Editio Octava Critica Maior
Encyclopedia
Editio Octava Critica Maior is a critical edition of the Greek New Testament produced by Constantin von Tischendorf
. It was Tischendorf's eighth edition of the Greek Testament, and the most important, published between 1864 and 1894.
Tischendorf died before he could finish his edition, and the third volume, containing the Prolegomena, was prepared and edited by C. R. Gregory and issued in three parts (1884, 1890, 1894).
Tischendorf gave the evidence known in his time. He used 64 uncial manuscripts, a single papyrus manuscript, and a small number of minuscule manuscripts. He could not verify everything he cited and sometimes in his apparatus he gives notations such as "copms ap Mill et Wtst", i.e. "Coptic manuscript according to Mill
and Westtstein
". The manuscripts are cited completely and accurately. The number of inaccuracies is smaller than in 20th-century manual editions.
Tischendorf did not have a detailed textual theory. In practice he had a strong preference for the readings of the manuscript of his own discovery – Codex Sinaiticus
. His text is eclectic but generally the Alexandrian
. It has also something from the Western text-type
, especially when it agrees with Codex Bezae
.
At the beginning of his work Tischendorf had practically no access to Codex Vaticanus
, and it was published too late to alter the basic structure of Tischendorf's edition.
of Westcott
and Hort
were sufficient to make the Textus Receptus
obsolete for the scholarly world.
According to Eberhard Nestle
the text of the eighth edition differs from the seventh edition in 3,572 places. Nestle has accused this edition of giving weight to the evidence of Codex Sinaiticus
. Nestle used Editio octava in his Novum Testamentum Graece
for its extensive representation of the manuscript tradition and Westcott-Hort's text for its development of the methodology of the Textual Criticism
. Nestle called Tischendorf's edition "the most complete survey of what has been done on the Greek New Testament up to the present time".
The edition was reprinted in 1965. According to Kurt Aland
even a century later it was still of value for scholarly research.
Tischendorf proposed his own critical apparatus - symbols and abbreviations - in this work. The critical apparatus used in Editio Octava is still used by some textual critics.
Constantin von Tischendorf
Lobegott Friedrich Constantin Tischendorf was a noted German Biblical scholar. He deciphered the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, a 5th century Greek manuscript of the New Testament, in the 1840s, and rediscovered the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century New Testament manuscript, in 1859.Tischendorf...
. It was Tischendorf's eighth edition of the Greek Testament, and the most important, published between 1864 and 1894.
Edition
The first volume was issued in 11 parts, beginning in 1864. They were published in two volumes in 1869 and 1872. The edition was accompanied by a rich critical apparatus in which he assembled all of the variant readings that he or his predecessors had found in manuscripts, versions, and fathers.Tischendorf died before he could finish his edition, and the third volume, containing the Prolegomena, was prepared and edited by C. R. Gregory and issued in three parts (1884, 1890, 1894).
Tischendorf gave the evidence known in his time. He used 64 uncial manuscripts, a single papyrus manuscript, and a small number of minuscule manuscripts. He could not verify everything he cited and sometimes in his apparatus he gives notations such as "copms ap Mill et Wtst", i.e. "Coptic manuscript according to Mill
John Mill
John Mill was an English theologian. He is noted for his critical edition of the Greek New Testament which included notes on many variant readings.-Biography:...
and Westtstein
Johann Jakob Wettstein
Johann Jakob Wettstein was a Swiss theologian, best known as a New Testament critic.-Youth and study:...
". The manuscripts are cited completely and accurately. The number of inaccuracies is smaller than in 20th-century manual editions.
Tischendorf did not have a detailed textual theory. In practice he had a strong preference for the readings of the manuscript of his own discovery – Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the four great uncial codices, an ancient, handwritten copy of the Greek Bible. It is an Alexandrian text-type manuscript written in the 4th century in uncial letters on parchment. Current scholarship considers the Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the best Greek texts of...
. His text is eclectic but generally the Alexandrian
Alexandrian text-type
The Alexandrian text-type , associated with Alexandria, is one of several text-types used in New Testament textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of biblical manuscripts...
. It has also something from the Western text-type
Western text-type
The Western text-type is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe and group the textual character of Greek New Testament manuscripts...
, especially when it agrees with Codex Bezae
Codex Bezae
The Codex Bezae Cantabrigensis, designated by siglum Dea or 05 , δ 5 , is a codex of the New Testament dating from the 5th century written in an uncial hand on vellum. It contains, in both Greek and Latin, most of the four Gospels and Acts, with a small fragment of the 3 John...
.
At the beginning of his work Tischendorf had practically no access to Codex Vaticanus
Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus , is one of the oldest extant manuscripts of the Greek Bible , one of the four great uncial codices. The Codex is named for the residence in the Vatican Library, where it has been stored since at least the 15th century...
, and it was published too late to alter the basic structure of Tischendorf's edition.
Influence
Tischendorf's Editio Octava and The New Testament in the Original GreekThe New Testament in the Original Greek
The New Testament in the Original Greek is the name of a Greek language version of the New Testament published in 1881. It is also known as the Westcott and Hort text, after its editors Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort...
of Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott was a British bishop, Biblical scholar and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death.-Early life and education:...
and Hort
Fenton John Anthony Hort
Fenton John Anthony Hort was an Irish theologian and editor, with Brooke Westcott of a critical edition of The New Testament in the Original Greek.-Life:...
were sufficient to make the Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus is the name subsequently given to the succession of printed Greek texts of the New Testament which constituted the translation base for the original German Luther Bible, the translation of the New Testament into English by William Tyndale, the King James Version, and for most other...
obsolete for the scholarly world.
According to Eberhard Nestle
Eberhard Nestle
Eberhard Nestle was a German biblical scholar, textual critic, Orientalist, editor of Novum Testamentum Graece, and the father of Erwin Nestle.- Life :...
the text of the eighth edition differs from the seventh edition in 3,572 places. Nestle has accused this edition of giving weight to the evidence of Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the four great uncial codices, an ancient, handwritten copy of the Greek Bible. It is an Alexandrian text-type manuscript written in the 4th century in uncial letters on parchment. Current scholarship considers the Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the best Greek texts of...
. Nestle used Editio octava in his Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece is the Latin name editions of the original Greek-language version of the New Testament.The first printed edition was the Complutensian Polyglot Bible by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, printed in 1514, but not published until 1520...
for its extensive representation of the manuscript tradition and Westcott-Hort's text for its development of the methodology of the Textual Criticism
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
. Nestle called Tischendorf's edition "the most complete survey of what has been done on the Greek New Testament up to the present time".
The edition was reprinted in 1965. According to Kurt Aland
Kurt Aland
Kurt Aland was a German Theologian and Professor of New Testament Research and Church History. He founded the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung in Münster and served as its first director for many years...
even a century later it was still of value for scholarly research.
Tischendorf proposed his own critical apparatus - symbols and abbreviations - in this work. The critical apparatus used in Editio Octava is still used by some textual critics.
Editio Octava
- Gospels: Novum Testamentum Graece: ad antiquissimos testes denuo recensuit, apparatum criticum omni studio perfectum, vol. I (1869)
- Acts–Revelation: Novum Testamentum Graece. Editio Octava Critica Maior, vol. II (1872)
- Prolegomena I–VI: Novum Testamentum Graece. Editio Octava Critica Maior, vol. III, Part 1 (1884)
- Prolegomena VII–VIII: Novum Testamentum Graece. Editio Octava Critica Maior, vol. III, Part 2 (1890)
- Prolegomena IX–XIII: Novum Testamentum Graece. Editio Octava Critica Maior, vol. III, Part 3 (1894)