The eusebian canon tables: ordering textual knowledge in late antiquity (oxford early christian stud

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TheEusebianCanonTables:OrderingTextual KnowledgeinLateAntiquity(OxfordEarly ChristianStudies)MatthewR.Crawford

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OXFORDEARLYCHRISTIANSTUDIES

GeneralEditors

THEOXFORDEARLYCHRISTIANSTUDIESseriesincludesscholarlyvolumeson thethoughtandhistoryoftheearlyChristiancenturies.Coveringawiderangeof Greek,Latin,andOrientalsources,thebooksareofinteresttotheologians,ancient historians,andspecialistsintheclassicalandJewishworlds.

Titlesintheseriesinclude: LiturgyandByzantinizationinJerusalem DanielGaladza(2017)

TheRomanMartyrs Introduction,Translations,andCommentary MichaelLapidge(2017)

PhiloofAlexandriaandtheConstructionofJewishnessinEarlyChristianWritings JenniferOtto(2018)

StTheodoretheStudite’sDefenceoftheIcons TheologyandPhilosophyinNinth-CenturyByzantium TorsteinTheodorTollefsen(2018)

GregoryofNyssa’sDoctrinalWorks ALiteraryStudy

AndrewRadde-Gallwitz(2018)

TheDonatistChurchinanApocalypticAge JesseA.Hoover(2018)

TheMinorProphetsasChristianScriptureintheCommentariesof TheodoreofMopsuestiaandCyrilofAlexandria HaunaT.Ondrey(2018)

PreachingChristologyintheRomanNearEast AStudyofJacobofSerugh PhilipMichaelForness(2018)

Augustine’sEarlyThoughtontheRedemptiveFunctionofDivineJudgment BartvanEgmond(2018)

GodandChristinIrenaeus AnthonyBriggman(2018)

TheIdeaOfNicaeaInTheEarlyChurchCouncils, AD 431–451 MarkS.Smith(2018)

TheEusebian CanonTables

OrderingTextualKnowledgeinLateAntiquity

MATTHEWR.CRAWFORD

GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom

OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries

©MatthewR.Crawford2019

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Acknowledgements

EusebiuswasabletocreatehisCanonTablesonlybecauseoftheprior intellectuallabourofAmmoniusofAlexandria,andtheingenuityapparent inhiscreationowesagreatdealtothestimulatingenvironmentofthe Caesareanlibrary.Thepresentprojectissimilarlyindebtedtoanumberof scholarswhohaveofferedinsightfulsuggestionsandcriticismsalongtheway, andwassimilarlynurturedbytwointellectuallyfertileinstitutionalsettings. Ibeganwritingthisbookwhileemployedasapostdoctoralresearcherinthe DepartmentofTheologyandReligionatDurhamUniversityandcompletedit aftermakingatransitiontotheInstituteforReligionandCriticalInquiryat AustralianCatholicUniversity.Theinitialresearchwassupportedbyagrant fromtheUKArtsandHumanitiesResearchCouncilfortheproject ‘The FourfoldGospelanditsRivals’,whosechiefinvestigatorwasFrancisWatson ofDurham.ThebookowesmoretoFrancisthantoanyothersingleperson, sincehewastheonewhointroducedmetotheCanonTablesandconvinced methatitwasaworthyobjectofscholarlyscrutiny.Hisinfluenceonmy thinkingonthismatterextendswellbeyondthecitationstohisownscholarshipinthepagesthatfollow.

The firstpresentationIgaveontheCanonTableswastotheNewTestamentresearchseminaratDurhaminearly2013,andshortlythereafterthe ReverendCanonRosalindBrownkindlyinvitedmetogiveapubliclectureon thetopictoalunchtimecrowdatDurhamCathedral,inconnectionwiththe LindisfarneGospelsexhibitinsummer2013.Oneofthesurprisingoutcomes ofboththoseevents(surprisingtomeatleast)wasthedegreeofinterest showninthetopic,anexperiencethathasbeenreplicatedmanytimesoverin thesubsequentfourandahalfyears.Infact,Ineverwouldhaveimagined IwouldwriteabookontheEusebianCanonTables,butafterrepeatedly seeingtheenthusiasmthematerialgeneratedamongscholarlyaudiences I finallyrealizedthattodosowasimperative.Papersthateventuallybecame chapterswerepresentedattheannualmeetingsoftheNorthAmerican PatristicsSociety,theSocietyofBiblicalLiterature,theAustralasianAssociationforByzantineStudies,andtheAsia-PacificEarlyChristianStudies Society,andIamgratefulforthefeedbackIreceivedoneachofthose occasions.Anearlierversionofchaptertwowaspublishedasanarticlein NewTestamentStudies in2015,andanearlierversionofchaptersixwas publishedin2017inaneditedcollectionentitled ProducingChristianCulture: MedievalExegesisandItsInterpretativeGenres,editedbyGilesGasper,Francis Watson,andmyself.AlessandroBausigenerouslyinvitedmetogiveatalkon CanonTablesataconferenceonmultiple-textmanuscriptsorganizedbythe

CentrefortheStudyofManuscriptCulturesinNovember2016,which proddedmetodelveintotheworldofmanuscriptstudies,andheinvited metoreturninMay2018forastimulatingconferenceentirelydevotedto CanonTables.InOctober2017IwasabletoreturntoDurhamand,thanksto theinvitationofJaneHeath,presentsomeofthematerialinmoredeveloped formtotheNewTestamentresearchseminar,whereIwasonceagainremindedthattherearefewplacesthatareascollegialandintellectually engaging.Inadditiontothesepublicevents,chaptersorportionsofchapters invariousstageswerereadbyLewisAyres,JeremiahCoogan,BenEdsall,Jaś Elsner,BrianGronewoller,WillKynes,MargaretMitchell,JudithMcKenzie, DawnLaValleNorman,AdamPloyd,RobertThomson,andJonathanZecher, allofwhomofferedcommentsthathaveimprovedthe finalformofthebook.

Otherscholarsprovidedassistanceinavarietyofways.StephenCarlson helpedmeonmorethanoneoccasionwithconversationsabouttheSynoptic ProblemandtrackingdownandcitingGreekmanuscripts.MichaelPapazian answeredmultiplequeriesaboutArmeniangrammar.AndrewRiggsbyand NathanSidolisharedpre-publicationversionsoftheirworkwhichturnedout tobecrucialforcertainstagesoftheargument,andPeterWilliamsintroduced metothefascinatingCodexClimaciRescriptus,whichIdiscussinAppendix3. Forpressingmetoconsiderthegranderimplicationsofthetopicandfor introducingmetothescholarshipofMaryCarruthers(citedintwoofthe followingchapters),IamparticularlygratefultoT.J.Lang,whomIhadthe pleasureofhavingasacolleagueduringmy finalyearatDurham.Theisolated hallwayinthetopleveloftheDunCowCottagewherewehadouroffices witnessedmanyconversationsaboutparatexts,memory,andinterpretation, whichresultedinaco-authoredarticleandprovidedthecontextwithinwhich theshapeforthepresentbookemerged.Fourresearchassistantshavehelped inavarietyofwaysatdifferingstagesoftheproject:CliftWard,Carolyn Alsen,EdJeremiah,andJonSimons.IshouldalsothanktheResearchOfficeof ACUforprovidingthefundstocovercostsassociatedwithsecuringcopyright permissionsandprintingtheimagesincludedinthebook,aswellasfundsfor researchtripstoUCLAinApril2017andtotheBritishLibraryinOctober 2017duringwhichIwasabletoexamineseveralGreek,Latin,Syriac,and Armeniangospelbooksrelatedtothisproject.This financialsupportcameas partofa five-yeargrantprojecttitled ‘ModesofKnowingandtheOrderingof KnowledgeinEarlyChristianity’ (2017–21),a fittingthemesincethepresent volumedrawsattentiontooneofthemostinnovativeattemptsatordering knowledgeinlateantiquity.

Finally,Ishouldmentionthelibrariesandindividualswhohaveassistedme with findingtheimagesthatappearinthebookandarrangingthepermissions topublishthemhere,includingJudithMcKenzie(FacultyofOrientalStudies, Oxford),SimonElliott(CharlesE.YoungResearchLibrary,UCLA),Julia Rodwell(NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne),SandraPowlette(British

Library,London),AlexanderDevineandAnneMcLaughlin(TheParker Library,CorpusChristiCollege,Cambridge),CarlGraves(EgyptExploration Society,London),AlessandroMoro(ShylockE-Solutions,Venice,whoprovidedimagesofmaterialsintheBibliotecaNazionaleMarciana),Gevorg Ter-Vardanian(Matenadaran,Erevan),MichaelGervers,MikheilTsereteli (GeorgianNationalMuseum,Tbilisi),SimoneVerde(ComplessoMonumentaledellaPilotta,Parma),FlorentPalluault(MédiathèqueFrançois-Mitterrand, Poitiers),KerstinHerzog(Universitätsbibliothek,Augsburg),MaryHaegert (HoughtonLibrary,Harvard),SharonSutton(TheLibraryofTrinityCollege Dublin),BenedictaErny(Universitätsbibliothek,Basel),StefanoGrigolatoand MaddalenaPiotti(BibliotecaQueriniana,Brescia),andAnnaRitaFantoniand EugeniaAntonucci(BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana).

Thisbookisdedicatedtotwopeoplewhowillprobablyneverreadit,but withoutwhosefriendshipandkindnessitwouldneverhavebeencompleted: HamishandAndy.

1.Eusebius

2.TheOriginsofScholarshipontheFourfoldGospel:

4. ‘TheDiversityofAgreementamongtheFourEvangelists’ :

’sUsageoftheCanonTables125

’sAccesstoJerome’sVulgate

fications

’sDependenceupontheCanonTablesin DeConsensu

, MemoriaVerborum,andtheTruthoftheGospel

5.CanonTables2.0:ThePeshittaVersionoftheEusebianApparatus156 TheSyriacVersionofEusebius’ LettertoCarpianus

MarginalConcordanceTablesinSyriacManuscripts

ThePeshittaRevisionofEusebius’ SectioningandParallels

6.ScholarlyPractices:TheEusebianCanonTablesinthe Hiberno-LatinTradition195

7.SeeingtheSalvationofGod:ImagesasParatextinArmenian CommentariesontheEusebianCanonTables228

anditsPossibleConnectiontoAmmonius’ Diatessaron-Gospel

ListofIllustrations

1.Mk§64(inGreek ξΔ =Mk6:35ff.)inTheGospelBookof Theophanes(secondquarterofthetwelfthc.)4 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest, 1960(710-5),fol.94r.

2.CanonIinTheGospelBookofTheophanes5 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest, 1960(710-5),fol.3r.

3.Mt§147(inGreek ρμζ =Mt14:14ff.)inTheGospelBookof Theophanes6 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest,1960 (710-5),fol.40r.

4.Lk§93(inGreek ϘΓ =Lk9:12ff.)inTheGospelBookof Theophanes6 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest, 1960(710-5),fol.152v.

5.Jn§49(inGreek μθ =Jn6:5ff.)inTheGospelBookof Theophanes6 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest, 1960(710-5),fol.211r.

6.ThebeginningofthegospelofJohninCodexSinaiticus (midfourthc.)8 London,BritishLibrary,AddMS43725,fol.247r (©TheBritishLibraryBoard).

7.Lk§305–9(=Lk23:10ff.)intheStAugustineGospels(sixthc.)9 TheParkerLibrary,CorpusChristiCollege,Cambridge, MS286,fol.199v.

8.CanonIVinPeshittaGospels(sixthc.)10 Paris,BibliothèquenationaledeFrance,syr.33,fol.5v.

9.Lk§215–18(=Lk18:14ff.)inCodexArgenteus(sixthc.)11 Uppsala,UppsalaUniversityLibrary,MSDG1,fol.170r.

10.CanonsVIandVIIintheGladzorGospels(c.1300)12 GladzorGospels,LibrarySpecialCollections,Charles E.YoungResearchLibrary,UCLA,ArmenianMS1,p.16.

11.CanonIinTheBert’ayGospels(tenthc.)13 Cambridge,MA,HarvardUniversity,HoughtonLibrary, MSGeorgian1,fol.3v.

ListofIllustrations

12.CanonIIinAbbaGarimaI(sixth–seventhc.)15 Ethiopia,AbbaGarimaMonastery,AGI,fol.12r (©MichaelGervers,2004).

13.CanonVIII,IX,andXMt oftheLondonCanonTables (sixth–seventhc.)26 London,BritishLibrary,Add.5111/1,fol.11r (©TheBritishLibraryBoard).

14.FragmentofGreekCanonTablesfromapapyruscodexfound amidsttheruinsofamonasteryinThebes(sixth–seventhc.)36 NewYork,MetropolitanMuseumofArt,accessionno.X.455,P.Mon. Epiph.584.

15.CanonIXinCodexBrixianus(sixthc.)37 Brescia,BibliotecacivicaQueriniana,ManoscrittoPurpureo,fol.11v.

16.P.Oxy.4168,sideb.Fragmentsofacodexcontaining Ptolemy’ s HandyTables,datedtothefourthcentury47 CourtesyofTheEgyptExplorationSocietyand theUniversityofOxfordImagingPapyriProject.

17.P.Oxy.4169,sidea.Fragmentsofacodexcontaining Ptolemy’ s HandyTables,datedtothethirdcentury48 CourtesyofTheEgyptExplorationSocietyandtheUniversityof OxfordImagingPapyriProject.

18.PortraitofEusebiusabovethebeginningofhis Letterto Carpianus intheGladzorGospels(c.1300)58 GladzorGospels,LibrarySpecialCollections,CharlesE.Young ResearchLibrary,UCLA,ArmenianMS1,p.4.

19.PortraitsofAmmonius(right)andEusebius(left)inthe RabbulaGospels(sixthc.)88 Florence,BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana,MS.Plut.1.56,fol.2r.

20.ImageofEusebius(topleft),Carpianus(topright),and Ammonius(bottom)intheParmaGospelbook(latterhalfof eleventhc.)89 Parma,BibliotecaPalatina,MS.gr.5,fol.12v(bypermission oftheMinistryofCulturalHeritageandActivitiesandTourism).

21.Mk§156(Mk§ρνς =Mk14:1a)inCodexBasilensis A.N.III.12(ninthc.)115 Basel,Universitätsbibliothek,A.N.III.12,fol.143r.

22.Mt§211(Mt§CCXI=Mt21:12–13)intheLindisfarne Gospels(eighthc.)116 London,BritishLibrary,CottonMSNeroDIV,fol.68v (©TheBritishLibraryBoard).

23.Lk§94(Lk§ϘΔ =Lk9:18–20)inTheGospelBookofTheophanes (secondquarterofthetwelfthc.)118 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest,1960(710-5), fol.153r.

24.TheJohannineversionofPeter’scommissionin TheLindisfarneGospels(eighthc.)120 London,BritishLibrary,CottonMSNeroDIV,fol.258v (©TheBritishLibraryBoard).

25.Firsthalfofthe LettertoCarpianus intheRabbulaGospels (sixthc.)160 Florence,BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana,MS.Plut.1.56,fol.2v.

26.Mt§343–7(=Mt26:35ff.)intheRabbulaGospels(sixthc.)166 Florence,BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana,MS.Plut.1.56,fol.84r.

27.Mt§354–5inCodexSangallensis1395(firsthalfof fifthc.)169 StGall,Stiftsbibliothek1395,p.132.

28.Jn§55–8(Greeknumerals ΝΕ, ΝϚ, ΝΖ, ΝΗ)inCodex BasilensisA.N.III.12(ninthc.)170 Basel,Universitätsbibliothek,A.N.III.12,fol.269r.

29.Thepoem CanonEvangeliorum byAileránofClonardin theAugsburgGospels(eighthc.)201 Augsburg,Universitätsbibliothek,Cod.I.2.4°.2,fol.1v.

30.CanonIIinTheBookofKells(c.800)202 Dublin,TrinityCollegeLibrary,MS58,fol.2v. (©TheBoardofTrinityCollegeDublin).

31.AwordsquarefacingAilerán’spoemintheAugsburg Gospels(eighthc.)206 Augsburg,Universitätsbibliothek,Cod.I.2.4°.2,fol.2r.

32.ChristinMajestyinLivred’Evangilesdel’abbayeSainte-Croix (eighthc.)208 Poitiers,MédiathèqueFrançois-Mitterrand,MS17(65),fol.31r.

33.CanonsV,VI,VII,andVIIIinTheBookofDurrow(seventhc.)232 Dublin,TrinityCollegeLibrary,MS57,fol.9v (©TheBoardofTrinityCollegeDublin).

34.CanonsXLk andXJn inAbbaGarimaIII(fifth–seventhc.)234 Ethiopia,AbbaGarimaMonastery,AGII,fol.260v (©MichaelGervers,2004).

35.CanonVintheLindisfarneGospels(eighthc.)235 London,BritishLibrary,CottonMSNeroDIV,fol.15r (©TheBritishLibraryBoard).

36.CanonXJn inTheGospelBookofTheophanes(secondquarter ofthetwelfthc.)236 NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest,1960(710-5), fol.7v.

37.TholosimageinAbbaGarimaI(sixth–seventhc.)238 Ethiopia,AbbaGarimaMonastery,AGII,fol.258v (©MichaelGervers,2004).

38.FountainoflifeimageintheGospelsofStMédarddeSoissons (before827)238

Paris,BibliothèquenationaledeFrance,MSlat.8850,fol.6v.

39.Tholoswitha hypothesis inscription,servingasafrontispiece forthesequenceofCanonTablesthatfollowinaGreek gospelbook(ninthc.)239 Venice,BibliotecaNazionaleMarciana,MSgr.I8,fol.3r.

40.TholosimageintheAdishiGospels(897),fol.5v239 Mestia,SvanetiMuseum,GeorgianNationalMuseum.

41.CanonIIintheGospelsofStMédarddeSoissons(before827)245 Paris,BibliothèquenationaledeFrance,MSlat.8850,fol.9r.

42.PortraitsofMatthew(right)andJohn(left)alongsideCanon VIIintheRabbulaGospels(sixthc.)247 Florence,BibliotecaMediceaLaurenziana,MS.Plut.1.56,fol.9v.

43.First xoran intheEtchmiadzinGospels(989)261

Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.1r.

44.Fourth xoran intheEtchmiadzinGospels(989)262

Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.2v.

45.Seventh xoran intheEtchmiadzinGospels(989)263 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.4r.

46.ApairofdovesintheEtchmiadzinGospels(989)264 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.6v.

47.Partridgesperchedatopthefourth xoran intheEtchmiadzin Gospels(989)264 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.2v.

48.Cocksontopof xoran eightintheGladzorGospels(c.1300)265 GladzorGospels,LibrarySpecialCollections,CharlesE.Young ResearchLibrary,UCLA,ArmenianMS1,p.17.

49.Heronsperchedatoptheeighth xoran intheEtchmiadzin Gospels(989)265 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.4v.

50.Peacocksabovethe first xoran intheEtchmiadzinGospels(989)266 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.1r.

51.Pomegranatesgrowingabovethethird xoran intheEtchmiadzin Gospels(989)266 Erevan,Matenadaran,MS2374,fol.2r.

52.Datepalmgrowingalongside xoran tenintheGladzor Gospels(c.1300)267 GladzorGospels,LibrarySpecialCollections,CharlesE.Young ResearchLibrary,UCLA,ArmenianMS1,p.21.

Abbreviations

BOBiblicaetOrientalia

CCSLCorpusChristianorumSeriesLatina

CSCOCorpusScriptorumChristianorumOrientalium

CSELCorpusScriptorumEcclesiasticorumLatinorum

GCSDiegriechischenchristlichenSchriftsteller

LCLLoebClassicalLibrary

LSJLiddell,Scott,Jones, AGreek-EnglishLexicon (Oxford,1843;9thedn1940)

LXXSeptuagint

OECSOxfordEarlyChristianStudies

OECTOxfordEarlyChristianTexts

PGPatrologiaCursusCompletus:SeriesGraeca

PLPatrologiaCursusCompletus:SeriesLatina

PTSPatristischeTexteundStudien

SCSourcesChrétiennes

STStudietesti

STACStudienundTextezuAntikeundChristentum

TUTexteundUntersuchungenzurGeschichtederaltchristlichenLiteratur

VCSupSupplementstoVigiliaeChristianae

Introduction

WhenmodernreadersopenupnearlyanyeditionoftheBibleavailablefor purchasetoday,theyencountermuchmorethanthebaretextoftheancient documentsthatcomprisethecanonofChristianscripture.Anymodern readeroftheBiblewillinsteadbeconfrontedwithapenumbraofadditional materialintendedbyeditorsasaidsforthereadingorinterpretationofthe maintext.Insomecases,suchaswithstudyBibles,thissecondarymaterial perhapsoutweighstheprimarytext,withtheinclusionoftablesofcontents, prefaces,explanatorynotes,alternativetranslationsortextualtraditions,sectionheadings,cross-references,andmaps nottomentionchaptersand verses.MostBiblescontainlessthanthis,butalmostallhaveataminimum cross-referencestoguidethereadertootherpertinentpassages,orperhaps indexestoallowareaderto findwitheasepassagesthatspeaktoagiventopic. Socommonarethesereadingaidsthattheyhardlyseemremarkable,just anothermundanefeatureofmodernlifethatonecancountonalwaysbeing present,justasonecanassumethatthelocalcoffeeshopwillhaveWi-Fi availableforitscustomers.Yetitwasnotalwaysso.Justasthetechnologythat allowsalaptoptoconnecttothewiderworldthroughtheInternethasa distincthistoryofitsdevelopmentanduse,soalsothetechnologyofreading aids forthatiswhattheyare,atechnology didnotalwaysexistinthe ‘taken forgranted’ categorythatwenowperceivethemtobe.Rather,theytoohavea certainbackgroundoutofwhichtheyemerged,and,again,justlikethe Internet,thepersonalcomputer,ormoveabletype,theywereatechnological advancethatcreatedhithertounforeseenpossibilities.

Thisbookisaboutonespecificformofreadingtechnologythatarosein theearlyfourthcentury CE andhasinfluencedthereadingoftheChristian scriptureseversince.ThemostprolificChristianauthorofthisperiod,who experimentedwithanastonishinglydiverserangeofgenres,topics,and technologies,wasEusebiusPamphili,wholivedthroughthegreatpersecution underDiocletian,thenbecamebishopofCaesareaMaritima,waspresentat theCouncilofNicaeain325,anddeliveredanorationforthethirtieth anniversaryofConstantine’sreignin335.Famousastheauthorofthe earliestsurvivingecclesiasticalhistory,Eusebiusalsolefttoposterityaworld

chronicle,commentariesonbiblicalbooks,theologicaltractates,apologetic works,andageographicalhandbook,whilealsomanagingthemostsignificant Christianlibrarytheninexistenceandspearheadingthemostambitious productionofbiblicalmanuscriptsofhistime.¹Yetthemostsuccessfulof allhisliteraryendeavourswasthecross-referencingsystemhedevelopedfor thechurch’sfourfoldgospelcanon,commonlyknownasthe ‘CanonTables’ .

BythetimeEusebiusbecameabishop,therewaslittledoubtthatatthe centreoftheemergingChristiancanontheresatthefouraccountsofJesus’ life traditionallyattributedtoMatthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn,the firstandlast beingapostleswhilethesecondandthirdwereassumedtohavebeenfollowers oftheapostlesPeterandPaulrespectively.Despitethefactthateachofthese bookspresentsitselfasaself-containedandsufficientaccountofJesus’ story, Christiansfromthelatesecondcenturyonwardsmadetheratherecumenical decisiontopreserveallfour.Thischoicehadcomplicationsforusersofthese texts,for,asevenmodernreadersofthegospelscanattest,thefouraccounts aresosimilarandyetsodistinctthatitisoftendifficulttorecallwhichofthe gospelscontainsacertainstoryorteaching,orhowtheparallelstoriesin multiplegospelsdifferfromoneanother.DidJesuspronounceablessing uponthe ‘ poor ’ withoutqualificationorwasthesayingmorespecificallyfor the ‘poorinspirit’?DoestheparableofthegoodSamaritanoccurinonly onegospelorinmultiplegospels?Don’tallthegospelsreportthefeedingof the5,000?Orwasitthefeedingofthe4,000?Suchdifficultiesareonly compoundediftheeditionofthegospelsoneusesisdevoidofanychapters andversesandtheotheraidsmodernreadersenjoy.Navigationwithinand amongthesefournarrativesbecomesatime-consumingprocessofrelyingon often-faultymemoryaccompaniedbymuchscanningofpages.

ItwasthisproblemthatEusebius’ CanonTablessoughttoaddress.His solutionwasamarginalapparatusthatcomprisedthreeelements.First,atthe beginningofthefourgospelsheplacedhis LettertoCarpianus,asortofbrief instructionmanualinwhichheexplainedtothereaderwhyhecreatedthe systemandhowitoperated.²Second,withineachgospelitself,Eusebius dividedthetextintonumberedsections,beginningwith1andcontinuing ontotheendofeachgospel.³Thesesectionsweredemarcatedonthebasisof

¹ForanintroductiontoEusebius,seeAaronP.Johnson, Eusebius,UnderstandingClassics (London:I.B.Tauris,2014).Tworecentcollectionsofessaysillustratethelinesofresearch currentlyunderwayonthisimportant figure:SabrinaInowlockiandClaudioZamagni,eds, ReconsideringEusebius:CollectedPapersonLiterary,Historical,andTheologicalIssues,VCSup 107(Leiden:Brill,2011);AaronJohnsonandJeremySchott,eds, EusebiusofCaesarea:Tradition andInnovations,HellenicStudies60(Washington,DC:CenterforHellenicStudies,2013).

²Foratranslationoftheletter,seeAppendix1.

³ForthefollowingstudyIwillberelyingontheeditionoftheGreekCanonTablesfoundin theNestle-Aland28thedition.Inthisversion,Matthewhas355sections,Markhas233,Lukehas 342,andJohnhas232.Forthebiblicalcitationsthatfollow,Ihaveincludedboththemodern chapterandverseenumerationalongsidetheEusebiansectionnumber,usingthesymbol§to

whetherornottheyhadparallelsinothergospels,and,ifso,howmanyother gospels,withtheresultthatsomesectionsarelongerthanasinglechapterin today’sreckoning,whileothersaremerelyhalfaverse.Finally,Eusebius collatedthenumbersforeachofthegospelsintentables,called ‘Canons’ , whichheplacedatthebeginningofthefourfoldgospel,followinghis Letterto Carpianus. ⁴ EachoftheseCanonsrepresentsadifferentsetofpassagesthat couldbeclassifiedtogetheronthebasisofwhichgospelstheyappearedin.⁵ So, forexample,CanonIpresentedthenumbersforthosepassagesthatoccurred inallfourgospels,withthenumbersforeachsetofparallelpassagesgrouped together,placedalongsideoneanotherinagivenrowofthetable.He continuedoninthisfashionasfollowsfortheremainingtables:⁶

CanonIIMatthew–Mark–Luke

CanonIIIMatthew–Luke–John

CanonIVMatthew–Mark–John

CanonVMatthew–Luke

CanonVIMatthew–Mark

CanonVIIMatthew–John

CanonVIIILuke–Mark

CanonIXLuke–John

CanonXMt Matthewalone

CanonXMk Markalone

CanonXLk Lukealone

CanonXJn Johnalone

Therationaleofthesystemisthatbyreadinghorizontallyacrosstherows withinthe firstninetablesonecan findpassagesthataresimilarinanother

markthelatter.Ausefulconversiontablebetweenthetworeferencesystemscanbefoundat https://danielbwallace.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/eusebian-canons-conversion-table.pdf[accessed on21Dec2017].

⁴ Althoughstrictlyspeakingonlytheseprefatorytablesarethe ‘CanonTables’,inkeeping withpriorscholarlyconventionIwillonoccasionusethephrasetorefertotheentireparatextual system,comprisingthetentables,themarginalnotationthroughoutthegospels,andthe Letter toCarpianus

⁵ InkeepingwiththeconventionoftheNA²⁸,IwillalwaysgivethesectionnumberinArabic numeralsandCanonnumbersinRomannumerals.Eusebiusmadeasimilartypographic distinction,writingthesectionnumberinblackandtheCanonnumberbelowitinred(both ofcourseasGreeknumerals),aconventionthathedescribesinhis LettertoCarpianus pace ThomasO’Loughlin,whoassertedthatthecolourdistinctionandplacementofonenumeral abovetheotherinthemarginwereinnovationsintroducedbyJeromeinhisLatintranslation: ThomasO’Loughlin, ‘TheEusebianApparatusinSomeVulgateGospelBooks’ , Peritia 13 (1999):p.4;ThomasO’Loughlin, ‘HarmonizingtheTruth:EusebiusandtheProblemofthe FourGospels’ , Traditio 65(2010):p.14;ThomasO’Loughlin, ‘TheEusebianApparatusinthe LindisfarneGospels:Ailerán’ s KanonEuangeliorum asaLensforItsAppreciation’,in The LindisfarneGospels:NewPerspectives, ed.RichardGameson(Leiden:Brill,2017),p.99.

⁶ Thereaderwillobservethatthetenthand finalCanonactuallycomprisesfourseparate tables.Onthisaspectofthesystem,seethediscussioninchaptertwo.

gospelorgospels,or,byreadingthepassageslistedinthetenthCanon, find passagesuniquetoeachgospel.

Asimpleexamplewillillustratetheuseoftheapparatus.Supposeyouare readingalongintheGospelofMarkandcomeacrossMark’stellingofthe feedingofthe5,000(Mark6:35-44inmodernreckoning). ‘Doesn’tthisalso occurinoneoftheothergospels?’ youwonder.Eusebius’ systemisdesignedto answerthisquestionforyou.Inaneditionofthegospelsequippedwithhis apparatus,ifyoulookalongsidethepassage,inthemarginofthepage,youwill seetwonumbers.The firstnumber,inblack,isthenumberforthissection withinMark’sgospel,whichhappenstobe§64(inGreek ξΔ)(see fig.1).

Fig.1. Mk§64(inGreek ξΔ =Mk6:35ff.)inTheGospelBookofTheophanes(second quarterofthetwelfthc.).

NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest,1960(710-5),fol.94r

Beneathoralongsidetheblacknumberisanothernumberinredthattells youinwhichofthetablesyoushouldlookto findthispassage.Herethered digitis α (=1),soyouturntothe firstCanon,whichreportsparallelsamong Matthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn.Immediately,then,yourealizethatthisisa storythatoccursinallfourgospels.Now,withinCanonI,ifyouscandownthe columnthatlistsnumbersforMark,youshouldeventuallycometothe number64(see fig.2).Forthesakeofillustration,hereistherowthatincludes thisnumber,withtheprecedingandsubsequentrowsincludedforcomparison:

OnceyouhavelocatedMarksection64,youcanreadhorizontally,tothe leftandtotheright,to findthatthatthefeedingofthe5,000is§147in Matthew,§93inLuke,and§49inJohn.Then,ifyouweretoturntothose numberedpassagesintheothergospels,youwould findtheparallelaccounts

Fig.2. CanonIinTheGospelBookofTheophanes.Eachcolumncontainsnumbers forpassageswithinagivengospel,asindicatedbythetwo-letterabbreviationsat thetopofeachcolumn.ThesecondcolumnisforMarkandthe firstnumberlistedon therightsideofthepageis ξδ (=Mk§64).(Notethatthescribehasherewrittena lowercasedelta,whereasinthepageofMarkshownpreviouslyhehasusedan uppercasedelta.)

NationalGalleryofVictoria,Melbourne,FeltonBequest,1960(710–5),fol.3r

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