[The Gospels in the Second Century by William Sanday]@TWC D-Link book
The Gospels in the Second Century

CHAPTER II
75/264

This is perhaps what we should expect: in longer quotations it would be better worth the writer's while to refer to his cumbrous manuscript.

These purely mechanical conditions are too much lost sight of.

We must remember that the ancient writer had not a small compact reference Bible at his side, but, when he wished to verify a reference, would have to take an unwieldy roll out of its case, and then would not find it divided into chapter and verse like our modern books but would have only the columns, and those perhaps not numbered, to guide him.

We must remember too that the memory was much more practised and relied upon in ancient times, especially among the Jews.
The composition of two or more passages is frequent, and the fusion remarkably complete.

Of all the cases in which two passages are compounded, always from different chapters and most commonly from different books, there is not, I believe, one in which there is any mark of division or an indication of any kind that a different source is being quoted from.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books