Christian Askeland | Museum of the Bible (original) (raw)
Books by Christian Askeland
This edition of the Sahidic Apocalypse should be in press during Spring 2016.
Journal of Coptic Studies, 2013
As part of a special issue of the Journal of Coptic Studies in 2013, two other young scholars (Al... more As part of a special issue of the Journal of Coptic Studies in 2013, two other young scholars (Alain Delattre, Gesa Schenke) and myself edited selected papers from the 2008 International Association of Coptic Studies quadrennial congress.
ANTF 44. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012
This monograph explores the history of the Coptic tradition of John’s gospel, considering when th... more This monograph explores the history of the Coptic tradition of John’s gospel, considering when these ancient Egyptian witnesses are profitable for determining the earliest readings of their Greek source text. The standard critical edition of the Greek New Testament cites the Coptic versions no fewer than 1,000 times in John’s gospel. For these citations, that edition references six dialectally distinct Coptic translations: the Achmimic, Bohairic, Lycopolitan (Subachmimic), Middle Egyptian Fayumic, Proto-Bohairic, and Sahidic versions. In addition to examining these, this project considers newly published texts from the Fayumic and Middle Egyptian traditions.
Apart from a pivotal article on Coptic and New Testament textual criticism by Gerd Mink in 1972, Coptological research has progressed with only limited contact with Greek textual criticism. The discovery of various apocryphal Christian texts in Coptic translations has further diverted attention from Greek textual criticism. This project contributes to this subject area by applying recent advances in Coptology, and exploring the various facets of the Coptic translations. In particular, the monograph investigates (1) translation technique, (2) Greek-Coptic linguistic differences, (3) the reliability of the Coptic manuscript tradition, (4) the relationships between the Coptic versions, and (5) relevant contributions from the scholarly community.
John’s gospel is extant in more Coptic dialectal versions than any other biblical text. As a result, the gospel offers unique insight into the nature of the ancient Egyptian Christian communities.
Journal Articles by Christian Askeland
Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 2021
In the 2007 National Geographic publication of the Tchacos codex, Herbert Krosney argued through ... more In the 2007 National Geographic publication of the Tchacos codex, Herbert Krosney argued through radiometric evidence that the famous codex had a date of 280 CE (±60 years). Krosney's date would have placed this codex before the era of Constantine and the rise of official imperial Christianity and would indeed establish this codex as the earliest securely dated Christian manuscript. The present discussion will review Krosney's use of 14 C evidence and consider what limitations this method offers to scholars of ancient manuscripts in general.
Judaïsme ancien / Ancient Judaism, 2020
Since Michael Williams’ 1996 publication, Rethinking Gnosticism, some scholars of Christian Origi... more Since Michael Williams’ 1996 publication, Rethinking Gnosticism, some scholars of Christian Origins have increasing questioned the historical validity of the term “Gnosticism.” While some would argue for “gnostics” or even for distinct alternative Christianities such as Valentinian or Sethian gnostic movements, researchers recognize that the category has included ancient texts and ideas which in fact do not belong together.
New Testament Studies, 2015
The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “... more The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” has decisively altered the discussion concerning the authenticity of the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. The Coptic John fragment is a crude copy from Herbert Thompson’s 1924 edition of the “Qau codex” and is a product of the same modern writing event as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. Both texts are modern forgeries written on genuinely ancient fragments of papyrus.
Tyndale Bulletin, 2014
The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “... more The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” has decisively altered the discussion concerning the authenticity of the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. The Coptic John fragment is a crude copy from Herbert Thompson’s 1924 edition of the “Qau codex” and is a product of the same modern writing event as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. Both texts are modern forgeries written on genuinely ancient fragments of papyrus.
Edited Book Chapters by Christian Askeland
Textforschung zu Septuaginta, Hebräerbrief und Apokalypse Die Relevanz von Textkritik für die Erforschung des frühen Judentums, des Neuen Testaments und des frühen Christentums Festschrift für Martin Karrer zum 70. Geburtstag. ANTF 60., 2024
Hugo Lundhaug und Christian H. Bull, eds., The Nag Hammadi Codices as Monastic Books. STAC 134, Mohr Siebeck, 2023
Frank Feder, Angelika Lohwasser, & Gesa Schenke, eds. Sortieren – Edieren – Kreieren: Zwischen Handschriftenfunden und Universitätsalltag. Stephen L. Emmel zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet, 2022
When Erasmus Desiderius prepared his 1516 Novum Instrumentum, he used only seven manuscripts, all... more When Erasmus Desiderius prepared his 1516 Novum Instrumentum, he used only seven manuscripts, all of which predated the twelfth century. For the Apocalypse, Erasmus had only one manuscript which lacked the final six verses, verses which Erasmus simply retroverted from the Latin Vulgate; some of this retroversion survived into the nineteenth century. 1 In the case of the Johannine story of the women caught in adultery (hereafter, the Pericope Adulterae; cf. John 7:53-8:11), modern students of the Bible can attribute the presence of this story in historic European translations to a decision of this Dutch humanist: The majority of manuscripts do not contain the story of the adulterous woman. In several, [the story] had been tossed to the bottom of the page… We, however, since [this story] has now been received everywhere among the Latin manuscripts, do not wish to move its place 2 Johanneum (1 John 5:7-8). 4 In his defense, modern scholars recognize that the Pericope Adulterae flourished in the early Latin biblical tradition. Seven out of eleven Old Latin manuscripts contain the Pericope Adulterae 5 and Jerome included the story into the Vulgate without serious qualms. 6 2. The Pericope Adulterae in the East The earliest Greek tradition alongside the eastern early versions, namely the Syriac and Coptic, tells a different story. The earliest extant Greek papyri and uncials of John's gospel offer no evidence for the Pericope Adulterae with only one exception, the Greek-Latin diglot, Codex Bezae. The Byzantine tradition of John's gospel transmitted the pericope with a critical hesitancy. At first glance, the majority of manuscripts, perhaps 1350 continuous-text minuscules, include the passage, while less than one hundred omit the story. 7 Yet many facets of the larger tradition demonstrate the secondary nature of the story through paratextual markings, notes or transposition to alternate locations in John and elsewhere in the New Testament. Additionally, the Byzantine chapter system usually does not numerate this story and the lectionary tradition only occasionally includes the story of the adulterous woman. Certain references to this controversial story describe the pericope's transmission outside the textual tradition of John's gospel. For instance, Didymus the Blind paraphrased the story and suggested that the account was found "in certain gospels" (ἔν τισιν εὐαγγελίοις). 8 While Didymus could have meant multiple of the four canonical gospels or alternatively multiple gospels from outside the canon, he seems to have indicated multiple gospels and did not mention in particular the gospel of John. 9 In a similar manner, Eusebius of Caesarea excluded the story from his canon tables but mentioned its presence in a Gospel of the Hebrews described by Papias. 10 Related versions of the story surface in the Didascalia Apostolorum and the Apostolic Constitutions, rooted in traditions from the fourth century or earlier. 11 A 4
H.A.G. Houghton, David C. Parker & Holger Strutwolf, eds. The New Testament in Antiquity and Byzantium. ANTF 52. de Gruyter: Berlin, 2019
MS.Copt.e.150(P) has been received by some as proof or possible proof that an early edition of Jo... more MS.Copt.e.150(P) has been received by some as proof or possible proof that an early edition of John's gospel ended with chapter 21. This chapter demonstrates that the papyrus fragment cannot be understood as a literary fragment and thus cannot support Bultmann's hypothesis.
Hugo Lundhaug and Lance Jenott, eds. The Nag Hammadi Codices and Late Antique Egypt. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018
This chapter considers modern contributions to the dating of early Coptic manuscripts. With rega... more This chapter considers modern contributions to the dating of early Coptic manuscripts. With regard to paleography, the present argument revisits and reinforces arguments originally offered by Peter Parsons, critiquing developmental models of paleography in light of the extant datable evidence. Paleography should remain a means of last resort, and is not reliable for dating literary manuscripts to a single century. The survey underscores the clear connection between our securely-datable manuscripts and Egyptian monasticism.
Marcus Sigismund and Darius Müller, eds., Studien zum Text der Apokalypse II. ANTF 49. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2017
The following chapter summarizes and consolidates the findings of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft... more The following chapter summarizes and consolidates the findings of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Apokalypse ECM Projekt , so far as it relates to the extant Sahidic Coptic witnesses. Although the corpus of images and transcriptions available online through the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room will always be the definitive resource, the present eclectic reconstruction constitutes an approachable medium for the non-specialist scholar interested in the text and its primary textual deviations. The present editor is preparing a monograph edition, which will incorporate the Greek data currently under compilation as well as broader paleographic and orthographic issues not immediately relevant to the Editio Critica Maior project.
Paola Buzi, Alberto Camplani, eds. The Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies, Rome 2012. Louvain: Peeters, 2016
Over the last century, scholars have been diligently reconstructing and publishing Coptic biblica... more Over the last century, scholars have been diligently reconstructing and publishing Coptic biblical translations. The nature of these translations has been largely restricted to passing, subjective comments within scholarly introductions. Reflecting on results from ongoing work on a new edition of the Sahidic Apocalypse, this paper will briefly examine the translation technique of the Sahidic Apocalypse.
Martin Karrer, Ulrich Schmid, Marcus Sigismund, eds. Studien zum Text der Apokalypse. ANTF 47. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2015
This chapter recounts the reception history of the Apocalypse in Egypt, especially considering th... more This chapter recounts the reception history of the Apocalypse in Egypt, especially considering the Sahidic and Bohairic translations of the text.
Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes, eds. The text of the New Testament in contemporary research: essays on the status quaestionis, 2nd ed. Leiden: Brill, 2012
This chapter introduces past and current research on the Coptic Bible, especially as it relates t... more This chapter introduces past and current research on the Coptic Bible, especially as it relates to the recovery of the earliest recoverable Greek text of the New Testament.
Monika Hasitzka etal., eds. Koptische dokumentarische und literarische Texts, CPR 31. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2011
This edition of P.Vindob. K 1269 + 1426 reflects reconstructs the Viennese fragments and consider... more This edition of P.Vindob. K 1269 + 1426 reflects reconstructs the Viennese fragments and considers the restored text in the wider context of similar documents.
Digital Editions by Christian Askeland
Using regular expressions, one may search the texts of the New and Old Testament. This database ... more Using regular expressions, one may search the texts of the New and Old Testament. This database is a work in progress, and new sections of the Old Testament are being added as they become available.
Using the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room, one may interact with the transcriptions and images of... more Using the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room, one may interact with the transcriptions and images of all currently known witnesses to the Sahidic Coptic Apocalypse of John. The current project was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and supports the creation of an Editio Critica Maior by the ISBTF at the Protestant University Wuppertal.
I was the general editor of the Minor Coptic versions (ac, fa, mae, mf, pbo), organizing transcri... more I was the general editor of the Minor Coptic versions (ac, fa, mae, mf, pbo), organizing transcriptions by myself and other collaborators in support of the Editio Critica Maior of John's Gospel through the International Greek New Testament Project.
This edition of the Sahidic Apocalypse should be in press during Spring 2016.
Journal of Coptic Studies, 2013
As part of a special issue of the Journal of Coptic Studies in 2013, two other young scholars (Al... more As part of a special issue of the Journal of Coptic Studies in 2013, two other young scholars (Alain Delattre, Gesa Schenke) and myself edited selected papers from the 2008 International Association of Coptic Studies quadrennial congress.
ANTF 44. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012
This monograph explores the history of the Coptic tradition of John’s gospel, considering when th... more This monograph explores the history of the Coptic tradition of John’s gospel, considering when these ancient Egyptian witnesses are profitable for determining the earliest readings of their Greek source text. The standard critical edition of the Greek New Testament cites the Coptic versions no fewer than 1,000 times in John’s gospel. For these citations, that edition references six dialectally distinct Coptic translations: the Achmimic, Bohairic, Lycopolitan (Subachmimic), Middle Egyptian Fayumic, Proto-Bohairic, and Sahidic versions. In addition to examining these, this project considers newly published texts from the Fayumic and Middle Egyptian traditions.
Apart from a pivotal article on Coptic and New Testament textual criticism by Gerd Mink in 1972, Coptological research has progressed with only limited contact with Greek textual criticism. The discovery of various apocryphal Christian texts in Coptic translations has further diverted attention from Greek textual criticism. This project contributes to this subject area by applying recent advances in Coptology, and exploring the various facets of the Coptic translations. In particular, the monograph investigates (1) translation technique, (2) Greek-Coptic linguistic differences, (3) the reliability of the Coptic manuscript tradition, (4) the relationships between the Coptic versions, and (5) relevant contributions from the scholarly community.
John’s gospel is extant in more Coptic dialectal versions than any other biblical text. As a result, the gospel offers unique insight into the nature of the ancient Egyptian Christian communities.
Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 2021
In the 2007 National Geographic publication of the Tchacos codex, Herbert Krosney argued through ... more In the 2007 National Geographic publication of the Tchacos codex, Herbert Krosney argued through radiometric evidence that the famous codex had a date of 280 CE (±60 years). Krosney's date would have placed this codex before the era of Constantine and the rise of official imperial Christianity and would indeed establish this codex as the earliest securely dated Christian manuscript. The present discussion will review Krosney's use of 14 C evidence and consider what limitations this method offers to scholars of ancient manuscripts in general.
Judaïsme ancien / Ancient Judaism, 2020
Since Michael Williams’ 1996 publication, Rethinking Gnosticism, some scholars of Christian Origi... more Since Michael Williams’ 1996 publication, Rethinking Gnosticism, some scholars of Christian Origins have increasing questioned the historical validity of the term “Gnosticism.” While some would argue for “gnostics” or even for distinct alternative Christianities such as Valentinian or Sethian gnostic movements, researchers recognize that the category has included ancient texts and ideas which in fact do not belong together.
New Testament Studies, 2015
The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “... more The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” has decisively altered the discussion concerning the authenticity of the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. The Coptic John fragment is a crude copy from Herbert Thompson’s 1924 edition of the “Qau codex” and is a product of the same modern writing event as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. Both texts are modern forgeries written on genuinely ancient fragments of papyrus.
Tyndale Bulletin, 2014
The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “... more The recent revelation of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment from the same source as the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” has decisively altered the discussion concerning the authenticity of the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. The Coptic John fragment is a crude copy from Herbert Thompson’s 1924 edition of the “Qau codex” and is a product of the same modern writing event as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment. Both texts are modern forgeries written on genuinely ancient fragments of papyrus.
Textforschung zu Septuaginta, Hebräerbrief und Apokalypse Die Relevanz von Textkritik für die Erforschung des frühen Judentums, des Neuen Testaments und des frühen Christentums Festschrift für Martin Karrer zum 70. Geburtstag. ANTF 60., 2024
Hugo Lundhaug und Christian H. Bull, eds., The Nag Hammadi Codices as Monastic Books. STAC 134, Mohr Siebeck, 2023
Frank Feder, Angelika Lohwasser, & Gesa Schenke, eds. Sortieren – Edieren – Kreieren: Zwischen Handschriftenfunden und Universitätsalltag. Stephen L. Emmel zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet, 2022
When Erasmus Desiderius prepared his 1516 Novum Instrumentum, he used only seven manuscripts, all... more When Erasmus Desiderius prepared his 1516 Novum Instrumentum, he used only seven manuscripts, all of which predated the twelfth century. For the Apocalypse, Erasmus had only one manuscript which lacked the final six verses, verses which Erasmus simply retroverted from the Latin Vulgate; some of this retroversion survived into the nineteenth century. 1 In the case of the Johannine story of the women caught in adultery (hereafter, the Pericope Adulterae; cf. John 7:53-8:11), modern students of the Bible can attribute the presence of this story in historic European translations to a decision of this Dutch humanist: The majority of manuscripts do not contain the story of the adulterous woman. In several, [the story] had been tossed to the bottom of the page… We, however, since [this story] has now been received everywhere among the Latin manuscripts, do not wish to move its place 2 Johanneum (1 John 5:7-8). 4 In his defense, modern scholars recognize that the Pericope Adulterae flourished in the early Latin biblical tradition. Seven out of eleven Old Latin manuscripts contain the Pericope Adulterae 5 and Jerome included the story into the Vulgate without serious qualms. 6 2. The Pericope Adulterae in the East The earliest Greek tradition alongside the eastern early versions, namely the Syriac and Coptic, tells a different story. The earliest extant Greek papyri and uncials of John's gospel offer no evidence for the Pericope Adulterae with only one exception, the Greek-Latin diglot, Codex Bezae. The Byzantine tradition of John's gospel transmitted the pericope with a critical hesitancy. At first glance, the majority of manuscripts, perhaps 1350 continuous-text minuscules, include the passage, while less than one hundred omit the story. 7 Yet many facets of the larger tradition demonstrate the secondary nature of the story through paratextual markings, notes or transposition to alternate locations in John and elsewhere in the New Testament. Additionally, the Byzantine chapter system usually does not numerate this story and the lectionary tradition only occasionally includes the story of the adulterous woman. Certain references to this controversial story describe the pericope's transmission outside the textual tradition of John's gospel. For instance, Didymus the Blind paraphrased the story and suggested that the account was found "in certain gospels" (ἔν τισιν εὐαγγελίοις). 8 While Didymus could have meant multiple of the four canonical gospels or alternatively multiple gospels from outside the canon, he seems to have indicated multiple gospels and did not mention in particular the gospel of John. 9 In a similar manner, Eusebius of Caesarea excluded the story from his canon tables but mentioned its presence in a Gospel of the Hebrews described by Papias. 10 Related versions of the story surface in the Didascalia Apostolorum and the Apostolic Constitutions, rooted in traditions from the fourth century or earlier. 11 A 4
H.A.G. Houghton, David C. Parker & Holger Strutwolf, eds. The New Testament in Antiquity and Byzantium. ANTF 52. de Gruyter: Berlin, 2019
MS.Copt.e.150(P) has been received by some as proof or possible proof that an early edition of Jo... more MS.Copt.e.150(P) has been received by some as proof or possible proof that an early edition of John's gospel ended with chapter 21. This chapter demonstrates that the papyrus fragment cannot be understood as a literary fragment and thus cannot support Bultmann's hypothesis.
Hugo Lundhaug and Lance Jenott, eds. The Nag Hammadi Codices and Late Antique Egypt. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018
This chapter considers modern contributions to the dating of early Coptic manuscripts. With rega... more This chapter considers modern contributions to the dating of early Coptic manuscripts. With regard to paleography, the present argument revisits and reinforces arguments originally offered by Peter Parsons, critiquing developmental models of paleography in light of the extant datable evidence. Paleography should remain a means of last resort, and is not reliable for dating literary manuscripts to a single century. The survey underscores the clear connection between our securely-datable manuscripts and Egyptian monasticism.
Marcus Sigismund and Darius Müller, eds., Studien zum Text der Apokalypse II. ANTF 49. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2017
The following chapter summarizes and consolidates the findings of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft... more The following chapter summarizes and consolidates the findings of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Apokalypse ECM Projekt , so far as it relates to the extant Sahidic Coptic witnesses. Although the corpus of images and transcriptions available online through the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room will always be the definitive resource, the present eclectic reconstruction constitutes an approachable medium for the non-specialist scholar interested in the text and its primary textual deviations. The present editor is preparing a monograph edition, which will incorporate the Greek data currently under compilation as well as broader paleographic and orthographic issues not immediately relevant to the Editio Critica Maior project.
Paola Buzi, Alberto Camplani, eds. The Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies, Rome 2012. Louvain: Peeters, 2016
Over the last century, scholars have been diligently reconstructing and publishing Coptic biblica... more Over the last century, scholars have been diligently reconstructing and publishing Coptic biblical translations. The nature of these translations has been largely restricted to passing, subjective comments within scholarly introductions. Reflecting on results from ongoing work on a new edition of the Sahidic Apocalypse, this paper will briefly examine the translation technique of the Sahidic Apocalypse.
Martin Karrer, Ulrich Schmid, Marcus Sigismund, eds. Studien zum Text der Apokalypse. ANTF 47. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2015
This chapter recounts the reception history of the Apocalypse in Egypt, especially considering th... more This chapter recounts the reception history of the Apocalypse in Egypt, especially considering the Sahidic and Bohairic translations of the text.
Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes, eds. The text of the New Testament in contemporary research: essays on the status quaestionis, 2nd ed. Leiden: Brill, 2012
This chapter introduces past and current research on the Coptic Bible, especially as it relates t... more This chapter introduces past and current research on the Coptic Bible, especially as it relates to the recovery of the earliest recoverable Greek text of the New Testament.
Monika Hasitzka etal., eds. Koptische dokumentarische und literarische Texts, CPR 31. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2011
This edition of P.Vindob. K 1269 + 1426 reflects reconstructs the Viennese fragments and consider... more This edition of P.Vindob. K 1269 + 1426 reflects reconstructs the Viennese fragments and considers the restored text in the wider context of similar documents.
Using regular expressions, one may search the texts of the New and Old Testament. This database ... more Using regular expressions, one may search the texts of the New and Old Testament. This database is a work in progress, and new sections of the Old Testament are being added as they become available.
Using the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room, one may interact with the transcriptions and images of... more Using the Münster Virtual Manuscript Room, one may interact with the transcriptions and images of all currently known witnesses to the Sahidic Coptic Apocalypse of John. The current project was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and supports the creation of an Editio Critica Maior by the ISBTF at the Protestant University Wuppertal.
I was the general editor of the Minor Coptic versions (ac, fa, mae, mf, pbo), organizing transcri... more I was the general editor of the Minor Coptic versions (ac, fa, mae, mf, pbo), organizing transcriptions by myself and other collaborators in support of the Editio Critica Maior of John's Gospel through the International Greek New Testament Project.
Eric Orlin, Lisbeth Fried, Michael Satlow and Jennifer Knust, eds., Routledge Dictionary of Ancient Mediterranean Religions. New York: Routledge, 2015
Roger Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige Champion, Andrew Erskine and Sabine Huebner, eds., Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012
Review of Biblical Literature, 2024
Christian Askeland Museum of the Bible Pasquale Orsini has revised and translated seven of his ow... more Christian Askeland Museum of the Bible Pasquale Orsini has revised and translated seven of his own Italian publications on early Greek-Coptic hands originally published 2008-2016, creating a cohesive volume that is freely available online. Orsini follows Guglielmo Cavallo as an authority on the Italian tradition of Greek paleography. According to this approach, scripts evolve over time from a simplistic pattern into a canonical elegance and finally a decadent complexity; scripts are born, mature, and die in parallel with their civilizations. For an introduction to the basic Greek styles, biblical studies scholars may begin with Pasquale Orsini and Willy Clarysse, "Early New Testament Manuscripts and Their Dates: A Critique of Theological Paleography," ETL 88 (2012): 443-74. For a general introduction in Italian, a beginner might seek a copy of Edoardo Crisci and Paola Degni, La scrittura greca dall'antichità all'epoca della stampa (2008). Paleographic "styles" consist of graphic paradigms present in one or more manuscripts, whereas a "stylistic class" contains numerous manuscripts with common features. A "canon" or "normative script" entails a centuries-long stratification of a style into a formalized and stable script. Generally, Orsini appeals to specific styles, using the term canonical to appeal to later, formal literary hands. The early, rough hands of the papyri lack the consistency of the great majuscules, the Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, for instance. In his first chapter, Orsini surveys the scribal hands of the Nag Hammadi codices, which contain scripts from the usual categories: (1) unimodular Alexandrian Majuscule, (2) Biblical Majuscule,
Journal of Coptic Studies, 2022
Through 81 pages of introduction divided into twelve chapters, this grammar surveys the core gram... more Through 81 pages of introduction divided into twelve chapters, this grammar surveys the core grammatical structure of the Coptic language with reference to the six primary Coptic dialects. Approximately ten of those pages are blank and fifteen contain exercises for the student to engage with the relevant subject matter. This rapid coverage in little more than 56 pages successfully and persuasively presents the key issues to either an advanced reader who has already mastered a basic grammar or an intermediate student under the supervision of an expert. The additional fifty pages of pedagogical material (answers to exercises, chrestomathy, dictionary, indices) further support either the advanced individual learner or the classroom setting as they apply their skills to these transcriptions. The larger Languages of the Ancient Near East: Didactica series exists to provide language resources for learners relevant to Ancient Near Eastern cultures. Coptologists, particularly specialists in Coptic language, radically rethought the nature of Coptic syntax and dialect during the second half of the twentieth century. While Crum's dictionary considered only a handful of true dialects, namely, Achmimic, Bohairic, Subachmimic (Lycopolitan), Middle Egyptian (later disambiguated by Kahle and other to Fayumic and Oxyrhynchite) and Sahidic, manuscript discoveries and scholarly publications over later decades detailed a complicated picture of dozens of distinct orthographies. Some of these distinct systems clustered together, sharing similar core characteristics. Some did not. At the risk of oversimplifying the situation, one could argue that Coptologists currently operate within one of two systems, either (a) the simple approach of Paul Kahle, Bala'izah, vol. 1, 1954 or (b) the sophisticated system of the Kasser-Funk agreement published by the former in the first volume of this journal (1990, pp. 141-151). Allen's grammar uses the accessible structure of Kahle (distinguishing between Fayumic and Oxyrhynchite), mostly ignoring the various publications leading to and following the Kasser-Funk system. No doubt, many specialists may fault this approach, but they should consider the brevity of the grammar, the anticipated introductory reader and the many parallels for this approach, which the reviewer, for instance, adopted for practical purposes in his 2012 monograph on the Coptic versions of John's gospel. The grammar does not build on publications from the last half century to advance the discussion of Coptic dialects beyond its current state. Allen's grammar ignores documentary phenomena such as Fayumic ⲁϩⲁ for Sahidic ⲁⲩⲱ, while including irregular forms from the other dialects. Perhaps, the volume should have focused on particular representatives of dialects for practical pedagogical reasons, outlining some of the complexities in a further appendix. Coptic dialects, after all, consist of a tangled orthographic web of scribal inconsistency, cross contamination, individual preferences, regional and historic language change
Journal of Early Christian Studies, 2017
Journal of Coptic Studies, 2014
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2013
Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 2012
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2012
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2011
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2011
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2011
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2010
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2010
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2009
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2009
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2009
Journal of Religious History, 2009
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2008
Journal of European Theology, 2008
New Testament Studies, 2015
The internet publication of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment demonstrated that both it and the re... more The internet publication of a Coptic Gospel of John fragment demonstrated that both it and the relatedGospel of Jesus' Wifefragment were modern creations. The Coptic John fragment was clearly copied from Herbert Thompson's 1924 publication of the Lycopolitan Qau codex, and shared the same hand, ink and writing instrument with theGospel of Jesus' Wifefragment. The present discussion will first survey the extant Coptic tradition of John's Gospel, and second outline the evidence for dependence on the Qau codex publication.
New Contexts for Old Texts, Oslo (03 Dec 2014).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism section, San Diego (24 Nov 2014).
New Contexts for Old Texts, Oslo (16 Dec 2013).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Novum Testamentum Graecum: Editio Critica Maior section, Baltimore (23 Nov 2013).
New Contexts for Old Texts, Oslo (11 Dec 2012).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Christianity in Egypt: scripture, tradition, and reception section, Chicago (18 Nov 2012).
Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies, Rome (18 Sept 2012).
Society of Biblical Literature international meeting, Working with biblical manuscripts section, Amsterdam (25 July 2012).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, New Testament textual criticism section, Atlanta (23 Nov 2010).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, International Greek New Testament Project section, Atlanta (20 Nov 2010).
Oxbridge annual New Testament day seminar, Oxford (21 May 2010).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Christianity in Egypt: scripture, tradition, and reception section (21 Nov 2009).
Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, New Testament textual criticism section, Boston (22 Nov 2008).
Ninth International Congress of Coptic Studies, Cairo (18 Sept 2008).
Classics and Divinity seminar, Cambridge (4 Mar 2008).
'Religion in the Crossroads' University of Virginia graduate student colloquium (20 Feb 1999).