INTRODUCING textual criticism

Interpreting Ancient Manuscripts Web This is one of the first places to go if you are new to the text criticism. This link is to an excellent introduction to the theory and practice of text criticism.

A Student’s Guide to NT Textual Variants This is the other first place to go if you are new to text criticism.

Textual Research on the Bible, German Bible Society. This booklet is an official introduction to the major biblical texts that are the basis of the critical editions of the Bible in its original languages (BHS, BHQ, NA, UBS), all of which are published by the German Bible Society. The pamphlet includes full color photos and is a must read for those serious about the Bible in its original languages.

more resources and online manuscripts

Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts This is the CSNTM’s linked list of NT manuscripts.

The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls

Shrine of the Book, Jerusalem.

Vatican Digital Library. DVL, DigiVatLib is the Vatican’s online digital library that includes, among other things, its important New Testament manuscripts.

Index to Interpreting Ancient Manuscripts Webpage This is the TOC to the larger “Interpreting Ancient Mauscripts” site. From here you can find out about the biblical manuscripts themselves, the process of copying the Biblical texts, and the basic techniques of textual criticism.

Inspired by the Encyclopedia of NT Textual Criticism Rich Elliott’s site is encyclopedic in scope. Particularly useful to a new text critic are the “Manuscript” articles, especially the “Manuscript Description” entry.

NT Virtual Manuscript Room From the University of Munster’s Institute for NT Textual Research, this site contains high-quality pictures of NT manuscripts. The easiest navigator on this German site is the VMR button. From there, pick your text by name.

MARK16 Manuscript Room. This “is the first part of a virtual research environment (VRE) devoted to the last chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, developed in the framework of the Swiss National Science Foundation PRIMA project MARK16.”

Bible Researcher’s Textual Criticism Links Michael Marlowe’s excellent, all-around website contains two excellent pages for Text Critical studies: The Greek Text of the New Testament, and Web Directory of Biblical Studies.

Evangelical Text Criticism This “forum [blog] for people with knowledge of the Bible in its original languages to discuss its manuscripts and textual history from the perspective of historic evangelical theology,” also contains a helpful Index of NT Manuscripts.

Early Greek Bible Manuscripts Project: Lists of NT Manuscripts This is Peter M. Head’s list of NT manuscripts, with links to pictures of and more information about them.

List of New Testament Uncials This is the NationMaster’s linked, encyclopedia entry on NT Uncials. If you click on “New Testament Papyri,” you will go to a linked list of NT papyri.

Codex Sinaiticus Project This goal of this project is to make the entire text and photos of the Codex Sinaiticus available online for free.

TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism – Links Page

Catalogue of NT Papyri & Codices (2nd-10th Centuries) This is K.C. Hanson’s list of early NT manuscripts. The list is linked to pictures and further information for the manuscripts.

Chronological Table of NT Manuscripts This is David Robert Palmer’s linked chronological list of NT manuscripts.

Greek Manuscript Research Center This is Andrews University’s GMRC’s link page to important online databases of Greek manuscripts.

NT Textual Criticism Reference Charts Rodney Decker’s charts on important Greek NT manuscripts, organized by family.

Quartz Hill School of Theology This gives a helpful overview of their hermeneutical process. This page is a good primer on textual criticism.

Les manuscrits des évangiles This is part of a larger site based in Montreal, Canada. The entire site appears to be in French. The descriptions of the texts on this page are pretty solid.

The New Testament Compared to Classical Literature This short read helpfully brings together analysis of the textual situation of the Bible as compared to classical literature.

“My Favorite Passage that’s Not in the Bible,” by Dan Wallace

Introduction to Textual Criticism

Tools for Studying Biblical Manuscripts

hELPFUL PASSAGES FOR TEACHING TEXTUAL CRITICISM

Start with Mark 16:9-20 (Longer Endings of Mark); John 7:53-8:11 (Pericope Adulterae); 1 John 5:7-8 (Comma Johanneum).

Then try any of the following: Matt 17:21; 24:36; Mark 1:14, 41; 9:23; Luke 10:42; 22:43-44; John 1:28; Rom 5:1; 1 Cor 14:34-35; Eph 1:1; 5:30; Col 4:15; 1 Thess 2:7; Phil 3:12-13; Heb 2:7; 1 John 1:4c; 2:20, 23; 5:7-8; Rev 13:7, 18.