Bibliography of Textual Criticism

Chronological Subject Indexes 1-10


The lists below, in which the books of the annotated bibliography are classified, put in chronological order, and briefly described, are designed to guide the reader in referencing the bibliography, and to provide in themselves a convenient historical conspectus of the literature relevant to textual criticism.

1. Greek and Latin Texts
2. Manuscript Editions
3. Collations
4. Introductions
5. Essays and Treatises
6. Textual Commentaries
7. Bibliographies
8. English Translations
9. Popular Resources
10. On the Old Testament
Consolidated Chronological Index


1. GREEK AND LATIN TEXTS

The following is a chronological list of all Greek and Latin texts to be found in the bibliography. These usually consist of a continuous Greek text which presents the readings preferred by the editor, together with notes on various readings to be found in the manuscripts. Sometimes an edition includes a full Introduction as described in section 4 below (in several sections, called Prolegomena). When a text is said to be from another edition, it either presents without significant changes the text of an earlier edition, or a hybrid of earlier editions formed by uncritical conflation. A resultant text regularly presents the majority reading of selected earlier editions. This is not to be confused with the majority text, which presents the majority readings of all Greek manuscripts. A text is called critically revised only when it is newly formed by critical methods. It is said to have an apparatus when various readings of the Greek manuscripts are regularly given in annotations to the text, MS notes when it has only a smattering of such notes, and edition notes when the notes refer not to manuscripts but to other editions.


2. MANUSCRIPT EDITIONS

These are editions which reproduce the entire text of a single manuscript, usually without critical alteration, for the information of scholars. When such an edition is called a typographical facsimile it reproduces the manuscript line for line, in type which resembles the handwriting of the manuscript; when it is called a photographic facsimile it presents an actual photographic copy of the manuscript.


3. COLLATIONS

These are simply lists of various readings of the Greek manuscripts or editions.


4. INTRODUCTIONS

These usually present a brief history of criticism, the author's theory of the Greek manuscript tradition, a survey of the ancient versions and patristic literature, and practical illustrations of critical method.


5. ESSAYS AND TREATISES

These are works which deal with special topics in criticism.


6. TEXTUAL COMMENTARIES

These are works which go through the New Testament chapter and verse, taking note of and discussing the merits of the various readings to be found in the manuscripts.


8. ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

In the annotated bibliography all English translations are listed and referred to in the same manner as the other books, that is, by the names of their principal editors or translators, followed by their dates of publication. In the following chronological list, the names commonly applied to the major versions are given in quotation marks.


9. POPULAR RESOURCES

The following works are written specifically for students of the New Testament who are unable to read Greek or Latin.


10. ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

It is not within the scope of this bibliography to cover the literature on the Hebrew text of the Old Testament; the following books are included so that those who wish to study this subject may know where to begin.