The Daily Discoveries of a Bible Scholar and Manuscript Hunter: A Biography of James Rendel Harris (1852–1941)

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This is the first full biography of James Rendel Harris (1852-1941), Bible and patristic scholar, manuscript collector, Quaker theologian, devotional writer, traveler, folklorist, and relief worker. Drawing on published and unpublished sources gathered in the States, Europe, and the Middle East, many of which were previously unknown, Alessandro Falcetta tells the story of Harris’s life and works set against the background of the cultural and political life of contemporary Britain. Falcetta traces the development of Harris’s career from Cambridge to Birmingham, the story of his seven journeys to the Middle East, and of his many campaigns, from religious freedom to conscientious objection. This is the first full biography of James Rendel Harris (1852-1941), Bible and patristic scholar, manuscript collector, Quaker theologian, devotional writer, traveler, folklorist, and relief worker. Drawing on published and unpublished sources gathered in the States, Europe, and the Middle East, many of which were previously unknown, Alessandro Falcetta tells the story of Harris’s life and works set against the background of the cultural and political life of contemporary Britain. Falcetta traces the development of Harris’s career from Cambridge to Birmingham, the story of his seven journeys to the Middle East, and of his many campaigns, from religious freedom to conscientious objection. The book focuses upon Harris's innovative contributions in the field of textual and literary criticism, on the acquisitions of hundreds of manuscripts from the Middle East, on his discoveries of early Christian works, in particular the Odes of Solomon, on his Quakers beliefs and on his studies in the cult of twins. His enormous output and extensive correspondence reveal an indefatigable genius in close contact with the most famous scholars of his time, from Hort to Harnack, Nestle, the ‘Sisters of Sinai’, and Frazer. The book focuses upon Harris's innovative contributions in the field of textual and literary criticism, on the acquisitions of hundreds of manuscripts from the Middle East, on his discoveries of early Christian works, in particular the Odes of Solomon, on his Quakers beliefs and on his studies in the cult of twins. His enormous output and extensive correspondence reveal an indefatigable genius in close contact with the most famous scholars of his time, from Hort to Harnack, Nestle, the ‘Sisters of Sinai’, and Frazer. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Maps List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Author’s Note Maps Prologue 1. Between Two Rivers Plymouth Harris and Budd Nonconformity Growing up in Plymouth Education 2. From Math to Hort Mathematics Clare College The Triumvirate The Greek New Testament of Hort and Westcott Conversion to Textual Criticism Controversies Darwin 3. Conversion Evangelical Revival David B. Updegraff ’s Religious Experiences Forgiveness Sanctification The Nonconformist Vanguard Emmanuel Congregational Church Memoranda Sacra 4. Helen Quakerism Marriage Balkwill Helen before Rendel 5. A Promising Scholar Itinerant Preachers The Johns Hopkins University New Testament Autographs and Other Essays A Tour of European Libraries Social and Religious Engagements The Vivisection Controversy 6. A Popular Professor Waiting in Cambridge Membership in the Society of Friends Back to the States Work at Haverford Lack of Scholarly Facilities 7. The Dark Closet The Manuscript Hunter Tischendorf and Codex Sinaitcus Hatching Plans Eastbound Cairo Brummana Manuscripts on the Mountains Jerusalem The Monastery of St Catherine A Tour of Palestine 8. The Call of the Cam The Haverford Manuscript Collection Edition of Texts The Publication of the Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas The Publication of the Apology of Aristides Work on Codex Bezae Back to Cambridge Lectureship in Palaeography 9. The Septuagint Mission The Septuagint Palestine Asia Minor Greece 10. With the Sisters of Sinai Lewis and Gibson An Old Syriac Version of the Gospels The Journey to St Catherine’s Frictions The Transcription of the Palimpsest Work on Other Manuscripts Departure News of the Discovery The First Edition of the Palimpsest Lewis’s Own Edition of the Palimpsest 11. The Breeze of Cambridge Palaeography Class Outspoken Nonconformist Magdalena and Editha Blass Lecturing Tours Retirement Plans 12. The Origins of the Text of the New Testament The Ferrar Group Codex Bezae The Diatessaron of Tatian Hermas in Arcadia The Story of Ahikar Hastings’s Dictionary of the Bible 13. The Sword of the Sultan The Abdul Hamit Massacres The Launch of the Expedition Constantinople Ayntab Urfa Siverek Mardin Diyarbekir Harput Malatya Rendel’s Homebound Journey Harput and Arapkir Egin 14. Back to the Ourfans A Conference on Missionary Work Helen’s Journey to Berlin and St. Petersburg Supervision of the Orphanages A New Journey to Armenia The Way to the Interior Van Bitlis Harput Egin Malatya Urfa Back to Constantinople 15. Leyden’s Dis-appointment The Boer War Helen’s Journey to the Concentration Camps Helen’s Opinion on the Camps The Leyden Appointment to a Professorship Leyden’s Disappointment The Reason for the Refusal 16. The Quaker Renaissance The Theological Debate The Manchester Conference The Scarborough Summer School Murren 17. The Foundation of Woodbrooke George Cadbury The Woodbrooke Scheme The Appointment of Rendel Leyden in the Way The Freedom of Woodbrooke 18. The Doctor in Wonderland The First Term The Dictator of Studies Mary Snowden Braithwaite Lectures and Lecturers The Selly Oak Colleges The Woodbrooke Spirit The Netherlands Norway 19. Inner Light The Scholar The Teacher The Spiritual Man The Woodbrooke Liturgies The Inward Light The Guiding Hand of God The Continuity of Inspiration Quaker and Evangelical 20. President of the Free Churches Domesticities The Letter Writer The 1910 American Lecturing Tour Honorary Degrees Work for the Free Churches The 1903 Education Act President of the NCEFC Aaron’s Breastplate 21. The Crumbling Empire The First Balkan War Armenian Relief After the Genocide Lootfy Levonian Araxia Jebejian 22. The End of a World The International Outlook Delegation to Germany Responding to Conflict Conscientious Objectors Woodbrooke during the War Helen’s Departure Time to Leave Farewell to Woodbrooke The Suffering and the Glory 23. Ulysses Moulton’s Invitation to India The City of Birmingham Tourist in Egypt Papyri Hunt in Cairo The Fayyum and Oxyrhynchus Papyri Last Excursions The City of Paris Corsica Home 24. Manuscripts The Rylands Greek Papyri The Harvard Syriac Manuscripts Sources of Manuscripts Alpheus N. Andrus The Diatessaron Quest Alphonse Mingana 25. The Odes of Solomon The Discovery of the Odes of Solomon The Significance of the Odes of Solomon 26. The Origins of Christianity Away from Textual Criticism Early Christianity Studies in Testimonies Jesus the Wisdom of God Origins of the Eucharist The Antitheses of Marcion On the Quest of Quadratus The Art of Conjectural Emendation 27. The Origins of Religion The Heavenly Twins Boanerges Reception of the Twin Studies James G. Frazer Twins among the Twelve The Cult of the Greek Gods A Mercurial Scholar 28. The Curator Manuscripts to Manchester Curator at the Rylands Library At Home Adolf Harnack Adolf Deissmann The Tercentenary of the Mayflower The Mayflower University The History of the Pilgrim Fathers As Pants the Hart 29. The Quest for the Harmony The Last Expedition to Sinai Constantinople Lebanon Jerusalem Cairo Sinai Work at the Monastery Wadi Natrun 30. The Rendel Harris Library A New Family Holidays A New House The Rendel Harris Library The Woodbrooke Museum The Holy Grail 31. The Mingana Collection Mingana’s First Journey Mingana’s Second and Third Journey The Mingana Collection The Arrangement of the Collection Mingana the Scholar Mingana and Rendel 32. The Blind Master Travels Recognitions Failing Health Family and Friends Sherlock’s Assistance The Bezan Club Colleagues J. Enoch Powell 33. The Origins of Civilization Collections of Essays Sundry Studies The Hunt for Place Names The Arabians, the Celts and the Hittites The Diffusion of Egyptian Civilization Egyptian Colonies The Influence of Egyptian Myths The Routes of Colonization The Basques Moses ‘A Perilous Thinker’ 34. The Last Discovery The Outbreak of the Second World War Clydesdale Hotel The Last Days Memorial Speeches Epilogue Notes Bibliography Works of James Rendel Harris Works of Helen Balkwill Harris Other Works Index