Caesarean text-type

File:Codex Coridethianus Mk 6 19-21.jpg

Codex Coridethianus

In textual criticism of the New Testament, Caesarean text-type is the term proposed by certain scholars to denote a consistent pattern of variant readings that is claimed to be apparent in certain Koine Greek manuscripts of the four Gospels, but which is not found in any of the other commonly recognized New Testament text types (Byzantine, Western and Alexandrian).

In particular a common text type has been proposed to be found: in the ninth/tenth century Codex Koridethi; in Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 2 (a Greek manuscript of the Gospels used sparingly by Erasmus in his 1516 printed Koine New Testament); and in those Gospel quotations found in the third century works of Origen, which were written after he had settled in Caesarea.<ref name="codex1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="origins">Template:Cite book</ref> The early translations of the Gospels in Armenian and Georgian also appear to witness to many of the proposed characteristic Caesarean readings, as do the small group of minuscule manuscripts classed as Family 1 and Family 13. However, some text critics such as Kurt and Barbara Aland have disputed the existence of a Caesarean text-type.Template:R

Description

A particularly distinctive common reading of the proposed text-type is in Matthew 27:16-17, where the bandit released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus is named as "Jesus Barabbas" rather than—with all other surviving witnesses—just "Barabbas". Origen notes particularly that the form "Jesus Barabbas" was common in manuscripts in Caesarea, whereas he had not found this reading in his previous residence in Alexandria. Otherwise the Caesarean readings have a mildly paraphrastic tendency that seems to place them between the more concise Alexandrian, and the more expansive Western text-types. None of the surviving Caesarean manuscripts is claimed to witness a pure type of text, as all appear to have been to some degree assimilated with readings from the Byzantine text-type.

Some writers have questioned the validity of this grouping, claiming that the classification is the result of poor research. Insofar as the Caesarean text-type does exist, then it does so only in the Gospels, with most studies focusing on readings in Mark; the text-type is not so well defined in Matthew, Luke and John. The proposed Caesarean witnesses do not appear to have any common distinctive readings in the rest of the New Testament. Some of the Caesarean manuscripts have the so-called Jerusalem Colophon.

The Caesarean text-type was discovered and named by Burnett Hillman Streeter in 1924.Template:R According to some scholars such as Kurt and Barbara Aland, it is only a hypothetical text-type.<ref name="TENT">Template:Cite book</ref> There are no pure Caesarean manuscripts. In many cases, it is difficult to decide the original reading of the group, for instance in Mark 1:16:Template:R

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} — ƒ¹³ 565.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} — ƒ¹

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} — 700.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} — 28.

Classification siglia

• H. von Soden — Iota (Jerusalem) (I), in part (most strong "Caesarean" witnesses are found in Soden's I^α group, with family 1 being his I^η and family 13 being I^ι).

• Kirsopp Lake, an outstanding British textual critic, developed the hypothesis of the relationship between ƒ¹, ƒ¹³, Θ, 565, 700, and 28.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Streeter carried Lake's work further by pointing to Caesarea as the original location of the family.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• F. G. Kenyon — Gamma (γ)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• M. J. Lagrange — C

Supposed witnesses

The earliest potential witnesses to something alike the Caesarean manuscripts are Papyrus 45 (Template:Papyrus link) and some of the (now non-existent) manuscripts used by Origen. According to biblical scholar Teofilio Ayuso, Template:Papyrus and the quotations of Origen count as "proto-Caesarean", however the full Caesarean text only appears later in manuscripts such as Koridethi (Θ) and the early Armenian and Georgian manuscripts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Notwithstanding this association of Template:Papyrus and a "proto" or "pre-Caesarean" text-type, biblical scholar Larry Hurtado quashed any sort of affiliation between Template:Papyrus and the Caesarean text-type. He argued only that Template:Papyrus and Codex Washingtonianus (W) had a close relationship in the Gospel of Mark, but not with any other witness considered to represent the Caesarean text-type. Therefore, Hurtado states "the 'pre-Caesarean' witnesses are not Caesarean at all," and accordingly Template:Papyrus and W "[do] not belong to any major text-type."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Sign	Name	Date	Content
Θ (038)	Codex Koridethi	9th	Mark
565.	Minuscule 565	9th	Gospels
28.	Minuscule 28	11th	Gospel of Mark
700.	Minuscule 700	11th	Gospels
1. and rest of ƒ1	Minuscule 1, 118, 131, 209	12th 11th-15th	only Gospels
13. and rest of ƒ13	Minuscule 13, 69, 124, 346	13th 11th-15th	Gospels only Gospels

Other manuscripts

Template:Papyrus link, Template:Papyrus link, Template:Papyrus link, Template:Papyrus link, Uncial 0188, 174, 230, 406 (?), 788, 826, 828, 872 (only in Mark), 1071, 1275, 1424 (only in Mark), 1604, 2437, ℓ 32.<ref>David Alan Black, New Testament Textual Criticism, Baker Books, 2006, p. 65.</ref>

Textual features

(Apparent Caesarean witnesses in Bold)

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (and when the centurion returned to his house in that hour, he found the slave well) - Template:Script/Hebrew C (N) Θ (0250) ƒ¹ (33. 1241.) g¹ syr^h

omit. - Majority of MSS<ref name="na26">Template:Cite book (NA26)</ref>Template:Rp

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (through Isaiah the prophet) – Θ ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ 33.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (through the prophet) — Majority of MSS<ref name="ubs3">Template:Cite book (UBS3)</ref>Template:Rp

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with) - Majority of MSS

omit. — Template:Script/Hebrew B D L Z Θ 085 ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ it syr^{s, c} saTemplate:R

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Jesus Barabbas) — Θ ƒ¹ 700.* syr^{s, pal} arm geo

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Barabbas) — Majority of MSS

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (only having one loaf) — Template:Papyrus link Θ ƒ¹ 565. 700 k sa

omit — Majority of MSS

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (of the Herodians) — Template:Papyrus link W Θ ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ 28. 565. 1365. i k cop^sa arm geo

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (of Herod) — majority of mss

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (in your hearts, Oh little-faithed ones) — Θ 28. 565. 700. pc syr^h

omit. - Majority of MSS

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (prayer and fasting) — Template:Papyrus link A C D L W Θ Ψ ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ Majority of MSS

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (prayer) — Template:Script/Hebrew B 0274 k

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (do not defraud) — Template:Script/Hebrew A B² C D X Θ 565. 892. 1009. 1071. 1195. 1216. 1230. 1241 1253. 1344. 1365. 1646. 2174. Byz Lect

omit. — B* K W Δ Ψ ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ 28 700 1010. 1079. 1242. 1546. 2148. ℓ 10 ℓ 950 ℓ 1642 ℓ 1761 syr^s arm geoTemplate:R

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (a certain man planted a vineyard) — W Θ ƒ¹³ 565 aur c

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (a man planted a vineyard) — Template:Script/Hebrew Β C Δ Ψ 33. 1424.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (seeing him coming, he said towards them) — Θ 565. 700. c

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (seeing him coming, he said) — N ƒ¹³ 28.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (he said towards them, "Because...) — Template:Script/Hebrew Β C L W Ψ 33. 892.

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (he said towards them) — D

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (he said towards them, "Because...) — A Majority of MSS

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (saying that, "I am the Messiah") — W Θ ƒ¹³ 28 61. 115. 255. 299. 565. 700. 1071. b c g² l vg^mss sa bo geo^b arm arab^ms Cyp

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (saying that, "I am he") — Majority of MSS

References

• Template:Cite journal

External links

• Text Types And Textual Kinship – from the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism
• Concerning the "Caesarean Text"
• Origins of the Caesarean text