The Gothic Version of the Gospels and Pauline Epistles: Cultural Background, Transmission and Character

Description

The Gothic version of the New Testament is the oldest extant writing in a Germanic language and one of the earliest translations from the Greek. This volume offers a re-examination of fundamental questions concerning the historical and cultural context in which the version was prepared, the codicology of the manuscripts, and the value of the Gothic text for the reconstruction of the underlying Greek, together with a history of text-critical research and a new evaluation of the significance of the Gothic text in the light of current New Testament textual criticism. General abbreviations xiii b Symbols xv c Manuscript sigla and abbreviations xvii d Notes xxi Introduction 1 1. Wulfila and his context 4 2. The Gothic witnesses to the Gospels and Pauline epistles 25 3. 'Helps for readers' and other codicological features 53 4. Linguistic and stylistic features 66 5. The Greek "Vorlage" and the transmission of the Gothic text 92 6. A different approach to the problem of the "Vorlage" 130 Appendix I. 'Significant readings' 149 Appendix II 174 Bibliography 181 Index of biblical citations 206 Index of manuscripts 212 Index of names and subjects 215 Index of words 220 Plates 225