Steven Avery
Administrator
This first post is the raw data, the formatting will be done in posts below.
The concern here is the individual mss. not so much Martin and Ayuso.
p. 45
The fact that some writers show no knowledge of the comma centuries after others quote it as a matter of course is matched by its sporadic appearance in Latin bibles. It is missing from the earliest dated Latin bible, Codex Fuldensis, written between 541 and 546 and corrected upon its completion by Victor, bishop of Capua (Fulda, Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek ms Bonifatius 1, Gregory Aland ms F, prerecensional text). It is absent from several important manuscripts of a later date, such as codex Amiatinus (Florence, Bib. Medicea- Laurenziana ms Amiatino 1; GA ms A, recension of Cassiodorus, copied in England some time between 688 and 716),62 the Lectionary of Luxeuil (Paris, BnF ms lat. 9427; seventh or eighth century, Hispano-Frankish recension); Codex Harleianus (London, British Library, ms Harley 1772; eighth century); the Book of Armagh (Dublin, Trinity College ms 52; c. 807); and Codex Sangermanensis (St Petersburg, Publichnaya Bibliotheka ms gr. 20).63 The earliest surviving fragments of Latin bibles to contain the comma date from the seventh century.64
62 Tischendorf, 1850, 391.
63 Mabillon, 1697,446; Griesbach, 1785-1793,1:377; Ktinstle, 1905a, 4-5; Gwynn, 1913, 308.
64 The following list of readings of the Johannine comma in the earliest Latin bibles draws together the information presented by Ebert, 1825-1827,1:186; Knittel, 1829, 98-101; Ziegler, 1876, 8; Beer and Jimemez, 1888, 5-8, 16-18; Berger, 1893, 27, 64, 73, 83, 103-111, 121, 128,
p. 46
141-143; Westcott, 1892, 202-209; Scrivener, 1893; Wordsworth, 1911, 572; Brooke, 1912,
156-162; Wordsworth, White and Sparks, 1889-1954, 3.2 [publ. 1949]:373-374. Munich, BSB
Clm 6436 (Fris. 236), 24r (the Freising fragments, reconstructed by Ziegler, 1876, 8, 56,
abbreviations resolved) (seventh century): “Quoniam tr[es sunt qui testificantur] in terra.
spiritus et aqua et sa[nguis; et tres sunt qui tes]tificantur in cælo p[a]ter e[t verbum et spiritus
sanctus et hi] tres unum sunt.” León, Archivio catedralico ms 15 (the León palimpsest, a
biblical text written in seventh century over sixth-century text of Visigothic law code; the words
in brackets are supplied by Berger, 1893, 10, where the original is unclear; abbreviations are
resolved): “[Et spiritus est testi]monium [quia spiritus est ueritas. Quoniam] tres sunt qui
t[estimonium dant in terra] spiritus et [aqua et sanguis et tres sunt] qui tes[timonium dicunt
in cælo, pa]ter [et uerbum et spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum] sunt [in Christo Ιhesu].”
Madrid, Biblioteca Universidad Complutense ms 31 (ninth century) [Compl. 1]: “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terris, aqua sanguis et caro [in margine: uel spiritus], et tria hec
unum sunt; et tria sunt que testimonium dicunt in celo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus et hec tria
unum sunt in Christo Ihesu.” Compare this with the reading given by Priscillian. León,
Archivio catedralicio ms 6 (c. 920): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra spiritus et
aqua et sanguis et tria hæc unum sunt; et tria sunt qui [sic] testimonium dicunt in cælo Pater
Verbum et Spiritus et hii tres unum sunt in Christo Ihesu.” A coherent group is represented by
the readings in Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional ms Vitr. 13-1 (Codex Toletanus) (mid-tenth
century) [Tol.]; La Cava de’ Tirreni, Biblioteca della Badia, ms memb. 1 (Codex Cavensis)
(Spain [Asturias?], after 850) [Cav.]; León, Biblioteca Capitular y Archivo de la Real Colegiata
de San Isidoro, ms 2 (Codex Gothicus Legionensis) (dated 960) [Leg. 2]; Madrid, Museo
arqueológico nacional ms 485 (Codex Oscensis) (twelfth century) [Osc.]; Madrid, Biblioteca
Complutense mss 32 (tenth to twelfth centuries) [Compl. 2]; Madrid, Biblioteca Complutense
ms 34 (twelfth century) [Compl. 3]; Codex Demidovianus (lost, though known through
Matthaei’s collation, published 1782-1789) (thirteenth century) [Dem.]; and Paris, BnF ms
lat. 321 [321]. Berger, 1893, 27, creates the following synthetic reading from this group (I have
added orthographical variants from Cav.): “Quia [Compl. 3: Quoniam] tres sunt qui
testimonium dant [Tol.: dicunt] in terra Spiritus et [om. Osc., Compl. 3, 321, Dem.] aqua et
sanguis et hi [om. Dem.] tres unum [Cav.: hunum] sunt in Christo Ihesu [in…Ihesu om.
Dem.]. Et [om. Tol., Compl. 2; 321: Quia] tres sunt [om. Compl. 3] qui testimonium dicunt
[Compl. 2, 321, Dem.: dant] in cælo Pater uerbum et [om. 321] Spiritus [Osc., Compl. 2, Compl.
3, 321: Spiritus Sanctus] et hi tres unum [Cav.: hunum] sunt.” Bern, Bürgerbibliothek ms A.
9 (tenth century): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant [add. sec. manus: in terra] spiritus
aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt [add. sec. manus: Et tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in cælo
Pater et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus et hii tres unum sunt].” Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana ms B vi
(Codex Vallicellanus) (ninth century, representing the recension of Alcuin, completed in
801): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis, et tres unum
sunt; sicut tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo, pater, uerbum, et spiritus sanctus; et tres
unum sunt.” Paris BnF mss lat. 4/42 (ninth or tenth century, Puy-en-Velay) (Codex
Aniciensis), addition in near-contemporary hand (note caro in verse 8): “Quoniam tres sunt
p. 47
qui testimonium dant in cælo Pater Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
testimonium dant in terra sanguis aqua et caro. Si testimonium […].” Paris BnF ms lat. 2328
(codex Lemovicensis) (eighth or ninth century, Limoges): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium
dicunt in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et hi tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui testimonium
perhibent Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt in Christo Ihesu”; note the curious omission of
the Father and the marker in cælo from the celestial witnesses. Paris, BnF ms lat. 315 (twelfth or
thirteenth century) recalls the Spanish recension; note that both sets of witnesses are placed on
the earth: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, caro aqua et sanguis; et tres sunt
qui testimonium dant in terra Pater Verbum et S. S. et hi tres unum sunt.” Paris, BnF ms lat.
11532 and 11533 (written during the reign of Lothaire II [835-869] at Corbie, copied from
another manuscript dated 809; contains many Old Latin readings; formerly in the library of
Saint-Germain): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant [add. sec. manus: in terra] spiritus
aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui [sup. ras.: de cælo] testificantur [add. sec.
manus: testimonium dicunt in cælo], Pater Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt.” The reading
testificantur is found in Cassiodorus, and possibly in the Freising fragments, though that
reading is dependent on Ziegler’s reconstruction. Vienna, ÖNB ms 1190 (early eleventh
century; possibly from abbey of St Vaast, Arras), has only verse 8 in the text; a second nearcontemporary
hand has added: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in terra, aqua
sanguis et caro, et tres in nobis sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater
Verbum et Spiritus, et hi tres unum sunt.” This addition is virtually identical to that found in
the ps.-Athanasian treatise Contra Varimadum, especially with the peculiar reading tres in nobis
sunt; it also recalls the reading in Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine ms 7, which however gives the
heavenly witnesses first: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo, Pater Verbum et
Spiritus; et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, caro sanguis et aqua, et hi tres in nobis
unum sunt.” A group of mss from Sankt Gallen have virtally the same reading: Sankt Gallen,
Stiftsbibliothek ms 907 (eighth century, written by Winitharius), which served as model for
British Library ms Add. 11852 (copied by Hartmut, 841-872); this ms in turn served as model
for Sankt Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek ms 83 (copied by Hartmut and his workshop, probably from
the British Library ms); virtually identical readings are to be found in Einsiedeln,
Stiftsbibliothek mss 1 and 7: “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant, spiritus et [om. SG 72,
Einsiedeln 1, Einsiedeln 7] aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; sicut in celo tres sunt, Pater
Verbum et Spiritus, et tres unum sunt.” Related to these is Wolfenbüttel, HAB cod. Guelf. 99
Weissenburgensis, 117v (an eighth century ms of Augustine): “[…] et Spiritus est veritas.
Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant, spiritus et aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt: sicut et in
coelum [sic] tres sunt, pater verbum et spiritus, et tres unum sunt.” Two manuscripts of the
Bobbio-Milan school have related readings: firstly, Geneva, Bibliothèque publique et
universitaire ms 1 (tenth or eleventh century), given to the chapter of St Peter’s by Bishop
Frederic (1031-1073): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis, et tres
unum sunt; et tres testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus, et tres unum
sunt.” The reading in Paris, BnF ms lat. 104 is related, but generally a little fuller: “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua et sanguis et, tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
p. 48
testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus, et tres unum sunt.” Paris,
BnF ms lat. 9380 (“Mesmes Bible”, Theodulfian recension) (Orléans, 830/835): “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
testimonium dicunt in celo, Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum sunt.” Knittel,
1827, 98-101, collated the readings of the comma in twenty-four Latin bibles at Wolfenbüttel,
all (except for Weissenbergensis 99) dating from after the ninth century. The variety of the
readings displays the textual instability of the comma. In three of the manuscripts the comma
has been added above or below the line, or in the margin. Ten manuscripts place the three
heavenly witnesses after the three earthly witnesses. One bible at Wolfenbüttel clearly shows
how glosses—and even glosses on glosses—entered the text: “Quoniam tres sunt qui
testimonium dant in coelo, Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus, et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt
qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis. Quidam habent hic ‘Et tres unum
sunt,’ sed non est in glossis. Si testimonium hominis […].” Fifteen bibles at Wolfenbüttel lack
the words “et hi tres unum sunt” in verse 8; in two mss these words are erased; one ms has
these words added in the margin. One ms (written in 1315 by Sigfried Vitulus in the monastery
of Erbach, Würzburg) has “Filius” instead of “Verbum” in verse 7. Thiele, 1966, posited the
existence of three separate readings in the Old Latin versions: K (extrapolated from Cyprian),
C (Priscillian) and T (biblical text-type before final establishment of the Vulgate). He
contrasted with the version that eventually became relatively standard in the Vulgate (V),
which he considers not to have contained the comma in its original form. Thiele’s
reconstructed readings are: K: “(7) quia tres testimonium perhibent (8) spiritus et aqua et
sanguis et isti tres in unum sunt [ ] pater et filius et spiritus sanctus et tres unum sunt.” C:
“(7) quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in terra (8) spiritus aqua et sanguis et hi tres
unum sunt in Christo Iesu et tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in cælo pater verbum et spiritus et
hi tres unum sunt.” T: “(7) quia tres sunt qui testificantur in terra (8) spiritus et aqua et
sanguis et tres sunt qui testificantur in cælo pater et filius et spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum
sunt.” V: “(7) quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis (8) et tres unum
sunt.” We have already reviewed some of the difficulties attending Thiele’s hypothesis that
Cyprian knew the comma. For these reasons, Thiele’s form K rests on contested foundations;
cf. Wachtel, 1995, 317.
65 Martin, 1886, V:148-152; Ayuso, 1947, 100-101. The results of Martin’s study are as follows:
===========================================
In 1886, J. P. Martin published the results of his examination
p. 48
of 258 Latin bibles written between the ninth and the fourteenth centuries and now housed in the Bibliotheque nationale de France. Martin noted a consistent pattern: the further back he went, the less frequently the comma was attested.65
p. 49
The results of a similar study into further manuscript holdings in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland by Teofilo Ayuso Marazuela were published in 1947/1948.66 As both scholars pointed out, such studies have certain limits, most obviously the fact that they can go back no further than the earliest extant manuscripts and fragments. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that the comma was found in the text of at least some Latin bibles in the fourth century, as we shall see.
The concern here is the individual mss. not so much Martin and Ayuso.
p. 45
The fact that some writers show no knowledge of the comma centuries after others quote it as a matter of course is matched by its sporadic appearance in Latin bibles. It is missing from the earliest dated Latin bible, Codex Fuldensis, written between 541 and 546 and corrected upon its completion by Victor, bishop of Capua (Fulda, Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek ms Bonifatius 1, Gregory Aland ms F, prerecensional text). It is absent from several important manuscripts of a later date, such as codex Amiatinus (Florence, Bib. Medicea- Laurenziana ms Amiatino 1; GA ms A, recension of Cassiodorus, copied in England some time between 688 and 716),62 the Lectionary of Luxeuil (Paris, BnF ms lat. 9427; seventh or eighth century, Hispano-Frankish recension); Codex Harleianus (London, British Library, ms Harley 1772; eighth century); the Book of Armagh (Dublin, Trinity College ms 52; c. 807); and Codex Sangermanensis (St Petersburg, Publichnaya Bibliotheka ms gr. 20).63 The earliest surviving fragments of Latin bibles to contain the comma date from the seventh century.64
62 Tischendorf, 1850, 391.
63 Mabillon, 1697,446; Griesbach, 1785-1793,1:377; Ktinstle, 1905a, 4-5; Gwynn, 1913, 308.
64 The following list of readings of the Johannine comma in the earliest Latin bibles draws together the information presented by Ebert, 1825-1827,1:186; Knittel, 1829, 98-101; Ziegler, 1876, 8; Beer and Jimemez, 1888, 5-8, 16-18; Berger, 1893, 27, 64, 73, 83, 103-111, 121, 128,
p. 46
141-143; Westcott, 1892, 202-209; Scrivener, 1893; Wordsworth, 1911, 572; Brooke, 1912,
156-162; Wordsworth, White and Sparks, 1889-1954, 3.2 [publ. 1949]:373-374. Munich, BSB
Clm 6436 (Fris. 236), 24r (the Freising fragments, reconstructed by Ziegler, 1876, 8, 56,
abbreviations resolved) (seventh century): “Quoniam tr[es sunt qui testificantur] in terra.
spiritus et aqua et sa[nguis; et tres sunt qui tes]tificantur in cælo p[a]ter e[t verbum et spiritus
sanctus et hi] tres unum sunt.” León, Archivio catedralico ms 15 (the León palimpsest, a
biblical text written in seventh century over sixth-century text of Visigothic law code; the words
in brackets are supplied by Berger, 1893, 10, where the original is unclear; abbreviations are
resolved): “[Et spiritus est testi]monium [quia spiritus est ueritas. Quoniam] tres sunt qui
t[estimonium dant in terra] spiritus et [aqua et sanguis et tres sunt] qui tes[timonium dicunt
in cælo, pa]ter [et uerbum et spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum] sunt [in Christo Ιhesu].”
Madrid, Biblioteca Universidad Complutense ms 31 (ninth century) [Compl. 1]: “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terris, aqua sanguis et caro [in margine: uel spiritus], et tria hec
unum sunt; et tria sunt que testimonium dicunt in celo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus et hec tria
unum sunt in Christo Ihesu.” Compare this with the reading given by Priscillian. León,
Archivio catedralicio ms 6 (c. 920): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra spiritus et
aqua et sanguis et tria hæc unum sunt; et tria sunt qui [sic] testimonium dicunt in cælo Pater
Verbum et Spiritus et hii tres unum sunt in Christo Ihesu.” A coherent group is represented by
the readings in Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional ms Vitr. 13-1 (Codex Toletanus) (mid-tenth
century) [Tol.]; La Cava de’ Tirreni, Biblioteca della Badia, ms memb. 1 (Codex Cavensis)
(Spain [Asturias?], after 850) [Cav.]; León, Biblioteca Capitular y Archivo de la Real Colegiata
de San Isidoro, ms 2 (Codex Gothicus Legionensis) (dated 960) [Leg. 2]; Madrid, Museo
arqueológico nacional ms 485 (Codex Oscensis) (twelfth century) [Osc.]; Madrid, Biblioteca
Complutense mss 32 (tenth to twelfth centuries) [Compl. 2]; Madrid, Biblioteca Complutense
ms 34 (twelfth century) [Compl. 3]; Codex Demidovianus (lost, though known through
Matthaei’s collation, published 1782-1789) (thirteenth century) [Dem.]; and Paris, BnF ms
lat. 321 [321]. Berger, 1893, 27, creates the following synthetic reading from this group (I have
added orthographical variants from Cav.): “Quia [Compl. 3: Quoniam] tres sunt qui
testimonium dant [Tol.: dicunt] in terra Spiritus et [om. Osc., Compl. 3, 321, Dem.] aqua et
sanguis et hi [om. Dem.] tres unum [Cav.: hunum] sunt in Christo Ihesu [in…Ihesu om.
Dem.]. Et [om. Tol., Compl. 2; 321: Quia] tres sunt [om. Compl. 3] qui testimonium dicunt
[Compl. 2, 321, Dem.: dant] in cælo Pater uerbum et [om. 321] Spiritus [Osc., Compl. 2, Compl.
3, 321: Spiritus Sanctus] et hi tres unum [Cav.: hunum] sunt.” Bern, Bürgerbibliothek ms A.
9 (tenth century): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant [add. sec. manus: in terra] spiritus
aqua et sanguis et tres unum sunt [add. sec. manus: Et tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in cælo
Pater et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus et hii tres unum sunt].” Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana ms B vi
(Codex Vallicellanus) (ninth century, representing the recension of Alcuin, completed in
801): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis, et tres unum
sunt; sicut tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo, pater, uerbum, et spiritus sanctus; et tres
unum sunt.” Paris BnF mss lat. 4/42 (ninth or tenth century, Puy-en-Velay) (Codex
Aniciensis), addition in near-contemporary hand (note caro in verse 8): “Quoniam tres sunt
p. 47
qui testimonium dant in cælo Pater Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
testimonium dant in terra sanguis aqua et caro. Si testimonium […].” Paris BnF ms lat. 2328
(codex Lemovicensis) (eighth or ninth century, Limoges): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium
dicunt in terra spiritus aqua et sanguis et hi tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui testimonium
perhibent Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt in Christo Ihesu”; note the curious omission of
the Father and the marker in cælo from the celestial witnesses. Paris, BnF ms lat. 315 (twelfth or
thirteenth century) recalls the Spanish recension; note that both sets of witnesses are placed on
the earth: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, caro aqua et sanguis; et tres sunt
qui testimonium dant in terra Pater Verbum et S. S. et hi tres unum sunt.” Paris, BnF ms lat.
11532 and 11533 (written during the reign of Lothaire II [835-869] at Corbie, copied from
another manuscript dated 809; contains many Old Latin readings; formerly in the library of
Saint-Germain): “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant [add. sec. manus: in terra] spiritus
aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui [sup. ras.: de cælo] testificantur [add. sec.
manus: testimonium dicunt in cælo], Pater Verbum et Spiritus et tres unum sunt.” The reading
testificantur is found in Cassiodorus, and possibly in the Freising fragments, though that
reading is dependent on Ziegler’s reconstruction. Vienna, ÖNB ms 1190 (early eleventh
century; possibly from abbey of St Vaast, Arras), has only verse 8 in the text; a second nearcontemporary
hand has added: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in terra, aqua
sanguis et caro, et tres in nobis sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater
Verbum et Spiritus, et hi tres unum sunt.” This addition is virtually identical to that found in
the ps.-Athanasian treatise Contra Varimadum, especially with the peculiar reading tres in nobis
sunt; it also recalls the reading in Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine ms 7, which however gives the
heavenly witnesses first: “Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in cælo, Pater Verbum et
Spiritus; et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, caro sanguis et aqua, et hi tres in nobis
unum sunt.” A group of mss from Sankt Gallen have virtally the same reading: Sankt Gallen,
Stiftsbibliothek ms 907 (eighth century, written by Winitharius), which served as model for
British Library ms Add. 11852 (copied by Hartmut, 841-872); this ms in turn served as model
for Sankt Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek ms 83 (copied by Hartmut and his workshop, probably from
the British Library ms); virtually identical readings are to be found in Einsiedeln,
Stiftsbibliothek mss 1 and 7: “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant, spiritus et [om. SG 72,
Einsiedeln 1, Einsiedeln 7] aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; sicut in celo tres sunt, Pater
Verbum et Spiritus, et tres unum sunt.” Related to these is Wolfenbüttel, HAB cod. Guelf. 99
Weissenburgensis, 117v (an eighth century ms of Augustine): “[…] et Spiritus est veritas.
Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant, spiritus et aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt: sicut et in
coelum [sic] tres sunt, pater verbum et spiritus, et tres unum sunt.” Two manuscripts of the
Bobbio-Milan school have related readings: firstly, Geneva, Bibliothèque publique et
universitaire ms 1 (tenth or eleventh century), given to the chapter of St Peter’s by Bishop
Frederic (1031-1073): “Quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis, et tres
unum sunt; et tres testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus, et tres unum
sunt.” The reading in Paris, BnF ms lat. 104 is related, but generally a little fuller: “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua et sanguis et, tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
p. 48
testimonium perhibent in cælo, Pater Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus, et tres unum sunt.” Paris,
BnF ms lat. 9380 (“Mesmes Bible”, Theodulfian recension) (Orléans, 830/835): “Quia tres
sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus aqua et sanguis, et tres unum sunt; et tres sunt qui
testimonium dicunt in celo, Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum sunt.” Knittel,
1827, 98-101, collated the readings of the comma in twenty-four Latin bibles at Wolfenbüttel,
all (except for Weissenbergensis 99) dating from after the ninth century. The variety of the
readings displays the textual instability of the comma. In three of the manuscripts the comma
has been added above or below the line, or in the margin. Ten manuscripts place the three
heavenly witnesses after the three earthly witnesses. One bible at Wolfenbüttel clearly shows
how glosses—and even glosses on glosses—entered the text: “Quoniam tres sunt qui
testimonium dant in coelo, Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus, et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt
qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis. Quidam habent hic ‘Et tres unum
sunt,’ sed non est in glossis. Si testimonium hominis […].” Fifteen bibles at Wolfenbüttel lack
the words “et hi tres unum sunt” in verse 8; in two mss these words are erased; one ms has
these words added in the margin. One ms (written in 1315 by Sigfried Vitulus in the monastery
of Erbach, Würzburg) has “Filius” instead of “Verbum” in verse 7. Thiele, 1966, posited the
existence of three separate readings in the Old Latin versions: K (extrapolated from Cyprian),
C (Priscillian) and T (biblical text-type before final establishment of the Vulgate). He
contrasted with the version that eventually became relatively standard in the Vulgate (V),
which he considers not to have contained the comma in its original form. Thiele’s
reconstructed readings are: K: “(7) quia tres testimonium perhibent (8) spiritus et aqua et
sanguis et isti tres in unum sunt [ ] pater et filius et spiritus sanctus et tres unum sunt.” C:
“(7) quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in terra (8) spiritus aqua et sanguis et hi tres
unum sunt in Christo Iesu et tres sunt qui testimonium dicunt in cælo pater verbum et spiritus et
hi tres unum sunt.” T: “(7) quia tres sunt qui testificantur in terra (8) spiritus et aqua et
sanguis et tres sunt qui testificantur in cælo pater et filius et spiritus sanctus et hi tres unum
sunt.” V: “(7) quia tres sunt qui testimonium dant spiritus et aqua et sanguis (8) et tres unum
sunt.” We have already reviewed some of the difficulties attending Thiele’s hypothesis that
Cyprian knew the comma. For these reasons, Thiele’s form K rests on contested foundations;
cf. Wachtel, 1995, 317.
65 Martin, 1886, V:148-152; Ayuso, 1947, 100-101. The results of Martin’s study are as follows:
===========================================
In 1886, J. P. Martin published the results of his examination
p. 48
of 258 Latin bibles written between the ninth and the fourteenth centuries and now housed in the Bibliotheque nationale de France. Martin noted a consistent pattern: the further back he went, the less frequently the comma was attested.65
p. 49
The results of a similar study into further manuscript holdings in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland by Teofilo Ayuso Marazuela were published in 1947/1948.66 As both scholars pointed out, such studies have certain limits, most obviously the fact that they can go back no further than the earliest extant manuscripts and fragments. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that the comma was found in the text of at least some Latin bibles in the fourth century, as we shall see.
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