Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography by Bruce M. Metzger 1981

Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography by Bruce M. Metzger 1981

New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. First edition. Quarto. ix, 150pp. With black and white illustrations.

Until the invention of printing with movable type in the fifteenth century, the text of the Bible, like the text of every ancient document, could be transmit- ted only by the laborious method of copying by hand. The study of the processes involved in the making and writing of manuscripts is thus of the utmost importance to the student of the Bible. In Manuscripts of the Greek Bible, Professor Metzger provides an authoritative and absorbing account of the palaeography of Greek manuscripts of both the Old and New Testaments. Part One surveys the fundamentals of Greek palaeography: the Greek alphabet and its pronunciation; the materials and techniques used in the making of ancient books; such elements of manuscript transcription as handwriting styles, abbreviations, and punctuation; and the distinctive features of biblical manuscripts, such as chapter divisions and headings, musical neumes, lectionaries, glosses, and commentaries. Appendices teach the student how to estimate the date of a Greek manuscript, how to collate a manuscript, and provide statistics relating to manuscripts of the New Testament. Part Two, the heart of the book, is a collection of forty-five facsimile pages from thirteen manuscripts of the Old Testament and thirty-two manuscripts of the New Testament. Most are reproduced in actual size. Each facsimile is accompanied by an analysis and bibliography on the facing page. No other volume contains such a wide variety of information and illustration. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible will be essential reading for beginners in the field, while scholars will appreciate the full references and ample bibliography