Codex Sinaiticus to be released on-line
Offline Hey, this is a cool one: the oldest known Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, is being released on-line.
Interestingly enough, it differs somewhat from the modern Bibles:
The Gospel of Mark ends abruptly after Jesus' disciples discover his empty tomb, for example. Mark's last line has them leaving in fear.
"It cuts out the post-resurrection stories," said Juan Garces, curator of the Codex Sinaiticus Project. "That's a very odd way of ending a Gospel."
The entire thing, including transcription and translation, will be on-line in about a year.
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
- Login to post comments
My favorite part about the Sinaiticus is that it does not contain the now added ending to the Gospel of Mark. Our earliest manuscripts containing the Gospel Mark does not have a resurrection and ascension narrative.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists. Books by Rook Hawkins (Thomas Verenna)
Cool! Can't wait to see the rest of it!
As Mark was the earliest Gospel account and the oldest manuscripts didn't have the extra ending of verses 9-20 I have always used it as an example why there was much creatively in other accounts. If I recall by the 4th century there were at least 4 different versions for the end of Mark. It's always interesting to listen to Bible fundamentalists defend this problem.
____________________________________________________________
"I guess it's time to ask if you live under high voltage power transmission lines which have been shown to cause stimulation of the fantasy centers of the brain due to electromagnetic waves?" - Me
"God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, - it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks please. Cash and in small bills." - Robert A Heinlein.
From what time does the copies of Mark start containing the added ending?
Well after the fourth century, there are 4 different endings added to Mark 16:8. All involve post-resurrection narratives although they vary at length. Hard to say when you see the *first* one come about. Most of our manuscripts come from the 9th century-onward, as miniscules (where the Greek is written in all lowercase) instead of majiscules (where everything is written in uppercase - the Sinaiticus represents majiscules, and so do the leafs found in the Codex Vaticanus, also fourth century).
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists. Books by Rook Hawkins (Thomas Verenna)
Of course this is kind of like pointing out that in Superman comics Clark Kent's dad is still alive while he's an adult, while in Smallville he died while Clark was still a teen.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
Wait a minute... there are DIFFERENT VERSIONS of the Bible?!
...you should read something by Bart Ehrman, sometime...say, "Misquoting Jesus" or perhaps "The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture."
Both are interesting reads, and both will show you ways in which Scripture has been altered.
So...to finally get around to answering your question...*yes,* there are different Bible versions. In fact, there are:
---different translations of the same Bible material (for example, the difference in translation between, say, the KJV and the NIV, both of which are Protestant Bibles),
---Bibles with differing contents (If you don't believe me on this one, compare the Old Testament of a Catholic Bible with one of a Protestant Bible, sometime.),
---and, as already indicated, corruptions within individual books.
Conor
This is a huge blow to fundamentalist Christians everywhere. I wonder how they will defend this one... With lies, I'm predicting.
I send this yesterday to my devoted 50 + Xain e-mail list , not a reply yet ....
Afterall, them xians can't think very well .... gotta help heal'em .... "love the enemy" ....
Atheism Books.
I was funnin' ya.
Boards don't hit back. (Bruce Lee)
...once again, my hoof-and-mouth disease shows up.
One of these days, I'm going to learn to be more careful.
Conor