Copying the New Testament in Greek

I haven't posted in awhile, but I I thought I would try to get back to it. Last week I just started as the pastor of Rocky Hill Congregational Church, UCC in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and I've had a lot to do to get going.

A modern codex

This week I started a new project, as if I didn't need any more! It started when my wife and I were in Barnes and Noble and in the journal section I noticed they had handmade journals that were identical in appearance to the codices used for early papyrus copies of the various books of the New Testament. The price was right so I picked up a couple. I had started hand-copying the New Testament in Greek last year but I eventually lost interest because I had made some formatting decisions that didn't work out. This time I've simplified it. I am estimating I will be able to put all the New Testament into five of these volumes.

The early manuscripts of the New Testament did not include the entire thing because the book would be too large. Instead, sections of the New Testament circulated separately, such as the four Gospels, the letters of Paul, etc. The typical cover appears to have been leather with a flap and a tie to keep it closed.

The first page of Matthew

I am currently near the end of Matthew 5, the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount. The Greek script I am using is based on that in Papyrus 66, the Bodmer Papyrus, which contains the Gospel of John. It dates from around 200 AD and has a very clear, readable text. I am using a cartridge fountain pen with a fine point. I found that one cartridge will do about a dozen pages. That will be a lot of cartridges!

I find this to be a very restful, meditative activity in the evening or for a break during the day. As I copy the text (the UBS 4th edition text) I try to remind myself what the Greek means. My Greek isn't as good as it once was. I remember that since manuscripts were time-consuming to produce, many people would have only heard the text being read rather than reading it themselves, if indeed they could even read.

It's also interesting to remember that for all but the last five centuries the only books available were handwritten. This was the only way information was transmitted in book form. A person was using contemporary technology when they read a manuscript book. Whole industries centered around the production of materials for books, and for the actual writing of them. Imagine the impact the printed book had on the world.

The funny thing about manuscripts from this time is the way the words all merge together. There's no break between words. It seems to make it more difficult, but for someone who read Greek with ease it wouldn't present any difficulty. Try reading this:

THESEWORDSAREALLMERGEDTOGETHERBUTSTILLARENOTDIFFICULTTOREAD.

I will post more as I make progress.