Autograph-Alexandrian-Western-Byzantine

The history of the New Testament manuscripts, from the original writings to the major manuscript traditions, is the focus of New Testament Textual Study. The sequence —Autograph-Alexandrian-Western-Byzantine—represents a simplified model of transmission that was historically influential, particularly the view that the Alexandrian and Western texts are the oldest, and the Byzantine text is the latest major revision.

Here is a breakdown of that traditional theory and the role of each text-type in the history of the Bible's manuscripts:

 

1. The Starting Point: The Autographs

The Autographs are the original manuscripts penned by the biblical authors (e.g., the Apostle Paul, Matthew, etc.).

• Period: Mid-1st century CE to early 2nd century CE.
• The Problem: None of the autographs are known to survive today. They were written on perishable materials (primarily papyrus) and worn out through constant use.
• Significance: The goal of all textual criticism is to reconstruct the text of these original documents by comparing the surviving copies.

 

2. Early Textual Diversity (2nd - 4th Centuries CE)

As the autographs were copied and sent to different regions of the early Church, variations naturally entered the text through accidental errors, intentional corrections, or clarification. Over time, distinct localized textual traditions developed, often named after their primary geographic centers.

 

A. The Western Text-Type

• Period: Developed early (2nd century CE).
• Geography: Primarily Western Europe and North Africa (Latin-speaking regions).
• Characteristics: This text is known for its expansiveness and freedom in handling the text. Scribes frequently added, paraphrased, or harmonized passages to make the meaning clearer or more complete.
• Example: Sometimes includes extra material, or paraphrases to fit parallel gospel accounts.
• Manuscript Witnesses: Codex Bezae (D) and the Old Latin versions.
• Traditional View: Scholars generally view the Western Text as reflecting very early, but highly undisciplined, textual transmission.

 

B. The Alexandrian Text-Type

• Period: Developed early (2nd-3rd centuries CE).
• Geography: Egypt (Alexandria).
• Characteristics: This text is generally short, concise, and rigorous. Scholars believe it reflects careful copying by professional scribes, likely in scholarly environments. The readings are often considered "harder" or more abrupt because they lack the smoothing or harmonizing additions of other traditions.
• Example: Omits the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:9–20) and the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53–8:11) in its earliest forms.
• Manuscript Witnesses: Codex Vaticanus (B), Codex Sinaiticus (aleph), and many early papyri (like P66, P75).
• Traditional View: Modern textual scholars generally favor the Alexandrian Text-Type because its oldest surviving manuscripts (4th-5th centuries) are believed to be the closest to the autographs.

 

3. The Later, Dominant Text: The Byzantine Text-Type

The Byzantine Text-Type is a later development that eventually became the standard, most widely copied text in the Greek-speaking world.

• Period: Evolved over time, but became the dominant standardized text from the 9th century CE until the Renaissance.
• Geography: Constantinople and the entire Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
• Characteristics: This text is characterized by clarity, harmonization, and completeness (conflation). It often combines readings found in the Alexandrian and Western traditions to produce a smoother, more "complete" version of the text, ideal for public reading in the Church.
• Example: Includes the longer ending of Mark and the story of the woman caught in adultery.
• Manuscript Witnesses: Over 80% of all surviving Greek New Testament manuscripts (the "Majority Text"), primarily the later minuscule manuscripts (9th century onward).
• Traditional View (Westcott & Hort): This model suggests the Byzantine Text is the result of a deliberate revision or "recension" (sometimes attributed to Lucian of Antioch in the early 4th century). This revision intentionally combined and smoothed older readings, making it chronologically and textually secondary to the Alexandrian and Western texts.

 

Conclusion: The Modern Perspective

While the proposed sequence (Autograph-Alexandrian-Western-Byzantine) neatly summarizes the timeline of the traditions' influence and manuscript age, modern textual scholars recognizes a more complex reality:

• Interdependence: The text-types were not completely separate. They influenced each other over the centuries.
• Antiquity of Readings: While the Byzantine recension is late, scholars acknowledge that some of the specific readings found only in the Byzantine tradition may be very ancient and original.
• Eclecticism: The majority of modern critical editions of the New Testament (like the NA28 or UBS5) are eclectic, meaning they do not follow any single text-type exclusively. They analyze all witnesses (Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine) and select the reading that best explains the origin of all others, favoring the shorter and more difficult readings (a principle often found in Alexandrian witnesses).

The traditional model of textual transmission, therefore, correctly identifies the Byzantine Text-Type as the last great textual standardization that preserved the majority of the surviving manuscripts.