Biblical Manuscripts, Textual Criticism, and Translation Methods

What are manuscripts in the context of biblical texts?

Copies of biblical texts that are handwritten and copied before the use of the printing press.

What is the significance of the printing press in relation to biblical manuscripts?

The printing press, invented in the 15th century, replaced the need for scribes to copy manuscripts by hand.

What are autographs in biblical studies?

Original texts of the Bible that have long since disappeared or been destroyed.

What is textual criticism?

The work of reconstructing the earliest forms of a text by analyzing and comparing diverse manuscripts.

What are variant readings in biblical manuscripts?

Discrepancies among manuscripts due to unintentional errors or intentional changes made by scribes.

What types of evidence do scholars consider in textual criticism?

External evidence, which pertains to historical traits of manuscripts, and internal evidence, which involves identifying the shortest and most difficult readings.

What is the Masoretic Text (MT)?

The text of the Hebrew Bible that serves as the base text for Old Testament textual criticism, preserved by Masoretic scribes between 500 and 1000 CE.

What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?

A collection of Hebrew biblical manuscripts discovered in the mid-20th century, representing the oldest known Hebrew manuscripts from the Old Testament.

What is the difference between Old Testament and New Testament criticism?

Old Testament criticism uses a base text, while New Testament criticism collects and compares all manuscripts individually to create an accurate canon.

What are papyri in relation to New Testament manuscripts?

The earliest manuscripts of the New Testament, dating back to the second and third centuries, often fragmented due to decomposition.

What is the Eclectic Approach in textual criticism?

A reconstructed text that is not represented by one singular manuscript.

What is the Latin Vulgate?

A translation of the Old and New Testaments into Latin by Jerome in the late fourth century, serving as the Bible for Western Christianity for nearly 1,000 years.

Who was Martin Luther and what was his contribution to biblical translation?

He translated the Bible into German in the early 16th century, making it accessible to the people.

What is the Authorized Version or King James Version?

A translation of the Bible produced by a committee of translators that first appeared in 1611, based on Hebrew and Greek texts.

What is Formal Correspondence in translation?

A 'word for word' translation that stays as close as possible to the original language.

What is Dynamic Equivalence in translation?

A 'meaning for meaning' translation that aims to recreate the reading experience in the target language.

What is Gender-Inclusive Language in biblical translation?

A debated topic where translations aim to be more inclusive while still preserving the historical context of the texts.

What is allegory in biblical interpretation?

An interpretative approach that identifies hidden meanings and symbolic values within a text.

What is hermeneutics?

The art and process of interpretation, focusing on the historical meaning of a text for contemporary readers.

What are the three categories of hermeneutics?

Questions of Origin, Questions of Literature, and Questions of Reception.

What does the Questions of Origin category entail?

Exploring the cultural codes, material culture, and geography of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world.

What is the focus of the Questions of Literature category?

Examining distinctive literary structures and how they communicate messages within the biblical texts.

How does the Questions of Reception category influence biblical interpretation?

It considers how readers, both ancient and modern, understand the texts, shaped by historical, literary, and theological questions.

What is the significance of studying the larger biblical story?

It helps readers grasp the full significance of individual texts within the overarching narrative of the canon.