GA 0303: What Do We Have Here?

 

GA  0303 is a  single two-page manuscript containing text from Luke 13:17-29a (ending with ἀνατολων) that resides in the National Library in Paris.  Although assigned a GA number among the majuscules, it appears to be a piece of a lectionary – there are no Section numbers where ρξζ-ροε would normally be, and a rubric appears between verses 17 and 18, signaling the beginning of the 12^th Saturday after Easter, and the text of verse 18 is adulterated with an incipit phrase.  Here are its notable features, compared to the Robinson-Pierpont 2005 Byzantine Textform:

17 – the second omicron in ὁὄχλος is written above the line.

18 – ειπεν ο κς την παβο (an abbreviation for ειπεν ο κυριος την παρβολην) ομοιω η βασιλεια ουνον – reminiscent of the reading in N and U, where “kingdom of God” has been supplanted by “kingdom of heaven” – before beginning the text in verse 19

19 – κοκκως instead of κοκκω

19 – αυτον instead of εαυτον

20 – no variants

21 – εκρυψεν instead of ενέκρυψεν

22 – no variants

23 – no variants

24 – αγωνιζεσθαι instead of αγωνιζεσθε

24 – no variants

25 – εσται instead of εστε

26 – πλατιαις instead of πλατειαις

27 – υδα instead of οιδα

27 – εσται instead of εστε

27 – due to overtrimming I cannot be certain that οι did not follow πάντες but it probably didn’t

27 – τις instead of της

28 – Ισακ instead of Ισαακ

29 – no variants

A minor tear in the parchment initially make it look like a scribe marked out προς αυτους at the end of verse 24 but th444e tear shows on the opposite side of the page.

A later hand has added ΙΣ in the outer margin of the last phrase of v. 23, another sign that this witness is a lectionary.

There are at least five readings that impact translation:

· 0303 supports μεγα, “great” in v. 19, supported by P45 A K Ν W Δ Θ Π Ψ Byz and the KJV Rheims CEV EHV Tregelles.  The Tyndale House GNT does not include μεγα but mentions it in the apparatus.

· 0303 supports the non-inclusion of Και, “And” at the beginning of v. 20.  Inclusion is supported by P45 P75 À B L and the Textus Receptus.  Yes you read that correctly:  Erasmus’ compilation agree with the oldest copies here, disagreeing with the majority.

· 0303 supports the Byzantine πύλης (“gate”) instead of the Alexandrian θύρας (“door”) in v. 24.

· 0303 supports the inclusion of Κε Κε “Lord, Lord”), disagreeing with the Alexandrian non-repetition of Κε in v. 25.

· 0303 supports υμας (“you”) in v. 27, disagreeing with its non-inclusion in P75 B L.  UBS4 indecisively bracketed υμας.  The CSB NIV NLT clearly are based on the text with υμας; others are too vaguely worded to tell.

A nice little witness to the early Byzantine text with a text more accurate than that of À – but it should be relisted as a lectionary!