation to context was suggested. Two cases of
complex singularities, or singularities arising from a new combination of
otherwise attested readings were also noted.
Taking further account of non-extant material that has to be calculated
on the basis of line length, on which both Elliott & Parker and the original
editor agreed, we collected four further examples of singular omissions
amounting to 4 words in total (2 × one word, two words) and a single word
substitution. Granted the agreement between the editors, and the fact that we
have not here included several more examples which only one editor
suggested, these are highly probable, if not certain, and they are in line with
the more secure results just summarised.
Broadly speaking these results serve to confirm the picture presented in
our previous study of the early manuscripts of the synoptic gospels, and thus
serve as further confirmation of the much fuller study of Royse. Some
categories are not invoked (e.g. harmonisation to a parallel text in another
gospel), and this may reflect a peculiarity of the transmission of John’s
(34) Following here ELLIOTT – PARKER, John. The Papyri, 36 (on the basis of their plate
6 — NB the relevant fragment is upside down!), against F. RÖSCH who recorded th[n
fwnhn twn allo]triwn (Bruchstücke des ersten Clemensbriefes nach dem achmimischen
Papyrus der Strassburger Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek mit biblischen Texten
derselben Handschrift [Strassburg 1910] 119). It is possible that the original revealed more
than the photographs, but the reading is sufficiently established by the presence of triwn at
the beginning of the following line.
(35) Rösch and Elliott & Parker agree on all these readings; cf. also SWANSON,
John, 152.