tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89250112391779422312024-03-13T11:21:34.645-07:00The Textual MechanicThoughts on New Testament Textual Criticism and Early Christian Book CultureTimothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-57297906017127285152023-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:002023-12-18T06:57:52.460-08:00How Can We Say the Bible is Inerrant in the Originals (autographs)?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod4wTinbHF_Ixi47AorHFa1C8jFOaJGuyCQkKanlJMUACrlr1-Y97GEbr6rM6EpAUhN6FI1yySWsTZtMQexzY1KVuFoA-3fLTyZ6bCuZPdwRvbj-BNnpmPewPbjyvBAFZjwj5dCAFcLgo2DJOTSwT4q9_wClB7J5XDP6PD-ml8FcNPsBNwsUTqHutaeYd/s640/18002f72284a7d89bebb2684e2e18e234fba996f.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod4wTinbHF_Ixi47AorHFa1C8jFOaJGuyCQkKanlJMUACrlr1-Y97GEbr6rM6EpAUhN6FI1yySWsTZtMQexzY1KVuFoA-3fLTyZ6bCuZPdwRvbj-BNnpmPewPbjyvBAFZjwj5dCAFcLgo2DJOTSwT4q9_wClB7J5XDP6PD-ml8FcNPsBNwsUTqHutaeYd/w320-h320/18002f72284a7d89bebb2684e2e18e234fba996f.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A friend notified me of a recent episode of "The Breifing" by Albert Mohler where he addresses a question sent to him by a listener. You can hear the question and Mohler's response at the <a href="https://player.fm/series/albertmohlercom-the-briefing/friday-december-8-2023?t=676" target="_blank">following link</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This isn't the exact wording of the question, but it went something like this.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"How can we say that the Bible we have is inerrant only in the originals? If our translations today could have small errors over time, can we really say that the Bible is perfect?"</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The questioner indicated that this issue was causing him to doubt his faith. This really struck a cord with me because this is a very similar problem that drove me into studying New Testament textual criticism. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed by Mohler's response, which sounded more like a dodge to me. With that said, his answer was honest and transparent about the limitations of his own knowledge of the topic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I wanted to briefly address this question, though a full throated response would necessitate a book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a theological problem that is revealed by the way the question is worded. The concept of divine preservation is confused and lumped in with divine inspiration, and thus, inerrancy and these two theological ideas must be understood as two different events.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Divine Inspiration of Scripture:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">nspiration was a one time event that occured through the apostles and prophets as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Paul told Timothy that all scripture (γραφη) is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Because Peter mentions words that were spoken and Paul uses the term γραφη, inspiration must therefore be limited to certain people (apostles and prophets) at an appointed time (while speaking or when writing) and limited to specific words (being spoken and or written). These scriptural references also reveal that there was a divine confluence in this event, the Holy Spirit worked through men who spoke or wrote. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Because God is the one who moved the men to write, then it must mean that there is no untruthfulness or mistakes in what was conveyed through these men (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18). However, because men of a certain age and culture were moved to speak and write, then actual human languages, couched within specific cultures and countries were employed (Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek).Once the inspiration event was over, the documents were released for copying, circulation, and dispatched to Churches (in the case of the epistles), then the inspiration event was over.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Preservation of Scripture through Fallible Human Agency:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Now ordinary men were given charge over copying and distributing God's word. In Deuteronomy 17:18, the King is charged with making a copy of God's Law, and the priests are charged with keeping master copies. Yet they failed in their tasks, the kings failed to follow God's commands and the priests lost track of the copies of the law (Hosea 4:6, 2 King's 22:8-10). In the New Testament, men are entrusted to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), this involved copying out the scriptures to be distributed (Colossians 4:16). Yet, even then, the apostolic message was twisted, which is what happened in the case of Paul's letters (2 Peter 3:15-16). Already within one hundreds years of the time of the apostles errors had found their way into copies of the scriptures that were circulating. Irenaeus (180 CE), in his <i>Against Heresies</i>, 5.30.1., mentions that some copies of Revelation had the mark of the beast as 616 rather than 666.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally, another problem with the way the original question was worded was that it confused the <i>wording</i> of the inspired autographs or "originals" with a <i>physical object</i>. It must be understood that it is the wording, the text that was inspired not a <i>physical document</i> (such as papyrus, or parchment). As long as the wording is faithfully transcribed, then the copy is also inspired. Because fallible men have been entrusted with transcribing and transmitting the scriptures, however, there are imperfections in the extant copies. This means that our <i>access</i> through our imperfect manuscripts to inerrant inspiration has some limitations. These textual variations in the manuscripts are human errors of transcription, not errors of inspiration. Though our access to God's inerrant word has some limitation, our access is sufficient for knowing and understanding the message of salvation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">_________________________</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For a transcript of "The Breifing" go to <a href="https://albertmohler.com/2023/12/08/briefing-12-8-23?fbclid=IwAR1sMTJpOXXAUaH3iLw2OG4OnK4cEhv9_zcxUZe9MFg_BwX4LASb9YjA28s" target="_blank">the following link, under "Part II"</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For a fuller treatment of these topics, see my two articles below.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.academia.edu/26445779/_What_are_the_NT_Autographs_An_Examination_of_the_Doctrine_of_Inspiration_and_Inerrancy_in_Light_of_Greco-Roman_Publication._JETS_59_2_June_2016_287-308" target="_blank">"What are the NT Autographs? An Examination of the Doctrine of Inspiration and Inerrancy in Light of Greco-Roman Publication." JETS 59/2 (June 2016): 287-308</a>.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/" target="_blank">Where Inspiration is Found: Putting the New Testament Autographs in Context,” in Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 24.3 (Fall 2020): 83-101</a><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/">.</a></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">[EDIT: I want to also recommend this excellent volume that addresses a lot of the issues that the questioner is facing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">https://www.amazon.com/Enduring-Authority-Christian-Scriptures/dp/0802865763]</span></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-78633558668330387342023-12-09T12:56:00.000-08:002023-12-09T21:56:03.092-08:00Some Observations on Orthography and the Π Group<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQmPKzsCWbigl0pKl7VJHvxg1PjHFYc3VE1O9w_vxk8bNaCaJF9hdPieBJAz7Os7-UAS_eLR_7vO2rCteAK9yWKgu7bXdj2Hh6Ru2Fj2YMw0GOQc0mUunqN52sE38UG0qAoPQYbx-inMnW2BbXug-MhGIBFxVMKsIo1-L-LzMTsqv7X7geIqIIeU_-x8G/s4096/IMG_20220728_124634125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQmPKzsCWbigl0pKl7VJHvxg1PjHFYc3VE1O9w_vxk8bNaCaJF9hdPieBJAz7Os7-UAS_eLR_7vO2rCteAK9yWKgu7bXdj2Hh6Ru2Fj2YMw0GOQc0mUunqN52sE38UG0qAoPQYbx-inMnW2BbXug-MhGIBFxVMKsIo1-L-LzMTsqv7X7geIqIIeU_-x8G/w400-h300/IMG_20220728_124634125.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Shelf in the Old Library at Magdalen College, Oxford</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">After having completed my dissertation for some months, and with it now recently being made <a href="https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/13692/" target="_blank">available online</a>, I have had time to reflect back on some of the conclusions of the years of study. After transcribing all of the witnesses to be included in the examinations, I had to regularize those readings that were not genealogically significant, which means tagging these readings to be ignored by the collation software. Chapter 3 of the dissertation covers in detail the entire process (Mitchell, <i>Family Π in the Gospel of Mark</i>, pp. 71-102). I noticed that many of the regularizations were spelling differences involving the substitution of similarly sounding vowels or the omission of the same letter in a word containing a double consonant (i.e. λλ). Tables 3.1 through 3.6 in Chapter 3 list out the number of orthographic variations (pp. 91-98). It seems to me that those who used these manuscripts were comfortable with variations in spelling as long as the words <i>sounded</i> the same when pronounced while being read out. Because so many of these manuscripts were prepared and used for lectionary readings, this may be a byproduct of this type of environment. I conclude that</span><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"[this] may reflect a more utilitarian attitude of the scribe who may have cared more for function rather than perfection. That is, as long as orthography did not impede the transmission of meaning, then it did not impede its usefulness." (Mitchell, <i>Family Π in the Gospel of Mark</i>, p. 102)</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Most of these manuscripts reflect late antique or medieval attitudes towards the copying of texts, so it may not be applicable to earlier centuries. With that said, I wonder how much of the modern textual critic's approach to errors in the text related to spelling are actually anachronistic to some degree. It makes me wonder how many more variations, especially those that hardly affect meaning, such as transpositions or word substitutions with a synonym that have a large semantic overlap, would have been considered an acceptable byproduct of hand copying. For those who created and used these manuscripts, the vast majority of these types of variations would likely not have been considered "errors" as we see them today, which can be the cause of many modern day apologetic, epistemological, and theological crises.</span></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-10861810112826299992023-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:002023-12-14T20:56:24.287-08:00Timothy N. Mitchell, "Family Π in the Gospel of Mark" Now Availabile<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was just informed that the PDF version of my PhD dissertation and it's accompanying data are now available freely on the University of Birmingham's Ethesis Repository. The PDF of the dissertation is available at the following link.</span></p><p><a href="https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/13692/"><span style="font-family: arial;">https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/13692/</span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik71Rdw2khaYirIaZWe_VUl8qfz3YJ61KvwOpLKVqyr-xBM5D2ocjHIb6zplmjsX6cKA4ocIEIQfuzjJhcN0F2NvNGLFTu43Zrn9l1El7WX6st8Jm9vMDGwWPkcfo1in4IwF322ZsyUQ2WuYNaRHXfOA3aGPReCpbPv-XEg4twSbApsVxpQKhMea_pLigY/s1600/image001~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik71Rdw2khaYirIaZWe_VUl8qfz3YJ61KvwOpLKVqyr-xBM5D2ocjHIb6zplmjsX6cKA4ocIEIQfuzjJhcN0F2NvNGLFTu43Zrn9l1El7WX6st8Jm9vMDGwWPkcfo1in4IwF322ZsyUQ2WuYNaRHXfOA3aGPReCpbPv-XEg4twSbApsVxpQKhMea_pLigY/w400-h195/image001~2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I won't re-post the abstract as it can be read at the above link. The summary of my findings are these;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1) The so-called Family Π is actually a group because the manuscripts do not originate from a lost archetype.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2) The origin of the Π Group readings are that they arose as a result of copying from commentary manuscripts (catenae). The scholia acting on the text reintroduced Π Group readings into the text throughout the centuries.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3) As Π Group manuscripts were copied, the text was standardized through a process of the copyists conforming the text to the readings they were used to hearing during their lectional readings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you do not want to read the entire thesis, I recommend reading Chapter 1 as it will give a really good backdrop to the study. Then read the concluding summaries of Chapters 2 and 3. Read all of Chapter 4 as this chapter contains the core arguments of the thesis. Skip Chapter 5 as it contains a long list of group readings obtained from the collation. Finally, read all of Chapter 6 as it discusses the arguments surrounding the origin of the Π Group.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The accompanying data can be found at the following links.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Accompanying data for "A Collation of Family Π in Mark" <a href="https://doi.org/10.25500/edata.bham.00000983">https://doi.org/10.25500/edata.bham.00000983</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A Collation of Family Π in Mark [Online Edition] <a href="https://purl.org/itsee/mitchell">https://purl.org/itsee/mitchell</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A positive apparatus of Family Π in Mark <a href="https://epapers.bham.ac.uk/4289">https://epapers.bham.ac.uk/4289</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Transcriptions of 27 Manuscripts of the Gospel according to Mark <a href="https://epapers.bham.ac.uk/4290">https://epapers.bham.ac.uk/4290</a></span></p><p>[EDIT: I began the research for this dissertation way back in 2017. See the<a href="https://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2017/04/family-codex-alexandrinus-and-4th.html" target="_blank"> earlier post here</a> where I first mentioned my dissertation topic.]</p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-26435827670586803162023-12-06T07:31:00.000-08:002023-12-06T07:31:06.625-08:00Interview With Paul Larson on Credible Faith Podcast<p><span style="font-family: arial;">A couple of years ago I was interviewed by Paul Larson of Credible Faith ministries. I just learned that Paul, after some delays, had uploaded the interview a few days ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The discussion centers around my work on ancient writing practices and the composition of the New Testament writings. We covered issues of textual stability, the relationship of autographs to inspiration, and composition practices.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The YouTube version can be <a href="https://youtu.be/tr2c0thggUA?feature=shared" target="_blank">found here</a>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8JS4tbKxXWDzJ5eiOQEt0UmonXpbbHsM7S3BKV68xPFxoWFg0f5idiNW654tWOpNeuBpltYFHM84tV1A4Yru-bnqMx-eZUMN6cDtDcvbE24Pxxuva5YWeii1RP7l70L6pmDrkOb07D3b94wj6RR6wCYLTiEo4XRyL4srbUAvDvjFtp-A_eE_RWugBqZK/s1520/Screenshot_20231206-082544.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1520" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8JS4tbKxXWDzJ5eiOQEt0UmonXpbbHsM7S3BKV68xPFxoWFg0f5idiNW654tWOpNeuBpltYFHM84tV1A4Yru-bnqMx-eZUMN6cDtDcvbE24Pxxuva5YWeii1RP7l70L6pmDrkOb07D3b94wj6RR6wCYLTiEo4XRyL4srbUAvDvjFtp-A_eE_RWugBqZK/s320/Screenshot_20231206-082544.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Larson's website with the audio version of the interview can be found at <a href="https://www.crediblefaith.org/posts/2023/11/greco-roman-writing-practices-and-the-doctrine-of-inspiration-of-new-testament-autographs.php" target="_blank">this link</a>.</span></p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-66564629015372238252023-11-22T19:30:00.000-08:002023-11-23T06:17:31.806-08:00Book Review: Creating the Canon By Benjamin Laird<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Creating the Canon: Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament</i>. By Benjamin P. Laird. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2023, xiv, + 258 pp., $30.00 paperback.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF2dg5dFmBlpyXJbgK4mvwaAfefKPRT8v-LGeeTAtv-1AVza6rUI2QRcjYK6D1iVcjkd5dlP32evj8Wxs4mra1AwxLQi5ulqRR-0zdNG0974h-zxYIOkI9XgBMJ-1bZmUE3fMXoZw_HJFTxxqRlRPXY2nswFaBgDZLAXAIAUtHfRNASHwCBrbvIUnKkqD/s1603/Screenshot_2023-11-22-22-22-33-732~2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1603" data-original-width="1069" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF2dg5dFmBlpyXJbgK4mvwaAfefKPRT8v-LGeeTAtv-1AVza6rUI2QRcjYK6D1iVcjkd5dlP32evj8Wxs4mra1AwxLQi5ulqRR-0zdNG0974h-zxYIOkI9XgBMJ-1bZmUE3fMXoZw_HJFTxxqRlRPXY2nswFaBgDZLAXAIAUtHfRNASHwCBrbvIUnKkqD/w266-h400/Screenshot_2023-11-22-22-22-33-732~2.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The historical circumstances surrounding the writing, distribution, selection and gathering together of the New Testament documents continues to garner much scholarly attention. Yet, there are few books that attempt to condense the nuanced historical details into an easily digestible introduction. <i>Creating the Canon</i> is the latest in a steady stream of new books by Benjamin P. Laird and was written in order to fulfill this need. Laird earned his PhD at the University of Aberdeen and is an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The book is segmented into three segments. Part one consists of three chapters and covers "Questions Relating to the Production of the New Testament Writings" (pp. 11-84). <br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 1, "The Composition of the New Testament Writings," advances the notion that many of the writings of the New Testament were composed through the collaborative efforts of a team of secretaries, letter carriers, and others who took part in distributing the canonical writings.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 2, "The Original Autographs of the New Testament Writings," proposes that many of the New Testament writings had multiple autographs. It is argued that it is better to think of an "original edition" rather than an "original autograph" (p. 64).<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 3, "The Original Readers of the New Testament Writings," articulates the idea that the canonical authors wrote with multiple communities in view rather than a single audience. This concept would mean that the New Testament writings were composed with a more universal message in mind.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Part two is the largest segment of the work and consists of three chapters, addressing "Questions Relating to the Formation of the New Testament Canon" (pp. 87-174).<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 4, "Theological Controversies and the Formation of the New Testament Canon," <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>engages with popular assumptions that are postulated as causing the formation of the New Testament Canon. The controversies surrounding Marcion, and the notion that early Church councils in the fourth century decided the canon, are discussed.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 5, "The Primary Witnesses to the Early State of the New Testament Canon," surveys the early patristic canonical lists and references to the canonical writings. The chapter also introduces the reader to some of the most important and early copies of the New Testament writings.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 6, "The Canonical Subcollections and the Formation of the New Testament Canon," highlights the influence that canonical "subcollections" had on the acceptance of the twenty seven books of the New Testament.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Part three is the shortest section of the book with only two chapters and engages with "Questions Relating to the Authority of the New Testament Canon" (p. 177-236).<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 7, "Apostolicity and the Formation of the New Testament Canon," discusses the relationship of apostolic teaching and authority with the reception of many of the New Testament writings.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chapter 8, "Apostolic Authorship and the Authority of the New Testament Canon," evaluates several modern scholarly perspectives on the foundations for the continuing authority of the New Testament writings.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Though the book functions as an introduction to the topic, it attempts to cover too many competing scholarly perspectives. Readers may find it difficult to find the common thread of thought through the various chapters. Related to this, many may have difficulty finding a clear thesis or main argument in the book.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Because the work attempts to engage with too many scholarly perspectives, often inadequate space is given when Laird supports a particular scholarly position. For example, because of the various textual problems surrounding the last chapters of Romans, Laird proposes that three copies of the "longer recension" of Romans were made, "one for the Romans, one for those in Corinth, and one for Paul and/or his associates" (pp. 61-62). Laird proposes that the secretaries or scribes of Paul (i.e. Tertius), in preparing a copy of Romans to be sent to the Corinthians, removed the irrelevant material at the end of Romans (p. 62). This would "explain both the origin of the shorter and longer recensions as well as the alternative locations of the doxology" (p. 62). Unfortunately, Laird does not expound on the reasons why a scribe such as Tertius would go to the trouble of removing irrelevant material at the end of Romans, but would retain the most irrelevant textual address, "to all those in Rome" (Rom. 1:7, 1:15), at the beginning of the letter. The fact that there are almost no Greek manuscripts that lack this address seems to be a significant hurdle to this explanation of the textual variation at the end of Romans.<br /></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Despite these criticisms, <i>Creating the Canon</i> would work well as a starting point for forays into the study of New Testament canon formation. Readers will be introduced to first century composition practices, the role of letter carriers, and the early process of gathering of these writings into subcollections. Chapter two, which discussed the issues surrounding the "autographs," and chapters seven and eight, concerning the issue of apostolic authority and canon formation, engaged with topics rarely seen in books on the New Testament canon. This work might prove useful as a textbook for a college or seminary class on the New Testament Canon.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: normal;"><br /><div style="text-align: right;">Timothy N. Mitchell</div></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;">PhD, University of Birmingham, UK</span></div></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-73299597794851191092023-09-09T16:50:00.003-07:002023-09-09T16:50:46.944-07:00How Marginal Comments Can Corrupt a Text in Transmission<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP3nlVZXQunc0u0enRXmyJFz7bZPCgJLmRleBANpdqwD_t1I1QBzwdXLTCaaYZ2VT21tOP4ww4oAKjLfafUDESQjo5ntgDyOTz3XVkENVVC-y7y0cTRQ6rMvP_PIlcw-Nv3DvCYIfiPIXkaqPdXiwqWf5RuFu-84rS60LCC4FGY-kei9JDUzcNZ2dGc07/s2977/apis_6238_41_full_2481_2977__0_native.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="2481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP3nlVZXQunc0u0enRXmyJFz7bZPCgJLmRleBANpdqwD_t1I1QBzwdXLTCaaYZ2VT21tOP4ww4oAKjLfafUDESQjo5ntgDyOTz3XVkENVVC-y7y0cTRQ6rMvP_PIlcw-Nv3DvCYIfiPIXkaqPdXiwqWf5RuFu-84rS60LCC4FGY-kei9JDUzcNZ2dGc07/w534-h640/apis_6238_41_full_2481_2977__0_native.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A leaf from P.Mich.inv. 6238 (P46) showing the</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">end of Romans and the beginning and title of Hebrews<br /></span></div><div><a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?rgn1=apis_inv;q1=6238;size=20;c=apis;subview=detail;resnum=14;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;cc=apis;entryid=x-3570;viewid=6238_41.TIF"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">P.Mich.inv. 6238 / Recto | Advanced Papyrological Information System (APIS UM) | University of Michigan Library Digital Collections (umich.edu)</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">A number of years ago Michael W. Holmes wrote a book chapter in which he argued that several variations in the text of Romans in P46 were evidence of marginal comments entering into the body of text. This occurred, Holmes argued, when a copyist confused a marginal comment for a correction to be entered into the body of text (Holmes pg. 202-205).<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"What now appear only as variant readings in the text originally were, I suggest, comments in the margins about the text—the earliest “commentary” (in the sense of activity, rather than genre) on the text of Romans." (Holmes pg. 205)</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though Holmes gave no examples from antiquity, there are two instances in which an ancient author mentions this phenomenon occurring during the copying of a text. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The second century physician Galen in his commentary on Hippocrates "Epidemics" gives two explanations for a corruption in the text of Hippocrates. The first explanation Galen gives is that Hippocrates gave a parenthetical statement in order to point out the difference between two types of patients currently being discussed in the work. Galen makes the following comment for the second.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><blockquote>“The other explanation is something you often observe in many books: we sometimes write two expressions for the same thing, putting it in two different ways, and place one of them in the text body and the other in the margin of the book so as to pick the better of the two at leisure when we want to edit the book. It seems that Hippocrates did the same in this place. The first editor of this book then copied both expressions together into the book’s text. We then did not look at and consider it again, pause and fix this error. Many people passed on the copy of the book, and it remained uncorrected.” (<i>In Hipp. epid. comm.</i> I, 1.36) (Vagelpohl pg. 167)</blockquote></span><div><div>
<span style="font-family: arial;">Here Galen describes a practice in which the author of a work gives an explanatory note in the margin of their "autograph." When the text is initially edited and copied, the scribe would think that the marginal note was meant to be entered into the text as a correction. The result is that the book was then widely copied and circulated with the error uncorrected.</span><div id="ftn1">
</div>
</div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another instance of this phenomenon is mentioned by Jerome. In about 403 CE Jerome received a letter from two men asking for an explanation as to why there were so many differences between the Septuagint LXX these men were using, and the Latin Psalter Jerome had produced many years before in about 383 CE. Along with this letter, these men sent a long list of passages where there were differences in the text between the LXX and the Latin Psalter. For one of the variations in the text, Jerome gave the following explanation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><blockquote>"I wonder why some rash fellow has thought that the note: “the correct form is not καταπαύσωμεν, as some think, but κατακαύσωμεν, that is, <i>incendamus</i>,” which was placed by me for the guidance of the reader into the margin, should be put into the body of the text." (Ep. 106.46)</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Apparently, in the first edition of Jerome's Psalter he had placed an explanatory comment in the margin. A later copyist confused this entry as a correction to be entered into the body of text. Thus, all subsequent copies of his Psalter had this variation transmitted in the text.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">______________________________</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Corpus Medicorum Graecorum</i> 5.10.1. English translation taken from, Galen, <i>Commentary on Hippocrates’ Epidemics Book </i><i>I: Parts I-III </i>(Translated by Uwe Vagelpohl. <i>Corpus Medicrum Graecorum Supplementum Orientale</i> V1. Berlin: Walter De Gruyter, 2014).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Holmes, Michael W. <span style="background-color: white;">“The Text of P46: Evidence of the Earliest ‘Commentary’ on Romans?” In </span><em style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: inherit;">New Testament Manuscripts: Their Text and Their World</em><span style="background-color: white;"> (ed. by Tobias Nicklas; Leiden: Brill, 2006) 189-206.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="http://www.harbornet.com/folks/theedrich/hive/Medieval/Jerome2Sunnia+Fretela.htm" target="_blank">Translation of Jerome's Epistle 106 by Michael Metlen, <i>The Journal of English and Germanic Philology</i>, Vol. 36, No. 4 (Oct., 1937), pp. 515-542.</a>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-12784913821958248342023-08-13T16:53:00.001-07:002023-08-14T03:59:17.389-07:00Book Review: The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity by Benjamin Laird<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity: Its Formation, Publication, and Circulation. </i>By Benjamin P. Laird. Peabody: Hendrickson Academic, 2022, xx + 371 pp., $59.99 hardback.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTPo6bPeSaYIaF9E_IiE9yWnKKtL3oBekC6Jeqi2isoNdO7AV4hkutI-D4gQT0eq_8IgZHD6Yz3sCWzoix9LrCkAwD5K98ZA5vF6QumtKO5Y-ZSgua3fTYgDj9_4RNyV9Z1cVvnZ-P_x6sq2Z4p0O5C7MvFi1XvWky7QvuKDkueM9KuTuB2UAQ-I5-Cw2/s780/159532_1_ftc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTPo6bPeSaYIaF9E_IiE9yWnKKtL3oBekC6Jeqi2isoNdO7AV4hkutI-D4gQT0eq_8IgZHD6Yz3sCWzoix9LrCkAwD5K98ZA5vF6QumtKO5Y-ZSgua3fTYgDj9_4RNyV9Z1cVvnZ-P_x6sq2Z4p0O5C7MvFi1XvWky7QvuKDkueM9KuTuB2UAQ-I5-Cw2/w263-h400/159532_1_ftc.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Investigations into the theology of the Pauline corpus abound, yet few studies have examined the historical circumstances that gave rise to the Pauline corpus as a letter collection. <i>The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity</i> is a fresh in-depth analysis of the historical evidence, both physical and literary, into the development of the Pauline letter collection. Benjamin P. Laird (PhD University of Aberdeen) is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This book is an expanded and revised version of Laird's doctoral thesis. It is composed of an introduction, six chapters, and three appendices.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The introduction begins by highlighting the fact that Paul preferred personal interaction to letter writing, yet Paul is known today through his extant letters (pp. 1-3). Paul's epistles were likely the earliest Christian writings to be valued, circulated and collected (p. 3). After a summary of the contents (pp. 4-9), Laird concludes by discussing the challenges to this study (pp. 10-11) and the wider implications that this volume might have on Pauline scholarship (pp. 11-15).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 1 examines first century letter writing practices in the Greco-Roman world (pp. 19-31). This chapter advances the notion put forward by several recent studies that Paul worked with secretaries in the writing of his letters (pp. 31-34). Along with this, these secretaries made duplicate copies for Paul's personal collection or those of his associates (pp. 34-39). It is likely that these personal collections were the source from which an early edition of the Pauline corpus was produced.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 2 looks into the extant Greek textual witnesses (pp. 40-64) and ancient translations relating to the earliest state of the Pauline collection (pp. 89-101). As a corollary to the discussion, the advent of the codex book form and its rapid adoption within Christian communities (pp. 64-73), and the origin and use of the letter titles are examined (pp. 73-89). Along with this, early testimony from historical figures such as Marcion, Origen, Eusebius, Athenasius, the Muratorion Fragment, and Church councils are taken into account (pp. 101-112).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 3 delves into a diversity of writings written from the late-first through to the early-fifth centuries. The familiarity these authors had with the various Pauline epistles is ascertained and weighed (pp. 123-189). References from 1 Thess 5:27, Col 4:16, and 2 Peter 3:15-16 are analyzed for the light they might shed on the development of the Pauline canon (pp. 113-123). Most of the chapter is given up to culling through Patristic references to the Pauline writings (pp. 123-189).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 4 investigates the external evidence for the Pastoral Epistles and Hebrews. Laird wrestles with the various scholarly challenges to the authenticity of Hebrews (pp. 202-232) and the Pastorals (p. 190-202) and their canonical relationship to the undisputed letters. According to Laird, the Pastorals and Hebrews have a more tumultuous reception history when compared with the rest of the Pauline corpus. Larid proposes that "the text of Hebrews was a Pauline speech that was later produced as a literary document" (p. 233).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 5 surveys and evaluates the many influential scholarly theories that attempt to account for the initial development and acceptance of the Pauline canon. These theories are separated into four categories, The first includes those theories that propose a formation of the collection after long years of neglect or limited circulation (pp. 236-241). The second category includes theories that generally postulate that the collection developed gradually as new writings were produced and the writings became more well known (pp. 241-261). The third category contains theories that hold to a gradual development by a Pauline school that may have had a hand in writing pseudepigraphal letters in Paul's name (pp. 261-268). The fourth and final category includes theories that hold to an early development, circulation and collection of Paul's letters (268-278). This collection was initially organized by Paul himself shortly before his death or immediately after his death by his close associates.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 6 provides an overview of the formation, publication, and circulation of the Pauline letter collection. The chapter identifies the earliest editions of the corpus that circulated and standardized the letter titles and the orientation of the writings with reference to each other within the collection (pp. 280-317). The theory proposed in this chapter takes into account both the external and internal evidence laid out in the previous chapters. The main proposal is this,</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"[A]t least three major archetypal editions of the corpus began to circulate as early as the first century or soon thereafter, each of which circulated for several decades until a fourteen-volume edition became widely recognized by the fourth century." (p. 9).</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are a few places where the discussion and evidence do not seem to support some of the conclusions. First is the idea that the letters must have by necessity been bound together in a type of edition for the Pauline epistles to have been recognized and the titles of the epistles to have been standardized. This does not actually accord with the manner in which books were conceptualized in antiquity. In the Greco-Roman world a written piece was often composed of separate and unbound rolls. It was not uncommon for a reader to possess only some of the bookrolls. Nevertheless, these other bookrolls were still conceptually linked in the mind of the reader as a complete work. This can be illustrated with P. Oxy 2192. In this papyrus fragment in a postscript the sender of the letter makes a request. </span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Have a copy made of books six and seven of Hypsicrates’ <i>Men Who Appear in Commedies</i> and send it to me. Harpocration says that Pollio has them among his books, and probably others may have them too. And he also has prose epitomes of Thersagorus’s Myths of Tragedy.” </span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here the writer of the postscript conceptually links all the books (i.e. separate bookrolls) of Hypsicrates’ <i>Men Who Appear in Commedies</i> even though they are not physically bound together with his own copies of books one through five (assuming he possessed them already). Another example are the titles to the canonical gospels. P.Bodmer II (P66) is a codex that only contains the Gospel of John and has ευαγγελιον κατα ιωαννην written at the top. This title conceptually links this gospel with the other three even though it is not physically bound together with the other three in a single codex. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Further still, the titles themselves could have been standardized by use and convention organically through circulation without having to have been derived from a single official edition with the letters physically bound together. The titles could have been derived from the addressees written on the backs of the letters (<a href="https://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-oxyrhynchus-papyri-and-titles-to.html" target="_blank">see previous post</a>). The titles might have derived from the letter carrier as directed by Paul himself, perhaps when it was read out before the congregation. In either case, none of this necessitates that the letters be physically bound within a single codex or edition for them to be conceptually linked by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Just as the writer of the postscript in P.Oxy 2192 conceptually links all the separate bookrolls of Hypsicrate's woks, Peter could have conceptually linked all of the extant letters of Paul that were not physically bound together. These factors seem to nullify the need for postulating various bound editions with seven, ten, thirteen, or fourteen letters contained in a single codex. Despite this, Laird is careful to note that an officially published edition of Paul's epistle do not negate the fact that the letters also circulated amongst the various Christian communities for a time (p. 316).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite the criticisms noted above, Laird provides an exhaustive look into all the physical and literary evidence for the Pauline letter collection. Though there is disagreement with the necessity for an official edition of the Pauline epistles, it is likely that such an edition did arise. The most compelling argument made in the book is the notion that Hebrews was likely an oral speech by Paul that was taken down and prepared for publication by Luke or another of Paul's associates (pp. 225-234). This appears to take into account all of the available evidence and best explains the early acceptance of Hebrews and its close connection with Paul from an early period. Despite some minor criticisms mentioned above, Laird's monograph is an excellent resource that contains all of the evidence for the circulation of the Pauline canon in a ready handbook.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Timothy N. Mitchell</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;">PhD, University of Birmingham, UK</span></div></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-45233346330377653152023-08-05T16:47:00.003-07:002023-08-05T23:17:43.328-07:00The Editio Critica Maior of Mark (the Critical Text) and the Majority Text<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Editio Critica Maior of the Gospel of Mark was published in 2021 and with it an online toolset that allows the user to examine the data in more detail. This toolset is referred to as the Coherence Based Genealogical Method (CBGM) and is hosted on the <a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/" target="_blank">INTF's University of Münster webpage</a>.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1539" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSXBU6091opbnCWgP9WO7eXo5Md8wCkdX6ZztHkuOGj0ykhw1sJbCrSUUXC3NY9qdkYQv4VZOhuqIknIaL8Qk9X5yuCABxsjyPlQN5dbOZ1HgkQ0uKP8b6fyhl6Rjbs3YxBYuZejWwZE3DvL3xToYRZE3Y6m1x_TxC4rhcI4YoeSMl9zwbtwPmmkmzsAr/w640-h368/INTF%20CBGM%20of%20Mark.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">These CBGM tools are powerful and facilitate the comparison of any of the 209 manuscripts (referred to as witnesses) utilized in the edition and the examination of the readings in the whole of Mark. The methods and tools used for this edition have come a long way since Wescott and Hort's edition of 1881. Yet many interested in the textual history of the New Testament are unaware of these developments and trends, two of which are of great importance.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First, the editors of the ECM of Mark have abandoned the theory of text types as unsupportable by the evidence (See Klaus Wachtel "On the Relationship of the "Western Text" and the Byzantine Tradition of Acts: A Plea Against the Text-Type Concept" in the "Studies" volume of the ECM ACTS). As a result, this frees up the editors to mine other manuscripts for older readings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Second, readings found only in the Byzantine tradition are given greater weight than before (see Klaus Wachtel "Notes on the Text of Mark" in the "Studies" volume of the ECM Mark). In the Gospel of Mark Wachtel notes this trend.</span></div></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"In the 33 passages where the ECM now differs from NA28/UBS5, the editors opted for the MT in 20 cases. In only six cases the decision was against the MT, mostly where the Byzantine reading is bracketed in NA28/UBS5. In 107 out of the 126 passages with a split guiding line, one of the alternative guiding lines is the MT reading. Only 15 of these 107 MT readings agree with the text of NA28/UBS5." (Wachtel "Notes on the Text of Mark," page 1).</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These two developments, the abandonment of the theory of text types, and the greater weight given to the Byzantine tradition reveal how far modern reasoned eclecticism has left Wescott and Hort behind. Using the <a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/comparison" target="_blank">witness comparison tool</a> helps to illustrate this trend of greater respect for the Byzantine tradition.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/comparison" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="1527" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbJjnB5h5kgE4rMcrXWlV7cbk6VtgI4yZiuY4mEEDJ4KH4dWVra7OfX2LF2RgzswGxgAovutTdIjjxopXJ-0DEtrsnzPPl88ri118q-CDU1CHYd8HJlIGAR0t6gByb9VjBZNChpykEiloy1qRnxbt-MTjUDX00N2UF3S5CITc1qoirDOYRt0hG8b5uDjt/w640-h221/CBGM%20of%20Mark%20Witness%20Comparison.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First, the initial text is designated by a capital A (for ausgangstext German for initial text) which is what the editors call the earliest attainable text closest to what the authors wrote. When an A is entered in the "Witness 1" box and MT (for Majority Text, i.e. basically the Byzantine tradition) is entered into the "Witness 2" box the CBGM indicates that they agree 88.71%, nearly 89%!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/comparison#ms1=A&ms2=MT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="1543" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ylgrcwwhSBgUdOlsmCSBEIKlZfzGEI_KVPJd9OfLH0kT6qtdxvEfKAhBTHzcU9h8ZM12fq4wzvCwmYCUzokhKqAwmuvqmU81vfDbMBBf8WmCNKKCe47j3Yn6_S6GOU0o6LS5LJl3-hSTIW_1J_AcJcRJQk7n9q3KRY8obkKUE2TKNmkuXCezKy2oEZx9/w640-h220/CBGM%20of%20Mark%20Witness%20Comparison%20A%20and%20MT.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If the same comparison is made between 03 (Codex Vaticanus) and the MT, and between 01 (Codex Sinaiticus) and the MT the results reveal that 03 agrees with the MT only 84% and that 01 agrees with the MT at 83%. These results indicate that the editor's reconstructed A text, the text that they see as the oldest form of the text, does not look exactly like the text of 01 and 03 and where they differ, the difference moves the A text towards the Majority Text and away from the text of 01 and 03.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/comparison#ms1=03&ms2=MT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="667" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pKhKGNbv8nS-NrIgCppoOHf5eRMl_iOgXMy-9zUfw72IlBdIV1Y2G4viUL5eLzzKgYmxRsVIwDyPBMWA-Pz8dfWw5SRGJ1IBeO72aa97XUZQsVyyuE2e5YezPuBken0QVr1Kdc6W6yOg8cpEMwpJDWvcCqJNMsInfK4lpl4PGvYpwRFvzn1VaPBKJanG/w400-h156/CBGM%20of%20Mark%20Witness%20Comparison%2003%20and%20MT.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ntg.uni-muenster.de/mark/ph35/comparison#ms1=01&ms2=MT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="687" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6XabmrwoxZjJ-wpLqz550F8mYkhzD2xZiup4iNtRJ2CTt-EQ_Rt3Agelb3tplWZDNB9xFtZiq1TVQuMv-YVda5sJ6ewnntg1_7Z4r0BtQn6DkkMUYVr-E6STE684rYCqgup0BHGitm-nKNFSNg2ZwWultAyCWxZQF91OUVQ01EflAHgZbnIEqNUDRpxK/w400-h166/CBGM%20of%20Mark%20Witness%20Comparison%2001%20and%20MT.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another indication of the greater respect is the number of Majority Text readings that the editors mark as preceding the readings found in 01 and 03. This can be seen by using the same comparison tool. When 01 is compared with the MT, out of the 741 variants that the editors made a decision, at 254 variants (34%) the variant found in the Majority Text is seen as preceding (older than) the reading found in 01! The same phenomenon can be seen with regard to the text of 03. The comparison tool indicates that when 03 is compared with the MT, out of the 684 variants that the editors made a decision, at 138 variants (20%) the variant found in the Majority Text is seen as preceding (older than) the reading found in 03!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-HFQuroECJ2B3mF_uuKsStE4UXzSe4wUFc71iUwAMu9Uk5t2r-eAUSvIEIqN3LoQF-JK0pK7pQZPajrb-WzO_guQT0Ofcewb22Te5vnidkiTGOPBDuPzdGEheP_GMYP3IxwI7P-Vkp27Rq0Lt4vYTv_BtKSWaJoCyWE2xjKSSPLo2YtGWFkgydPXM2Rm/s1530/01%20and%20MT%20Agreement.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="1530" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-HFQuroECJ2B3mF_uuKsStE4UXzSe4wUFc71iUwAMu9Uk5t2r-eAUSvIEIqN3LoQF-JK0pK7pQZPajrb-WzO_guQT0Ofcewb22Te5vnidkiTGOPBDuPzdGEheP_GMYP3IxwI7P-Vkp27Rq0Lt4vYTv_BtKSWaJoCyWE2xjKSSPLo2YtGWFkgydPXM2Rm/w640-h144/01%20and%20MT%20Agreement.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqohzwUlQ-XyBquCJ1ppQ7Fj51asEaHlQ3FjvD4jHTcwZqVJfD9p1UJWKtoel9peRW7-psVbjKaDRsuS5gwn39TPVO6diQbpKxXDBT3wllnlvvqUKdm6-hWYA3F3z3QQkqs5zGYry43lx9w6UEWK2gT2GVGsDG91CNjekx5QPhRQE8yxhp1ferisfl4M3u/s1534/03%20and%20MT%20Agreement.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="1534" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqohzwUlQ-XyBquCJ1ppQ7Fj51asEaHlQ3FjvD4jHTcwZqVJfD9p1UJWKtoel9peRW7-psVbjKaDRsuS5gwn39TPVO6diQbpKxXDBT3wllnlvvqUKdm6-hWYA3F3z3QQkqs5zGYry43lx9w6UEWK2gT2GVGsDG91CNjekx5QPhRQE8yxhp1ferisfl4M3u/w640-h162/03%20and%20MT%20Agreement.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These simple queries using the CBGM of Mark witness comparison tool indicate that the editors of the leading critical editions of the Greek New Testament have come a long way from the theories utilized by Wescott and Hort and popular among reasoned eclectics in the 20th century. No longer do textual critics slavishly follow the text found in either 01 or 03 or any other witness traditionally attributed to the so-called Alexandrian Text. In fact at many variants the editors believe that the Majority Text preserves the older text over against the text found in 01 and 03.</span></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-63501349322327817342023-08-01T20:50:00.005-07:002023-08-02T08:31:12.323-07:00An Autograph Diptych from Roman Britain<p><span style="font-family: arial;">While visiting the British Museum I always enjoy viewing the Roman Britain room where the Vindolanda Tablets are on display. While browsing and snapping pictures with my phone I noticed that one of the tablets, Tab.Vindol 182, has several lines with a strikethrough. This indicates that this wooden notebook was actively used and edited as a working list. As the museum description indicates, the tablet contains a working list of accounts due. Presumably, as the accountant worked through the various accounts listed and collected what was due, the particular account was lined through. I found this fascinating because it is these strikethroughs that reveal that this was a working text, an autograph. Most likely the accountant that is lining through the text was the one who wrote the list as well.</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMza33_uCyF6RyyNJABi4spP2TajOEKppX8wcDlICfYe_UxoPrnu9rcYL9lboS_U4lI9WJl08hwuqDp88Kp7Xp5vXHweFghL2GdDUmICCCvsP5pTp-SarGTzlHkgNrNKwjczjF8tBLjenRVhRLGT9HStQuuNM5sbzweCp1HePrY6t8bnWcXiPiiOhVFn4v/s944/TV.182f.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="944" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMza33_uCyF6RyyNJABi4spP2TajOEKppX8wcDlICfYe_UxoPrnu9rcYL9lboS_U4lI9WJl08hwuqDp88Kp7Xp5vXHweFghL2GdDUmICCCvsP5pTp-SarGTzlHkgNrNKwjczjF8tBLjenRVhRLGT9HStQuuNM5sbzweCp1HePrY6t8bnWcXiPiiOhVFn4v/w640-h338/TV.182f.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OJNWzWNfz6ipzjjlZuuXsiBRfFcdh6Icm8SCxBc1o1RLiO7V1QB81qXetcXGQHrmuyWhW6RtmCinvwW-4pdajDiu1V8sgkp8OrdrIuwO8_6_Bs3yAfAzNLWn4xPZ-s2tlVJGnmkdBHosBQuHM7a2QeNmsXHP-aNdAK54kxKQE9nWHUSnNGc5V16g6HDe/s1909/IMG_20230722_140204651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1909" data-original-width="1026" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OJNWzWNfz6ipzjjlZuuXsiBRfFcdh6Icm8SCxBc1o1RLiO7V1QB81qXetcXGQHrmuyWhW6RtmCinvwW-4pdajDiu1V8sgkp8OrdrIuwO8_6_Bs3yAfAzNLWn4xPZ-s2tlVJGnmkdBHosBQuHM7a2QeNmsXHP-aNdAK54kxKQE9nWHUSnNGc5V16g6HDe/w344-h640/IMG_20230722_140204651.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L39M00CwlgCvKfRHUQvMCBdx-Xfean3u8h_eDA6t8SONXMfYa9Ul90p_5tfdvTuO7BTzg3rQt10VAcnXM68oDDgHAYs5An9_6FsBcOrvtUlZywmEZkBt5b0QCa3Y4QlgnQi6oTb710VdLI_1zb24A0Nbu-ffDtkcTFbOaXeFfdKFP5ueqeHrPE5TQedj/s3361/IMG_20230722_140159229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="3361" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L39M00CwlgCvKfRHUQvMCBdx-Xfean3u8h_eDA6t8SONXMfYa9Ul90p_5tfdvTuO7BTzg3rQt10VAcnXM68oDDgHAYs5An9_6FsBcOrvtUlZywmEZkBt5b0QCa3Y4QlgnQi6oTb710VdLI_1zb24A0Nbu-ffDtkcTFbOaXeFfdKFP5ueqeHrPE5TQedj/w640-h270/IMG_20230722_140159229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">__________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/TabVindol182">Tab.Vindol. 182. Ink writing tablet | Roman Inscriptions of Britain</a></div><br /><p></p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-53190658639629107352023-07-07T10:17:00.004-07:002023-07-07T10:17:23.508-07:00The Path from Textual Doubt to Textual Confidence <p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was recently in Bellingham, WA for helicopter maintenance business and had the opportunity to meet up with Mark Ward who is a philologist with Faithlife/Logos Bible Software. I was able to tour the Faithlife headquarters and Mark asked to interview me about my recently completed PhD. He asked me about my faith journey from doubt in the text of the New Testament to confidence. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I also mention my plans to move to Ukraine and teach at Kyiv Theological Seminary. For more information see <a href="https://send.org/give/missionaries/mitchell">https://send.org/give/missionaries/mitchell</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I did make one error during the interview, I mentioned Hesiod as being banished but actually meant to say Ovid. You can listen/watch the interview here <a href="https://youtu.be/CCB43GDsrXM">https://youtu.be/CCB43GDsrXM</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/CCB43GDsrXMiaWqiQ352cUA5Y03j_W6G55ggzl77erbi2JQST-XLyTHCLDUQZkB-QCNYBgAz21NWR7UKg1ZN6ZIw88hB_S_bcfp-OdoP6kD/s720/Screenshot_20230707-101108.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="720" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisv-xfOOVUxz5XtUusN-i6rf2jgk5VwQ6frvs-6MofAAzQojt-ycgT1Mm4fHmBWBC8Pidjk7tsm4XFMgE3xwVb0kRIlBnniaWqiQ352cUA5Y03j_W6G55ggzl77erbi2JQST-XLyTHCLDUQZkB-QCNYBgAz21NWR7UKg1ZN6ZIw88hB_S_bcfp-OdoP6kD/w400-h314/Screenshot_20230707-101108.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-20035888352513066422023-06-25T19:16:00.006-07:002023-08-22T20:49:23.471-07:00Libanius of Antioch and His Letter Carriers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLCjlWm960OzXWlAV1qEchFnRnwxTfk1flH2jaGUwpQpo8UHe_ZVaoOr0nuqei3PewcHSx9qjst-WiMBEZsdVuq2MmbpEfEIeFr13PJs_SihGneyBBxhIRIBbpW8i8vOva1ygt4W95D0rVta7j0s0MIw54734r76gEehOme1AerJvs_yRFgXULyE8CEFN/s908/Cribiore%20School%20of%20Libanius.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="598" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLCjlWm960OzXWlAV1qEchFnRnwxTfk1flH2jaGUwpQpo8UHe_ZVaoOr0nuqei3PewcHSx9qjst-WiMBEZsdVuq2MmbpEfEIeFr13PJs_SihGneyBBxhIRIBbpW8i8vOva1ygt4W95D0rVta7j0s0MIw54734r76gEehOme1AerJvs_yRFgXULyE8CEFN/w422-h640/Cribiore%20School%20of%20Libanius.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I am currently reading the book "The School of Libanius in Late Antique Antioch" by Raffaella Cribiore. It features the life and work of Libanius of Antioch who taught rhetoric in Constantinople and Nicomedia but settled in Antioch when he accepted a chair of rhetoric. Though Libanius was a pagan, he taught several notable Christian scholars including John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and had some dealings with Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa. Another famous student of his was Julian who became Emperor, better known as Julian the Apostate. I find it fascinating that both Christian and pagan alike had the same educational background at the time. Apparently, John Chrysostom despised his formal teacher and openly mocked him in his work "On Babylas" (Cribiore, 140). There are a significant number of his letters that survive to this day. There are a few interesting details in the book that I find tantalizing. One is that Libanius would write letters that would give reports of his student's progress to their parents or guardians. These reports were often summarized by the letter carriers. One such letter Cribiore translates in the book.</span><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(ca. 355 CE)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To Eupator,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Your children are enduring in Daphne the work that ends in summer. They have our permission so that the trees, the waters, and the breezes may make their task more palatable. If someone criticizes them on account of the place, let it be known that he is, in truth, a false accuser.<br />The bearer of this letter will tell you what I think about both of them. I consider both you and your sons blessed because of him: Olympius, the best of men on earth, cares about your family. (Cribiore, 262)</span></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Several of Libanius's students were from outside Antioch and were sent there to study under Libanius along with their slave, a pedagogue, that was entrusted with their learning. These pedagogues were often tasked by the parent or guardian of the student with giving regular updates and progress reports. In one of Libanius's progress reports, he mentions that the student's pedagogue is the letter carrier and is tasked with giving greater details of the students progress once he arrives.</span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(ca. 359/360 CE)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To Letoius iii</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When you participated in the meeting concerning important matters that was called in the presence of a friend of ours, you said that your nephew was with us and that you intended to write to him and to me about him, but you did not do either. We, however, are writing and are sending the pedagogue, who does not allow us to write a long letter. If I praised this young man at length, he is the one you would ask if my words were true, so it is better to give my report about these things to him. (Cribiore, 290)</span></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That Libanius relies not only on a trusted letter carrier to deliver his message, but to elaborate on it has several parallels in the New Testament. For example, in Ephesians 6:21, Paul relies on Tychicus to not only bear his letter but to give a more detailed report as well. </span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. (Ephesians 6:21-22)</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">_____________________________</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Raffaella Cribiore, "The School of Libanius in Late Antique Antioch" (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-82663879832659307312023-03-24T13:07:00.011-07:002023-03-24T16:49:56.595-07:00The Oxyrhynchus Papyri and The Titles to Paul's Letters<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been reading through a new book by Benjamin Laird, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Liberty University. This new monograph covers the formation of the Pauline letter collection; "The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity: Its Formation, Publication, and Circulation."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuzQAbE7WfJFaMldh7d9rZUAhyP_yPWLvFmUV3nhWnPpZzlbDMNAYKU5PkYHlYTpfINGuazVr17b8pv3QFXGTl9zEeii3uA9wsqWdKwcfsUB3SoAZCY57LKpF2RYiQUlw7N3iBF_VNjJphyQxwHyAaqiwMXiW120ocV3f6Q2Xd9yvsPCoexBekQxtwA/s780/159532_1_ftc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuzQAbE7WfJFaMldh7d9rZUAhyP_yPWLvFmUV3nhWnPpZzlbDMNAYKU5PkYHlYTpfINGuazVr17b8pv3QFXGTl9zEeii3uA9wsqWdKwcfsUB3SoAZCY57LKpF2RYiQUlw7N3iBF_VNjJphyQxwHyAaqiwMXiW120ocV3f6Q2Xd9yvsPCoexBekQxtwA/w263-h400/159532_1_ftc.jpg" width="263" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was planning on giving a concise review of the book (I was given a copy for review), but haven't yet finished reading it. I found the topic so intriguing and thought provoking, however, that I wanted to give a few of my thoughts before I was completely finished reading through the book. In the monograph, Laird discusses such topics as the early Christian use of the codex, the manner in which Greco-Roman authors circulated "editions" of their letter collections, etc. I hope to comment on these topics in further posts, for now, what has caught my interest was Laird's observations and arguments on the titles to Paul's letter collection. To briefly summarise, Laird highlights the uniformity of the titles to the Pauline letter collection in the earliest extant manuscripts, reviewing such early witnesses as P46 and Codex Sinaiticus among other witnesses (pages 74-82). He notes that the titles throughout all the collections remain consistent (page 82). Laird argues that because Paul's letters were carried by trusted letter carriers that knew the author and the recipients, "it may not have been necessary at the time the writings were originally dispatched for subscriptions or letter titles to be included" (pages 74). Because the Pauline letters were named after the recipients of the letters, Laird argues, it was unlikely that they circulated as part of other letter collections (page 83). He uses Philemon as an example, in this case, the letter was actually addressed to several individuals, Philemon being only one of them (Phlm 1; page 84). Because of this, Laird surmises,</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Because the address includes the names of several individuals, it is not a foregone conclusion that the title ΠΡΟΣ [Φ]ΙΛΗΜΟΝΑ would have been universally recognized had it not been created by a particular individual or a small team on a specific location." (page 84)</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Supporting this notion, Laird points to the letter to the Ephesians (page 87). The earliest manuscripts (P46, 01, and 03) all testify to the title ΠΡΟΣ ΕΦΕΣΙΟΥΣ. Yet in these earliest witnesses the letter is uniformly written as ΠΡΟΣ ΕΦΕΣΙΟΥΣ. According to Laird, this points to the early circulation of an influential edition of Paul's letters.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">These assertions had me thinking about the many examples of personal letters that have survived from Oxyrhynchus. There are a plethora of letters preserved that have the recipient written on the reverse side and have a named letter carrier known and trusted by the sender of the letter. Of course, I cannot be exhaustive, but here are a few examples.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>P.Oxy 3.530.</b> This second century letter is one from a son to his mother concerning money matters. The letter carrier is named, a certain Chaeremon, and is obviously known and trusted by the sender of the letter because Chaeremen holds money to give to the sender's mother. Even though the letter carrier is known and trusted by the sender of the letter, the name of the one to receive the letter is still written on the back of the document.</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Dionysius to Tetheus his mother, greeting. I have received all the letters concerning which you write, and with regard to the wheat which the collectors have demanded from you it is admitted (?), but I had forgotten to make any order for payment; I have however paid in full the naubion and other taxes. Do not be concerned that the matter about which I wrote to Theon has not been carried out and that I have so long been engaged with Pausirion’s business to no purpose ... Please receive from Chaeremon the bearer of this letter 112 drachmae of silver of which you will give to my friend Sarapion son of Apei 100 drachmae and redeem my clothes, with 8 drachmae on account of interest, and keep 4 drachmae for yourself for the expenses of the festival. If I had had more I would have forwarded a further sum; I have borrowed to send even this. So pay him the money and get my clothes back safe, and put them in a secure place. Do not be anxious about us, for there is nothing the matter with us and we are at harmony with each other. Theonas salutes you. Salute the boys Apion and his brother Hermatois, Dionutas, those with Nice and the little Thaisous, all those with..., Heras and his household, Leontas the proud and his household, those with Taamois, and Thermoutharion. Good-bye. The 20th of the month Caesareus. (P.S.) Send me word about this immediately after the festival, whether you received the money and whether you recovered my clothes. Salute Dionutas and Theon. (Addressed) To my mother Tetheus." (translation taken from <a href="https://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;3;530">https://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;3;530</a>)</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The images are available here (<a href="https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Papyrus_1530">https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Papyrus_1530</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLEO05AMf-t99IxQ1Hzhy1JWqzryNp_nuApFxPNNiTqMG2eQVK_NosOZRldHA3_lRXX3FWmW5H7KD20I6D87MC9F1ULINkdQjly4oCoqMc17ABNHT-73VZfup-exDzk93iGdLmI1ic3F_niKPqJjG0UCHq6O_jlngulKgyUwB7ySE8bo5iASDI9lMsg/s1451/Screenshot_2023-03-24-15-19-13-518~2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="899" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLEO05AMf-t99IxQ1Hzhy1JWqzryNp_nuApFxPNNiTqMG2eQVK_NosOZRldHA3_lRXX3FWmW5H7KD20I6D87MC9F1ULINkdQjly4oCoqMc17ABNHT-73VZfup-exDzk93iGdLmI1ic3F_niKPqJjG0UCHq6O_jlngulKgyUwB7ySE8bo5iASDI9lMsg/w396-h640/Screenshot_2023-03-24-15-19-13-518~2.jpeg" width="396" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">P.Oxy 3.530</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYVMKne5HjqafmvnLK7E1CFVbegL8K7lBozalPDhActhWxaOGWkg0weTrypFNI7eP0T8mEO5duiOynBk-WLrfaWeSXWbY2oxsCY1518MVY23GU6C381ft_vAiFs7MATEwTZ7pDyGZtCeDqrgBZzgukKwAA_vez2nRnquB16KiuzSImJ6qC8nSRd0t3g/s1326/Screenshot_2023-03-24-15-29-39-078.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="1326" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYVMKne5HjqafmvnLK7E1CFVbegL8K7lBozalPDhActhWxaOGWkg0weTrypFNI7eP0T8mEO5duiOynBk-WLrfaWeSXWbY2oxsCY1518MVY23GU6C381ft_vAiFs7MATEwTZ7pDyGZtCeDqrgBZzgukKwAA_vez2nRnquB16KiuzSImJ6qC8nSRd0t3g/w640-h124/Screenshot_2023-03-24-15-29-39-078.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">P.Oxy 3.530 with the reverse showing to whom the letter is addressed:<br />Τεθεῦτι μητρί (Tetheus my mother)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>P.Oxy 6.930.</b> This is a letter written from a mother to her son. The first part of the letter normally containing the opening greeting is missing. Yet the receiver of the letter is preserved, written on the reverse side. Along with this, the mother is equally adressing her son's tutor who is apparently responsible for the boy. Even though the letter is addressed to her son on the reverse, she is also writing to her son's tutor Eros. </span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">" ... do not hesitate to write to me about anything which you require. It grieved me to learn from the daughter of our teacher Diogenes that he had sailed, for I had no anxiety about him, knowing that he intended to look after you to the best of his ability. I took care to send and ask about your health and learn what you are reading; he said that it was the sixth book and testified at length concerning your attendant. So my son, I urge both you and your attendant to take care that you go to a suitable teacher. Many salutations are sent to you by your sisters and Theonis’ children, whom the evil eye shall not harm, and by all our friends by name. Salute your esteemed attendant Eros ... (Addressed) ... to her son Ptolemaeus." (translation taken from <a href="https://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;6;930">https://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.oxy;6;930</a>)</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The images are available here (<a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/teach/papyrus/oxyrhynchus930.html">https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/teach/papyrus/oxyrhynchus930.html</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7XWeaVfnPjQ_mX_8eC4MmImY_nBs4EHm9cDTHim17tPMnGdtQO0EJdUuRZNxOKC-gXK8BVJl-A71oozXJKgLahWuV0d-GSQtYxm1OvmyxXjNPH9E8fGp2JgcCGV9saQm1kRbgQwKniVFQShS9G63oZpZbsaXjxdiARBHZ0_B3zXXiRGn6MfjVcbkdg/s1090/0011rmf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="703" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7XWeaVfnPjQ_mX_8eC4MmImY_nBs4EHm9cDTHim17tPMnGdtQO0EJdUuRZNxOKC-gXK8BVJl-A71oozXJKgLahWuV0d-GSQtYxm1OvmyxXjNPH9E8fGp2JgcCGV9saQm1kRbgQwKniVFQShS9G63oZpZbsaXjxdiARBHZ0_B3zXXiRGn6MfjVcbkdg/w412-h640/0011rmf.jpg" width="412" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">P.Oxy 6.930</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Both of these papyri are examples of why Laird's observations on the titles of Paul's epistles do not necessitate an early edited and released collection published in a single codex. The titles of Paul's letters most likely came from the recipient written on the back of the letter as we see from these two examples. Or, for the longer epistles, written on the outside of the folded sheets of papyrus. P.Oxy 3.530 is an example of a trusted letter carrier (Chaeremon) who is known by the sender, yet the address is stil written on the back. P.Oxy 6.930 helps to answer Laird's concerns over Ephesians. In this oxyrhynchus letter, the written recipient is not preserved at the beginning of the letter (as is the case for Ephesians in P46, etc). Yet we still know who the intended recipient of the letter was because it was preserved by being written on the back of the letter. The same could be true for the letter to the Ephesians. Assuming the theory of a circular letter is true, if the earliest copy of the letter to Ephesians had the recipients omitted in the text of the letter, but the first copy was sent to the Church at Ephesus and the recipient was written on the back, then this could account for the recipients being left blank in the body of the text, but the title being preserved as "to the Ephesians."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Considering these two letters, it is much more likely that the titles of the Pauline letters actually derived from the intended recipients being written on the outside of the original folded and dispatched letter. Especially when we consider that Colossians 4:16 actually gives evidence that individual letters were being circulated at the begining and not as part of an "official" published edition.</span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea." (Col 4:16; ESV)</span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite this disagreement with Laird on the title origins of the Pauline letter collection, I still have found Laird's book thought provoking and suggestive. I hope to post more thoughts and reflections in the near future.</span></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-52913217663885090102023-03-21T22:11:00.003-07:002023-03-21T22:11:39.546-07:00Review: "Logos and Literacy" by Jordan Peterson<p><span style="font-family: arial;">For a limited time, Daily Wire is offering a documentary on the impact of the Christian Bible upon the western world. The documentary is hosted by Jordan Peterson and takes place in the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. It can be found at the following link.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/logos-literacy-feature-film"><span style="font-family: arial;">https://www.dailywire.com/episode/logos-literacy-feature-film</span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/logos-literacy-feature-film" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7Jypk8se_-8PjpEV6gO57khwk9NeAmxyE-ebtf0Kjy59QRSJdeFBzEerXRr6poxUKLDFcGN2GtnjERZ_LjWAZfG7sEv3aDYRg9ygEOlaNIo-tBd6e7YrVOgQ8Bl23hPoMHxVgKBdpLx0wZuEglUaWJYZyPVjVCC-IZKBOMlGuNQK4y_t5cBYaZPsxg/w640-h400/Logos%20&%20Literacy%20Title.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/logos-literacy-feature-filmVvXsEg2Eo5Ee0qp8-0AD-e_9dnNf8P38L1qV4sZzJvScZup5m3vCCrdvBFlvSlb8HdqL9j-vhV3ccu-rTPVWA3dtqGijMQD4qwmAV_MVrnzSYdcWy0umYnERJzQIvlzJCEXt9hFOosAKXpOW3Heyq57KRZ24uFvalE8PzvhYxzXDISBlxI5OHtZj_dPOVfVaw/s1920/Logos%20&%20Literacy%20JP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Eo5Ee0qp8-0AD-e_9dnNf8P38L1qV4sZzJvScZup5m3vCCrdvBFlvSlb8HdqL9j-vhV3ccu-rTPVWA3dtqGijMQD4qwmAV_MVrnzSYdcWy0umYnERJzQIvlzJCEXt9hFOosAKXpOW3Heyq57KRZ24uFvalE8PzvhYxzXDISBlxI5OHtZj_dPOVfVaw/w640-h400/Logos%20&%20Literacy%20JP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The documentary run time is only 44 minutes, and because of the relative brevity, it does not delve into much detail. It is divided into nine "Chapters". The following is a list of these chapters with their location in minutes of video .</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 1: Museum of the Bible - 1:28 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 2: There Must be Logos - 4:37 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 3: The Written Word - 7:21 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 4: Teaching the Psalms - 12:59 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 5: Music and Memory - 16:20 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 6: Mass Production - 19:01 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 7: Translation to the Vernacular - 23:50 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 8: The Men of Science - 31:39 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 9: The Bible's Legacy - 38:53 minutes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Summary of Content:</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 1</b> introduces Brian Hyland, the Curator of Medieval Manuscripts at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. He begins by introducing a mural on the fourth floor of the museum. This mural blends the images of the Isaiah Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bodmer Psalms in Greek, a Medieval Psalter, The Gutenberg Bible, and the title of the Old Testament portion from the King James Bible. This serves as a great introduction to the content that will be covered in this documentary.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 2</b> discusses the creation narrative in Genesis and the parallels it has with Mesopotamian creation stories. Keith Getty, the songwriter who composed the hymn "In Christ Alone," is introduced and he ties in the Genesis story with the presence of the "Logos" at the beginning of creation in the Gospel of John. Getty states that "beauty and truth are linked together in the creator God. Another commentator, later introduced as Vishal Mangalwadi, Christian Philosopher, interprets the use of the word Logos in John to mean that reason was at the foundation and creation of the world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 3</b> presents the advent of writing by showing some stunning images of Cuneiform tablets. Jordan Peterson discusses the gradual development of writing from keeping accounts to writing down and recording thoughts and stories. Rabbi Moshe Englander, who works at the Museum of the Bible as a Torah scribe, declares that there are 304,805 letters in the Hebrew Torah. Jeff Kloha, Chief Curator at the Museum of the Bible showcases the Bodmer Psalms, a 3rd or 4th century papyrus copy of the Greek Psalms (P.Bodmer XXIV). Hyland, continuing to discuss the Bodmer Psalms, gives a rough description of the codex and their early construction. He connects the Bodmer psalms with the Pachomian Monastery in Egypt and the requirement that all the monks in the monastery must be literate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 4</b> introduces Vishal Mangalwadi who discusses that literacy is wound into the very fabric Jewish religion and culture. He notes that the Jewish people are the model to the western world that the home is the beginning of education. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 5 </b>gives the floor to Hyland who introduces images from a Greek Lectionary and highlights the musical notation in the lectionary. Getty declares that "Christianity is a singing religion," that the Psalms have been sung throughout Christian history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 6</b> takes the viewer into the Middle Ages with the mass production of Latin bibles for use in the universities of western Europe. Hyland showcases several that are on display at the Museum of the Bible, utilizing close up camera angles and detailed shots of the colored and decorated initials. Kloha displays the museums copy of the Gutenberg Bible and discusses the role that printing had in expanding literacy and the availability of biblical text to a wider audience. Hyland also displays a bible in the museum's collection that was printed Gutenberg's partners, Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 7</b> has Jordan Peterson and Hyland introducing the translation of the biblical text into European vernacular languages. The difficulty of word for word translation is discussed. The work of Martin Luther is highlighted, his goal of making a translation that the common people of Saxony could understand. Several close-up shots of Luther's bible are presented. Mangalwadi proposed that it was Protestant Christianity's emphasis on reading and understanding the bible that brought literacy to everyone. Kloha showcases the museums copy of the King James Bible and states that it "is the most significant translation into English ever."</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 8</b> has Jordan Peterson proposing that the medieval universities emerged from the Church and modern science came out of the Christian tradition. Emphasizing this fact, Mangalwadi notes that Psalms 11:2 is written over the entrance of the world's first laboratory at Cambridge University. He argues that the Christian belief in a creator motivated the first scientists to study creation. The work and impact of scientists Galileo, Newton, and Carver are discussed in light of their Christian faith. Mangalwadi proposes that modern science developed after Protestantism spread, and along with it, literacy and an "intellectual revolution."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chapter 9</b> begins with Mangalwadi arguing that the modern concept of personal property and capitalism came out of the biblical teaching that each individual is a creator made in the image of God. Kloha and Getty emphasize the impact the bible has had on the arts, literature, the moral law and all aspects of western culture. Jordan Peterson wraps up the documentary by proposing that the bible is an example of the multiplicity of human experience and wisdom told in a collection of stories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Review</b>:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are only a few minor criticisms that I have of the documentary overall. First, I wish there had been more close and detailed images and camera angles of the various manuscripts and books that were showcased. Some of the close up, raking light shots of the Gutenberg bible were stunning. More of this with all of the artifacts would have been even better. There were a few times where I wasn't sure if I agreed with the facts presented. For example, when the King James Bible was being featured, it was touted as </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"the most significant translation into English ever" by Kloha. I would disagree only in degree with this statement. It depends on what one means by significance. I would argue that either Tyndale's translation, or even the Geneva Bible translation might actually be hailed as more important than the King James Bible.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite these minor criticisms, I felt like the documentary was a nice 30,000-foot view of the history of the Christian Bible in the Western world. It would make for a nice center piece for a discussion group or study. It also serves as a good introduction to the holdings of the Museum of the bible in D.C. This is helpful to those who have not visited the museum and are on the edge as to whether it is worth a visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The following are links to two of the artifacts showcased in the documentary.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">P.Bodmer XXIV -</span><a href="https://collections.museumofthebible.org/artifacts/42463-pbodmer-xxiv-rahlfs-2110"><span style="font-family: arial;">P.Bodmer XXIV (Rahlfs 2110) | Museum of the Bible</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9tfqOUFd2Bpo-8VZFuZEDBDE0AXam7tA_RSZBRuZKXCJLVMZT0X2AEouEH2xS67saqPsBiwSveSCIkefVI6WOvJSjfLERSISLfiFFHpveSdmxRU6BscRXfpWT2dklm0TmACh-KXdi2vDWyjwj-T5-PutiLtGC8We5KlWQC0wxsjlsBqETqUIkd3mVw/s959/Bodmer%20Psalms%20MOTB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9tfqOUFd2Bpo-8VZFuZEDBDE0AXam7tA_RSZBRuZKXCJLVMZT0X2AEouEH2xS67saqPsBiwSveSCIkefVI6WOvJSjfLERSISLfiFFHpveSdmxRU6BscRXfpWT2dklm0TmACh-KXdi2vDWyjwj-T5-PutiLtGC8We5KlWQC0wxsjlsBqETqUIkd3mVw/w422-h640/Bodmer%20Psalms%20MOTB.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The partners of Gutenberg; Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer Bible</span><div><a href="https://collections.museumofthebible.org/artifacts/44879-biblia-latina-johann-fust-and-peter-schoffer-bible"><span style="font-family: arial;">Biblia Latina; Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer Bible | Museum of the Bible</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06qrc0RLBW5J3nHOsDoOIyD24j_wsDT-oPlbokUWzLhkh0oCV83cvoZWxHjCIAPV_mK5_9CuxOvAHf_XncqoPS7nWD_JCUHxTAowEgYnbrBpS07If_H94gwwyrGIeof9FzehT4Md5WQ3suTEyFTJpP9F7KjfhhMGWOyM_F6RmmTHuj11NSfi9xJH0gA/s1469/Fust%20and%20Schoffer%20Bible%20MOTB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1469" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06qrc0RLBW5J3nHOsDoOIyD24j_wsDT-oPlbokUWzLhkh0oCV83cvoZWxHjCIAPV_mK5_9CuxOvAHf_XncqoPS7nWD_JCUHxTAowEgYnbrBpS07If_H94gwwyrGIeof9FzehT4Md5WQ3suTEyFTJpP9F7KjfhhMGWOyM_F6RmmTHuj11NSfi9xJH0gA/w640-h470/Fust%20and%20Schoffer%20Bible%20MOTB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-3689690468488916162022-08-03T02:30:00.009-07:002022-08-15T14:13:59.004-07:00Lincoln College Summer School of Greek Palaeography<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAst2iR745kJCzY65JG_jU95sn8QroQXgxt53-gxt9p5iwHePsaIh9u3Vg7yA0u9dwH5X1kdcQl3lC3msVcTugnfvlFFOe7MRCNbVSUVMrr1KTSW0PwYC4q8X5kLm8T8IdVaxZfv-o3fONIW6dTfg-of9TphEWMwkaNyNiMsXfHPiTkWFdU-dKTJfJw/s1297/Lincoln%20College%20Summer%20School.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="1297" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAst2iR745kJCzY65JG_jU95sn8QroQXgxt53-gxt9p5iwHePsaIh9u3Vg7yA0u9dwH5X1kdcQl3lC3msVcTugnfvlFFOe7MRCNbVSUVMrr1KTSW0PwYC4q8X5kLm8T8IdVaxZfv-o3fONIW6dTfg-of9TphEWMwkaNyNiMsXfHPiTkWFdU-dKTJfJw/w400-h164/Lincoln%20College%20Summer%20School.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the <a href="https://maryjahariscenter.org/blog/8th-lincoln-college-summer-school-of-greek-palaeography" target="_blank">8th Lincoln College Summer School of Greek Palaeography</a> at the University of Oxford (July 25-30, 2022). Originally the school was to take place in 2020, but due to Covid restrictions, the school was postponed until this year. The classes were composed of three elements; in classroom reading sessions facilitated by expert instructors; library visits in which instruction was given with manuscripts in various institution libraries; finally, with an evening lecture on a particular topic related to Greek palaeography. The in class reading sessions and the evening lectures occurred at the Ioannou Centre for Classical & Byzantine Studies, which was right behind the Ashmolean Museum off of St. Giles Street. This was a very nice facility, with a central location, and a close proximity to the Ashmolean that was nice to stroll through and read Greek inscriptions on lunch breaks and grab a quick bite on the rooftop restaurant.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1gzrphEvCoQIh8VDo2xT_5TOfA0kSru9oWhUEw7QCbuiMk04z7zsXtknYfuCFsFePK3p5iygmbjKO4faMWlu8QY6Aw5yrbgtokjRAj26lNR-fqNzhBYuiGL3Kk4-fZHsuYhPTKEQait6ZaRGOSQXnQlLEpBFQTX9qiHQo0SkS_Isu-wgfdq-mtAD8g/s4096/IMG_20220726_180621519.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1gzrphEvCoQIh8VDo2xT_5TOfA0kSru9oWhUEw7QCbuiMk04z7zsXtknYfuCFsFePK3p5iygmbjKO4faMWlu8QY6Aw5yrbgtokjRAj26lNR-fqNzhBYuiGL3Kk4-fZHsuYhPTKEQait6ZaRGOSQXnQlLEpBFQTX9qiHQo0SkS_Isu-wgfdq-mtAD8g/s320/IMG_20220726_180621519.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">There were twenty students in total organized into three separate reading groups facilitated by a different instructor. These instructors were, Dr Georgi Parpulov, Dr Christos Simelidis, and Dr Dimitrios Skrekas. I was in Dr Georgi Parpulov's reading group.<br /><br /></span><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwFWlW7WO3nLq_m7m2QUpX_AWLVKIZtcLTp0SpR0ItO4llqKoRGmzaE32RDjxQrTi-eR7nxnacR6yO0WFQmr7JpQ3DNGjqVeC7V-A5iDeBAYSOl5khQAhI6udKoR8SHA9-OY60S1fyhzsbnXAoB8t2CthFC8SXSYN725tQHk1erfHOb4EWCA0kbEPpw/s4096/IMG_20220725_131622373.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwFWlW7WO3nLq_m7m2QUpX_AWLVKIZtcLTp0SpR0ItO4llqKoRGmzaE32RDjxQrTi-eR7nxnacR6yO0WFQmr7JpQ3DNGjqVeC7V-A5iDeBAYSOl5khQAhI6udKoR8SHA9-OY60S1fyhzsbnXAoB8t2CthFC8SXSYN725tQHk1erfHOb4EWCA0kbEPpw/s320/IMG_20220725_131622373.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Each day of class we were greeted by this <br />Roman statue of a Greek athlete</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(I will post pictures from each of the library visits below with each picture labelled for their location. WARNING: there are many pictures)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the Monday library excursion visited the Christ Church library lead by Dr. Georgi Parpulov. The Christ Church library was a beautiful facility and the manuscripts were truly striking. One in particular had several paintings of the evangelists. To be honest, it was difficult to pay attention to the excellent instruction because the surroundings were so overwhelmingly beautiful and the codices were open before us in all their glory.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the Tuesday library visit we made the first of two trips to the new Bodleian Library, called the Weston Library. Though the library was not as visually pleasing as Christ Church (there were no intricately carved wooden bookcases with volume upon volume stacked before us), the facilities were new and state of the art in the Horton Reading Room. Dr. Parpulov lead this visit for our group and the reading room had a large screen TV tied to a high quality camera that allowed Dr. Parpulov to point out features in the manuscript. After the presentation, the codices were laid out on the table and we were free to examine them in greater detail with either Dr. Parpulov or the curator turning the pages.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the Wednesday library visit, we went to the Weston Library again, this time with Dr Dimitrios Skrekas facilitating the excursion and with a another curator. We were once again in the Horton Reading Room but with a new series of manuscripts. Unlike the last visit, the curator (a different one from the previous day) gave an interesting discussion on conservation practices and philosophy at the Bodleian. After the presentations, we were once again free to examine each manuscript and make observations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My favorite library trip was by far the Old Magdalen Library at Magdalen College (pronounced Maudlin). It was facilitated by Dr. Nigel Wilson who was a wellspring of knowledge. The library room itself was something out of a medieval monastery. Ancient books lined the shelves and the windows looked past statues overlooking the cloistered garden. What was particularly enjoyable is that the Magdalen College policies allowed for us to handle the manuscripts ourselves. This provided great enjoyment flipping through the manuscripts and examining them in greater detail. Incidentally, I stayed on the Magdalene College Grounds, which are beautiful and well kept. The dining hall is fabulous and Addison's walk was lovely to stroll around in the evenings.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">On Friday we had no library visits, only in class reading sessions. The school ended on Saturday with a three hour test in which we had to transcribe images of manuscripts. Overall, it was an amazing week filled with world class instruction, fantastic surroundings, ancient books, and meeting fellow manuscript nerds. I am grateful for the opportunity of attending the Lincoln College Summer School of Greek Palaeography.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2AJf-gPyE_E2qaaG8iSvHJwn0X4r_MGjGfoIc0zjXYcKhMbfdVqTdiVhmhTpKo8HtmSw6c4Jl29DBI7Q2Lv3Rs_a_9Ow2eV5uqVp9lZ2qwOsdwQfnZIjgUHKv1vHYOI-2xOef3Yo-AgShZYcg_U8PscNvAgMB47X-2rPAYhSu4Oed48mAkhhqUvgfA/s4096/IMG_20220731_191838318_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2AJf-gPyE_E2qaaG8iSvHJwn0X4r_MGjGfoIc0zjXYcKhMbfdVqTdiVhmhTpKo8HtmSw6c4Jl29DBI7Q2Lv3Rs_a_9Ow2eV5uqVp9lZ2qwOsdwQfnZIjgUHKv1vHYOI-2xOef3Yo-AgShZYcg_U8PscNvAgMB47X-2rPAYhSu4Oed48mAkhhqUvgfA/w480-h640/IMG_20220731_191838318_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQzXpbK5qVTu-dr1qoxxpJThbl8KUf0yuJwHgtyczrKcxZAHtpPwG-zC31AtiIBjKwypTVZeBuCJxQUnXPRttwZSCV2C8HcEj2KFJ5clrah-v0jt-lCtqE26-uG9vgMfbm5xyuZgZyo33wbtSSya4Evk9VPTQPO4sQvvwoyx9vPpWV-qEIvEUgwChMQ/s4096/IMG_20220731_191855720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQzXpbK5qVTu-dr1qoxxpJThbl8KUf0yuJwHgtyczrKcxZAHtpPwG-zC31AtiIBjKwypTVZeBuCJxQUnXPRttwZSCV2C8HcEj2KFJ5clrah-v0jt-lCtqE26-uG9vgMfbm5xyuZgZyo33wbtSSya4Evk9VPTQPO4sQvvwoyx9vPpWV-qEIvEUgwChMQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220731_191855720.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWVIO5SxlVRhEEx9q4xZyuipW0thn3rbqIQV6O_8Lgv_8Y1y0zhEwZgl8-tWP8dyVu7WL_M2qdrrRYDznqUPRgZeweejhpVJkfSjuC6e4KLk8tJDhk0SyJkhRMlBAione5Z2JgItM3pcvPlFs7o4Cj_9T1v7CWcgp19mWbo4o126UBiuEfXxGKRH9nA/s4096/IMG_20220725_111734082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWVIO5SxlVRhEEx9q4xZyuipW0thn3rbqIQV6O_8Lgv_8Y1y0zhEwZgl8-tWP8dyVu7WL_M2qdrrRYDznqUPRgZeweejhpVJkfSjuC6e4KLk8tJDhk0SyJkhRMlBAione5Z2JgItM3pcvPlFs7o4Cj_9T1v7CWcgp19mWbo4o126UBiuEfXxGKRH9nA/w480-h640/IMG_20220725_111734082.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9ZFXGNVg5uEZ6tA55FHy2o4ffm8jxljONJVa4oXFWqBMxhSrPjhU8lecFUv1zafszgAs6tGqooBGXtZoEjKWiDDNBWKp6c-85ub2cuHDlBu-RcbqfbKNGB3etdy2wKmX6L7-63DoZb6hwtpOxxE4AcSHvvKdXwb4a96RjNkxY2nVKnMvLT82KbBUvQ/s4096/IMG_20220725_111739225.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9ZFXGNVg5uEZ6tA55FHy2o4ffm8jxljONJVa4oXFWqBMxhSrPjhU8lecFUv1zafszgAs6tGqooBGXtZoEjKWiDDNBWKp6c-85ub2cuHDlBu-RcbqfbKNGB3etdy2wKmX6L7-63DoZb6hwtpOxxE4AcSHvvKdXwb4a96RjNkxY2nVKnMvLT82KbBUvQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220725_111739225.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDTh5EnHsn2WXR_LI5ZAS7iPwaSurOxZPVD07OqjAxKuGhYMLkTfo2Dablt1l5LGcd04KDN8g9ANV-0mhm2LUKO9UHeOwuoNqlPnPC-LgF--MW_5wkpIbrku08U6Q-uFwXFpTgA-GGVG0BMGjgx-GLkcRC07q23-zLDo0n7wZBj_3qQXdrZ2MM8ZBGg/s4096/IMG_20220725_112119361.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDTh5EnHsn2WXR_LI5ZAS7iPwaSurOxZPVD07OqjAxKuGhYMLkTfo2Dablt1l5LGcd04KDN8g9ANV-0mhm2LUKO9UHeOwuoNqlPnPC-LgF--MW_5wkpIbrku08U6Q-uFwXFpTgA-GGVG0BMGjgx-GLkcRC07q23-zLDo0n7wZBj_3qQXdrZ2MM8ZBGg/w640-h480/IMG_20220725_112119361.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j4PxJy7MLxi-8w7YqGUOfpDEOCvEAMcJxpHU9IaDHhbC2VdXRLLAtgr-huBRd48EBhSm7smc8o9VaSGwO9_D4PCR5oqqjhMNtI9gTWOOZiBDgndbFuujUQGj0w9CicXcBfe9FDE8Ez2H-7GennuBM8fX41AgRHnb-GUg-zAMFe0IC-kpnSC-kkAsbA/s4096/IMG_20220725_111857317_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j4PxJy7MLxi-8w7YqGUOfpDEOCvEAMcJxpHU9IaDHhbC2VdXRLLAtgr-huBRd48EBhSm7smc8o9VaSGwO9_D4PCR5oqqjhMNtI9gTWOOZiBDgndbFuujUQGj0w9CicXcBfe9FDE8Ez2H-7GennuBM8fX41AgRHnb-GUg-zAMFe0IC-kpnSC-kkAsbA/w480-h640/IMG_20220725_111857317_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iXPFBGUZoMEevdGSfoLSvQVDfUw9LFJF-hgbLGSvH_GXeClkBjUH9ywBldiKF7VbaYErZdfDMR4ziclovIUv1mO9qmpUh8j6CN5NdlHlGyTO3I3ImKc6Ll6NYC-C6tjz2uoB0wfx-QWzLIc6ydmyWQVusVu0Ra4-DAEQgkAVDeDOhVgs518ZzI-vyA/s4096/IMG_20220725_111903499.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iXPFBGUZoMEevdGSfoLSvQVDfUw9LFJF-hgbLGSvH_GXeClkBjUH9ywBldiKF7VbaYErZdfDMR4ziclovIUv1mO9qmpUh8j6CN5NdlHlGyTO3I3ImKc6Ll6NYC-C6tjz2uoB0wfx-QWzLIc6ydmyWQVusVu0Ra4-DAEQgkAVDeDOhVgs518ZzI-vyA/w480-h640/IMG_20220725_111903499.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EAcB2a9BCTLl2gTPsFgJlDBjdcBwe4hSQbKI9utPCzt_ON_ncPb6_yDjksw2Ao908tfgTXbhPOHsZMBfpI9i32CN6fxXYy7hJoTBzP9_nYOdbH75hpLgJIAZO3tnrUHddLiDvnTMKgPQsK64vOC1702GncClgfrb7F8H6WDsKd_uH-vGr2fnCaVfkQ/s4096/IMG_20220725_114320943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EAcB2a9BCTLl2gTPsFgJlDBjdcBwe4hSQbKI9utPCzt_ON_ncPb6_yDjksw2Ao908tfgTXbhPOHsZMBfpI9i32CN6fxXYy7hJoTBzP9_nYOdbH75hpLgJIAZO3tnrUHddLiDvnTMKgPQsK64vOC1702GncClgfrb7F8H6WDsKd_uH-vGr2fnCaVfkQ/w480-h640/IMG_20220725_114320943.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI64vEQnnppMTfY7nFyf4YYefUOenBOgwz98wlDfzGhF6IWX73hqm8APgzndnaok5gqosR9Dsgn3dy8Xt--FxxHwpjr_7dYPaCNWkLN0s_paAkIJu4PqUGjZGeNRAjIZStlW8uPNOIhqSVJMqo_8o7gtoJs3XCYZjfID20ykR6IzhHeFUmUFwHlQRMqg/s4096/IMG_20220725_123544460.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI64vEQnnppMTfY7nFyf4YYefUOenBOgwz98wlDfzGhF6IWX73hqm8APgzndnaok5gqosR9Dsgn3dy8Xt--FxxHwpjr_7dYPaCNWkLN0s_paAkIJu4PqUGjZGeNRAjIZStlW8uPNOIhqSVJMqo_8o7gtoJs3XCYZjfID20ykR6IzhHeFUmUFwHlQRMqg/w640-h480/IMG_20220725_123544460.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRmb5c0_YB5PF9CCw5h-zNFq75YlyLO1wKe05fjiQSi1nMBry22o1eOuJb6v7ZF8JaGBlp9Xj8Ac-NmGvkrO0CyplTZpJqv2nAQv5N4LotWltaaXL6I1vDSrM_jqg7sUQfSD-A4eE5vnnV96WI-U_yOwfGO8D60hsxaxjW_OD3kwAs39WJe4eoIsX9w/s4096/IMG_20220725_123636049_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRmb5c0_YB5PF9CCw5h-zNFq75YlyLO1wKe05fjiQSi1nMBry22o1eOuJb6v7ZF8JaGBlp9Xj8Ac-NmGvkrO0CyplTZpJqv2nAQv5N4LotWltaaXL6I1vDSrM_jqg7sUQfSD-A4eE5vnnV96WI-U_yOwfGO8D60hsxaxjW_OD3kwAs39WJe4eoIsX9w/w640-h480/IMG_20220725_123636049_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAPIKfrjFsIDPwJHGVcFEehRIlQ9INLQx8u0f4ky7RNQtt6_DUOEq6Ucb6OGurMeGuWIogwv4iMIZgYItW3YsUEWuTxkiqY0UJmr_-BWhad9SqUssQdm6M0OmPJpZMKHtpWtZyfOPO6aAf5TUQPLiG9bdFdrT-StXrEsYgpKrO81BU3cc27L6iTO1A/s4096/IMG_20220725_123728945.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAPIKfrjFsIDPwJHGVcFEehRIlQ9INLQx8u0f4ky7RNQtt6_DUOEq6Ucb6OGurMeGuWIogwv4iMIZgYItW3YsUEWuTxkiqY0UJmr_-BWhad9SqUssQdm6M0OmPJpZMKHtpWtZyfOPO6aAf5TUQPLiG9bdFdrT-StXrEsYgpKrO81BU3cc27L6iTO1A/w640-h480/IMG_20220725_123728945.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP1TczO9ZW0rhGMpVWDXgvu-X869hcs4Hr1Ht7d-1Kt7-QuRYv0JUQcKpeOI8eW4c6zsfCPQv9ZEopuauQ3o-JIYL4tst9OwlyOmjBOrslgFMecVirUEp5uTVbrQIzm6jWKi-qtalfvIf22rgqcWbHqSwZ7wW9C8m4KUgXY8_Utt8htm4mE-FmIasHA/s4096/IMG_20220725_123721871_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP1TczO9ZW0rhGMpVWDXgvu-X869hcs4Hr1Ht7d-1Kt7-QuRYv0JUQcKpeOI8eW4c6zsfCPQv9ZEopuauQ3o-JIYL4tst9OwlyOmjBOrslgFMecVirUEp5uTVbrQIzm6jWKi-qtalfvIf22rgqcWbHqSwZ7wW9C8m4KUgXY8_Utt8htm4mE-FmIasHA/w480-h640/IMG_20220725_123721871_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC7nry1YGsCjLpts40rTBS5NSvTvYHdqFakAK9OMonk8oYwQFhdb2EngcdAGPfRaPNFtRbHgD4-Xqh5MfnE1gq5VtztOtlp3yPGqtFVcIoXxlRdQNAN5_O0ivzPuVYi-3O0MwIcosyDgP3WXYfuKt1WvKHQwg7KDd0axuv48dZWay3c7gQsp8jMu1hA/s4096/IMG_20220726_111104554.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC7nry1YGsCjLpts40rTBS5NSvTvYHdqFakAK9OMonk8oYwQFhdb2EngcdAGPfRaPNFtRbHgD4-Xqh5MfnE1gq5VtztOtlp3yPGqtFVcIoXxlRdQNAN5_O0ivzPuVYi-3O0MwIcosyDgP3WXYfuKt1WvKHQwg7KDd0axuv48dZWay3c7gQsp8jMu1hA/w400-h300/IMG_20220726_111104554.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNt-rUErkRySWSl67qnEDyeAlmTj4yteXTxBr0qBBvuyg36C2b29KxQ3ME65AQ67uEEYLcJ-gMAfI2T0f_1KEIcc3PPga-WCh5vNdD5lxm1__H1fy1BaNXlgCh3_sstR_B-7-O1ryYIlPF2qMLn4RzDcHOVBrFxI9fH4jucZUTOz5lgUfY3_uGC2y7w/s4096/IMG_20220726_112018286.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNt-rUErkRySWSl67qnEDyeAlmTj4yteXTxBr0qBBvuyg36C2b29KxQ3ME65AQ67uEEYLcJ-gMAfI2T0f_1KEIcc3PPga-WCh5vNdD5lxm1__H1fy1BaNXlgCh3_sstR_B-7-O1ryYIlPF2qMLn4RzDcHOVBrFxI9fH4jucZUTOz5lgUfY3_uGC2y7w/w640-h480/IMG_20220726_112018286.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlvDpWvafV0s4Jae5RllkNSbfesbjEztKoWiMRqt2UER1NaTBeBfDEyCwS6C-Eaq-ulEJw5VMI1wtApsZ2uYxDF-Q3hclWCLfuIipLlt-dj95j_7H0aGvRlHT46zqf5J1ytiz6x1d_Mpwvb_QfNWOEov9r0Nj-otbQp4t_7NeOq2z9i5GhU2fgiiJ6Q/s4096/IMG_20220726_113027081.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlvDpWvafV0s4Jae5RllkNSbfesbjEztKoWiMRqt2UER1NaTBeBfDEyCwS6C-Eaq-ulEJw5VMI1wtApsZ2uYxDF-Q3hclWCLfuIipLlt-dj95j_7H0aGvRlHT46zqf5J1ytiz6x1d_Mpwvb_QfNWOEov9r0Nj-otbQp4t_7NeOq2z9i5GhU2fgiiJ6Q/w640-h480/IMG_20220726_113027081.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzGW-r32pI-Fzx5cPPhw1FddDiMDezxG2qrhffUJ2cyhu8EsbY4qRZgnXcgCTnADtFjK-KiD3R5R6ssnuYyDbGH5ddb0lcOtHP9KL46iRVJZFKt0_noh4_QgiHpcP8z2cBNL50PRiHDgKvnFTbHkxXPAu48o_m890A_K63ciUror0XWTg83sciQv7YA/s4096/IMG_20220726_114059527.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzGW-r32pI-Fzx5cPPhw1FddDiMDezxG2qrhffUJ2cyhu8EsbY4qRZgnXcgCTnADtFjK-KiD3R5R6ssnuYyDbGH5ddb0lcOtHP9KL46iRVJZFKt0_noh4_QgiHpcP8z2cBNL50PRiHDgKvnFTbHkxXPAu48o_m890A_K63ciUror0XWTg83sciQv7YA/w480-h640/IMG_20220726_114059527.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx4wc3Pf4UtdtwoKum5HkjdkiALsRPnbgU1MnKTF8z484JhabSh3oKK1wuFbSb2RMO3sANizQclJvH4WSvaX2MzkTPwkW3QBJwY6Lu8Hroq13fQMJiwoaipWoHJrgFvS2z1PmDj9C82ESG4B7C992fw-HoAJg13NE9Nm37T_FgK6XrPxDfy4ljJvMqA/s4096/IMG_20220726_115034146.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx4wc3Pf4UtdtwoKum5HkjdkiALsRPnbgU1MnKTF8z484JhabSh3oKK1wuFbSb2RMO3sANizQclJvH4WSvaX2MzkTPwkW3QBJwY6Lu8Hroq13fQMJiwoaipWoHJrgFvS2z1PmDj9C82ESG4B7C992fw-HoAJg13NE9Nm37T_FgK6XrPxDfy4ljJvMqA/w640-h480/IMG_20220726_115034146.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRsSSUOCcsVd_lXiY-NfdAqJe_ajn-yLTFS0sMGWfEKh-KkXiV981zZGk5L1lJTkAOCsUTApiCCX2OCT_3fknh9Fnc8sH6zsQTlm4AuioQ1F8QPOEkm0pvDn1Lo8mE1RbQOe5FUeqfI7TpOmE0f5j2qg4nhrvHlcT6HJ-hBxacf_uS1yQnCjpwKSqMg/s4096/IMG_20220726_115722281.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRsSSUOCcsVd_lXiY-NfdAqJe_ajn-yLTFS0sMGWfEKh-KkXiV981zZGk5L1lJTkAOCsUTApiCCX2OCT_3fknh9Fnc8sH6zsQTlm4AuioQ1F8QPOEkm0pvDn1Lo8mE1RbQOe5FUeqfI7TpOmE0f5j2qg4nhrvHlcT6HJ-hBxacf_uS1yQnCjpwKSqMg/w480-h640/IMG_20220726_115722281.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2U6aCR7mziKhTSzSAFoIONQ0d74IMFtGYj4pbMSYnDaSijADvSJAU2M7PiejXsTxYrO491vND0XsRog9J_vk9YvpF9uX-qg2_alPo9pTslxZrwq_GYOEuyND5rSyeHmNsqkdFwSSU0gVpwmvSjKi6FoFOLjeS7iL673_N9LHkDl8j6_aKlNFww6fCg/s4096/IMG_20220726_123322208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2U6aCR7mziKhTSzSAFoIONQ0d74IMFtGYj4pbMSYnDaSijADvSJAU2M7PiejXsTxYrO491vND0XsRog9J_vk9YvpF9uX-qg2_alPo9pTslxZrwq_GYOEuyND5rSyeHmNsqkdFwSSU0gVpwmvSjKi6FoFOLjeS7iL673_N9LHkDl8j6_aKlNFww6fCg/w640-h480/IMG_20220726_123322208.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFyd316_maknYPHG-Xy4Pfpk8XsfZZ_ZoH7qpW6_WaloG-98advM29uLVP_8QQKUKTqWHE_TBR7yIWcBZMKHaIKLeXrnD7BAky5TEgy9LAnvPyrvCepG6L1kGUBOhPKRSk49xh2FhHyGYTp4xAE1DeJHJzCJZ7ehJbuxqHRKzg0LFt1HqlXcuDjQuIg/s4096/IMG_20220726_125022021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFyd316_maknYPHG-Xy4Pfpk8XsfZZ_ZoH7qpW6_WaloG-98advM29uLVP_8QQKUKTqWHE_TBR7yIWcBZMKHaIKLeXrnD7BAky5TEgy9LAnvPyrvCepG6L1kGUBOhPKRSk49xh2FhHyGYTp4xAE1DeJHJzCJZ7ehJbuxqHRKzg0LFt1HqlXcuDjQuIg/w640-h480/IMG_20220726_125022021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Tuesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFG5KUN8dH5wUEy52Ptb1Z_EeLHyYnoL0lYVtfKw9tUBkE2HAxI0AShm54fQ9zMcsADkJnj87BHyvpuwUAEXOLeHVHI4-I6Guz0CXfkfT9lDS_mEYP_gU8r_5nyUc1CdP4HW1oh-sX1C4y43T1MLUvwZ9sKDVOMhBvL0A2eemAlEQhpLk1x85Wd3VEQ/s4096/IMG_20220726_123718648.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; 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margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaYZuj7shFy3LdTLT-nf7g7rdu-9bdailzC6ZpDhCKo5ZNbAMeO_HL2SplQBwPu2HIm_JcGspJ4WN5kuI3CdH5QnZfpgaDwTSEVGhwqoJQmR-Aoz7UQw90dJOvR7i__k7l2KoucBCSoDit0jXCpm3aejK3s1ez-vGWFSC6bWAZTyUybHybows6tkQlQ/w300-h400/IMG_20220727_111452632.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6TzDwhr2su_nfmsoUXOPMdMZP5MY_KMBmmkfF2nKSw-4qcsWc3nASfVQ4ggj4eexoJMsifBpM0I5YdvyyA3dtI1GGxJ3iBaUpOBhKRrPYUo2kc11OM_VXZYRVbBcoyVlyp5gEO5nbc7xVmOSsYkqIfAaydbhqu_zgujnK_1Qnf4VmhVmTc9_iKg3qw/s4096/IMG_20220727_111530676.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6TzDwhr2su_nfmsoUXOPMdMZP5MY_KMBmmkfF2nKSw-4qcsWc3nASfVQ4ggj4eexoJMsifBpM0I5YdvyyA3dtI1GGxJ3iBaUpOBhKRrPYUo2kc11OM_VXZYRVbBcoyVlyp5gEO5nbc7xVmOSsYkqIfAaydbhqu_zgujnK_1Qnf4VmhVmTc9_iKg3qw/w480-h640/IMG_20220727_111530676.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XM9HCuPLk4Ix6JXlrvMzsQFB3efgnKgF_VsWOyRVOv2NcXpSVq4fj4TFfIGMd1rB6gJJ3QpdWMzdvYG9t-BiPpFQIiKoYsdWXzivkvQLTXv_m6QOjhbYpxJaqShXxd28SD80TVY9MpGgFHRQrT7W3b_H3AZ2RsSFmFhLCjHtBrOHZC4yYvTdn0IuvQ/s4096/IMG_20220727_111905878.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; 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margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwf9g5fXxue4D3sC4YxVFo5LZZZ41R_GmSmgZp2zI7eFKkWjC50CJ44JtOM-oiM_C6TNjadXerIklb-Rsd8aH9VKu-Z8I8sa0i3s_yn-L85T_ZCiOnqBClo2CDAPnrL2yByDDHOClkWQfKPzqv6umtAkZXz9xWHRCym7CWg4GnZg6dLLgQDIzfEsUhg/w480-h640/IMG_20220727_113431175.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS9AT2wY5N8ESSuxhLgk2_pZAQTfRkPPtH3A_jV3iHJLyNCtka-zrc4esTBwrqPGh2Y35nNGH-Agd0Rq0vMMIIUnCfEri7fqwhj26aCb1MDCzY35H4aTw3wAlL4VOMHl9LUa6_ITTOOUEBX0jWXFZR5gXXv4Svl74NoQ4e7l0YVYX6Ey629o3W9LBJg/s4096/IMG_20220727_113314050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS9AT2wY5N8ESSuxhLgk2_pZAQTfRkPPtH3A_jV3iHJLyNCtka-zrc4esTBwrqPGh2Y35nNGH-Agd0Rq0vMMIIUnCfEri7fqwhj26aCb1MDCzY35H4aTw3wAlL4VOMHl9LUa6_ITTOOUEBX0jWXFZR5gXXv4Svl74NoQ4e7l0YVYX6Ey629o3W9LBJg/w480-h640/IMG_20220727_113314050.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrxVMKMGUG6SmLrYYcKavoPuRO9te1aDFVlth80O4QxhFnUu7R5S_PZSJoeN8OdLk2Lz7GnWaPUKIpB9rm8R_qBtYJ5UejmuMpXRZ9wI67JHzeTXtNPyqeA6leffCMy8Z8ygUYMj56Uk0Xgsl8C-UlzGyydBXLzUQIapBrT_U5ZMkPsQrq04_x8_aJw/s4096/IMG_20220727_114848323.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrxVMKMGUG6SmLrYYcKavoPuRO9te1aDFVlth80O4QxhFnUu7R5S_PZSJoeN8OdLk2Lz7GnWaPUKIpB9rm8R_qBtYJ5UejmuMpXRZ9wI67JHzeTXtNPyqeA6leffCMy8Z8ygUYMj56Uk0Xgsl8C-UlzGyydBXLzUQIapBrT_U5ZMkPsQrq04_x8_aJw/w640-h480/IMG_20220727_114848323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAJKG14sT_PNibk0XBFe9VupP4xrY7gohFf-qbHB3VY4BkT7ZMY4-e8wBusQHcOpP2IGcjT-d2tYLplRcyHoo2nCz4vUVIavuSyy0t6IFjlY5cdS1fjusLI6x9tEZ6PjBkSgJGc-_Y8zkD1BHM5Q5unAUEQy4fPWjtg0zWZLU35nNREA44P_44c1XwA/s4096/IMG_20220727_125850283.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAJKG14sT_PNibk0XBFe9VupP4xrY7gohFf-qbHB3VY4BkT7ZMY4-e8wBusQHcOpP2IGcjT-d2tYLplRcyHoo2nCz4vUVIavuSyy0t6IFjlY5cdS1fjusLI6x9tEZ6PjBkSgJGc-_Y8zkD1BHM5Q5unAUEQy4fPWjtg0zWZLU35nNREA44P_44c1XwA/w480-h640/IMG_20220727_125850283.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI6JXGPUZZO6ltsi_QW58nOCZuN7ovHB4U3tC0LXDg1DbF7W9V2RsrWDhpaWvVX44JfFkgJ45lpweh8SlONJHqRvX_c97k8aMASuPtELZYSqc0UoMSQQFVq3GxN6nY6n9FnDTI_B84QoFa3cr2Kg6EjdKYj5RZA1xE87iuEp6BGDP84AqC1ro1YtheQ/s4096/IMG_20220727_125954708.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI6JXGPUZZO6ltsi_QW58nOCZuN7ovHB4U3tC0LXDg1DbF7W9V2RsrWDhpaWvVX44JfFkgJ45lpweh8SlONJHqRvX_c97k8aMASuPtELZYSqc0UoMSQQFVq3GxN6nY6n9FnDTI_B84QoFa3cr2Kg6EjdKYj5RZA1xE87iuEp6BGDP84AqC1ro1YtheQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220727_125954708.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl-tmjzEeTJI4obCyjluDYTihPOR-JCjTsgVvk1PGAb3Gxq_nLnyoCw9lyg9SYLvGuGK6u4KyYrb5xtd9XpnCI94xs05WQqz77fMs0AVwKQLohmuB5wibO3ivhOExNZxOiTszEMV-BMD71tQrleYLWmdv2G8FcF2tRQeE_jcZzi3t1nU-AR7JttKGzg/s4096/IMG_20220727_130014533.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl-tmjzEeTJI4obCyjluDYTihPOR-JCjTsgVvk1PGAb3Gxq_nLnyoCw9lyg9SYLvGuGK6u4KyYrb5xtd9XpnCI94xs05WQqz77fMs0AVwKQLohmuB5wibO3ivhOExNZxOiTszEMV-BMD71tQrleYLWmdv2G8FcF2tRQeE_jcZzi3t1nU-AR7JttKGzg/w480-h640/IMG_20220727_130014533.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston Library Wednesday Visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHQHlPBc1_3pdY9UluDIMsmhP1nD0UUKAFef5DsSidrmFfxiL_y0oiNLdPEbNVbgtoyizE2UiRusuW8_TZ6thxput-kURyOchOPRs6BCfC09EQ2LrYpXVLoxpc9rUmJUvWQscgkIgPES07Z0ze2aaDkgH-DlzaYxPpdSubvuEXpgU45GFRiyxhhvp6Q/s4096/IMG_20220728_111417778.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHQHlPBc1_3pdY9UluDIMsmhP1nD0UUKAFef5DsSidrmFfxiL_y0oiNLdPEbNVbgtoyizE2UiRusuW8_TZ6thxput-kURyOchOPRs6BCfC09EQ2LrYpXVLoxpc9rUmJUvWQscgkIgPES07Z0ze2aaDkgH-DlzaYxPpdSubvuEXpgU45GFRiyxhhvp6Q/w480-h640/IMG_20220728_111417778.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS-u3VXhQ2Pi6CGlPtHdZ5Cz0rsxNJtX3I-xW8K2U8xNEaH0oR5sSX5YAI6mVClLV2uevVqClMqPLVa9_XFHQ3C47ITWkJ9brecq-PGARUTDgq3QUl0etpbb6mADLNF2gxopXFggpduW7XeFhvKOAXdUCJzOxI9OWgT66SFN96BdG04jh3wtctwexmQ/s4096/IMG_20220728_111509194.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; 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margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKwMWOK8tHBJqkgDkA5S0Vx7OJYsBMhm2D2zCcY4kL7qUm8uY3om6py2Cx0DbWpEH9pX7TZt0uuo1Mm09I7c3JVMRgaWkAwNQNTaq2CfM3we4ooozOwckYTjTKTJyVFbC-J8LMmsE8IWinLraSV-vxlIsIz4CaEAc491JynlP3KE7L3ddgn5ot4LSxA/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111533855.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQTsT8BiShswWFHsi7nh3fHmYCtvDRAXlKh_ORhEbUNrpzox5SVRYledMVIioQplwNzPTUIcObHOoWOwANTvobu_8RjK499KMAZNwCncIqzWxG5OymJ3bGjRLsivx71KSCyCnT_FdQlVT6ZDYI_2nrCtdOWGH6KHuByXtDNlsCItgrCp1cZ94xJfxbw/s4096/IMG_20220728_111544884.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQTsT8BiShswWFHsi7nh3fHmYCtvDRAXlKh_ORhEbUNrpzox5SVRYledMVIioQplwNzPTUIcObHOoWOwANTvobu_8RjK499KMAZNwCncIqzWxG5OymJ3bGjRLsivx71KSCyCnT_FdQlVT6ZDYI_2nrCtdOWGH6KHuByXtDNlsCItgrCp1cZ94xJfxbw/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111544884.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXasxIQzqP0z_FZ2zrI9e86zH7miCVGn-QeSXJg96q8mhr9JM3nCrIrU9eyPBpUsXKXpya3W4kXG0xh7s5DoWBzVgsoBhD9ronvfV0cIwqVfZTO-81G4uz7xpPOSk-FIiBUng3BbZeXqlpTLkGbEtYRZHxXpHeYi9S-ZQ_ognz_yOpXqNrKrMD97b8LA/s4096/IMG_20220728_111551842.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXasxIQzqP0z_FZ2zrI9e86zH7miCVGn-QeSXJg96q8mhr9JM3nCrIrU9eyPBpUsXKXpya3W4kXG0xh7s5DoWBzVgsoBhD9ronvfV0cIwqVfZTO-81G4uz7xpPOSk-FIiBUng3BbZeXqlpTLkGbEtYRZHxXpHeYi9S-ZQ_ognz_yOpXqNrKrMD97b8LA/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111551842.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLB-UELSIg4jr4cqxxW5Zkv0is9Bje5D5lpmNecBBpDP6km3cEIWQCxL3sADjlMvsdSCCDPbCuCproLTWxRZZi3mGj_aZMG_4cG_1rccy6jI9TzGiC40PXT2c5Vp8p2vJ8z9f4N6M8ehcUTjywok0ptdYshTeK_1mPuD3YxuQQG3lhvEDzWS20PQ4AQ/s4096/IMG_20220728_111619537.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLB-UELSIg4jr4cqxxW5Zkv0is9Bje5D5lpmNecBBpDP6km3cEIWQCxL3sADjlMvsdSCCDPbCuCproLTWxRZZi3mGj_aZMG_4cG_1rccy6jI9TzGiC40PXT2c5Vp8p2vJ8z9f4N6M8ehcUTjywok0ptdYshTeK_1mPuD3YxuQQG3lhvEDzWS20PQ4AQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111619537.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3HUTuVEg3b6SlDMGQJkGD3OajIAohEQE_Bhv6N60TwXtflJGAstgw6rRoBrFsB4BMrPGnWzSqsqDOCI-YzQMqxgHV2DD8KmOVrFRO92hyjQJbmUi2JEYPCp4CKH_ddTgyieCLqL5pHF_i50Op1E6D47hnHv0jdg73EXYe5YNHXARvkfU1sfsdqTUEQ/s4096/IMG_20220728_111648026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3HUTuVEg3b6SlDMGQJkGD3OajIAohEQE_Bhv6N60TwXtflJGAstgw6rRoBrFsB4BMrPGnWzSqsqDOCI-YzQMqxgHV2DD8KmOVrFRO92hyjQJbmUi2JEYPCp4CKH_ddTgyieCLqL5pHF_i50Op1E6D47hnHv0jdg73EXYe5YNHXARvkfU1sfsdqTUEQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111648026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC9U-oporfyV0Rh8fu2Isr10v89lR-MEuXTo59AQd91LjlNkHohL7joUUHFtwBPemiYKdBO7NRK3g67-6kj2J1iRnWVvWEhJw28b7Zt2FzcXUr_DOebo0rJ4rJGeicgI7ttdM3byUsrDT9KsglwVzvAOnV1hK8jCmH0-pKiDNEOzrQrIAxeYaoRCBsQ/s4096/IMG_20220728_111725699.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC9U-oporfyV0Rh8fu2Isr10v89lR-MEuXTo59AQd91LjlNkHohL7joUUHFtwBPemiYKdBO7NRK3g67-6kj2J1iRnWVvWEhJw28b7Zt2FzcXUr_DOebo0rJ4rJGeicgI7ttdM3byUsrDT9KsglwVzvAOnV1hK8jCmH0-pKiDNEOzrQrIAxeYaoRCBsQ/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111725699.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QOnPotkT2MBjreu9O9PRkxwERbAOU9cU5Zpzo3ZivL1YVu23KoK4j0VprwdIuWSKmr0YHyrSF0P0cpQ4M0lZ4BNmMIqGGxmcHRHlqttRTDI6kmCBDvFW87VrgBXyCn5WMgP-V1x7eogdjuLnkgJrGckwCPQJERrbdEE2W8_h0vn7JTpqU6NdyA7axg/s4096/IMG_20220728_111930761.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QOnPotkT2MBjreu9O9PRkxwERbAOU9cU5Zpzo3ZivL1YVu23KoK4j0VprwdIuWSKmr0YHyrSF0P0cpQ4M0lZ4BNmMIqGGxmcHRHlqttRTDI6kmCBDvFW87VrgBXyCn5WMgP-V1x7eogdjuLnkgJrGckwCPQJERrbdEE2W8_h0vn7JTpqU6NdyA7axg/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111930761.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiN3bEAmJhaoVeneY3wOyopXn2ujRj50ElSm2etNSbDLq1oCWxfLk28tDp7b1GEtEEP03O1z2RJ0ujP9ArvgbyMkaknQC0Hdbp5RiyehNd93wRY-aYpZrbam6qoZb7bxBMkgXz31F8FgjtWOgHekPfBagxROMdgIljKP3oHuk5xGh3OduKqoWdF-FAw/s4096/IMG_20220728_111956505.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiN3bEAmJhaoVeneY3wOyopXn2ujRj50ElSm2etNSbDLq1oCWxfLk28tDp7b1GEtEEP03O1z2RJ0ujP9ArvgbyMkaknQC0Hdbp5RiyehNd93wRY-aYpZrbam6qoZb7bxBMkgXz31F8FgjtWOgHekPfBagxROMdgIljKP3oHuk5xGh3OduKqoWdF-FAw/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_111956505.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt5k9dcAvHxg4DVQC7PUGuG5zSailJqmB1du2bHWOz34T0PQy7WsHSsHXOuSdpl0POZKyYIdWu3kqNCt_Bm03-mLkQaVIH7rWU6A_AQBM2fzQYaUOJfWe62Epqq-p2019_skasgV9Qr66V22yY4oEgPTlOLhZyey1dajRAMPVi2KlrbiIhhso3Y7K3w/s4096/IMG_20220728_112003442.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt5k9dcAvHxg4DVQC7PUGuG5zSailJqmB1du2bHWOz34T0PQy7WsHSsHXOuSdpl0POZKyYIdWu3kqNCt_Bm03-mLkQaVIH7rWU6A_AQBM2fzQYaUOJfWe62Epqq-p2019_skasgV9Qr66V22yY4oEgPTlOLhZyey1dajRAMPVi2KlrbiIhhso3Y7K3w/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_112003442.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyDSkGq4firzLGJLzcb3Q1enHEJsQrTpeSms65nnbQuf8hpekOvnOVMLxOTo91_V4n-nBQNToFLxXmL6TUmWVCDb9zfoSJF0MawbtUvpakOg0IzYbkh7v6c8vaW9b6vJY8Sb67gumkGI-2Opy8dd1Q6d7OMdR67RTGO2J2TXBB1h8VxiN_YjGb4AfTw/s4096/IMG_20220728_112653785.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; 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margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIIg6gttDIhwuOiOVwG9YS-Gu68qhagy9_HsS8fJ9iMLxvtfGHXVyqyFyOTzTw9YSGVZ81xdTn8-FgNmFvHE5y43LOuLWMBvJKKn1q_01-1z6uQ5CldYMsnXkT0zK6fe53lXPxRyYPhC09diwuJFsCYnGuUiKNBngzaslWU9ptyHQf4tTFCVQrqXlow/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_124634125.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxg6HxFa_Tycjd5G1YRlmXzS0my6BqpDFHE0DRPOjERmM4hzkqLi9QlL8AWABuZEQ1bImFu3A8ERhFOute5nsjc6sInLg1dFdIF0U78Zi1lT0sFogamFmAcz0BrJ5eFi8KQyEhi6y1CT-HIZbyfsBqR6UMSoOcXyLcVre3-RgXzbzMmNK6pz-_46OWg/s4096/IMG_20220728_124542126.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxg6HxFa_Tycjd5G1YRlmXzS0my6BqpDFHE0DRPOjERmM4hzkqLi9QlL8AWABuZEQ1bImFu3A8ERhFOute5nsjc6sInLg1dFdIF0U78Zi1lT0sFogamFmAcz0BrJ5eFi8KQyEhi6y1CT-HIZbyfsBqR6UMSoOcXyLcVre3-RgXzbzMmNK6pz-_46OWg/w640-h480/IMG_20220728_124542126.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6sUNHEanptOBbhhtAnIr1VUKXj70Ffa0oTypug3MqVzOyCpbGaY8SrL4rNrt9kuMomncssBE0klEfbm8lqF8QdHmnAzewqojN7cs7G3lPZfWzNoPFByGDj0_vsFmQJ-xKu43rSiGqutxIiaOG6M3EIDjzBzL5NqSrODec040RBVHddttQ9fvB4Ri0w/s4096/IMG_20220729_075445011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6sUNHEanptOBbhhtAnIr1VUKXj70Ffa0oTypug3MqVzOyCpbGaY8SrL4rNrt9kuMomncssBE0klEfbm8lqF8QdHmnAzewqojN7cs7G3lPZfWzNoPFByGDj0_vsFmQJ-xKu43rSiGqutxIiaOG6M3EIDjzBzL5NqSrODec040RBVHddttQ9fvB4Ri0w/w640-h480/IMG_20220729_075445011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College dining Hall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lr0XJNGx6iZ953p8r78i16B_E1zpmQu7QXqgIP9u5HtKsm1-JIImrGydXYtrI3O1VWjNWxqstX1kyydjOz0Zr9FA2wjU8-6a6Ex5QB7THtEfEbWnZNmrGLtZLdAXL5sPdCjcHHxRpzrHIx2sLrRjz1xzcCwlUDUtb-BZkcm1oGild5DmBhxV1_oFsA/s4096/IMG_20220729_074528903.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lr0XJNGx6iZ953p8r78i16B_E1zpmQu7QXqgIP9u5HtKsm1-JIImrGydXYtrI3O1VWjNWxqstX1kyydjOz0Zr9FA2wjU8-6a6Ex5QB7THtEfEbWnZNmrGLtZLdAXL5sPdCjcHHxRpzrHIx2sLrRjz1xzcCwlUDUtb-BZkcm1oGild5DmBhxV1_oFsA/w640-h480/IMG_20220729_074528903.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College. Windows of the Old Library are to the right of the tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcrk2aq6hyiqkFajB6GrqKnPn9kQtzjg9VQqwYQ6ORjzfUortntNd57bMT5je3RMEBVSUGHYWZUSt5BT-LtGKcnHUCsgXtXcCK9mvQjpdl3agR2OxMp6RN7sDCiOkkrcH0GVaiTjB_i9AHEoXvKVWMG1H__Mv1btJf0Z25zV4qLAENgmbb9r5Bnw2AA/s4096/IMG_20220729_193232072_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcrk2aq6hyiqkFajB6GrqKnPn9kQtzjg9VQqwYQ6ORjzfUortntNd57bMT5je3RMEBVSUGHYWZUSt5BT-LtGKcnHUCsgXtXcCK9mvQjpdl3agR2OxMp6RN7sDCiOkkrcH0GVaiTjB_i9AHEoXvKVWMG1H__Mv1btJf0Z25zV4qLAENgmbb9r5Bnw2AA/w640-h480/IMG_20220729_193232072_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZ_is_e2IUr12zMAeofjKxBS2vPJfh3ka71LofAe187hhTbWC-kPlpX-DrDt62j_bucChiGy37xNNc4YnsJ5ndpQ9W_XO9VO4xHLV7ZXqmnSZ_q-WMXgnbx5G0vwgPBMv62RU72R7YkCHIyT6NBMVvA5_ouw_29rOWpcBLZIGvrnvLMFsm_AAk9AxMQ/s4096/IMG_20220729_193522484.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZ_is_e2IUr12zMAeofjKxBS2vPJfh3ka71LofAe187hhTbWC-kPlpX-DrDt62j_bucChiGy37xNNc4YnsJ5ndpQ9W_XO9VO4xHLV7ZXqmnSZ_q-WMXgnbx5G0vwgPBMv62RU72R7YkCHIyT6NBMVvA5_ouw_29rOWpcBLZIGvrnvLMFsm_AAk9AxMQ/w480-h640/IMG_20220729_193522484.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEbHurMvKXWwDyoDhIcCeuprCcCaCnvxBd3Ifzm-LaaB959TVfu57IrbAXBCaoJz07zeutR06m8dCGu5y1OQZQ9VqtMtGXFJaCIIWa45Lq4s94e58G3wSPt9Q6YCW0lUD66G_0I5ScKaH1f_3p5ribIeTxoS8l4oRS92X6-PcBnTXp0wRfA6IkZq-Cg/s4096/IMG_20220729_195647201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="4096" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEbHurMvKXWwDyoDhIcCeuprCcCaCnvxBd3Ifzm-LaaB959TVfu57IrbAXBCaoJz07zeutR06m8dCGu5y1OQZQ9VqtMtGXFJaCIIWa45Lq4s94e58G3wSPt9Q6YCW0lUD66G_0I5ScKaH1f_3p5ribIeTxoS8l4oRS92X6-PcBnTXp0wRfA6IkZq-Cg/w400-h225/IMG_20220729_195647201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addison's Walk behind Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu1o5eqgH8OrTb3ESxUt4ydAkoZHKK5CHiuuJPGj-rqIT2wbGry9icWGQhrND5W_EchOzy2nxWCS8oacQaEhh-93cwEmoS4lgSErdT_seCfDYufeRheQnJ-f6-UEGGUDktvrvTsFB9qxTDPBevZz1k5ka79blf43CXomQ3VU2CFZX8GzJTe3g7YKZ9g/s4096/IMG_20220730_074448307.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu1o5eqgH8OrTb3ESxUt4ydAkoZHKK5CHiuuJPGj-rqIT2wbGry9icWGQhrND5W_EchOzy2nxWCS8oacQaEhh-93cwEmoS4lgSErdT_seCfDYufeRheQnJ-f6-UEGGUDktvrvTsFB9qxTDPBevZz1k5ka79blf43CXomQ3VU2CFZX8GzJTe3g7YKZ9g/w480-h640/IMG_20220730_074448307.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWTVC-UKg86DfmQFAFPGziz02-juObOaJL-C38oPdQsGsdmrifrrgRDetWYrdawy-7WNj3zKohDBZ4TH74HHGPeOiZuKWzx9DZgwL4k8sMyLPKw-fWZgNFAZuQGi8rUDPcVA_7H-aMAZLZqUZV2g3hagQ0D4P0S1t0VDMdaQnJhUY4zLv41-1XkvhJw/s4096/IMG_20220730_072614667.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWTVC-UKg86DfmQFAFPGziz02-juObOaJL-C38oPdQsGsdmrifrrgRDetWYrdawy-7WNj3zKohDBZ4TH74HHGPeOiZuKWzx9DZgwL4k8sMyLPKw-fWZgNFAZuQGi8rUDPcVA_7H-aMAZLZqUZV2g3hagQ0D4P0S1t0VDMdaQnJhUY4zLv41-1XkvhJw/w480-h640/IMG_20220730_072614667.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipewKmZoRkBxX1gkACNO4R7-9HDgUswc7xATlWZigJePluMXfS-eo6vBKmABvz1_QfNgurgxQD-vnFEgpsCCg5k5HZCUeS9BmDMqExEupdRDZbNq0X_cL2ViJR_1xLBn6fxfUOQTenrYrgDoZMynv2nSK0ByANohjoxwN73dargKVUQf9cnRB3NvZ5A/s4096/IMG_20220730_074439821.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipewKmZoRkBxX1gkACNO4R7-9HDgUswc7xATlWZigJePluMXfS-eo6vBKmABvz1_QfNgurgxQD-vnFEgpsCCg5k5HZCUeS9BmDMqExEupdRDZbNq0X_cL2ViJR_1xLBn6fxfUOQTenrYrgDoZMynv2nSK0ByANohjoxwN73dargKVUQf9cnRB3NvZ5A/w480-h640/IMG_20220730_074439821.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6JdQgp-NOM5xXvapO_qZsE3JM9x9IB-vIGrCuNfhe5X5RNcUjPApZATtm1FqgkEWUIG-GFMlWygKjvkJ_5h5v-TdfyPyGmSzoXQQ4GLMSKmnRw0KX6StHBGRn9yOI6D3Gg2SI2-ke-zV-u0XHG3BN4Y52dNn9dZf5I5lFpyoJwJCeTE57CsJHfAc-w/s4096/IMG_20220730_072525507_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6JdQgp-NOM5xXvapO_qZsE3JM9x9IB-vIGrCuNfhe5X5RNcUjPApZATtm1FqgkEWUIG-GFMlWygKjvkJ_5h5v-TdfyPyGmSzoXQQ4GLMSKmnRw0KX6StHBGRn9yOI6D3Gg2SI2-ke-zV-u0XHG3BN4Y52dNn9dZf5I5lFpyoJwJCeTE57CsJHfAc-w/w640-h480/IMG_20220730_072525507_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magdalen College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-51276228769330558932022-05-28T16:35:00.000-07:002022-05-28T16:35:16.227-07:00Demetrius on Letter Writing and Christian Epistles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQvqBPnNME3Sy3pXSOezIgsUEJkyO-aC3SfMYctU-uZNB26N558VYp1OozqIdebCpRzsgnM2uS4BGgFvkumadW7THA1JDIpOz6SzssuGb1ALgZxYseHzJ6XT54xc7qyxAbjvIojDW1Ti5usgfqp9NR9PCgre7qX4Vi3kCbZqoTsaJeBPvFok8t5qhqg/s1362/Screenshot_20220405-140530.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1362" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQvqBPnNME3Sy3pXSOezIgsUEJkyO-aC3SfMYctU-uZNB26N558VYp1OozqIdebCpRzsgnM2uS4BGgFvkumadW7THA1JDIpOz6SzssuGb1ALgZxYseHzJ6XT54xc7qyxAbjvIojDW1Ti5usgfqp9NR9PCgre7qX4Vi3kCbZqoTsaJeBPvFok8t5qhqg/w640-h262/Screenshot_20220405-140530.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I came across an interesting reference by a figure dating from either the second or first century BCE, Demetrius, who some have attributed as the Demitrius under whom Cicero studied. He is famous for being familiar with Aristotle's work "Rhetoric" and references it throughout his own writing, "On Style" (Περι Ερμηνειας).<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In a fascinating section of this work Demitrius gives instructions on the proper style of letters and correspondence. He describes what he believes is the correct manner of writing correspondence; "</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> A letter’s aim is to express friendship briefly, and set out a simple subject in simple terms" (231).</span><div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"(223) We will next discuss the style for letters, since that too should be plain. Artemon, the editor of Aristotle’s "Letters", says that a letter should be written in the same manner as a dialogue; the letter, he says, is like one of the two sides to a dialogue.<br />(224) There is perhaps some truth in what he says, but not the whole truth. The letter should be a little more formal than the dialogue, since the latter imitates improvised conversation, while the former is written and sent as a kind of gift."<br /><br />"(227) Like the dialogue, the letter should be strong in characterisation. Everyone writes a letter in the virtual image of his own soul. In every other form of speech it is possible to see the writer’s character, but in none so clearly as in the letter.<br />(228) The length of a letter, no less than its range of style, should be restricted. Those that are too long, not to mention too inflated in style, are not in any true sense letters at all but treatises with the heading, “Dear Sir.” This is true of many of Plato’s letters, and that one of Thucydides."<br /><br />"(231) If anyone should write in a letter about problems of logic or natural philosophy, he may indeed write, but he does not write a letter. A letter’s aim is to express friendship briefly, and set out a simple subject in simple terms.<br />(232) It has its own beauty, but only in expressions of warm friendship and the inclusion of numerous proverbs. This should be its only permitted philosophy, permitted since the proverb is ordinary, popular wisdom. But the man who utters sententious maxims and exhortations seems to be no longer chatting in a letter but preaching from the pulpit."</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is interesting how many of the New Testament epistles and not a few of the Apostolic Fathers's letters fall into these descriptions. For example, Romans and Hebrews in the New Testament, and 1st Clement and the Epistle of Barnabas can very much be described in the words of Demetrius as "not in any true sense letters at all but treatises with the heading, “Dear Sir.” (228). His reference to a letter including expressions of friendship and "the inclusion of numerous proverbs" broadly encompasses some of the more informal pastoral epistles, or the letters of John.<br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">______________________________________</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Aristotle, Longinus, Demetrius, <i>Poetics. Longinus: On the Sublime. Demetrius: On Style</i> (Translated by Stephen Halliwell, W. Hamilton Fyfe, Doreen C. Innes, W. Rhys Roberts. Revised by Donald A. Russell. Loeb Classical Library 199. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995), 477-483</span></p></div></div></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-78252835344807149712022-04-09T23:43:00.003-07:002022-04-11T17:48:53.019-07:00Interview With Apologist Wesley Huff on Textual Criticism, Inspiration, and Inerrancy<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is an interview that I had with Wesley Huff, Director of Central Canada for Apologetics Canada. Wes has a lot of great Christian Apologetics content on his website<span>(<a href="https://www.wesleyhuff.com/">https://www.wesleyhuff.com/</a>).</span> Please be sure to check it out!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(<a href="https://youtu.be/ffg3AMIVWJI">https://youtu.be/ffg3AMIVWJI</a>)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ffg3AMIVWJI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="541" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7U6CJ2hb8BwMzMO9SqHSxd0AaF2Fz0g7_XRlXEJb1t2WCC0MVbfY_nflOZ001X2R3JYXfzrJyHSD12kVC555e5-knOcTtslZfaJAQTpTCKt9Zy3nkf-PfeiXGGrsAQs2Mnn9KHR0p4blAgrcOD7H1qiMTPSD4vlHTLdRj5bYAWAOnohm_OQDOXTn4g/w640-h358/Wes%20Mitchell%20Interview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-6133681378162819512022-04-05T20:16:00.011-07:002022-04-09T13:56:17.913-07:00Ignatius, Polycarp, and the Pauline Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq-0zl06DPwPLLhiP3e3jHaHdGobQHuW-8o0vqsI_eSo2CJqvotzyse1X9E_lda7F68o289PhvWkPeFVhjpbJLIl3juvzNAmGrVK5QB0OEZSQ2Hz11kKOzZMTQECxYxyrd6fc0Kwz4WlNs53zFOmzofZ4sKgFy7W3-fsU__cXgfpymMUcO63BNzPICw/s669/H-015%201%20Tim%202.2-6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="489" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq-0zl06DPwPLLhiP3e3jHaHdGobQHuW-8o0vqsI_eSo2CJqvotzyse1X9E_lda7F68o289PhvWkPeFVhjpbJLIl3juvzNAmGrVK5QB0OEZSQ2Hz11kKOzZMTQECxYxyrd6fc0Kwz4WlNs53zFOmzofZ4sKgFy7W3-fsU__cXgfpymMUcO63BNzPICw/w293-h400/H-015%201%20Tim%202.2-6.jpg" title="Page from Codex H (015) at 1 Tim 2.2-6" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Page from Codex H (015) at 1 Tim 2.2-6 (6th Century)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I recently read an older article in the academic journal Vigiliae Christianae that argues for Polycarp's belief that 1 and 2 Timothy were written by Paul. </span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Kenneth Berding, "Polycarp of Smyrna's View of the Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy," Vigiliae Christianae 53.4 (Nov., 1999): 349-360.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is the conclusion of the article as a summary.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"This paper has sought to demonstrate that there is a marked tendency in Polycarp's letter to the Philippians to cluster Pauline citations and allusions in the three passages in which he mentions the name of Paul. This indicates that Polycarp (consciously or unconsciously) considered the references to be Pauline. In addition, the first cluster contains a phrase from 1 Tim 6:10 followed by one from 1 Tim 6:7. The second cluster contains a phrase from 2 Tim 4:10. The most plausible conclusion which can be drawn is that Polycarp considered these also to be Pauline. If Harrison (and much of modern scholarship) is correct in linking Titus to 1 and 2 Timothy, Polycarp has become the earliest external witness to the belief in the early church that Paul was the author of the Pastoral Epistles." (pg 360).</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I find the collective evidence presented as pretty persuasive. In support of this early attestation, it appears that Ignatius of Antioch, in his letter to the Ephesian church, may have had 1 and 2 Timothy in view when he made a passing reference to Paul.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"You are the highway of those who are being killed for God's sake; you are fellow initiates of Paul, who as sanctified, who was approved, who was deservedly blessed─may I be found in his footsteps when I reach God!─who in every letter remembers you in Christ Jesus." (<i>Ign. Eph</i>. 12.2)</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Which letters may Ignatius be referring to here? Obviously, it is likely he is referring to the New Testament writing, Ephesians. However, this is only one letter, why does he mention "every letter" (πάση επιστολη), which seems to be referring to every letter in the Pauline corpus? Most commentators of Ignatius see this reference as hyperbole. Paul mentions the Ephesian Christians in only four of his letters, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and first and second Timothy (pg 163-164).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Perhaps another solution is that Ignatius is referring to letters that were written to the Ephesian Church directly. This would include of course Ephesians, but also 1 and 2 Timothy as well for Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to minister and instruct the Christians in the city (1 Tim 1:3). Thus it might be that once Timothy received the letter, he read it out to the Church there. If this is what Ignatius is referring to (granted this is speculative) then Ignatius is attributing Pauline authorship to the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">______________________________________</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Holmes, Michael W., ed. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999.</span>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-11528964185018512512022-03-19T15:25:00.002-07:002022-03-19T15:25:10.323-07:00Deconstructing New Testament Autographs<span style="font-family: arial;">I only just recently learned of Dr. Jamin Andreas Hübner, professor of economics at the University of the People, and a Research Fellow for the Center of Faith and Human Flourishing at LCC International University, Klaipėda, Lithuania. One of the topics that Hübner's research engages with is Christian "fundamentalism." I had not known or engaged with Hübner before I came across a tweet that he made interacting with my 2016 JETS article "What are the NT Autographs?" He tweeted that </span><div><blockquote><a href="https://twitter.com/jaminhubner/status/1485833684657881090?s=21&fbclid=IwAR1NDJ0aftz8f_mgdQ46g_uQ_0HAyWB7YhK9kTbg0UU9r-wfVb8Gf5m1-MY" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Tim Mitchell in JETS 59.2 (2016) - the journal by ETS (that requires member[s] to be inerrantist), attempts to patch up these problems by bestowing Divinity/perfection to the "released" autograph, not the *original* original autographs, which doesn't solve problems..."</span></a></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My article Hübner was referencing was this one,</span></div><blockquote><a href="https://www.academia.edu/26445779/_What_are_the_NT_Autographs_An_Examination_of_the_Doctrine_of_Inspiration_and_Inerrancy_in_Light_of_Greco-Roman_Publication._JETS_59_2_June_2016_287-308" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">"What are the NT Autographs? An Examination of the Doctrine of Inspiration and Inerrancy in Light of Greco-Roman Publication." JETS 59/2 (June 2016): 287-308.</span></a></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Intrigued and delighted by his engagement with my article, I did some more digging and learned that he had recently written a book in which he fleshes out his arguments against an inspired "inerrant" autograph.</span></div></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deconstructing-Evangelicalism-Professors-Fundamentalist-Christianity/dp/099059436X" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Deconstructing Evangelicalism: A Letter to a Friend and a Professor's Guide to Escaping Fundamentalist Christianity" (Rapid City: Hills Publishing Group, 2020).</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUb0YJUluuCTZetTcT16lKpetrgIBl-hf4O5RnSvjo39EeCjsgBmM4gtDzgZxLncGCJTyDlu3fsEsxHFEFkdTdfO9VVlPHuGHIkM97O9XslYuwNnF6mwT2Us_t7AZyJIeQaOqCW5OHIpqDfVjKLGZCqUrdb_CiEM_0xyMV_2IOrMeWLLSF2NeMXW-zlA=s1360" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUb0YJUluuCTZetTcT16lKpetrgIBl-hf4O5RnSvjo39EeCjsgBmM4gtDzgZxLncGCJTyDlu3fsEsxHFEFkdTdfO9VVlPHuGHIkM97O9XslYuwNnF6mwT2Us_t7AZyJIeQaOqCW5OHIpqDfVjKLGZCqUrdb_CiEM_0xyMV_2IOrMeWLLSF2NeMXW-zlA=w426-h640" width="426" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hübner's interaction with inerrancy and autographs is found on pages 71-73, the screen shot of each page I include below.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtfP59rwGWr_Acpjv7JzNMsVPNEe7L2KvKQCv6Zf5q-iTKvcdX-f2ZMz6Y_vJXJxIAx-1nC-YxSYmfrMMlsEjzGiFbQQYR54ctRrNe2AZaODFHgohlPfJ25xAFGFBds6T2zHSi69tdHAK4WI1N0S3BIvSv7cRI66P8Oml8EyCjVjciaZzXUovh_FTmag=s1067" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtfP59rwGWr_Acpjv7JzNMsVPNEe7L2KvKQCv6Zf5q-iTKvcdX-f2ZMz6Y_vJXJxIAx-1nC-YxSYmfrMMlsEjzGiFbQQYR54ctRrNe2AZaODFHgohlPfJ25xAFGFBds6T2zHSi69tdHAK4WI1N0S3BIvSv7cRI66P8Oml8EyCjVjciaZzXUovh_FTmag=w432-h640" width="432" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaqmsvyyrQC9X_pT8jb_CXlfGfDarTgzBJwo-7s-JOh1P4uqVYykhQqG1b0LhTXR3YenPwd5AZxqb0Z53Gtu5Vf72XlPvBpJJFsA0C_hJXDvIjfcE2w7y11e4H120i6bYRwwV6JfJ8TEBWHDG975OX8jqv1d51YafzxyKSD8HueOXLm-aBzcrTqiUKNQ=s1070" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaqmsvyyrQC9X_pT8jb_CXlfGfDarTgzBJwo-7s-JOh1P4uqVYykhQqG1b0LhTXR3YenPwd5AZxqb0Z53Gtu5Vf72XlPvBpJJFsA0C_hJXDvIjfcE2w7y11e4H120i6bYRwwV6JfJ8TEBWHDG975OX8jqv1d51YafzxyKSD8HueOXLm-aBzcrTqiUKNQ=w430-h640" width="430" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiIwRcAEfJ466C8HGzwitx5Ewr0Tc7toUlnjT0wxTCnClB1H88XyS1-P3ws4WrW49Ha1p-SJvaDYoFm-arPxyElzwi3t_nSKQvEzTj3e8RlsQrzR-Oz3KP_I8L09ljuHIKvjZslJ3DxlyNeoAz4RPUBiz-fbb447KJ-1nZst1EtLGINLWclHjFKxQlcg=s1048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiIwRcAEfJ466C8HGzwitx5Ewr0Tc7toUlnjT0wxTCnClB1H88XyS1-P3ws4WrW49Ha1p-SJvaDYoFm-arPxyElzwi3t_nSKQvEzTj3e8RlsQrzR-Oz3KP_I8L09ljuHIKvjZslJ3DxlyNeoAz4RPUBiz-fbb447KJ-1nZst1EtLGINLWclHjFKxQlcg=w440-h640" width="440" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I too, like Hübner struggled with the evangelical doctrine of inerrancy. This curiosity (some would call doubt) is what initially drove me into the field of New Testament textual criticism. Some of these issues that I had with inerrancy didn't begin to iron out in my mind until I began to gain a better grasp of the ways in which books were copied and circulated in the first few centuries of the Christian era. It was these insights that I culled together in the JETS article. After publication, I realized a few issues with the definitions my JETS article. One of which Hübner points out, without maybe realizing it. He fails to distinguish between the autographs as "text" and the autograph as "physical document." <br />I realized that I was not as clear on this distinction in my JETS article, and I attempted to flesh this out better in another article which was published recently.</span></p><p><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/"></a></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/">Where Inspiration is Found: Putting the New Testament Autographs in Context,” in</a> <a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/">Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 24.3 (Fall 2020): 83-101.</a></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">In this article I wrote concerning the "autograph."<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"the term “autograph” is not very helpful in describing the multifaceted aspects of divine inspiration and the composition of the NT writings, because at every phase of the draft stages, the document(s) would technically be “autographs.” Yet this is clearly not what is meant by “autograph” in doctrinal statements. Any definition of the original text, or “autograph,” must take these aspects into consideration." (pg. 92)</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">I continue on,<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Therefore, in reference to the NT, the “autograph,” as often discussed by apologists, theologians, and doctrinal statements, should be defined as the text of the completed authorial work the moment in which it was released by the author for circulation and copying, not earlier draft versions or layers of composition." (pg. 96)</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally, I wrote,</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Certainly, the physical properties of the autograph (whether papyrus, parchment, wax or wooden tablet, etc.) helped to shape the text, however, it is the text—the wording—that was inspired, not the physical medium of the material autograph. Passages in the scriptures, such as Colossians 4:16, 1 Thessalonian 5:27, and 1 Timothy 4:13, imply a copying and distributing process. For Paul, addressing these congregations, it was imperative that the recipients received the text of the epistle, not the original physical material autograph penned by the sender of the letter." (pgs. 96-97)</span></blockquote></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Though my comments might not address Hübner's concerns over the issues of an inspired autograph, it is my hope that they do. Hopefully he might engage with my arguments more fully in the future.</span></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-42215696670435636822021-12-20T15:08:00.007-08:002021-12-20T15:08:49.038-08:00Pliny the Younger: A Written Work as a Lasting Monument<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXqw8diD2_uaDHpTNJlxjAIXymy_raHr3P-DEn2FZgtnuCP1O8mQK4UjhkFfabE5TzZWeKIcL05gay1dG086DJvZvnuZXodj8OCaOCWMbbn7HxL5eVgi1dtJyQB9oRV-EsWpEif2Kjm01FkbGzaOvihz7CVb88YOUjbHZLuZkIpXmB8IcTEr3KDN2qAg=s1569" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1569" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXqw8diD2_uaDHpTNJlxjAIXymy_raHr3P-DEn2FZgtnuCP1O8mQK4UjhkFfabE5TzZWeKIcL05gay1dG086DJvZvnuZXodj8OCaOCWMbbn7HxL5eVgi1dtJyQB9oRV-EsWpEif2Kjm01FkbGzaOvihz7CVb88YOUjbHZLuZkIpXmB8IcTEr3KDN2qAg=w640-h356" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>In the midst of praising his friend Octavius's excellent poetical works, Pliny urged him to not delay the publication of his friend's work. The reasons were twofold. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First, some of his verses had already begun to circulate without Octavius's consent. Accidental and unwanted publication of an author's unfinished writings often occurred in antiquity. In response, Pliny urged Octavius to quickly publish his completed writing so that those pre-circulating verses could then be claimed as his own.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Second, Pliny believed that completing and publishing a written piece would be a lasting monument to the author's fame. The work would far outlive the author's life and ensure their memory lived on in those who read the book.</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"What an indolent fellow you are, or perhaps I should say how hard-hearted you are and almost cruel to keep back so long such splendid volumes of verse! How long will you deprive yourself of the chorus of praise that awaits you, and us of the pleasure of reading them? Do let them be borne on the lips of men and circulate through all the wide regions where the Roman tongue is spoken. People have long been eagerly looking forward to your publishing them, and you really ought not to cheat and disappoint them any longer. Some of your verses have become known, and - no thanks to you - have broken down the barriers you set round them, and unless you rescue them and include them in the main body of your work they will one day, like vagrant slaves, find someone else to claim the ownership of them. Don't lose sight of the fact that you are but mortal, and that you can only defend yourself from being forgotten by such a monument as this: all other titles to fame are fragile and perishable, and come to a sudden end as soon as the breath is out of your body. . . . However, as to publishing, do as you please, but at least give some public readings, in order to stir you on to publishing, and that you may at length see how pleased people will be to hear you, as I have for a long time been bold enough to anticipate on your account. For I picture to myself what a run there will be to hear you, how they will admire your work, what applause is in store for you, and what a hush of attention." (Ep. 2.10)</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I find it fascinating that in the same letter (Ep. 2.10) Pliny both admits to the volatility of ancient publication (in that someone may plagiarize Octavius's work) and proclaims that a published writing would be akin to a great monument for the author, far outliving them and ensuring the author's memory lived on into the future.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This idea of a written piece being a part of the author's lasting fame Pliny expounded upon previously. In an earlier letter to his friend Caninius Rufus, he urged him to drop everything and get to writing.</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"But really it is time that you passed on your unimportant and petty duties for others to look after and buried yourself among your books in that secluded yet beautiful retreat. Make this at once the business and the leisure of your life, your occupation and your rest; let your waking hours be spent among your books, and your hours of sleep as well. Mould something, hammer out something that shall be known as yours for all time. Your other property will find a succession of heirs when you are gone; what I speak of will continue yours for ever - if once it begins to be. I know the capacity and inventive wit that I am spurring on. You have only to think of yourself as the able man others will think you when you have realised your ability. Farewell." (Ep. 1.3)</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is obvious that Pliny was fully aware of the potential for copyist errors and plagiarism, with regard to ancient publication practices. Nevertheless, Pliny fully expected that a book would continue to be considered the author's own work and live on into posterity. This is because Pliny himself was intimately familiar with written works that had been penned hundreds of years before his time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is good to remember this ancient understanding and tension between the problems inherent in ancient publication and the glory and fame a written work could give the author long into the future. Especially when we approach the practice of textual criticism of the New Testament. Even though it may be difficult for modern textual critics to discern between later textual changes and the author's intended words. The response should not be to then assume that there was no completed (whether intentional or otherwise) version of the text that the author intended. This is one of the concluding arguments that I make at the end of one of my published articles,</span></div><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"Though the modern textual critic may have difficulty discerning between the authorial text and later additions and corruptions made to the text after the document began to circulate, this does not mean that the ancients did not make these distinctions or that the modern textual critic should not" (<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0142064X20961282">Mitchell, "Exposing Textual Corruption," pg. 290</a>)</span></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-family: arial;">_______________________</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">English translation of Pliny's Letters are by J.B. Firth, <a href="http://www.attalus.org/info/pliny.html">http://www.attalus.org/info/pliny.html</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0142064X20961282"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Exposing Textual Corruption: Community as a Stabilizing Aspect in the Circulation of the New Testament writings during the Greco-Roman Era." JSNT 43.2 (December 2020): 266-298.</span></a><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See also my comments on page 298 of,</span></div><div><a href="https://www.academia.edu/26445779/_What_are_the_NT_Autographs_An_Examination_of_the_Doctrine_of_Inspiration_and_Inerrancy_in_Light_of_Greco-Roman_Publication._JETS_59_2_June_2016_287-308"><span style="font-family: arial;">"What are the NT Autographs? An Examination of the Doctrine of Inspiration and Inerrancy in Light of Greco-Roman Publication." JETS 59/2 (June 2016).</span></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-16101900607662389232021-12-12T09:23:00.005-08:002021-12-12T15:33:07.889-08:00Cicero On Repairing His Damaged Books <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7IYI3vNiU2cb1eOop1slr7T6Dqz82MQ4mFdpDPiCSTSsRHGlX2yWiTjVpkWgHveHNf7_vNJC_DmTPiOHW_l71byGK_1mH3EW45_MZ2QLmrfMnattNFP2j3dhVdaPqNMB-sP0eCOGLZbt_jIZY3miGxR7WK_ewYY1hNpIIywG64Bc8E4Ui3kRXTRMNZw=s961" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="961" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7IYI3vNiU2cb1eOop1slr7T6Dqz82MQ4mFdpDPiCSTSsRHGlX2yWiTjVpkWgHveHNf7_vNJC_DmTPiOHW_l71byGK_1mH3EW45_MZ2QLmrfMnattNFP2j3dhVdaPqNMB-sP0eCOGLZbt_jIZY3miGxR7WK_ewYY1hNpIIywG64Bc8E4Ui3kRXTRMNZw=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: #fbf9f9; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">Repairing a loose fragment of P.Oxy 3203 using small ‘tabs’ applied with tweezers.<br />Image from the British Museum Blog<br /></span><a href="https://blog.britishmuseum.org/faith-after-the-pharaohs-egyptian-papyri-conservation/">Faith after the pharaohs: Egyptian papyri conservation - British Museum Blog</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have written elsewhere of the various circumstances that could shorten the useful life of ancient books (<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=uaGMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26&dq=myths+and+mistakes+in+new+testament+textual+criticism&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOrreKtNvlAhVLmlkKHZukANgQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">See Here</a>). Not only could books be outright destroyed, ancient documents could be damaged by use and environment to such an extend as to be almost unusable (<a href="https://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2020/04/did-new-testament-autographs-wear-out.html" target="_blank">See Previous Post Here</a>). Cicero (106 BCE-43 BCE), was sent into exile to Thessalonica by a law introduced by Publius Clodius Pulcher. In his absence, Cicero's library had been damaged, dispersed, and a portion of it possibly destroyed (Houston, 218). Upon his return from exile, he began to re-assemble and repair his library. In order to do this, Cicero aquired the services of the Greek Scholar Tyrannio of Amisus. Cicero also turned to his friend Atticus, asking him to send slaves that could repair damaged papyrus and parchment, and to attach titles to rolls.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><blockquote>"It will be delightful if you come to see us here. You will find that Tyrannio has made a wonderfully good arrangement of my books, the remains of which are better than I had expected. Still, I wish you would send me a couple of your library slaves for Tyrannio to employ as gluers, and in other subordinate work, and tell them to get some fine parchment to make title-pieces, which you Greeks, I think, call "sillybi." But all this is only if not inconvenient to you. In any case, be sure you come yourself, if you can halt for a while in such a place, and can persuade Pilia to accompany you. For that is only fair, and Tullia is anxious that she should come. My word! You have purchased a fine troop! Your gladiators, I am told, fight superbly. If you had chosen to let them out you would have cleared your expenses by the last two spectacles. But we will talk about this later on. Be sure to come, and, as you love me, see about the library slaves." (<i>Att. </i>4.4b)</blockquote></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">From this interchange it can be seen that the care of a library in antiquity took a considerable amount of work by scholars and slaves alike. It goes to show how precious and valuable it is that we have so many manuscripts that have survived (in various states of completion) from antiquity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">___________________</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">English translation of Cicero's letter to Atticus by Evelyn Shuckburgh<br /><a href="https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Letters_to_Atticus/4.4b">Letters to Atticus/4.4b - Wikisource, the free online library</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Houston, George W. <i>Inside Roman Libraries: Book Collections and Their Management in Antiquity</i> (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2014)</span>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-1411669687081038002021-12-06T09:53:00.002-08:002021-12-20T14:53:49.490-08:00Greco-Roman Education and Textual Criticism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kncAymKZ1089DTltaYgRT4b5TvHkuEa68qLGitnyDhaA0T-_hVlab8OL0Q1VKXkKQDef1f26cP_a7PfLMxsyPlXeJlA-L9JvjJ1iLe2n5VgeABM3iTqlhIovs1vJwBrk2Cy_65aFwGbl/s988/Screenshot_20211206-104504.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kncAymKZ1089DTltaYgRT4b5TvHkuEa68qLGitnyDhaA0T-_hVlab8OL0Q1VKXkKQDef1f26cP_a7PfLMxsyPlXeJlA-L9JvjJ1iLe2n5VgeABM3iTqlhIovs1vJwBrk2Cy_65aFwGbl/w466-h640/Screenshot_20211206-104504.png" width="466" /></a></div><p>Raffaella Cribiore is Professor at New York University and specializes in ancient Greco-Roman education, papyrology, and Greek rhetoric among other specialties. She has written several books on these topics, several of which are "must-reads" for anyone interested in understanding the wider culture in which early Christian book culture arose, particularly her works related to Greco-Roman education more broadly. Two of these books are;</p><p><br />"Writing, Teachers, and Students in Graeco-Roman Egypt" (Atlanta: Scholar's Press, 1996).</p>"Gymnastics of the Mind: Greek Education in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. Princeton" (NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005).<div><br /></div><div>I have learned so much from Cribiore's work and was excited when I discovered that she had been interviewed on an episode of one of my favorite Podcasts, Ancient Greece Declassified. Here is the link to the interview.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://greecepodcast.libsyn.com/11-caves-and-classrooms-w-raffaella-cribiore">Ancient Greece Declassified: 11 Caves and Classrooms w/ Raffaella Cribiore (libsyn.com)</a><br /><p>There were many interesting insights that Cribiore gave, but one that really resonated with my own research was her emphasis on the broadly defined "universality" of Greco-Roman education across the Roman Empire. Along with this, I list out several other interesting insight from the interview below;</p><p>1) Education from Hellenistic to the late antique period was remarkably uniform. Someone from Syria, to Egypt, to Rome would have been educated in a similar manner and with a similar body of literature.</p><p>2) Much more people attended at least the first tier of education than is often realized by scholars more broadly. </p><p>3) At least at the lowest levels, Education was available to girls as well as boys.</p><p>These details from the ancient world help to shine a light on early Christian reading and scribal culture. In an environment where a text was read out and copied within a social network, many Christians would be in a position to engage with these texts at various levels, and with some uniformity across the Empire. This would lead to a circumstance in which any "macrolevel" changes to a text in circulation would be noticed by the community engaging with these same texts. I make this argument in my JSNT article,</p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0142064X20961282">"Exposing Textual Corruption: Community as a Stabilizing Aspect in the Circulation of the New Testament writings during the Greco-Roman Era." JSNT 43.2 (December 2020): 266-298.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-91523695490299163692021-11-09T08:06:00.005-08:002021-11-09T10:34:23.502-08:00Upcoming Event, Text and Manuscript Conference: Pen, Print, and Pixels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1221" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vYWnxG_Vw1-u5rrVEmsrUgROO59fiwlxskPUzJZK3R_Hv2IOf0EIvCtF4qkWk5DMGY0g8P3HgQuqNTqIPyoNkzsgpzbpE0QSEoiHih796bGlhrQtSx0utYzF0CbqSbJ6eKtLEMVpSqTR/w640-h390/CSNTM+Conference.jpg" width="640" /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts has launched a new biannual Text and Manuscript Conference. Executive Director Daniel Wallace announced,</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"This conference will be held on even-numbered years as a North American reflection of the <i>Birmingham Colloquium on the Textual Criticism of the New Testament</i>, which is itself held on odd-numbered years in the United Kingdom."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">The inaugural conference is slated for <b><u>May 19th - 20th, 2022</u></b> and is themed <a href="https://conference.csntm.org/" target="_blank"><b><i>Pen, Print, and Pixels</i></b>.</a> Follow the hyperlink, or go to the following link, https://conference.csntm.org/</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a great line-up of main speakers.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugh Houghton</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Kathleen Maxwell</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Holger Strutwolf</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dirk Yongkind</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jan Krans</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is also a great selection of breakout session speakers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Keith Elliot</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jeremiah Coogan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Juan Hernandez</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Edgar Ebojo</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Craig Evans</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Georgi Parpulov</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Christian Askeland</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Timothy Mitchell</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Peter Montro</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ryan Griffin</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">William Warren</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Grant Edwards</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">James Prothro<br /><br />I don't know what all of the session speakers will be presenting on, but my own presentation will be the following;</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Exposing Textual Corruption in the Wider Circulation of the New Testament Writings During the Greco-Roman Era</b><br /><br /><b>Abstract:</b><br /> In a recent publication I argued that the primary means by which books were circulated was through social networks. A natural consequence of this was that macro-level changes (to use the terminology of Michael W. Holmes) to a text within circulation would become known within that same community.<br /> In this paper I will present further evidence that the avenues for exposing textual corruption were present even when a writing circulated more broadly. In the wider Greco-Roman culture, literature would often be circulated through booksellers allowing the work to be accessed by more extensive reading communities farther removed from the author(s) and their followers. References from Cicero, Pliny the Younger, and Galen will be explored.<br /> In the case of the New Testament writings, evidence for those outside of the Christian community having contact with and reading scriptural books will be examined. Figures such as Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen and many others will be explored. <br /> I will be arguing from this evidence that these wider pathways of book distribution also presented opportunities for exposing the macro-level corruption of texts in circulation, specifically with regard to the New Testament writings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /></span><br /> </div></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-20744748642033468342021-08-16T09:55:00.007-07:002021-08-16T10:02:06.086-07:00Interview on The Hardcore Humanities Podcast<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Released today is an interview I did with Jamie Tibke host of The Hardcore Humanities Podcast. The interview can be found on Spotify and Apple ITunes. Link to Spotify posted below.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Hardcore Humanities Podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2480jEi5oxaKZxaRMUsEXb">https://open.spotify.com/episode/2480jEi5oxaKZxaRMUsEXb</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2480jEi5oxaKZxaRMUsEXbast-iXL3zhN5qaH-TeK7h_io25g.1400x1400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38lBxGBuQVpCpIQPMq3zrkN7aPwOgQwGgLvoC_58mNX9KjVPyKsMLCj6pgw4VbQ_ftTFhU9FJOIzhyH-SadmOgu4i93vA6dDAjNv6p5X5F5-81XG-gxdTg0560z00MmBsOwm28YkHZFBX/s320/the-hardcore-humanities-podcast-iXL3zhN5qaH-TeK7h_io25g.1400x1400.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-44513197815631819672021-08-08T07:38:00.004-07:002021-08-08T14:41:43.004-07:00Aurelius of Carthage: The Illiterate Church Lector and Confessor<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmZs0mX_MejMOvcKeQow8tA9JzSLlQx4amTbupb6rWB7tLoDSciFIIGo_bvOorKNOtV-lQfJygDreOJ0FTfNhnSBLTRhcCWsmFPIFvCVRt-PbQrrwZDrKeWEeusexhvXIz5txgQeWs-N1/s915/Cyprian%2527s+Letters+Add+MS+40165+A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="739" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmZs0mX_MejMOvcKeQow8tA9JzSLlQx4amTbupb6rWB7tLoDSciFIIGo_bvOorKNOtV-lQfJygDreOJ0FTfNhnSBLTRhcCWsmFPIFvCVRt-PbQrrwZDrKeWEeusexhvXIz5txgQeWs-N1/w517-h640/Cyprian%2527s+Letters+Add+MS+40165+A.jpg" width="517" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_40165_A" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #005ff9; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none;">Add. 40165 A</a> <br />4th century fragments of Cyprians letters <br />used as flyleaves for a 12th-century Latin manuscript<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">At around 250 CE Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his Church to inform them of the appointment of a young man named Aurelius to the office of lector. That is someone who read out the scriptures to the congregation at the time they were gathering for worship.</span><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"In the ordinations of clerics, dearly beloved Brethren, we are accustomed to consult you in advance and in common council to weigh the characters and merits of each one." (<i>Ep</i>. 38)</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Cyprian goes on to share in the letter that Aurelius was "twice confessed and twice glorious in the victory of his confession" (<i>Ep</i>. 38). It was during this time that Christians were under extreme pressure to make sacrifices to the God's or face repercussions. This was due to an imperial edict given by Emperor Decius in order to gain favor from the God's towards the troubled Roman Empire (see posts <a href="http://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2019/12/certificates-of-pagan-worship.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2021/01/christian-networks-and-circulation-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Apparently Aurelius had suffered under this edict but had remained firm in the faith and had not recanted belief; a confessor. Cyprian greatly admired Aurelius for his courage and because of this wanted to go ahead and ordain him to the office before he had consulted with the other leaders as was the custom.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Such a one was deserving of the higher steps of clerical ordination and a greater promotion, not so considered for his years, but for his merits. But, in the meantime, it seemed right for him to start with the office of reading since nothing was more becoming also to the voice which confessed God with glorious praise than to sound Him forth through the celebrating of the divine readings, after the sublime words which bespoke martyrdom for Christ: to read the Gospel of Christ whence martyrs are made, to come to the pulpit after the scaffold; . . . Know, therefore, dearly beloved that he has been ordained by me and by colleagues who were present. . . . And since joy is always hastening, and rejoicing cannot brook delays, in the meantime, he reads for us on Sunday, that is, he is auspicious for peace while he dedicates the reading." (<i>Ep</i>. 38)</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It is obvious that Aurelius is capable of reading out a text (presumably in Latin) because Cyprian is fully expecting him to do so the next Sunday after he sent this letter. What is strange however is that in a letter to the Church in Rome, Cyprian mentions that a certain Lucian (another confessor) had written many petitions in behalf of others who were imprisoned.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">"Many petitions, written in the handwriting of this same Lucian, have also been given in the name of Aurelius, a youth who suffered tortures, because the latter did not know how to write." (<i>Ep</i>. 27).</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This same Aurelius, who was perfectly capable at reading, did not know his letters and had to have a certain Lucian write a petition on his behalf. This does seem strange to us in the twenty-first century, accustomed to learning to read and write together. This was not the case in the ancient world. These two skills were often acquired separately and with varying degrees of competency (Cribiore, 9-10). </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Cyprian presents this information normally and does not indicate that this circumstance is exceptional</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. This might also help explain the kinds of features that we see in our earliest copies of the New Testament writings. These often exhibit reading aids, spaces between words, and other kinds of limited punctuation (see <a href="http://thetextualmechanic.blogspot.com/2013/04/reading-aids-in-early-christian.html" target="_blank">here</a>). These may have been present to assist those who had limit education, who could read at a basic level, but had not received schooling in the ability to write, just like we see in the case of Aurelius of Carthage.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">____________________</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>St. Cyprian, Letters 1-81</i>, <i>The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation</i> (Sister Rose Bernard Donna, trans. New York: Catholic University of America Press, 1964).</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Cribiore, Rafaella. <i>Writing, Teachers, and Students in Graeco-Roman Egypt </i>(Atlanta: Scholar's Press, 1996).</span>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925011239177942231.post-68935938385447650302021-07-06T12:30:00.001-07:002021-07-06T12:31:54.316-07:00Sacred Words in the SBJT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sbts-wordpress-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/equip/uploads/2021/07/SBJT-24.3-Complete.pdf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMtfHq7EjYMlYaxEEP5hgoumJghz2oDoDitku8IYyyqQD_rYjBt2K7zDTtiHWF7MwnBJlFykkrpZMn2LuaEqXUv_szXiRpTNwQBMvOaCRwS2eDzi3l1ZdX-Uur-CavjCdvrB4n0wdgUQW/w434-h640/Screenshot_20210706-121235%257E2.png" width="434" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In the latest issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology is a collection of articles that address various topics in the area of the text and canon of the scriptures. These articles are the printed versions of most of the lectures given at last year's "Sacred Words Conference" for the newly formed Text and Canon Institute of Phoenix Seminary. I was fortunate to be a presenter at the conference and my own presentation appears in this issues as well. Here is the table of contents.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eQuQQ88eSzAru0uOK_j9ipgx-D0Wq8pfddUK30vOepIWGqlcxp00Me3cT_yc-ggWZT_3EdAQSBtPhgTWtpocUjb5eaRCJwDEB6AftR7TS1YNyYn8QOmxLhVsiTlLi_GQms3h-gnIND66/s1195/Screenshot_20210706-121316%257E3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eQuQQ88eSzAru0uOK_j9ipgx-D0Wq8pfddUK30vOepIWGqlcxp00Me3cT_yc-ggWZT_3EdAQSBtPhgTWtpocUjb5eaRCJwDEB6AftR7TS1YNyYn8QOmxLhVsiTlLi_GQms3h-gnIND66/w386-h640/Screenshot_20210706-121316%257E3.png" width="386" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/editorial-defending-biblical-authority-on-the-textual-front/" target="_blank">Stephen J. Wellum <br />Editorial: Defending Biblical Authority on the Textual Front</a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/discipleship-and-the-history-of-the-bible/" target="_blank">John D. Meade </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/discipleship-and-the-history-of-the-bible/" target="_blank">Discipleship and the History of the Bible</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/some-missteps-in-narrating-the-bibles-history/" target="_blank">John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/some-missteps-in-narrating-the-bibles-history/" target="_blank">Some Missteps in Narrating the Bible’s History</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/from-a-smoking-canon-to-burning-hearts-the-making-of-the-hebrew-bible/" target="_blank">Stephen G. Dempster </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/from-a-smoking-canon-to-burning-hearts-the-making-of-the-hebrew-bible/" target="_blank">From a Smoking Canon to Burning Hearts: The Making of the Hebrew Bible</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/chaos-theory-and-the-text-of-the-old-testament/" target="_blank">Peter J. Gentry </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/chaos-theory-and-the-text-of-the-old-testament/" target="_blank">Chaos Theory and the Text of the Old Testament</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/" target="_blank">Timothy N. Mitchell </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/where-inspiration-is-found-putting-the-new-testament-autographs-in-context/" target="_blank">Where Inspiration is Found: Putting the New Testament Autographs in Context</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/listening-to-the-dead-sea-scrolls/" target="_blank">Anthony M. Ferguson </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/listening-to-the-dead-sea-scrolls/" target="_blank">Listening to the Dead Sea Scrolls</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/what-do-james-peter-john-and-jude-have-in-common-arguing-for-the-canonical-collection-of-the-catholic-epistles/" target="_blank">Darian R. Lockett </a></div><div><a href="https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/what-do-james-peter-john-and-jude-have-in-common-arguing-for-the-canonical-collection-of-the-catholic-epistles/" target="_blank">What Do James, Peter, John, and Jude Have in Common? Arguing for the Canonical Collection of the Catholic Epistles</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Timothy N. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10696299768205488795noreply@blogger.com0