The Text of the Gospels in Clement of Alexandria (New Testament in the Greek Fathers)

385 Pages·2008·1.98 MB·English

by  Carl P. Cosaert

THE TEXT OF THE GOSPELS
IN CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
The New Testament in the Greek Fathers
Michael W. Holmes,
Series Editor
Number 9
THE TEXT OF THE GOSPELS
IN CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
THE TEXT OF THE GOSPELS
IN CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
Carl P. Cosaert
Society of Biblical Literature
Atlanta
THE TEXT OF THE GOSPELS
IN CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
Copyright © 2008 by the Society of Biblical Literature
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Library of CongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Cosaert,CarlP., 1968–
The text of the Gospels in Clement of Alexandria / by CarlP.Cosaert.
p. cm. — (NewTestament and the GreekFathers ; no. 9)
Includesbibliographical references.
ISBN: 978-1-58983-372-2 (paper binding : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-58983-
373-9 (electronic library copy)
1.Clement, of Alexandria,Saint, ca. 150–ca. 215. 2. Bible. N.T.Gospels—Criti-
cism,Textual. 3. Bible. N.T.GospelsGreek—Versions. I.Title.
BS2551.C67 2008
226'.0486—dc22 2008032440
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, recycled paper
conforming to ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) and ISO 9706:1994
standards for paper permanence.
In memory of
Melinda R. Cosaert
(May 15, 1990-July 18, 2006)
Beloved daughter
whose loving presence and
sweet smile is dearly missed

CONTENTS
Series Editor’s Foreword...................................................................................ix
Preface................................................................................................................xi
Abbreviations...................................................................................................xiii
1. Clement of Alexandria: The Most Learned of All.......................................1
2. Clement and the New Testament..............................................................20
3. Introduction to the Text and Critical Apparatus.......................................45
4. The Gospel Text in Clement: Text and Apparatus...................................57
5. Quantitative Analysis................................................................................219
6. Group Profile Analysis..............................................................................251
7. The Typology of Clement’s Readings.....................................................277
8. The Transmission of the Gospels in Alexandria......................................305
Appendix 1: Indeterminable Gospel References..........................................311
Appendix 2: Catena Fragments and Latin References................................336
Appendix 3: The Gospel Text of Clement’s Opponents............................339
Appendix 4: Clement in the Apparatus of NA27 and UBS4........................343
Bibliography...................................................................................................355

SERIES EDITOR’S FOREWORD
Properly interpreted, patristic evidence for the text of the New Testament
offers a major resource of primary importance for establishing the text of the
New Testament as well as for writing the history of its transmission. In
contrast to the earliest New Testament manuscripts, which can often be
dated only rather generally and about whose geographical provenance
frequently nothing is known, citations of the New Testament by Christian
writers of late antiquity can be located, often with some degree of precision,
with respect to both time and space. It is this feature of patristic citations that
makes them particularly important for the task of writing the history of the
transmission and development of the text of the documents that now
comprise the New Testament. The ability of patristic evidence to document
the existence of a variant reading or textual tradition at a particular time in a
specific geographic location renders this category of testimony invaluable for
the historian of early Christianity.
The Society of Biblical Literature’s monograph series The New Testa-
ment in the Greek Fathers is devoted to explorations of patristic texts and
authors that will contribute to a better understanding of the history of the
transmission of the New Testament text. Each volume investigates the text
of the New Testament (or parts thereof) as preserved in the writings of a
significant Christian author. While the series does not impose a specific
format, each volume provides an exhaustive presentation of the relevant data,
an apparatus that indicates the alignment (or lack thereof) of this data with
carefully selected representative textual witnesses, and a statistical analysis of
these data and alignments—typically both a quantitative assessment of their
affinities with leading representatives of known textual traditions and a
profile analysis that nuances the quantitative findings. Finally, since the goal
is not only to gather and assess the evidence but also to interpret its signifi-
cance, conclusions or observations are offered regarding the implications of
the findings for the history of the text and its transmission.
Dr. Carl Cosaert’s contribution to the series takes the form of a
thorough, comprehensive, and much-needed investigation of the text of the
Gospels in the writings of Clement of Alexandria (ca. A.D. 150–216).
Although uncertainty surrounds the place of Clement’s birth, Clement’s
interest in the teachings of Christianity led him eventually to settle in
Alexandria as a young man around A.D. 180, first as a student under the