Hand-to-Hand Combat: Codex Bezae vs. the Georgius Gospels

          Guess which manuscript has more corruptions in Luke 2:1-21:  Codex Bezae (for which researcher D. C. Parker has assigned a production-date around 400), or the Georgius Gospels (a minuscule manuscript from the 1200’s)?  We could use the Byzantine Textform compiled by Maurice Robinson and William Pierpont as the basis for this comparison.  But instead, let’s compare each manuscript’s text of Luke 2:1-21 – Luke’s narrative about the birth of Christ – to the Nestle-Aland compilation.

          The text of Luke 2:1-21 in the Georgius Gospels (GA 2266) – page-views of which can be viewed at the Goodspeed Manuscript Collection’s website – deviates from the NA27 text at the following points. (Agreements between 2266 and the RP2005 Byzantine Text are accompanied by a triangle.  Agreements between 226 and the Hodges-Farstad Majority Text (against RP2005) are accompanied by a square.)

       

2:1 – 2266 has εξηλθε instead of εξηλθεν.  (-1)  ■

2:2 – 2266 has η after αυτη. (+1)  ▲

2:3 – 2266 has ιδιαν instead of εαυτου.  (-6 and +5)  ▲

2:4 – 2266 has Ναζαρετ instead of Ναζαρεθ. (-1 and +1)  ▲

2:5 – 2266 has μεμνηστευμενη instead of εμνηστευμενη. (+1)  ▲

2:5 – 2266 has the word γϋναικι before ουση. (+7)  ▲

2:5 – 226 has εγγυω instead of εγκυω. (-1 and +1)  

2:7 – 2266 has τη before φατνη. (+2)  ▲

2:9 – 2266 has ιδου after the first και. (+4)  ▲

2:10 – 2266 has θοβηστε instead of θοβειστε. (+1 and -2)  

2:11 – 2266 has εστι instead of εστιν. (-1)  ■

2:12 – 2266 does not have και before κειμενον. (-3)  ▲

2:14 – 2266 has ευδοκια instead of ευδοκιας. (+1)  ▲

2:15 – 2266 has οι ανοι (the contraction of ανθρωποι) after οι αγγελοι και. (+10)  ▲

2:15 – 2266 has ειπον instead of ελαλουν. (-7 and +5)  ▲

2:16 – 2266 has ηλθον instead of ηλθαν. (-1 and +1)  ▲

2:16 – 2266 has ανευρον instead of ανευραν. (-1 and +1)  ▲

2:17 – 2266 has διεγνωρισαν instead of εγνωρισαν. (+2)  ▲

          In addition, 2266 contracts the following words which appear at the ends of lines:

2:4 – 2266 has Γαλιλ′ instead of Γαλιλαιας.  (-4)

2:11 – 2266 has πολ′ instead of πολει.  (-2)

2:12 – 2266 has κειμεν′ nstead of κειμενον. (-2) 

2:21 – 2266 has επλησθησ′ instead of επλησθησαν.  (-2)

The Georgius Gospels (GA 2266)
MS 727-Image 270

          In a strict letter-by-letter count, without considering contractions of nomina sacra , abbreviations of και, and the contractions at the ends of lines, in 2266, 22 letters of the original text have been lost, and 43 non-original letters have been introduced.   Thus, whether via addition or subtraction, the text of 2266 differs from the text of NA27 by 65 letters.

          Aside from spelling-variants, these 65 letters’ worth of difference between the text of Luke 2:1-21 in the Georgius Gospels and in the Nestle-Aland compilation consist mainly of these seven variants:

            ● the interchange between ιδιαν and εαυτου in verse 3,

            ● the introduction of γϋναικι in verse 5,

            ● the introduction of ιδου in verse 9,

            ● the absence of και in verse 12,

            ● the ς at the end of ευδοκιας.  (This changes the meaning of the phrase.)

            ● the introduction of οι ανθρωποι in verse 15, and

            ● the interchange between ειπον and ελαλουν in verse 15. 

Now let’s look at the text of Luke 2:1-21 in Codex Bezae.

. . . Are you sure you’re ready?  Take a deep breath.

2:1 – D moves εγενετο to follow αυτη instead of πρωτη.

2:3 – D has πατριδα instead of πολιν. (+6, -4)

2:4 – D has γην instead of την. (-1)

2:4 – D has Ιουδα instead of Ιουδαιαν. (-3)

2:4 – D has Δαυειδ instead of Δαυιδ. (+1)

2:4 – D has καλειτε instead of καλειται. (+1, -2)

2:4-5 – D moves απογραφεσθαι συν Μαρια τη εμνηστευμενη αυτω ουση ενκυω to immediately follow Βηθεεμ.  Within the transposed portion, D has απογραφεσθαι instead of απογραφασθαι, and Μαρια instead of Μαριαμ, and ενκυω instead of εγκυω.  (+2, -3)

2:5 – D has Δαυειδ instead of Δαυιδ. (+1)

2:6 – D has ως δε παρεγεινοντο instead of εγενετο δε εν τω ειναι αυτους εκει.  (+14, -26)

2:6 – D has ετλησθησαν instead of επλησθησαν.  (+1, -1)

2:8 – D has Ποιμενες δε instead of Και ποιμενες.  (+2, -3)

2:8 – D has χαρα ταυτη instead of χωρα τη αυτη.  (+1, -2)

2:8 – D has τας before φυλακας.  (+3)

2:9 – D has ιδου after the first και.  (+4)

2:9 – D does not have κυριου after δοξα.  (-6)

2:10 – D has υμειν instead of υμιν. (+1)

2:10 – D has και before παντι.  (+3)

2:11 – D has υμειν instead of υμιν. (+1)

2:11 – D has Δαυειδ instead of Δαυιδ.  (+1)

2:12 – D has υμειν instead of υμιν.  (+1)

2:12 – D has εστω after σημειον.  (+4)

2:12 – D does not have και κειμενον.  (-11)

2:13 – D has στρατειας instead of στρατιας.  (+1)

2:13 – D has ουρανου instead of ουρανιου.  (-1)

2:13 – D has αιτουντων instead of αινουντων.  (+1, -1)

2:15 – D moves οι αγγελοι to follow απηλθον.

2:15 – D has και οι ανθρωποι before οι ποιμενες. (+10)

2:15 – D has ειπον instead of ελαλουν. (+3, -5)

2:15 – D has γεγονως instead of γεγονος. (+1, -1)

2:15 – D has ημειν instead of ημιν.  (+1)

2:16 – D has ελθον instead of ελθαν. (+1, -1)

2:16 – D has σπευδοντες instead of σπευσαντες.  (+2, -2)

2:16 – D has ευρον instead of ανευραν.  (+1, -3)

2:16 – D does not have τε before Μαριαμ. (-2)

2:16 – D has Μαριαν instead of Μαριαμ. (+1, -1)

2:17 – D does not have τουτου at the end of the verse.  (-6)

2:18 – D has ακουοντες instead of ακουσαντες.  (+1, -2)

2:18 – D has εθαυμαζον instead of εθαυμαζαν.  (+1, -1)

2:19 – D has Μαρια instead of Μαριαμ.  (-1)

2:19 – D has a transposition:  συνετηρει παντα instead of παντα συνετηρει.

2:19 – D has συνβαλλουσα instead of συμβαλλουσα.  (+1, -1)

2:20 – D has ιδον instead of ειδον.  (-1)

2:21 – D has συνετελεσθησαν instead of επλησθησαν.  (+6, -1)

2:21 – D has αι before ημεραι.  (+2)

2:21 – D has αι before οκτω.  (+2)

2:21 – D has το παιδιον instead of αυτον.  (+9, -5)

2:21 – D has ωνομασθη instead of και εκληθη.  (+8, -9)

2:21 – D has συνλημφθηναι instead of συλλημφθηναι. (+1, -1)

2:21 – D does not have τη before κοιλια.  (-2)

2:21 – D has μητρος after κοιλια.  (+6)

          That’s 106 additions of non-original letters, and 109 subtractions of original letters.  Whether by addition or subtraction, the text of Luke 2:1-21 in Codex Bezae differs from the text of NA27 by 215 letters (without considering the transpositions).   For comparison:  compared to NA27, the corruptions in 2266 amount to 65 letters (or 75, if we toss in the letters lost in end-of-line contractions), and the corruptions in D amount to 215 letters.

          Setting aside spelling-variations and transpositions, these 215 letters’ worth of difference between the text of D and the Nestle-Aland compilation consist mainly of these 23 variants: 

● 2:3 – D has πατριδα instead of πολιν. (+6, -4)

● 2:4 – D has γην instead of την. (-1)

● 2:4 – D has Ιουδα instead of Ιουδαιαν. (-3)

● 2:6 – D has ως δε παρεγεινοντο instead of εγενετο δε εν τω ειναι αυτους εκει.  (+14, -26)

● 2:8 – D has χαρα ταυτη instead of χωρα τη αυτη.  (+1, -2)

● 2:8 – D has τας before φυλακας.  (+3)

● 2:9 – D has ιδου after the first και.  (+4)

● 2:9 – D does not have κυριου after δοξα.  (-6)

● 2:10 – D has και before παντι.  (+3)

● 2:12 – D has εστω after σημειον.  (+4)

● 2:12 – D does not have και κειμενον.  (-11)

● 2:15 – D has και οι ανθρωποι before οι ποιμενες. (+13)

● 2:15 – D has ειπον instead of ελαλουν. (+3, -5)

● 2:16 – D has ευρον instead of ανευραν.  (+1, -3)

● 2:16 – D does not have τε before Μαριαμ. (-2)

● 2:17 – D does not have τουτου at the end of the verse.  (-6)

● 2:21 – D has συνετελεσθησαν instead of επλησθησαν.  (+6, -1)

● 2:21 – D has αι before ημεραι.  (+2)

● 2:21 – D has αι before οκτω.  (+2)

● 2:21 – D has το παιδιον instead of αυτον.  (+9, -5)

● 2:21 – D has ωνομασθη instead of και εκληθη.  (+8, -9)

● 2:21 – D does not have τη before κοιλια.  (-2)

● 2:21 – D has μητρος after κοιλια.  (+6)

          Now let’s revisit those seven variants in 2266 that constituted its main disagreements with the NA27 compilation.  Do you think they might be late readings that somehow got attached to the text in the Middle Ages, like snowflakes attaching themselves to a snowball as it rolls down a hill?  Let’s take a look at the allies of 2266, and see how old these readings are.

● 2:3 – ιδιαν instead of εαυτου:  supported by Codex A.

● 2:5 – γϋναικι:  supported by Codex A.

● 2:9 – ιδου:   supported by Codex A. 

● 2:12 - και is absent:  supported by Codex A.

● 2:14 – ευδοκια:  supported by L, Eusebius, Ambrose, Jerome, and Chrysostom (among others)

● 2:15 – οι ανθρωποι:  supported by Codex A.

● 2:15:  ειπον:  supported by Codex A.    

          Thus, compared to the text of Codex A, we see practically no “snowball effect” in the transmission of the text of Luke 2:1-21 in 2266.  If these readings are accretions, they are early ones.  Furthermore, compared to the text of Codex D, 2266 has by far the more accurate text.  Using the Byzantine Text as the basis of comparison, 2266 has almost no deviations.  Using the Nestle-Aland compilation as the basis of comparison, 2266’s text has lost 22 original letters and added 43 non-original letters – mostly in agreement with Codex A.  Meanwhile the text of Codex D has lost 109 original letters, and has accrued 106 non-original letters (and also contains several transpositions). 

          Again:  the Georgius Gospels is the clear winner.  In Luke 2:1-21, using NA27 as the basis of comparison, the Georgius Gospels has only one-third as much corruption as Codex Bezae contains.  

   

          [Readers are invited to double-check the comparisons and arithmetic.]