Constantin von Tischendorf

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Lobegott Friedrich Constantin (von) Tischendorf (Langenfeld, Saxony January 18, 1815 – December 7, 1874 in Leipzig) was a noted German Biblical scholar who recovered the Codex Sinaiticus, a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, in 1859. He spent his entire scholarly career at the University of Leipzig. Tischendorf matriculated at the University of Leipzig in 1834, studying theology and quickly found his métier: textual criticism of New Testament manuscripts. In 1840 his growing reputation gained him a chair in Theology at Leipzig.

The following year appeared in Leipzig the first edition of his Greek New Testament with a critical apparatus that included variant readings from earlier scholars: Elsevier, Knapp, Scholz, and as recent as Lachmann, in which his researches emboldened to depart from the received text as used in churches. The second edition retracted the more precarious readings of the first, and included a statement of critical principles that is a landmark in evolving critical studies of biblical texts.[1] (http://www.bible-researcher.com/bib-t.html)

He followed it in 1843 with the first printed edition of the Codex Ephraemi Syri Rescriptus a collection of the works of Ephraem of Syria.

In the winter of 1849 appeared the great work (though his discovery of the Codex sinaiticus was more dramatic, now titled Novum Testamentum Graece. Ad antiquos testes recensuit, Apparatum Criticum multis modis auctum et correctum apposuit Its Introduction sets forth a set of canons of criticism adding examples of their application that are applicable to students today:

Basic rule: "The text is only to be sought from ancient evidence, and especially from Greek manuscripts, but without neglecting the testimonies of versions and fathers."

1. "A reading altogether peculiar to one or another ancient document is suspicious; as also is any, even if supported by a class of documents, which seems to evince that it has originated in the revision of a learned man."
2. "Readings, however well supported by evidence, are to be rejected, when it is manifest (or very probable) that they have proceeded from the errors of copyists."
3. "In parallel passages, whether of the New or Old Testament, especially in the Synoptic Gospels, which ancient copyists continually brought into increased accordance, those testimonies are preferable, in which precise accordance of such parallel passages is not found; unless, indeed, there are important reasons to the contrary."
4. "In discrepant readings, that should be preferred which may have given occasion to the rest, or which appears to comprise the elements of the others."
5. "Those readings must be maintained which accord with New Testament Greek, or with the particular style of each individual writer."[2] (http://www.bible-researcher.com/bib-t.html)

These were partly the result of the tireless travels he had begun in 1839 in search of unread manuscripts of the New Testament, "to clear up in this way," he wrote "the history of the sacred text, and to recover if possible the genuine apostolic text which is the foundation of our faith." First from Paris and then in 1844, as far as Palestine. His greatest single discovery, the Codex sinaiticus a Greek manuscript of the New Testament dating to the 4th century, repaid the backing of the Tsar of Russia, who saw that it was issued in facsimile and awarded the patent of nobility that accounts for the "von" inserted in Tischendorf's name.

Tischendorf exemplified the buccaneer image of 19th century archaeology, in his pursuit of unknown manuscripts to compare with known manuscripts to create his magnum opus the Critical Edition of the New Testament." By those ignorant of the details of his discovery of Codex sinaiticus Tischendorf was accused of buying manuscripts from ignorant monastery librarians at low prices. Indeed he was never rich, but he staunchly defended the rights of the monks of St. Catherine's Monastery when he persuaded them eventually to send the manuscript to the Tsar.

Besides his fame as a scholar, he was a friend of both Robert Schumann, with whom he corresponded, and Felix Mendelssohn, who dedicated a song to him. His personal library, purchased after dis death, eventually came to the University of Glasgow [3] (http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/collection/tischendorf.html), where a commemorative exhibition of books from his library was held in 1974.

External links

• Klaus Zehnder-Tischendorf, "Constantine von Tischendorf" 2002 (http://www.burgmueller.com/tischendorf_e.html)
• Constantine von Tischendorf (http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2003/01/daily-01-18-2003.shtml)

Reference

• Black, Matthew, and Robert Davidson, Constantin von Tischendorf and the Greek New Testament Glasgow: University of Glasgow Press, 1981.de:Konstantin von Tischendorf

nl:Konstantin von Tischendorf