The purpose of this edition is to present the archetypal text of the Family. Once this is done, the extant witnesses may be disregarded.
Family Π in the Editio Critica Maior of John is represented by a selection of the full set of manuscripts. They are:
For an explanation of the selection, see Klaus Wachtel, Bruce Morrill, David Parker and Ulrich Schmid, “The Selection of Greek Manuscripts to be Included in the International Greek New Testament Project’s Edition of John in the Editio Critica Maior”, Daniel M. Gurtner, Juan Hernández Jr. and Paul Foster (eds), Studies on the Text of the New Testament and Early Christianity. Essays in Honor of Michael W. Holmes on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday (New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents 50), Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2015, 287-328, pp. 315-6. In summary, there are three core witnesses: 017 041 265. From the test passages we identified seventeen witnesses as closest to them (114 158 389 489 581 1079 1219 1355 1398 1690 1699 1816 2304 2404 2463 2600 2756). Of these we selected 1079 and 1219, which agree with the Majority Text at a rate below 85%. Eight other members were excluded which also agree at a rate below 85% (114 158 389 1816 2304 2404 2463 2600), since their inclusion would not provide significant.
The base text was made by adapting the transcription of 041, supplementing it with 017 where it is lacunose. The number of variations between these witnesses is rather small, with a total of 354 variants recorded in 336 variation units. The archetypal reading is only in doubt where there is disagreement among the core witnesses.
The best way to use this edition in studying the full apparatus in the ECM is to regard 041 as representing the archetype (except where it is lacunose, where 017 is to be followed: 6.15-35, 8.5-39, 9.21-10.3), but observing the apparatus of the family in order to ascertain those places where it does not.
The orthography follows that of 041, with corrections where it is in obvious error. Thus the final nu is given as it is found or not found in the manuscripts. Variation from this is indicated in the apparatus as an orthographical variation (unlike the custom in the ECM). This gives the opportunity observe the development of usage in greater detail than is possible in the ECM).
The dates of the witnesses:
To access the collation, click on the link at the top of the page or directly here.
David Parker,
January 2024