The Gospels in Ancient Translations

Introduction

The Gospels were originally written in Greek, but Christianity soon spread into communities where other languages were spoken. As the Christian message reached new regions, the Gospels were translated into Latin, Syriac, Coptic, and other languages.

These ancient translations provide another important category of evidence for the preservation of the Gospel text. Although translations do not reproduce every feature of the original Greek, they often reveal which readings were known to the communities that used them.

Historical Background

Greek was widely used throughout the eastern Mediterranean during the first centuries of Christianity. In the western Roman world, Latin became increasingly important, while Syriac served Christian communities in parts of the Near East. Egyptian Christians also developed biblical translations in several Coptic dialects.

Early Latin Gospel translations circulated before the standardized Vulgate associated with Jerome in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Syriac Gospel traditions included both separate Gospel texts and the Diatessaron, a harmony that combined material from the four Gospels.

Coptic translations preserved Gospel texts for Egyptian Christian communities. Other versions appeared as Christianity spread into Armenia, Georgia, Ethiopia, and additional regions. The surviving manuscripts of these translations vary greatly in date and completeness. A translation may have originated considerably earlier than the oldest surviving copy of that translation.

The Manuscript Evidence

Codex Bezae preserves Greek and Latin Gospel texts on facing pages. Its bilingual format provides direct evidence of the relationship between the Greek text and an ancient Latin rendering. Codex Sangallensis presents the Greek Gospels with an interlinear Latin translation, demonstrating continued bilingual study in the ninth century.

Old Latin Gospel manuscripts preserve readings that sometimes differ from the later Vulgate tradition. Early Syriac witnesses, including the Sinaitic and Curetonian Gospel manuscripts, provide evidence for forms of the Gospel text known in Syriac-speaking communities.

Coptic Gospel manuscripts preserve additional evidence from Egyptian Christianity. Their readings can sometimes help identify the Greek forms of text that circulated in the regions where the translations were made.

Examining the Evidence

Ancient translations are valuable because they provide evidence beyond the surviving Greek manuscript tradition. When a translation can be dated or associated with an early textual form, it may help establish that a particular reading was known before the surviving Greek witnesses containing it were produced.

Translations must nevertheless be used carefully. Greek and other languages differ in grammar, vocabulary, and word order. A translator may express the same meaning through different wording, making it difficult to reconstruct the exact Greek phrase behind the translation. The relationship between surviving copies and the original translation must also be considered. Later scribes sometimes revised translated texts to bring them into closer agreement with other biblical manuscripts.

Despite these limitations, ancient versions provide important corroborating evidence. Their geographical and linguistic diversity demonstrates that the Gospels circulated widely and allows scholars to compare textual traditions preserved in different Christian communities.

Conclusion

Ancient translations substantially broaden the evidence for Gospel preservation. They demonstrate that the written accounts of Jesus were transmitted beyond Greek-speaking communities and preserved in multiple languages. When examined alongside Greek manuscripts and early Christian quotations, these versions provide additional witnesses to the history of the Gospel text. Their contribution strengthens the cumulative evidence that the Gospels have reached the modern world through an extensive and historically traceable tradition.

Related Ancient Manuscripts

Codex Bezae — D / 05

Date: Late fourth to fifth century AD

Greek and Latin on facing pages.

Codex Sangallensis — Delta / 037

Date: Ninth century AD

Interlinear Greek-Latin Gospel text.

Sources and Further Reading

1. e-codices Swiss Manuscript Library
   e-codices. Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland. Codex Sangallensis 48.
   Greek-Latin Codex Sangallensis.
2. Cambridge University Library Codex Bezae
   Cambridge University Library. Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, MS Nn.2.41.
   Greek-Latin Codex Bezae.
3. The Early Versions of the New Testament
   Metzger, Bruce M. The Early Versions of the New Testament: Their Origin, Transmission, and Limitations. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977.
   Ancient translations of the New Testament.