Dirk Jongkind on Two Vienna NT Fragments

TC: The Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism has just published a short note by Dirk Jongkind titled "059 (0215) and Mark 15:28." This "note," however, packs a big punch. Jongkind demonstrates on the basis of a codicological analysis that this 4th century majuscule manuscript did not contain Mark 15:28. This is explainable due to the presence of the upper and lower margins on two consecutive folios. What is odd? The omission of this verse was never recorded in the apparatus of the Greek New Testament, yet there is a variation unit there for which 059 would add support for the omission. Jongkind states: "Since 059 is among the oldest witnesses that we have for this section of Mark, its omission from the witness list of our modern editions needs rectification" (p. 3).

This little note has much significance for NT textual criticism and critics in the guild owe a debt of gratitude to Jongkind for bringing this to our attention. Now, if we can only figure out the unidentified text on the conjoining leaf of G 39779!

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