Caesarean text-type

In textual criticism of the New Testament, Caesarean text-type is the term proposed by certain scholars to denote a consistent pattern of variant readings that is claimed to be apparent in certain Koine Greek manuscripts of the four Gospels, but which is not found in any of the other commonly recognized New Testament text-types (Byzantine, Western and Alexandrian). In particular a common text-type has been proposed to be found: in the ninth/tenth century Codex Koridethi; in Codex Basilensis A. N. IV. 2 (a Greek manuscript of the Gospels used, sparingly, by Erasmus in his 1516 printed Koine New Testament); and in those Gospel quotations found in the third century works of Origen, which were written after he had settled in Caesarea. The early translations of the Gospels in Armenian and Georgian also appear to witness to many of the proposed characteristic Caesarean readings, as do the small group of minuscule manuscripts classed as Family 1 and Family 13. However, some text-critics, such as Kurt and Barbara Aland have disputed the existence of a Caesarean text-type.

Description
A particularly distinctive common reading of the proposed text-type is in Matthew 27:16-17, where the bandit released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus is named as "Jesus Barabbas" rather than — with all other surviving witnesses — just "Barabbas". Origen notes particularly that the form "Jesus Barabbas" was common in manuscripts in Caesarea, whereas he had not found this reading in his previous residence in Alexandria. Otherwise the Caesarean readings have a mildly paraphrastic tendency that seems to place them between the more concise Alexandrian, and the more expansive Western text-types. None of the surviving Caesarean manuscripts is claimed to witness a pure type of text, as all appear to have been to some degree assimilated with readings from the Byzantine text-type.

Some writers have questioned the validity of this grouping, claiming that the classification is the result of poor research. Insofar as the Caesarean text-type does exist (in Matt, Luke and John is not well defined), then it does so only in the Gospels. The proposed Caesarean witnesses do not appear to have any common distinctive readings in the rest of the New Testament. Some of the Caesarean manuscripts have the so-called Jerusalem Colophon.

The Caesarean text-type was discovered and named by Burnett Hillman Streeter in 1924. According to some scholars such as Kurt and Barbara Aland, it is only a hypothetical text-type.

There are no pure Caesarean manuscripts. In many cases, it is difficult to decide the original reading of the group, for instance in Mark 1:16:
 * αμφιβαλλοντας τα δικτυα — ƒ$13$ 565.
 * αμφιβληστρα βαλλοντας — ƒ$1$
 * αμφιβληστρον βαλλοντας — 700.
 * βαλλοντας αμφιβληστρον — 28.

Classification
H. von Soden — Iota (Jerusalem) (I), in part (most strong "Caesarean" witnesses are found in Soden's I$α$ group, with family 1 being his I$η$ and family 13 being I$ι$).

Kirsopp Lake, an outstanding British textual critic, developed the hypothesis of the relationship between ƒ$1$, ƒ$13$, Θ, 565, 700, and 28. Streeter carried Lake's work another step forward by pointing to Caesarea as the original location of the family.

F. G. Kenyon — Gamma (γ)

M. J. Lagrange — C

Supposed witnesses
The earliest potential witnesses to something alike the Caesarean manuscripts are and some of the (now non-existent) manuscripts used by Origen (185 – c. 253). According to biblical scholar Teofilio Ayuso, Papyrus 45 and the quotations of Origen count as "proto-Caesarean", however the full Caesarean text only appears later in manuscripts such as Koridethi (Θ) and the early Armenian and Georgian manuscripts. Notwithstanding this association of and a "proto" or "pre-Caesarean" text-type, biblical scholar Larry Hurtado quashed any sort of affiliation between  and the Caesarean text-type. He argued only that and Codex Washingtonianus (W) had a close relationship in the Gospel of Mark, but not with any other witness considered to represent the Caesarean text-type. Therefore, Hurtado states "the 'pre-Caesarean' witnesses are not Caesarean at all," and accordingly and W "[do] not belong to any major text-type."

,, , , Uncial 0188, 174, 230, 406 (?), 788, 826, 828, 872 (only in Mark), 1071, 1275, 1424 (only in Mark), 1604, 2437, ℓ 32.
 * Other manuscripts

Textual features
(Apparent Caesarean witnesses in Bold)


 * και υποστρεψας ο εκατονταρχος εις τον οικον αυτου εν αυτη τη ωρα ευρεν τον παιδα υγιαινοντα (and when the centurion returned to his house in that hour, he found the slave well) - C (N) Θ (0250) ƒ$1$ (33. 1241.) g$13$ syr$1$
 * omit. - Majority of MSS


 * δια Ησαιου του προφητου (through Isaiah the prophet) – Θ ƒ$1$ ƒ$h$ 33.
 * δια του προφητου (through the prophet) — Majority of MSS


 * και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε (and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with) - Majority of MSS
 * omit. — B D L Z Θ 085 ƒ$1$ ƒ$13$ it syr$1$ sa


 * Ιησουν τον Βαραββαν (Jesus Barabbas) — Θ ƒ$13$ 700.* syr$s, c$ arm geo
 * τον Βαραββαν (Barabbas) — Majority of MSS


 * ενα μονον αρτον εχοντες (only having one loaf) —  Θ ƒ$1$ 565. 700 k sa
 * omit — Majority of MSS


 * των Ηρωδιανων (of the Herodians) —  W Θ ƒ$s, pal$ ƒ$1$ 28. 565. 1365. i k cop$1$ arm geo
 * Ηρωδου (of Herod) — majority of mss


 * εν ταις καρδιαις υμων, ολιγοπιστοι (in your hearts, Oh little-faithed ones) — Θ 28. 565. 700. pc syr$13$
 * omit. - Majority of MSS


 * προσευχη και νηστεια (prayer and fasting) —  A C D L W Θ Ψ ƒ$sa$ ƒ$h$ Majority of MSS
 * προσευχη (prayer) — B 0274 k


 * μη αποστερησης (do not defraud) — A B$1$ C D X Θ 565. 892. 1009. 1071. 1195. 1216. 1230. 1241 1253. 1344. 1365. 1646. 2174. Byz Lect
 * omit. — B* K W Δ Ψ ƒ$13$ ƒ$2$ 28 700 1010. 1079. 1242. 1546. 2148. ℓ 10 ℓ 950 ℓ 1642 ℓ 1761 syr$1$ arm geo


 * ανθρωπος τις εφυτευσεν αμπελωνα (a certain man planted a vineyard) — W Θ ƒ$13$ 565 aur c
 * αμπελωνα ανθρωπος εφυτευσεν (a man planted a vineyard) — Β C Δ Ψ 33. 1424.


 * θεασαμενοι αυτον ερχομενον ειπαν προς εαυτους (seeing him coming, he said towards them) — Θ 565. 700. c
 * θεασαμενοι αυτον ερχομενον ειπον (seeing him coming, he said) — N ƒ$s$ 28.
 * προς εαυτους ειπαν οτι (he said towards them, "Because...) — Β C L W' Ψ 33. 892.
 * ειπαν προς εαυτους (he said towards them) — D
 * ειπον προς εαυτους οτι (he said towards them, "Because...) — A Majority of MSS


 * λέγοντες ὅτι Ἐγώ ο Xρηστός (saying that, "I am the Messiah") — W Θ ƒ$13$ 28 61. 115. 255. 299. 565. 700. 1071. b c g$13$ l vg$13$ sa bo geo$2$ arm arab$mss$ Cyp
 * λέγοντες ὅτι Ἐγώ εἰμι (saying that, "I am he") — Majority of MSS