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Biblical Studies

Codex Sinaiticus Online

This is very cool:  an online repository for the full text of the Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest (4th C.) and most complete copies of the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament).  The Codex Sinaiticus is significant for the history of formation of the Biblical Canon, the continuity of the text, and the editorial process by which those who produced the Codex shaped the authoritative text.   These last two points — continuity and editorial process — obviously are somewhat in tension.  The “Bible” was not invented by later scribes — serious scholarly effort was invested in accurately transmitting the collection of texts that were important to the Christian community.  But neither did the “Bible” drop from the sky fully-formed.  Even in the fourth century, Codex Sinaiticus evidences some degree of editorial flexiblity in the scribal community, as well as a broader view about which texts should be maintained together (the C.S. includes “apocryphal” books such as 2 Esdras as well as Christian epistles that are not included in the canon, such as the Epistle of Barnabas).