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 403
of the recto (5,27) to fill up the space available — Elliott & Parter suggest
autw tw uiw (a singular addition), while Lenaerts declined to offer a
suggestion; secondly Elliott & Parker suggest the omission of autw in line
two of the recto (5,27), where Lenaerts thought the space was sufficient for
the pronoun (20). In this regard there is not agreement between the original
editor and Elliott & Parker, and the fragment is hardly large enough to build
up a consistent picture of line length, so we cannot have confidence that these
are true singular readings.
P106 (P. Oxy 4445; Oxford, Ashmolean) is the top portion of a single leaf
from a codex of John from the first half of the third century containing the
text of John 1,29-35.40-46 (with page numbers 3 and 4 in the upper margin).
The fragment is both stained and damaged in various places, making it rather
difficult to read. A number of singular readings are evident. At 1,33 (p. 3, line
16) this manuscript reads ean in place of an (a singular substitution); at 1,40
(p. 4, lines 3-4) the most likely reconstruction suggests that hkolouqhsan
was read rather than the participle hkolouqhsantwn (21). In 1,41 (p. 4, line 4)
outo" is omitted (a singular omission of a potentially redundant term) (22); and
in 1,42 (p. 4, line 8) the definite article ton (before Ihsoun) is also omitted.
P107 (P. Oxy 4446; Oxford, Ashmolean) is a small fragment from a codex
page, containing a portion of John 17,1-2.11, which has been ascribed to the
third century. The fragmentary nature of the surviving text precludes
certainty about all the proposed readings, and there appears to be only one
certain singular reading: ina k[ai ou u–"– d]ox[ash se at 17,1. The singularity
does not consist of either addition (since other witnesses also include the kai
— although note that all of these also include sou after uio") or omission
(since other witnesses also lack sou after uio") but in the resulting singularity
compared with the three other versions of the phrases attested in the
manuscripts (i.e. ina o uio" doxash se 01 B C* etc. [NA27], ina o uio" sou
dacash se A D Q etc., ina kai o uio" sou daxash se C(2).3 L Y f13 33 Maj.).
P108 (P. Oxy 4447; Oxford, Ashmolean) consists of two adjoining
fragments providing evidence for the bottom half of a codex page, from the
third century, containing John 17,23-24; 18,1-5. The only singular reading is
the itacistic spelling variation of gein[wskh at 17,23 (verso, line 5).
P109 (P. Oxy 4448; Oxford, Ashmolean) is another small fragment from a
third century codex page containing John 21,18-20.23-25. There is no certain
singular reading, although Cockle proposes a singular version of 21,18: alloi
zwsousin kai oisousin se to account for the traces and spaces extant on the
rather obscured recto, lines 2-3 (23).
P45 (Dublin, P. Chester Beatty I) was originally a codex of around 220
leaves containing the four gospels and Acts, from around the middle of the
third century (although John was represented only by three fragmentary
leaves representing John 10,7-25.29–11,11 and 11,17-37.42-57). In 1991
(20) ELLIOTT – PARKER, John. The Papyri, 120.
(21) For this see COCKLE, OxyPap LXV, 13.
(22) Cockle notes that a single Old Latin manuscript e omits hic (OxyPap LXV, 14).
(23) COCKLE, OxyPap LXV, 20.