Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 17.1-2 (1980) 67-79
THE EDITED TEXT OF P.BODMER XXIV
The publication in 1967 of P.Bodm. XXIV (Rahlfs 2110), begun by
Michel Testuz and completed by Rodolphe Kasser' was nothing short of
sensational for scholars interested in the Greek Psalter. Not only is this
manuscript the most extensive papyrus of the Psalter discovered to date,
but its text, even apart from its immense value for the reconstruction of the
Old Greek, presents us with the Greek Psalter as it was used in Upper Egypt
and as it is extant in translation in the Sahidic version. Before 1967 all we
had of this text in Greek, leaving aside scattered fragments, was MSS U (7th
cent. A.D.) and 2013 (4th)2 which between them cover less than a third of the
Psalter. Since P.Bodm. XXIV (hereafter 2110) contains substantially Pss
17-118, it is not difficult to grasp the textual importance of this document.
We now have for most of the Psalter Greek evidence to use as a control over
and handle on the Sahidic and Greek evidence to compare with other
Greek evidence to study the internal development of the Psalter text of
Upper Egypt.
The date of 2110, determined on palaeographical grounds, was judged
to be by the editors possibly late 3rd century A.D. but more likely first
quarter of 4th century. That date was subsequently challenged by D.
Barthelemy3 who cites with approval a written communication from C. H.
Roberts, in whose opinion 2110 "can be dated to the middle of the second
century A.D." For the text critic the question here is whether 2110 is preOrigen (Roberts-Barthelemy) or post-Origen (Testuz-Kasser), since this
1 Papyrus Bodmer XXIV (Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, Cologny-Geneva 1967).
2 For brief description see A. Rahlfs, Psalmi cum Odis (Vetus Testamentum Graecum,
Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum, Bd X, Gottingen, Vandenhoeck &
Ruprecht, 19672). In what follows Rahlfs' text serves as the lemma.
3 "Le Psautier grec et le papyrus Bodmer XXIV," Revue de Thdologie et de
Philosophie, 3rd series, 19 (1969) 106-10.
