Bonus 7 - Codex Alexandrianus

Folio 41v from the Codex Alexandrinus
contains the end of the Gospel of Luke
with the decorative tailpiece found at the
end of each book. Public Domain

The Codex Alexandrianus (no. A or 02) is a mid 5th century Uncial Greek manuscript that contains the OT (Septuagint including Psalm 151), the Apocrypha, and most of the NT (some 773 leaves out of 820). 1.   It also contains the First and Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians along with other non-canonical works. 2.  It is one of the earliest mostly complete copies of the entire Bible in existence. It bears the marks of the Alexandrian scribes in Egypt and thus acquired its name. 3.  It was delivered to Constantinople by the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Cyril of Lucaris and then later given to Charles I of England. 4.  Today it is displayed along with the Codex Sinaiticus, in the Ritblat Gallery of the British Library. 5.

Footnotes

• 1. H. J. M. Milne and T. C. Skeat, The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus (London: Trustee of the British Museum, 1963), 31.
• 2. Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, eds. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Corrected and Enlarged ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 2001), 79.
• 3. Finegan, Jack. Encountering New Testament Manuscripts: A Working Introduction to Textual Criticism (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1974), 150.
• 4. Matthew Spinka, “Acquisition of the Codex Alexandrinus by England.” The Journal of Religion 16 no. 1 (1936): 10–29.
• 5. Bruce M. Metzger and Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. 4th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), 67.

For Further Studies

• Comfort, Philip W., and David P. Barrett, eds. The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts. Corrected and Enlarged ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 2001.
• Finegan, Jack. Encountering New Testament Manuscripts: A Working Introduction to Textual Criticism. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1974.
• Hernández, Juan. Scribal Habits and Theological Influences in the Apocalypse: The Singular Readings of Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, and Ephraemi. Leiden: Mohr Siebeck, 2006, 96-131.
• Jellicoe, Sidney. Septuagint and Modern Study. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1989.
• Kenyon, Frederick G. The Codex Alexandrinus. 4 vols. (Facsimile edition). London: Trustee of the British Museum , 1909-1915.
• McKendrick, Scot. “The Codex Alexandrinus or The Dangers of Being A Named Manuscript.” in: The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text (ed. Scot McKendrick and Orlaith A. O'Sullivan; New Castle, Del.: Oak Knoll, 2003), 1-16.
• Metzger, Bruce M. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Palaeography. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1981.
• Milne, H. J. M.; Skeat, T. C. The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus. London: Trustee of the British Museum, 1963.
• Slayton, Joel C. “Codex: Codex Alexandrinus.” Edited by David Noel Freedman, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins. Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1996. 1:1069.
• Thompson, Edward Maunde. Facsimile of the Codex Alexandrinus (4 vols.). London: Trustee of the British Museum, 1879–1883.

Bonus 4 - Martin Bodmer Papyri

Papyrus 66 of the Bodmer Papyri
Public Domain. www.bible-researcher.com

The Martin Bodmer Papyri are a group of ancient Greek and Coptic manuscripts 1.  discovered in 1952 at Pabau, Egypt and purchased by Swiss collector, Martin Bodmer (1899-1971). But as Robinson points out in reality “there is no clear picture as to the size of the collection.” 2.   Bodmer’s private collection was set up as the Foundation Martin Bodmer, and housed at the Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, in Cologny, Switzerland. 3.  Some of the Bodmer collection are also housed in the Sir Chester Beatty collection, the Universities of Mississippi and Cologne, and the Fundacio “Sant Lluc Evangelista” in Barcelona. 4.   P74 and P74 are now in the Vatican Library in Rome. They have been in the process of publication in the Papyrus Bodmer Series since 1954. 5.

P66, the oldest papyri from the Gospel of John, dates to ca. 200. 6.  Other significant papyri in the Bodmer collection are P72 (the earliest known copy of Jude and 1 and 2 Peter), P73 (Matt 25:43; 26:2–3), P74 (Acts 1:2–28:31; Jas 1:1–5:20; 1 Pet 1:1–3:5; 2 Pet 2:21–3:16; 1 John 1:1–5:17; 2 John 1–13; 3 John 6, 12; Jude 3–25), and P75 (contains a portion of John and portions of the oldest known written fragment from the Gospel of Luke now in the Vatican Library). 7.

Footnotes

• 1. Not all manuscripts are papyri such as P16, P19, P22. A. Pietersma, “Bodmer Papyri.” In D. N. Freedman (Ed.). Vol. 1: The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 766. Robinson records that there are “fifteen ancient books containing thirty-one ancient texts” and the numbering of the series is misleading as they do not correspond to the texts they contain.   James M. Robinson, The Story of the Bodmer Papyri, the First Christian Monastic Library The Story of the Bodmer Papyri: From the First Monaster’s Library in Upper Egypt to Geneva and Dublin (Nashville: James Clarke & Co. 2013), 12. Appendix 2 of Robinson lists the published manuscripts and the remaining unpublished manuscripts. Robinson, The Story of the Bodmer Papyri, 185-196.
• 2. Robinson, The Story of the Bodmer Papyri, 10. 
• 3. Pietersma, “Bodmer Papyri.” 766.
• 4. Pietersma, “Bodmer Papyri.” 766.
• 5. Pietersma, “Bodmer Papyri.” 766
• 6. John 1:1-6:11, 6:35b-14:26 and fragments of forty other pages of John 14-21.
• 7. James N. Birdsall, The Bodmer Papyrus of the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Tyndale, 1960).

For Further Studies

• Birdsall, James Neville. The Bodmer Papyrus of the Gospel of John. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale, 1960.
• Kasser, R., and Testuz, M. Papyrus Bodmer XXIV: Psaumes XVII–CXVIII. Cologny-Geneva, 1967. .
• Martin, V. Papyrus Bodmer II: Evangile de Jean chap. 1–14. Cologny-Geneva, 1956.
• Martin, V. Papyrus Bodmer II: Supplément. Evangile de Jean chap. 14–21. Cologny-Geneva, 1958.
• Martin, V., and Barns, J. W. B. Papyrus Bodmer II: Supplément. Evangile de Jean chap.14–21. Rev. ed. Cologny-Geneva, 1962.
• Martin, V., and Kasser, R.  Papyrus Bodmer XIV: Evangile de Luc chap. 3–24. Cologny-Geneva, 1961.
• Pietersma, Albert. “Bodmer Papyri.” Edited by David Noel Freedman, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, and John David Pleins. Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1996. 1:766-77.
• Robinson, James M. The Story of the Bodmer Papyri, the First Christian Monastic Library The Story of the Bodmer Papyri: From the First Monaster’s Library in Upper Egypt to Geneva and Dublin. Nashville: James Clarke & Co. 2013.

Bonus 1 - Magdalen Papyrus

Papyrus 64 (Magdalen papyrus).
Public Domain

The Magdalen Papyrus (P64) consists of three small fragments of a papyrus of the gospel of Matthew discovered in Luxor, Egypt in 1901. Roberts dates the document to the late AD 200’s.1.  Based on comparisons with other known papyri from the first-cent. Thiede concluded that P64 should be dated as early as 70–100 AD.2.  Several scholars have challenged Thiede’s conclusions. 3.

Footnotes

• 1. Colin H. Roberts, “An Early Papyrus of the First Gospel,” Harvard Theological Review 46 (1953): 233.
• 2. Carsten P. Thiede, “Papyrus Magdalen Greek 17 (Gregory-Aland P64): A Reappraisal,” Tyndale Bulletin 46 (1995): 29–42; Carsten P. Thiede, “Papyrus Magdalen Greek 17 (Gregory-Aland P64): A Reappraisal,” Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik 105 (1995): 13–20; Matthew D’Ancona and Carsten Thiede, The Jesus Papyrus (New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 2000).
• 3. J. K. Elliott, “Review of the Jesus Papyrus by Carsten Peter Thiede; Matthew d’Ancona; Gospel Truth? New Light on Jesus and the Gospels by Graham Stanton,” NovT 38, no. 4 (1996): 393–99; Peter M. Head, “The Date Of The Magdalen Papyrus Of Matthew (P. Magd. Gr. 17 = P64): A Response To C. P. Thiede,” Tyndale Bulletin 46 (1995): 251–85; D. C. Parker, “Was Matthew Written Before 50 CE? The Magdalen Papyrus Of Matthew,” Expository Times 107 (1996): 40–43.

This bonus material was quoted from:

David E. Graves, Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes (Moncton, N.B.: Graves, 2013), 44. 













For Further Study

• Carsten P. Thiede, “Papyrus Magdalen Greek 17 (Gregory-Aland P64): A Reappraisal,” Tyndale Bulletin 46 (1995): 29–42;
• Charlesworth, S. D. “Theodore C. Skeat, P64+67 and P4, and the Problem of Fibre Orientation in Codicological Reconstruction.” New Testament Studies 53 (2007): 582–604.
• D’Ancona Matthew and Carsten Thiede, The Jesus Papyrus (New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 2000).
• Head, Peter M. “The Date Of The Magdalen Papyrus Of Matthew (P. Magd. Gr. 17 = P64): A Response To C. P. Thiede,” Tyndale Bulletin 46 (1995): 251–85;
• Parker, D. C. “Was Matthew Written Before 50 CE? The Magdalen Papyrus Of Matthew,” Expository Times 107 (1996): 40–43.
• Parker, D. C. An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and Their Texts. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Porter, Stanley E. How We Got the New Testament: Text, Transmission, Translation. Edited by Craig Evans and Lee McDonald. Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2013.
• Roberts, Colin H. “An Early Papyrus of the First Gospel,” Harvard Theological Review 46 (1953): 233.
• Skeat, Theodore C. “The Oldest Manuscript Of The Four Gospels?” New Testament Studies 43 (1997): 1–34.
• Thiede, Carsten Peter. “Papyrus Magdalen Greek 17 (Gregory–Aland P64). A Reappraisal.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 105 (1995): 13–20.

Bonus 5 - Codex Vaticanus

Page from Codex Vaticanus B
(Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209; Gregory-Aland no. B or 03)
Page containing Bible Texts 2 Thess. 3,11-18, Heb. 1:1-2
Public Domain

The Codex Vaticanus (B) is perhaps one of the oldest Greek manuscripts and one of the great uncial codices of the Bible. The codex has been preserved in the Vatican Library since the 15th century and thus acquired its name.1.  It was written in Uncial letters (capitals) on 759 pages of vellum and dates to the 4th century AD.2.  Along with the Codex Sinaiticus it is considered to be one of the best Greek texts and the widely available editions of the Greek New Testament are based on it. 3.

Footnotes

• 1. Bruce M. Metzger, and Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2005), 67.
• 2. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland. The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism, trans. Erroll F. Rhodes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1995), 109
• 3. Aland and Aland, Text of the New Testament, 26–30.

For Further Study

• Amphoux, Christian B. “Codex Vaticanus B: Les points diacritiques des marges de Marc.” Journal of Theological Studies 58 (2007): 440–46.
• Bibliorum Sacrorum Graecorum Codex Vaticanus B. Roma: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. 1999.
• Hoskier, Herman C. Codex B and Its Allies, a Study and an Indictment. London: Quaritch, 1–2 volumes, 1914.
• Kubo, Sakae. P72 and the Codex Vaticanus. Studies and Documents 27 edited by Jacob Geerlings. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1965.
• Metzger, Bruce M. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Greek Palaeography. New York – Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1991.
• Miller, J. Edward. “Some Observations on the Text-Critical Function of the Umlauts in Vaticanus, with Special Attention to 1 Corinthians 14.34–35.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 26, (2003): 217–236.
• Payne, Philip B. and Paul Canart. “The Originality of Text-Critical Symbols in Codex Vaticanus.” Novum Testamentum Vol. 42, Fasc. 2 (2000): 105–113.
• Payne, Philip B. and Paul Canart. “The Text-Critical Function of the Umlauts in Vaticanus, with Special Attention to 1 Corinthians 14.34–35: A Response to J. Edward Miller.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 27 (2004): 105–112.
• Skeat, Theodore C. “The Codex Vaticanus in the fifteenth century.” Journal of Theological Studies 35 no. 2 (1984): 454–65.
• Skeat, Theodore C. “The Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Vaticanus and Constantine.” Journal of Theological Studies 50 (1999): 583–625.
• Streeter, Burnett Hillman. The Four Gospels. A Study of Origins the Manuscripts Tradition, Sources, Authorship & Dates. Oxford, U.K.: MacMillan & Co., 1924.
• Tischendorf, Constantin von. Novum Testamentum Vaticanum. Lipsiae: Giesecke & Devrient, 1867.
• Voelz, James W “The Greek of Codex Vaticanus in the Second Gospel and Marcan Greek.” Novum Testamentum 47, 3 (2005): 209–249.

Bonus 6 - Codex Sinaiticus

Page of the Codex Sinaiticus with
text of Matthew 6:4-32 (4th century).
Public Domain

Codex Sinaiticus (abbreviation Hebrew Alpha)1. was discovered in 1844 by Constantine von Tischendorf (1815–1874) in the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Being a Greek copy, it is one of the most important hand-written four-column uncial manuscripts, as originally it contained the complete Old and New Testaments, the epistle of Barnabas, and portions of The Shepherd of Hermas and dates to the 4th century. Sections of the Codex Sinaiticus can be found in libraries in Russia, Great Britain, and Egypt. 2.

Footnotes

• 1. The complete manuscript can also be found at this website.
• 2. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, The Text of the New Testament an Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism, trans. Erroll F. Rhodes, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995), 11–13, 107.

This bonus material was quoted from:

David E. Graves, Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes (Moncton, N.B.: Graves, 2013), 42-43.







For Further Study

• Anderson, H. T. The New Testament Translated from the Sinaitic Manuscript Discovered by Constantine Tischendorf at Mt. Sinai. Cincinnati, Ohio: The Standard Publishing Company, 1910.
• Codex Sinaiticus: Facsimile Prints. Greek Edition, Ancient Greek Edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2011.
• Jongkind, Dirk. Scribal Habits of Codex Sinaiticus. Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias Press 2007.
• Kenyon, Frederic G. Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts (4th ed.). London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1939, 121–128.
• Hernández, Juan. Scribal Habits and Theological Influences in the Apocalypse: The Singular Readings of Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, and Ephraemi. Leiden: Mohr Siebeck, 2006, 45-95. 
• Metzger, Bruce M. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991: 76–79.
• Metzger, Bruce M.; Ehrman, Bart D. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (4th ed.). New York – Oxford: Oxford University Press 2005, 62–67.
• Magerson, P. “Codex Sinaiticus: An Historical Observation.” Biblical Archaeology 46 (1983): 54–56.
• Milne, H. J. M.; Skeat, T. C. The Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Alexandrinus. London: Trustee of the British Museum, 1963.
• Milne, H. J. M.; Skeat, T. C. Scribes and Correctors of the Codex Sinaiticus. London: Trustee of the British Museum, 1938.
• Parker, D. C. Codex Sinaiticus. The Story of the World’s Oldest Bible. London: The British Library, 2010.
• Peter M. Head. “The Gospel of Mark in Codex Sinaiticus: Textual and Reception-Historical Considerations.” Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 13 (2008): 1-38.
• Schneider, Ulrich Johannes (ed.). Codex Sinaiticus. Geschichte und Erschließung der “Sinai-Bibel.” Leipzig: Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, 2007.
• Streeter, Burnett Hillman. The Four Gospels. A Study of Origins the Manuscripts Tradition, Sources, Authorship, & Dates. Oxford: MacMillan & Co. 1924.
• Skeat, Theodore C. “A four years work on the Codex Sinaiticus: Significant discoveries in reconditioned MS.,” in: Theodore C. Skeat and J. K. Elliott, The collected biblical writings of T. C. Skeat, Leiden: Brill 2004, 109–118.
• Skeat, Theodore C. “The Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Vaticanus and Constantine.” Journal of Theological Studies 50 (1999): 583–625.
• Tischendorf, Constantin von. Responsa ad Calumnias Romanas. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1870.
• Tischendorf, Constantin von. Die Sinaibibel ihre Entdeckung, Herausgabe, und Erwerbung. Leipzig: Giesecke & Devrient, 1871.
• Tischendorf, Constantin von. Wann wurden unsere Evangelien verfasst?. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichssche Buchhandlung, 1865.
• Tischendorf, Constantin von. When Were Our Gospels Written?, An Argument by Constantine Tischendorf. With a Narrative of the Discovery of the Sinaitic Manuscript. New York: American Tract Society, 1866.

Bonus 9 - Nag Hammadi Papyri

Property of the Arab Republic of Egypt,
the codices are preserved in the Coptic Museum.
Here, the beginning of the Apocalypse of St. Peter.
Public Domain

This collection of fifty-two Coptic papyri (1,200 pages) was discovered near Nag Hammadi in Egypt between 1945 and 1946.1. While they date to the fourth cent. AD they are based on earlier Greek manuscripts from the first to third cent. AD. They are important for understanding the religious beliefs of the Gnostics, some of whom Paul dealt with in his NT letters. Today they are stored in the Coptic Museum of Cairo 2.  and are available online.

Some of these sayings are characterized by a series of questions that the disciples purportedly asked Jesus between the period of his resurrection and the ascension. They also deal with a reinterpretation of the creation account and include various visions that pertain to Gnostic beliefs as proposed by Marcion, Cerinthus, and Basilides.

Gnostic Creation and Salvation
These works include: The Apocryphon of John; The Hypostasis of the Archons; On the Origin of the World; The Apocalypse of Adam; and The Paraphrase of Shem.

The Gnostic Nature of Reality
These works include: The Gospel of Truth; The Treatise on the Resurrection; The Tripartite Tractate; Eugnostos the Blessed; The Second Treatise of the Great Seth; The Teachings of Silvanus; and The Testimony of Truth.

Gnostic Liturgical Rites
These works include: The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth; The Prayer of Thanksgiving; A Valentinian Exposition; The Three Steles of Seth; and The Prayer of the Apostle Paul.

Gnostic Divine Feminine (Sophia)
These works include: The Thunder, Perfect Mind; The Thought of Norea; The Sophia of Jesus Christ; and The Exegesis on the Soul.

Gnostic Apostolic Biographies
These works include: The Apocalypse of Peter; The Letter of Peter to Philip; The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles; The (First) Apocalypse of James; The (Second) Apocalypse of James; and The Apocalypse of Paul.

The Gnostic Jesus
These are called gospels but their form is simply a sequence of unrelated sayings and visions. These works include: The Dialogue of the Savior; The Book of Thomas the Contender; The Apocryphon of James; The Gospel of Philip; and The Gospel of Thomas.

Unclassified
These works include: The Apocryphon of John Codex II, III, IV; The Gospel of the Egyptians Codex III, IV; Fragment of the Perfect Discourse Codex V; Authoritative Teaching Codex VI; The Concept of Our Great Power Codex VI; Plato’s Republic 588A–589B Codex VI; The Teachings of Silvanus Codex VI; Zostrianos Codex VIII; Melchizedek Codex IX; Marsanes Codex X; The Interpretation of Knowledge Codex XI; Allogenes Codex XI; Hypsiphrone Codex XI; The Sentences of Sextus Codex XII; Unidentified fragments Codex XII; and Trimorphic Protennoia Codex XIII.


Footnotes

• 1. For a detailed description of their discovery see Roger Pearse. “The Nag Hammadi discovery of manuscripts.” A Survey of the Manuscripts of some Ancient Authors. LINK
• 2. Birger A. Pearson, “Nag Hammadi Codices,” ed. David Noel Freedman, Anchor Bible Dictionary (London: Doubleday & Company, 1996), 4:984–93.

This bonus material was quoted from:

David E. Graves, Key Themes of the Old Testament: A Survey of Major Theological Themes (Moncton, N.B.: Graves, 2013), 70-71.

For Further Study

• Barns, John W. B., Gerald M Browne, and John C. Shelton, eds. Nag Hammadi Codices: Greek and Coptic Papyri from the Cartonnage of the Covers. Leiden: Brill, 1981.
• Biblical Archaeology Society Staff. “The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity: How the Nag Hammadi texts discovered in Egypt reintroduced the world to Gnostic Christianity.” Biblical Archaeology Society,  July 01, 2014.  
• Cameron, Ron. The Other Gospels: Non-Canonical Gospel Texts. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/Knox, 1982.
• Dart, John. The Jesus of Heresy and History: The Discovery and Meaning of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Library. Rev Exp. New York, N.Y.: HarperOne, 1989.
• Franzmann, Majella. Jesus in the Nag Hammadi Writings. Edinburgh, U.K.: T & T Clark International, 1996.
• Layton, Bentley. The Gnostic Scriptures. London, U.K. SCM Press, 1987.
• Markschies, Christoph. Gnosis: An Introduction. Translated by John Bowden. New York, N.Y.: T&T Clark, 2003.
• Meyer, Marvin, and James M. Robinson, eds. The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume. New York: HarperCollins, 2009.
• Meyer, Marvin. The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library. New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, 2005.
• Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. New York, N.Y.: Random House, 2004. 
• Patterson, Stephen J., Hans-Gebhard Bethge, and James M. Robinson. The Fifth Gospel: The Gospel of Thomas Comes of Age. New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Academic, 1998.
• Pearson, Birger A. “Nag Hammadi Codices.” Edited by David Noel Freedman. Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1996, 4:984–93.
• Pearson, Birger A. Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions And Literature. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007.
• Robinson, James M. “The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Codices.” Biblical Archaeology 42, no. 4 (October 1, 1979): 206–24.
• Robinson, James M. From the Nag Hammadi Codices to the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Judas. Institute for Antiquity and Christianity Occasional Papers 48. Claremont, Calf.: Institute for Antiquity & Christianity, 2006.
• Robinson, James M., ed. The Nag Hammadi Library: A Translation of the Gnostic Scriptures. London, U.K.: HarperCollins, 1990.
• Tuckett, Christopher M. Nag Hammadi and the Gospel Tradition: Synoptic Tradition in the Nag Hammadi Library. Edinburgh, U.K.: T & T Clark, 1986.
• Waldstein, Michael, and Frederik Wisse, eds. The Apocryphon of John: Synopsis of Nag Hammadi Codices II,1, III,1, and IV,1 with BG 8502,2. Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies: The Coptic Gnostic Library 33. Leiden: Brill Academic, 1995.
• Yamauchi, Edwin M. Pre-Christian Gnosticism: A Survey of the Proposed Evidences. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1983.
• Yamauchi, Edwin M. “Pre-Christian Gnosticism in the Nag Hammadi Texts?” Church History 48, no. 2 (June 1, 1979): 129–41.

Bonus 40 - Jehoash Inscription

Jehoash Inscription

The Jehoash Inscription is an unprovinanced (not found in its original location) tablet that is reported to have surfaced in a Muslim cemetery or construction site near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 2003. The inscription records the renovation done to the First Temple under King Jehoash (ruled ca. 9th cent. BC). The Temple repairs are also mentioned in the Bible (2 Kgs 12:1-16 and 2 Chron 24:4-14). It’s is considered to be the only Judahite royal inscription in existence. According to Cohen, the translation of the 16 lines of the ancient Hebrew is as follows:

‘‘[I am Yeho’ash, son of A]hazyahu, k[ing over Ju]dah, and I executed the re[pai]rs. When men’s hearts became replete with generosity in the (densely populated) land and in the (sparsely populated) steppe, and in all the cities of Judah, to donate money for the sacred contributions abundantly, in order to purchase quarry stone and juniper wood and Edomite copper/ copper from (the city of) ‘Adam, (and) in order to perform the work faithfully (¼without corruption), - (then) I renovated the breach(es) of the Temple and of the surrounding walls, and the storied structure, and the mesh-work, and the winding stairs, and the recesses, and the doors. May (this inscribed stone) become this day a witness that the work has succeeded (and) may God (thus) ordain His people with a blessing.’’1.  

Rosenfeld et al., report the debate over the possibility that the Jehoash Inscription is a forgery.

The JI tablet is said to have been found near the southeastern corner of the wall of the Temple Mount complex, where it was used as a secondary building stone in a tomb. It was found in the Jerusalem antiquities market and it is now under the custody of the Israel Antiquity Authority (IAA). The authenticity of the Jehoash Inscription has been a fiercely debated topic over the past few years. Epigraphic and philologic analyses of the tablet are inconclusive as to its authenticity. Cohen contended that if a forgery, it is a brilliant one, near genius.2.   Freedman advised not to rush to judgment; the Jehoash inscription may be authentic.3.   Sasson noted that the text of this inscription is not a forgery.4.   If it is a forgery, then a combination of some incredible factors must have operated in producing it. Cross, however, maintained that the inscription is a poor forgery.5.   This dispute should not come as a surprise, since no Hebrew royal inscription from the First Temple Period was ever found which could serve for typological comparison. Ilani et al.6.   and Rosenfeld et al.7.   concluded that it may be authentic based on chemical and petro- graphic analyses. Following their report on the patina to the IAA, Goren et al. claimed that the inscription on the JI tablet was a forgery.8.   New evidence based on microcolonial fungi (MCF) as producers of a black and orange-brown patina, strengthens the view that the inscription was not recently engraved. 9.  

While the debate continues one should be cautious about placing too much reliance on this artifact for support of biblical reliability. While unprovinanced artifacts need to be examined carefully, many such as the Dead Sea Scrolls have provided valuable help in understanding the Biblical text.

Footnotes

• 1. Chaim Cohen, “Yeho’ash Inscription – a new addition: philological aspects.” Abstract. In The 14th World Congress of Jewish Studies. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2005. 
• 2. Chaim Cohen, “Biblical Hebrew philology in the light of research on the new Yeho’ash Royal Building Inscription.” In: Lubetski, M. (Ed.), New Seals and Inscriptions: Hebrew, Idumean, and Cuneiform. (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2007), 222–86.
• 3. David N. Freedman, “Don’t rush to judgment: Jehoash inscription may be authentic.” Biblical Archaeology Review 30 (2004): 48–51.
• 4. Sasson, Victor. “Philological and textural observations on the controversial Jehoash inscription.” Ugarit-Forschungen 35 (2004): 573–87
• 5. Frank M. Cross, “Notes on the forged plaque recording repairs to the temple.” Israel Exploration Journal 53 (2003), 119–122.
• 6. Shimon Ilani, Rosenfeld, Amnon, Dvorachek, M., “Archaeometry of a stone tablet with Hebrew inscription referring to repair of the house.” Israel Geological Survey Current Research 13 (2002), 109–116.
• 7. Amnon Rosenfeld,  Ilani, Shimon, Kronfeld, Yoel, Feldman, Howard R., Telem, E. M., 2005. “Archaeometric analysis of the ‘‘Jehoash Inscription’’ stone describing the renovation of the First Temple of Jerusalem,” In Geological Society of America Annual Meeting 37, Salt Lake City (2005): 278.
• 8. Yuval Goren,  Avner Ayalon, Miryam Bar-Matthews and Bettina Schilman, “Authenticity examination of Jehoash inscription.” Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University 31 (2004): 3–16.
• 9. Amnon Rosenfeld et al., “Archaeometric Analysis of the ‘Jehoash Inscription,’” Journal of Archaeological Science 35 (2008): 2966–72.

For Further Study

• Amnon Rosenfeld, Howard R. Feldman, Yoel Kronfeld, Wolfgang E. Krumbein. “The Jehoash Inscription Tablet-After the Verdict.” 1-30.
• Cohen, Chaim. “Yeho’ash Inscription – a new addition: philological aspects.” Abstract. In The 14th World Congress of Jewish Studies. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2005.
• Cohen, Chaim. “Biblical Hebrew philology in the light of research on the new Yeho’ash Royal Building Inscription.” In: Lubetski, M. (Ed.), New Seals and Inscriptions: Hebrew, Idumean, and Cuneiform, Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2007), 222–86.
• Cross, Frank M. “Notes on the forged plaque recording repairs to the temple.” Israel Exploration Journal 53 (2003), 119–122.
• Freedman, David N. “Don’t rush to judgment: Jehoash inscription may be authentic.” Biblical Archaeology Review 30 (2004): 48–51.
• Goren, Yuval. “The Jerusalem Syndrome in Biblical Archaeology,” Society of Biblical Literature. Forum, n.p. ( March 2005). 
• Goren, Yuval.  “Final reports on the Yehoash Inscription and James Ossuary from the Israeli Antiquities Authority,” The Bible and Interpretation (2005).
• Goren, Yuval, Avner Ayalon, Miryam Bar-Matthews and Bettina Schilman, “Authenticity examination of Jehoash inscription.” Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, 31 (2004): 3–16.
• Ilani, Shimon, Rosenfeld, Amnon, Dvorachek, M., “Archaeometry of a stone tablet with Hebrew inscription referring to repair of the house.” Israel Geological Survey Current Research 13 (2002), 109–116.
• Rosenfeld Amnon, and, Howard R. Feldman. “Archaeometric overview of the  Jehoash Inscription and James Ossuary.” Jerusalem Forgery Conference, Special Report Biblical Archaeology Society ( January, 16 - 18, 2007):  39 – 40.
• Rosenfeld, Amnon, Ilani, Shimon, Feldman, Howard R., Kronfeld, Yoel and Krumbein, W.E., “Implications of the  “Forgery Trial” Verdict on the Authenticity of the James Ossuary.” The Bible and Interpretation (2001).  
• Rosenfeld, Amnon, Ilani, Shimon, Feldman, Howard R., Krumbein, W. E., and Kronfeld, Yoel. “Archaeometric Evidence for the Authenticity of the JITablet”, updated and expanded  version,  Antiguo Oriente 7 (2009 ): 57 – 73;  original version,  The Bible and Interpretation, 2008.
• Rosenfeld, Amnon, Ilani, Shimon, Kronfeld, Yoel, Feldman, Howard R., Telem, E. M., 2005. “Archaeometric analysis of the ‘‘Jehoash Inscription’’ stone describing the renovation of the First Temple of Jerusalem,” In Geological Society of America Annual Meeting 37, Salt Lake City (2005): 278.
• Rosenfeld, Amnon, Shimon Ilani, H. R. Feldman, W. E. Krumbein, and J. Kronfeld. “Archaeometric Analysis of the ‘Jehoash Inscription.’” Journal of Archaeological Science 35 (2008): 2966–72
• Sasson, Victor. “Philological and textural observations on the controversial Jehoash inscription.” Ugarit-Forschungen 35 (2004): 573–587.
• Sasson, Victor. King Jehoash and the Mystery of the Temple of Solomon Inscription. Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, 2008.