© John Stevenson, 2013

Ancient ManuscriptsAncient Manuscripts

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• Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).

• Jewish community of Tiberius.Jewish community of Tiberius.

• Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).

• Jewish community of Tiberius.Jewish community of Tiberius.

• Vowel pointsVowel points

( ) versus ( )( ) versus ( ) ~yhil{a/ ~yhil{a/ hw"hy> hw"hy>

~yhla ~yhla hwhy hwhy

• Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).Their name: Masorah (“tradition”).

• Jewish community of Tiberius.Jewish community of Tiberius.

• Vowel points.Vowel points.

• Careful rules regarding the copying of the Careful rules regarding the copying of the ScripturesScriptures

Textual Family Description Dates

Proto AlexandrianProto Alexandrian Siniaticus, Siniaticus, VaticanusVaticanus

22ndnd – 4 – 4thth CenturyCentury

AlexandrianAlexandrian Ephraemi Ephraemi RescriptusRescriptus

33rdrd – 12 – 12thth CenturyCentury

WesternWestern LatinLatin 33rdrd – 13 – 13thth CenturyCentury

ByzantineByzantine Textus Receptus, Textus Receptus, KJVKJV

55thth – 10 – 10thth CenturyCentury

• Written 450 A.D.Written 450 A.D.

• Septuagint & New Septuagint & New TestamentTestament

• Kept in AlexandriaKept in Alexandria

• Patriarch of Patriarch of Constantinople Constantinople presented to England presented to England in 1627.in 1627.

• Septuagint and New Septuagint and New Testament.Testament.

• Dated to 350 A.D.Dated to 350 A.D.

• Missing 71 pages.Missing 71 pages.

• Napoleon took the Vatican Napoleon took the Vatican Library to Paris in 1809.Library to Paris in 1809.

• Codex returned to Vatican Codex returned to Vatican in 1815.in 1815.

Codex BCodex B

• Samuel TregellesSamuel Tregelles permitted to examine it in 1843.

• The entire manuscript was photographed and published in 1890.

Codex BCodex B

• Greek translations of Greek translations of sermons of Father sermons of Father Ephraem the Syrian Ephraem the Syrian (306-373).(306-373).

• A Palimpsest: A Palimpsest: “Scraped again.” “Scraped again.” These sermons These sermons copied in 12copied in 12thth century. century.

• Protestant pastor Pierre Allix discovered Protestant pastor Pierre Allix discovered the writing underneath the palimpsest in the writing underneath the palimpsest in late 1600’s.late 1600’s.

• Dated to early 5Dated to early 5thth Century. Century.

• Contains some of the Septuagint, but most Contains some of the Septuagint, but most surviving pages are from the New surviving pages are from the New Testament.Testament.

• Contains the long ending of Mark.Contains the long ending of Mark.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• 129 pages initially discovered.129 pages initially discovered.

• Written around 350 A.D.Written around 350 A.D.

• Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited Count Konstantin von Tischendorf visited St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.St Katherine’s Monastery in 1844.

• 129 pages initially discovered.129 pages initially discovered.

• Written around 350 A.D.Written around 350 A.D.

• Tischendorf permitted to take Tischendorf permitted to take 43 pages.43 pages.

• The manuscript was The manuscript was eventually given to Czar eventually given to Czar Nicholas of Russia.Nicholas of Russia.

• The U.S.S.R. sold the The U.S.S.R. sold the codex to the British codex to the British Museum in 1933 for Museum in 1933 for 100,000 pounds.100,000 pounds.

• A forgotten room was A forgotten room was discovered in 1975 discovered in 1975 containing more ancient containing more ancient manuscript fragments.manuscript fragments.

• Another page was found Another page was found in 2009.in 2009.

• Grenfell & Hunt were Grenfell & Hunt were doing an excavation doing an excavation south of the Faiyum south of the Faiyum Oasis in Egypt.Oasis in Egypt.

• Grenfell & Hunt were Grenfell & Hunt were doing an excavation doing an excavation south of the Faiyum south of the Faiyum Oasis in Egypt.Oasis in Egypt.

• Stuffed crocodiles.Stuffed crocodiles.

• Portions of New Portions of New Testament.Testament.

• Purchased from an antiquities dealer by Purchased from an antiquities dealer by American millionaire Chester Beatty.American millionaire Chester Beatty.

• Epistles of Paul dated to Epistles of Paul dated to 22ndnd Century. Century.

• Now at University of Now at University of Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania.

• Purchased from an antiquities dealer by Purchased from an antiquities dealer by American millionaire Chester Beatty.American millionaire Chester Beatty.

• Purchased from an antiquities dealer by Purchased from an antiquities dealer by American millionaire Chester Beatty.American millionaire Chester Beatty.

• Epistles of Paul dated to 2Epistles of Paul dated to 2ndnd Century. Century.

PalestinePalestine19471947

Qumran

ISAIAH SCROLLISAIAH SCROLL

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

Qumran

QumranJerusalem

Bethlehem

QumranJerusalem

Bethlehem

Hebrew University of Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem

• Incomplete manuscript Incomplete manuscript of Isaiah reflecting old of Isaiah reflecting old HebrewHebrew

• Thanksgiving HymnsThanksgiving Hymns

• War ScrollWar Scroll

Metropolitan of the Metropolitan of the Syrian Orthodox Syrian Orthodox

Church in JerusalemChurch in Jerusalem

• Isaiah Scroll reflecting Isaiah Scroll reflecting editorial changeseditorial changes

• Community RuleCommunity Rule

• Pesher HabakkukPesher Habakkuk

• Genesis ApocryphonGenesis Apocryphon

• Moved to the United Moved to the United StatesStates

• Put the scrolls up for Put the scrolls up for sale in a newspaper sale in a newspaper advertisementadvertisement

• Son of Eleazar Sukenik

• General in Israeli army

• Purchased through an intermediary the four scrolls for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Languages RepresentedLanguages Represented– Mostly Hebrew textMostly Hebrew text

– Few AramaicFew Aramaic

– Even fewer GreekEven fewer Greek

• Languages RepresentedLanguages Represented

• Writing MaterialsWriting Materials– Mostly ParchmentMostly Parchment

– Few PapyriFew Papyri

– One Copper ScrollOne Copper Scroll

• Languages RepresentedLanguages Represented

• Writing MaterialsWriting Materials

• Subject MatterSubject Matter– Biblical texts (Old Testament)Biblical texts (Old Testament)

– Jewish booksJewish books

– Books used of a unique Jewish sectBooks used of a unique Jewish sect