The Biblical Odes and the Text of the Christian Bible: A Reconsideration of the Impact of Liturgical Singing on the Transmission of the Gospel of Luke
Jennifer Wright Knust|Tommy Wasserman
Sung in Christian liturgies from the earliest period, biblical Odes—a set of songs excerpted and apocryphal books—were central to emerging practices texts, yet their significance as textual witnesses has rarely been studied. Overlooked by text critics editors, Odes have largely omitted contemporary critical editions books, including very recent twenty-eighth edition Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece. This analysis suggests, however, that liturgical setting had a double impact: whereas some readings possibly reflect adaptation, public performance could also limits on how much these texts change.
Journal of Biblical Literature