New Testament manuscripts in Greek are categorized into five groups,[1] according to a scheme introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland in The Text of the New Testament.[2] The categories are based on how each manuscript relates to the various text-types.[2]: 381  Generally speaking, earlier Alexandrian manuscripts are category I, while later Byzantine manuscripts are category V.[2]: 381–382  Aland's method involved considering 1000 passages where the Byzantine text differs from non-Byzantine text. The Alands did not select their 1000 readings from all of the NT books; for example, none were drawn from Matthew and Luke.[3]

Description of categories

The Alands' categories do not simply correspond to the text-types; all they do is demonstrate the 'Byzantine-ness' of a particular text; that is, how much it is similar to the Byzantine text-type, from least (Category I) to most similar (Category V). Category V can be equated with the Byzantine text-type, but the other categories are not necessarily representative of a text-type. Even though most texts in Category I agree with the Alexandrian text-type, they are not necessarily Alexandrian themselves; they are just very non-Byzantine.[4][2]: 381–382 

The Alands introduced the following categories (Aland & Aland category description according to the 1989 English translation, p. 106, between quotation marks):[4][5]

  • Category I: "Manuscripts of a very special quality which should always be considered in establishing the original text."[4][5] This category includes almost all manuscripts before the 4th century.[4] These manuscripts have almost no Byzantine influence, and often agree with the Alexandrian text-type (but are not necessarily Alexandrian themselves, for example 𝔓45, 𝔓46, Codex Vaticanus (B), and minuscule 1739).[4] Some 4th-century and earlier papyri and uncials are in this category, as are manuscripts of the Alexandrian text-type. The Alands say the manuscripts in this category are important when considering textual problems, and in their opinion "presumably [represent] the original text".[1][2]: 383 [6]
  • Category II: "Manuscripts of a special quality, but distinguished from manuscripts of Category I by the presence of alien influences."[4][5] The manuscripts in this category are similar to category I manuscripts, and are important in textual consideration of the autograph. However, the texts usually contain some alien influences, such as those found in the Byzantine text-type. Egyptian texts fall in this category.[1][5][2]: 383 
  • Category III: "Manuscripts of a distinctive character with an independent text... particularly important for the history of the text."[4][5] The manuscripts in category III are important when discussing the history of the textual traditions and to a lesser degree for establishing the original text. The manuscripts usually contain independent readings, and have a distinctive character. ƒ1 and ƒ13 are examples of manuscript families that fall within this category. Manuscripts of this category usually present mixed or eclectic text-type.[1][2]: 383 
  • Category V: "Manuscripts with a purely or predominantly Byzantine text."[4][5] This category may be equated with the Byzantine text-type.[4] Byzantine and mostly Byzantine texts fall under this category.[4][1][2]: 383 
  • Uncategorised: Some manuscripts studied by the Alands were not categorised, for example because they were too short to determine which group they belonged to, or fell somewhere in between.[4][5] The unclassified manuscript could be representative of the Western text-type, the "Caesarean text-type" (a term proposed by certain scholars to denote a consistent pattern of variant readings of the four Gospels), or anything else.[4]

Distribution of Greek manuscripts by century and category

The following table is derived from the Alands' The Text of the New Testament.[7][lower-alpha 1]

Century and approximate year (AD)IIIIIIIVV
2nd

(c. 150)

 𝔓52, 𝔓90, 𝔓104
2nd / 3rd

(c. 200)

 𝔓32, 𝔓46, 𝔓64+67, 𝔓66, 𝔓77, 0189,
3rd

(c. 250)

 𝔓1, 𝔓4, 𝔓5, 𝔓9, 𝔓12, 𝔓15, 𝔓20, 𝔓22, 𝔓23, 𝔓27, 𝔓28, 𝔓29, 𝔓30, 𝔓39, 𝔓40, 𝔓45, 𝔓47, 𝔓49, 𝔓53, 𝔓65, 𝔓70, 𝔓75, 𝔓80, 𝔓87, 02200212𝔓48, 𝔓69
3rd / 4th

(c. 300)

 𝔓13, 𝔓16, 𝔓18, 𝔓37, 𝔓72, 𝔓78, 𝔓115, 0162𝔓38, 0171
4th

(c. 350)

 𝔓10, 𝔓24, 𝔓35, 01, 03𝔓6, 𝔓8, 𝔓17, 𝔓62, 𝔓71, 𝔓81, 𝔓86, 0185𝔓88, 058 (?), 0169, 0188, 0206, 0207, 0221, 0228, 0231, 0242
4th / 5th

(c. 400)

 057𝔓19, 𝔓51, 𝔓57, 𝔓82, 𝔓85, 0181, 0270𝔓21, 𝔓50, 059, 0160, 0176, 0214, 0219
5th

(c. 450)

 02 (except Gospels), 0254𝔓14, 04, 016, 029, 048, 077, 0172, 0173, 0175, 0201, 0240, 0244, 027402 (Gospels), 032, 062, 068, 069, 0163, 0165 (?), 0166, 0182, 0216, 0217, 0218, 0226, 0227, 0236, 0252, 026105026, 061
5th / 6th

(c. 500)

 𝔓56, 071, 076, 088, 0232, 0247𝔓54, 𝔓63, 072, 0170, 0186, 0213
6th

(c. 550)

 𝔓33+58, 06, 08, 073, 081, 085, 087, 089, 091, 093 (1 Peter), 094, 0184, 0223, 0225, 0245𝔓2, 𝔓36, 𝔓76, 𝔓83, 𝔓84, 06, 015, 035, 040, 060, 066, 067, 070, 078, 079, 082, 086, 0143, 0147, 0159, 0187, 0198, 0208, 0222, 0237, 0241, 0251, 0260, 0266022, 023, 024, 027, 042, 043, 064, 065, 093 (Acts), 0246, 0253, 0265 (?)
6th / 7th

(c. 600)

 𝔓26𝔓43, 𝔓44, 𝔓55, 083𝔓3, 0164, 0199
7th

(c. 650)

 𝔓74, 098𝔓11, 𝔓31, 𝔓34, 𝔓79, 0102, 0108, 0111, 0204, 0275𝔓59, 𝔓68, 096, 097, 099, 0106, 0107, 0109, 0145, 0167, 0183, 0200, 0209, 0210, 0239, 0259, 0262𝔓73, 0103, 0104, 0211
7th / 8th

(c. 700)

 𝔓42, 𝔓61𝔓60
8th

(c. 750)

 019, 0101, 0114, 0156, 0205, 0234𝔓41, 095, 0126, 0127, 0146, 0148, 0161, 0229, 0233, 0238, 0250, 025607, 047, 054 (?), 0116, 0134
8th / 9th

(c. 800)

 044 (Catholic epistles)044 (except Catholic epistles)
9th

(c. 850)

 33 (except Gospels)010, 038, 0155, 0271, 33 (Gospels), 892, 2464012, 025 (except Acts, Rev), 037, 050, 0122, 0128, 0130, 0131, 0132, 0150, 0269, 56509, 011, 013, 014, 017, 018, 020, 021, 025 (Acts, Rev), 030, 031, 034, 039, 041, 045, 049, 053 (?), 063, 0120, 0133, 0135, 0136 (?), 0151, 0197, 0248, 0255, 0257, 0272, 0273 (?), 461
9th / 10th

(c. 900)

 18410115, 1424 (Mark)1424 (except Mark), 1841
10th

(c. 950)

 1739 (Catholic epistles, Paul)0177, 0243 (?), 1739 (Acts), 1891, 2329051, 075, 0105, 0121a, 0121b, 0140, 0141, 0249, 307, 1582, 1836, 1845, 1874, 1875, 1912, 2110, 2193, 2351028, 033, 036, 046, 052, 056, 0142, 1874, 1891
11th

(c. 1050)

 1175, 1243, 234481, 323, 945, 1006, 1854, 1962, 229828, 104, 181, 323, 398, 424, 431, 436, 451, 459, 623, 700, 788, 1243, 1448, 1505, 1838, 1846, 1908, 2138, 2147, 2298, 2344, 2596 (?)103, 104, 181 (Rev), 398, 431, 451, 459, 945, 1006, 1448, 1505, 1846, 1854, 2138, 2147, 2298
11th / 12th

(c. 1100)

 256, 17351735, 1910256
12th

(c. 1150)

 1241 (Catholic epistles)36, 1611, 2050, 21271 (Gospels), 36, 88, 94 (?), 157, 326, 330, 346, 378, 543, 610, 826, 828, 917, 983, 1071, 1241 (Gospels, Acts, Paul), 1319, 1359, 1542b, 1611, 1718, 1942, 2030, 2412, 2541, 27441 (except Gospels), 180, 189, 330, 378, 610, 911, 917, 1010, 1241, 1319, 1359, 1542b (?), 2127, 2541
12th / 13th

(c. 1200)

 15731573 (?)
13th

(c. 1250)

 2053, 2062442, 579, 1292, 18526 (Catholic epistles, Paul), 13, 94, 180, 206, 218 (epistles), 263, 365, 441, 614, 720, 915, 1398, 1563, 1641, 1852, 2374, 2492, 2516, 2542, 2718 (?)6 (Gospels, Acts), 94 (?), 180, 206, 218 (except epistles), 263, 365, 597, 720, 1251 (?), 1292, 1398, 1642, 1852, 2374, 2400, 2492 (?), 2516
13th / 14th

(c. 1300)

 1342
14th

(c. 1350)

 24271067, 1409, 1506, 18815, 209, 254, 429 (except Paul), 453, 621, 629, 630, 1523, 1534, 1678 (?), 1842, 1877, 2005, 2197, 2200, 23775 (?), 189, 209, 254, 429 (Paul), 1067, 1409, 1506, 1523, 1524, 1877, 2200
14th / 15th

(c. 1400)

 2495
15th

(c. 1450)

 32269, 205, 322, 467, 642, 1751, 1844, 1959, 2523, 265269, 181, 205, 429 (Rev.), 467, 642, 886, 2523, 2623, 2652 (?)
16th

(c. 1500)

 61 (epistles, Rev), 522, 918, 1704, 188461 (Gospels, Acts), 522, 918, 1704
16th / 17th and later

(c. 1550–)

 849, 2544 (Paul)2544 (except Paul)

Number of manuscripts by century and category

CenturyCategory ICategory IICategory IIICategory IVCategory V
II3
II/III6
III2512
III/IV82
IV5810
IV/V177
V2161912
V/VI66
VI153112
VI/VII143
VII28174
VII/VIII21
VIII6125
VIII/IX11
IX37125
IX/X122
X151810
XI372416
XI/XII221
XII152416
XII/XIII11
XIII242118
XIII/XIV1
XIV141712
XIV/XV1
XV1119
XVI54
XVI/XVII21

Limitations

This system of classification would seem to prefer manuscripts which coincide more or less with the critical text of the Nestle-Aland and UBS Greek New Testaments, of which there are many supposedly Alexandrian manuscripts in Category I.[2] Some manuscripts are placed in Category V because they are considered too "brief" to classify.[2]: 382, 385  The Alands consider Uncial 055 unclassifiable because it is a commentary, and not exactly an "Uncial" manuscript.[1]: 119  Accordingly 𝔓7, 𝔓89, Uncial 080, Uncial 0100, Uncial 0118, 0174, 0230, 0263, 0264, 0267, 0268 are considered by the Alands to be too brief to classify.[1]: 96, 102, 120–127  Uncial 0144 and 0196 are not accessible. The Alands do not classify 𝔓25, stating this is due to the Diatessaric character of text (i.e. the four Gospels combined into a single narrative).[1]: 97 

𝔓5 was classified to Category I, but it is not a representative of the Alexandrian text-type. According to biblical scholar Philip Comfort it is "a good example of what Kurt and Barbara Aland call "normal" (i.e. a relatively accurate text manifesting a normal amount of error and idiosyncrasy).[8]

Waltz stated:

As a classification scheme, [Aland & Aland's] attempt was at once a success and a failure. A success, in that it has conveniently gathered data about how Byzantine the various manuscripts are. A failure, because it has not been widely adopted, and in any case does not succeed in moving beyond Byzantine/non-Byzantine classification.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Manuscripts utilized since the publication of NA26 in 1979 (such as 𝔓104 and 𝔓115) have been inserted into their applicable table cells.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F Rhodes (trans.) (2 ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B Eerdmans. pp. 106, 332–336. ISBN 0-8028-4098-1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ehrman, Bart D. (1989). "A Problem of Textual Circularity: The Alands on the Classification of New Testament Manuscripts". Biblica. 70 (3): 377–88. JSTOR 42707499.
  3. ↑ Wisse, Frederik (1982). The Profile Method for the Classification and Evaluation of Manuscript Evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 21. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Waltz, Robert B. (2013). The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism. pp. 116–133. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Epp, Eldon Jay (1989). "New Testament Textual Criticism Past, Present, and Future: Reflections on the Alands' 'Text of the New Testament". The Harvard Theological Review. 82 (2): 225. doi:10.1017/S0017816000016138. JSTOR 1509645. S2CID 248819828.
  6. ↑ Metzger, Bruce Manning; Ehrman, Bart D. (2005). The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 0-19-516667-1.
  7. ↑ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. pp. 159–162. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Comfort, Philip Wesley; Barrett, David (2001). The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Tyndale House Publishers. pp. 73–74. ISBN 0-8423-5265-1.
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