Philip W. Comfort & David P. Barrett,

The book is an invaluable and indispensable tool for the text critic. It is a comprehensive expose of 65 papyri and four uncials that predate AD 300. The new edition received the collegial assistance of twenty-six paleographers, papyrologists, and NT Text Critics that reads like a Who's Who in the Acknowledgments.

The format of each entry has; (1) the Gregory-Aland number and its Accession number in its current collection in parenthesis; (2) Contents: giving the actual verses in enumeration; (3) Date; sometimes with useful comments (not as extensive as K. Aland, Repertorium der griech. Christ. papyri. I.); (4) Provenance: sometimes detailed with useful information; (5) Housing Location: City, Country, Institute, Accession number; (6) Bibliography: cites critical editions (not as extensive as K. Aland, Repertorium der griech. Christ. papyri. I.) (7) Physical features: number of leaves, physical dimensions, number of lines per page; type of hand; (8) Textual character: an opinion on the exemplar and comment on evident agreements.(9) Photo (50 of the 65 listed papyri and 3 of the 4 uncials).

Most of these are presented twice. The first time concisely as a summary of salient points for quick and easy reference. The second time expanded on in a very useful and handy narrative with commentary. Some of the information differs from previous authoritative works. The dimensions, for example, of P1 published by Aland, Repertorium, 215 says it measures 25 X 13 cm, where these editors say it is 12 X 25 cm. I have not yet physically examined this specimen and cannot confirm which is correct. I merely point out that some of the details presented in this book are new and will require extensive research in order to appreciate their worth as contributions to the advancement of knowledge. The expanded section also at times contains additional entries to those of the nine cited above. All entries have excellent footnotes citing the best recent articles on the papyri specimen. In this respect it serves as a comprehensive survey of contemporary and current research. This allows the reader to examine current thinking where DSS are concerned. For example, although the editors date P64 to c. AD 150-175, they offer a lengthy discussion of the dating showing the research of Thiede for the first century based on paleographic features closely aligned with 8HevXIIgr (c. 50 BC-c. AD 50). The transcriptions include the nomina sacra, and footnotes. Some footnotes serve to comment on superlinear inscribed characters correcting the text. Others point to elided characters, dots, markings, and bibliographic references.

Unlike the photos in the IGNTP editions these were printed on matte acid paper rather than high quality glossy paper. One unpleasant feature is that a few of the photos, like P108, were printed too dark and obscured the text. This, however, is not always the case but of the 64 Gregory-Aland numbered papyri and the additional P. Antinoopolis 2.54, and four uncials there are photos of 50 papyri and 3 uncials. The best plates are of P9, P23, P32, P39, P46, P49, P65, P52, P66, P72, P75, P95, P100, P101, P102. The majority of the rest were average and still quite useful despite the tendency of the printed photo to be dark. This can be shown, for example, in P47 printed dark but legible. P53 was printed well except for a few dark spots that obscure a few letters.

Contents

List of Manuscripts in Canonical Order List of Manuscript Photos Preface
Acknowledgments Introduction List of Abbreviations

Papyri

P1 P4/64/67 P5 P9 P12 P13 P15/16 P17 P18 P20 P22 P23 P24 P27 P28 P29 P30 P32 P35 P37 P38 P39 P40 P45 P46 P47 P48 P49/65 P50 P52 P53 P66 P69 P70 P72 P75 P77/103 P78 P80 P86 P87 P90 P91 P92 P95 P98 P100 P101

P102 P104 P106 P107 P108 P109 P110 P111 P113 P114 P115 P. Antinoopolis 2.54

Early Uncials

0162 0171 0189 0220