In thetextual criticism of the New Testament, theByzantine text-type (also calledTraditional Text,Ecclesiastical Text,Constantinopolitan Text,Antiocheian Text, orSyrian Text) is one of the maintext types. The New Testament text of theEastern Orthodox Church, and thePatriarchal Text, are based on this text-type. Similarly, theAramaic Peshitta which often conforms to the Byzantine text is used as the standard version in theSyriac tradition, including theSyriac Orthodox Church and theChaldean Church.^[1][2][3]

It is the form found in the largest number of survivingmanuscripts of theGreekNew Testament. Consequently, theMajority Text methodology, which prefers the readings that are most common or which are found in the great preponderance of manuscripts, generates a text that is Byzantine text (in turn leading to theByzantine priority rule-of-thumb.)Whilst varying in around 1,800 places from printed editions,^[4] the Byzantine text-type also underlies theTextus Receptus Greek text used for mostReformation-era (Protestant) translations of the New Testament intovernacular languages.^[5]

The Byzantine text is also found in a few modern Eastern Orthodox editions, as the Byzantine textual tradition has continued in the Eastern Orthodox Church into the present time. The text used by the Orthodox Church is supported by late minuscule manuscripts. It is commonly accepted as the standard Byzantine text.^[6] There are also some textual critics such asRobinson andHodges who stillfavor the Byzantine Text, and have produced Byzantine-majority critical editions of the Greek New Testament.^[7] This view was famously defended byJohn Burgon.^[8]

Modern translations (since 1900) mainly useeclectic editions that conform more often to theAlexandrian text-type, which has been viewed as the most accurate text-type by most scholars,^[9] although some modern translations that use the Byzantine text-type have been created.^[10]

The earliest clear notable patristic witnesses to the Byzantine text come from early eastern church fathers such asGregory of Nyssa (335 – c. 395),John Chrysostom (347 – 407),Basil the Great (330 – 379) andCyril of Jerusalem (313 – 386).^{[11][12][13]: 130} The fragmentary surviving works ofAsterius the Sophist († 341) have also been considered to conform to the Byzantine text.^[12]: 358 Although somewhat closer to theAlexandrian text, the quotations ofClement of Alexandria (150 –  215) sometimes contain readings which agree with the later Byzantine text-type.^[14]: 229 The incomplete surviving translation ofWulfila (d. 383) intoGothic is often thought to derive from the Byzantine text type or an intermediary between the Byzantine and Western text types.^[15] The second or third earliest translation to witness to a Greek base conforming generally to the Byzantine text in the Gospels is the SyriacPeshitta (though it has many Alexandrian and Western readings);^[2][3] usually dated to the beginning of the 5th century;^[13]: 98 although in respect of several much contested readings, such as Mark 1:2 and John 1:18, the Peshitta rather supports the Alexandrian witnesses. Despite being characterized by mixed readings, significant Byzantine components also exist in theSyro-Palestinian manuscripts, which likely originated from the 5th century.^[16]: 155

Dating from the fourth century, and hence possibly earlier than the Peshitta, is theEthiopic version of the Gospels; best represented by the surviving fifth and sixth century manuscripts of theGarima Gospels and classified by Rochus Zuurmond as "early Byzantine". Zuurmond notes that, especially in the Gospel of John, the form of the early Byzantine text found in the Ethiopic Gospels is quite different from the later Greek Majority Text, and agrees in a number of places withPapyrus 66.^{[16]: 231–252}In the very early 7th century,Thomas Herakel worked on a revision of thePhiloxenian version, thus producing theHarklean version in Syriac. This text very closely resembles the Byzantine text-type and due to its wide distribution, it is preserved in over 120 manuscripts. Many of the extantGeorgian andArmenian manuscripts also conform to the Byzantine text-type, although this is due to the manuscripts having gone through revisions to bring them closer to the Byzantine text.^[16][2] Additionally, the Byzantine text is the textual basis of theOld Church Slavonic manuscripts of the Bible, although they sometimes contain readings from other textual traditions.^[2]

Some debate exists on the manuscript basis of Jerome'sLatin Vulgate and if this text was influenced by the Byzantine text. Wordsworth concluded that Jerome mainly used a text-type similar toCodex Siniaticus andVaticanus, however his conclusions were rejected by H. J. Vogels who instead argued that the Greek manuscripts used by Jerome mostly agreed with the Byzantine text. Vogel's analysis of the Vulgate was criticized by both F. C. Burkitt and Lagrange, Burkitt instead argued that Jerome's Vulgate was influenced by multiple Greek manuscripts from different text-types, some of which were similar toCodex Alexandrinus while others similar toCodex Vaticanus.^{[2]: 355–356}

Individual readings in agreement with the later Byzantine text have been found in the very early papyri, such as𝔓⁴⁶. Some such as Harry Sturz have concluded from this that the Byzantine text-type must have had an early existence, however others have been cautious in making this conclusion. According to Zuntz, although some Byzantine readings may be ancient, the Byzantine tradition as a whole originates from a later period, not as a creation but as a process of choosing between early variants.^{[12]: 231-232} It has also been questioned if some of the readings found in the early papyri which agree with later Byzantine readings are genetically significant or accidental.^[16]

Papyri

𝔓⁷³

Uncials

Codex Mutinensis (H),Codex Cyprius (K),Codex Mosquensis I (K^ap),Campianus (M),Petropolitanus Purp. (N),Sinopensis (O),Guelferbytanus A (P),Guelferbytanus B (Q),Nitriensis (R),Nanianus (U),Monacensis (X),Tischendorfianus IV (Γ),Sangallensis (Δ) (except Mark),Tischendorfianus III (Λ),Petropolitanus (Π),Rossanensis (Σ),Beratinus (Φ),Dionysiou (Ω),Vaticanus 2066 (Uncial 046),Uncial 047,049,052,053,054,056,061,063,064,065,069 (?),093 (Acts),0103,0104,0105,0116,0120,0133,0134,0135,0136,0142,0151,0197,0211,0246,0248,0253,0255,0257,0265,0269 (mixed),0272,0273 (?).

Minuscules

More than 80% of minuscules represent the Byzantine text.^[17]: 128

2,3,6 (Gospels and Acts),8,9,11,12,14,15,18,21,23,24,25,27,28 (except Mark),29,30,32,34,35,36,37,39,40,42,44,45,46,47,49,50,52,53,54,55,57,58,60,61 (Gospels and Acts),63,65,66,68,69 (except Paul),70,73,74,75,76,77,78,80,82,83,84,89,90,92,93,95,97,98,99,100,103,104 (except Paul),105,107,108,109,110,111,112,116,119,120,121,122,123,125,126,127,128,129,132,133,134,135,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143,144,146,147,148,149,150,151,155,156,159,162,167,169,170,171,177,180 (except Acts),181 (only Rev.),182,183,185,186,187,189,190,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205 (Epistles),206 (except Cath.),207,208,209 (except Gospels and Rev.),210,212,214,215,217,218 (except Cath. and Paul),219,220,221,223,224,226,227,231,232,235,236,237,240,243,244,245,246,247,248,250,254 (except Cath.),256 (except Paul),259,260,261,262,263 (except Paul),264,266,267,268,269,270,272,275,276,277,278a,278b,280,281,282,283,284,285,286,287,288,289,290,291,292,293,297,300,301,302,303,304,305,306,308,309,313,314,316,319,320,324,325,327,328,329,330 (except Paul),331,334,335,337,342,343,344,347,350,351,352,353,354,355,356,357,358,359,360,361,362,364,365 (except Paul),366,367,368,369,371,373,374,375,376,378 (except Cath.),379,380,381,384,385,386,387,388,390,392,393,394,395,396,398 (except Cath.),399,401,402,404,405,407,408,409,410,411,412,413,414,415,417,418,419,422,425,426,429 (Paul and Rev.),431 (except Acts and Cath.),432,438,439,443,445,446,448,449,450,451 (except Paul),452,454,457,458,459 (except Paul),461,465,466,469,470,471,473,474,475,476,477,478,479,480,481,482,483,484,485,490,491,492,493,494,496,497,498,499,500,501,502,504,505,506,507,509,510,511,512,514,516,518,519,520,521,522 (except Acts and Cath.),523,524,525,526,527,528,529,530,531,532,533,534,535,538,540,541,546,547,548,549,550,551,553,554,556,558,559,560,564,568,570,571,573,574,575,577,578,580,583,584,585,586,587,588,592,593,594,596,597,600,601,602,603,604,605,607,610 (in Cath.),614 (in Cath.),616,618,620,622,624,625,626,627,628,632,633,634,637,638,639,640,642 (except Cath.),644,645,648,649,650,651,655,656,657,660,662,663,664,666,668,669,672,673,674,677,680,684,685,686,688,689,690,691,692,694,696,698,699,705,707,708,711,714,715,717,718,721,724,725,727,729,730,731,734,736,737,739,741,745,746,748,750,754,755,756,757,758,759,760,761,762,763,764,765,768,769,770,773,774,775,777,778,779,781,782,783,784,785,786,787,789,790,793,794,797,798,799,801,802,806,808,809,811,818,819,820,824,825,830,831,833,834,835,836,839,840,841,843,844,845,846,848,852,853,857,858,860,861,862,864,866,867,868,870,877,880,884,886,887,889,890,893,894,896,897,898,900,901,902,904,905,906,910,911,912,914,916,917 (Paul),918 (Paul),919,920,921,922,924,928,936,937,938,942,943, 944, 945 (Acts and Cath.), 950, 951, 952, 953, 955, 956, 957, 958, 959, 960, 961, 962, 963, 964, 965, 966, 967, 969, 970, 971, 973, 975, 977, 978, 980, 981, 987, 988, 991, 993,994, 995, 997, 998, 999, 1000, 1003, 1004, 1006 (Gospels), 1007, 1008, 1010 (?), 1011, 1013, 1014, 1015, 1016, 1017, 1018, 1019, 1020, 1023, 1024, 1025, 1026, 1028, 1030, 1031, 1032, 1033, 1036, 1044, 1045, 1046, 1050, 1052, 1053, 1054, 1055, 1056, 1057, 1059, 1060, 1061, 1062, 1063, 1065, 1067 (except Cath.), 1068, 1069, 1070, 1072,1073,1074, 1075,1076, 1077,1078,1080, 1081, 1083, 1085, 1087, 1088, 1089, 1094, 1099, 1100, 1101, 1103, 1104, 1105, 1107, 1110, 1112, 1119, 1121, 1123, 1129, 1148, 1149, 1150, 1161, 1168, 1169, 1171, 1172, 1173, 1174, 1176, 1177, 1185, 1186,1187, 1188, 1189, 1190, 1191, 1193, 1196, 1197, 1198, 1199, 1200, 1201, 1202, 1203, 1205, 1206, 1207, 1208, 1209, 1211, 1212, 1213, 1214, 1215, 1217, 1218, 1220, 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1231, 1241 (only Acts), 1251 (?), 1252, 1254, 1255, 1260, 1264, 1277, 1283, 1285, 1292 (except Cath.), 1296, 1297, 1298, 1299, 1300, 1301, 1303, 1305, 1309, 1310, 1312, 1313, 1314, 1315, 1316, 1317, 1318, 1319 (except Paul), 1320, 1323, 1324, 1328, 1330, 1331, 1334, 1339, 1340, 1341, 1343, 1345, 1347, 1350a, 1350b, 1351, 1352a, 1354, 1355,1356, 1357, 1358, 1359 (except Cath.), 1360, 1362, 1364, 1367, 1370, 1373, 1374, 1377, 1384, 1385, 1392, 1395, 1398 (except Paul), 1400, 1409 (Gospels and Paul), 1417, 1437, 1438, 1444, 1445, 1447, 1448 (except Cath.), 1449, 1452, 1470, 1476, 1482, 1483, 1492, 1503, 1504, 1506 (Gospels), 1508, 1513, 1514, 1516, 1517, 1520, 1521, 1523 (Paul), 1539, 1540, 1542b (only Luke), 1543, 1545, 1547, 1548, 1556, 1566, 1570, 1572, 1573 (except Paul?), 1577, 1583, 1594, 1597, 1604, 1605, 1607, 1613, 1614, 1617, 1618, 1619, 1622, 1628, 1636, 1637, 1649, 1656, 1662, 1668, 1672, 1673, 1683, 1693, 1701, 1704 (except Acts), 1714, 1717, 1720, 1723, 1725, 1726, 1727, 1728, 1730, 1731, 1732, 1733, 1734, 1736, 1737, 1738, 1740, 1741, 1742, 1743, 1745, 1746, 1747, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1752, 1754, 1755a, 1755b, 1756, 1757, 1759, 1761, 1762, 1763, 1767, 1768, 1770, 1771, 1772, 1800, 1821, 1826, 1828, 1829, 1835, 1841 (except Rev.), 1846 (only Acts), 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852 (only in Rev.), 1854 (except Rev.), 1855, 1856, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1869, 1870, 1872, 1874 (except Paul), 1876, 1877 (except Paul), 1878, 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1888, 1889, 1891 (except Acts), 1897, 1899, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936,1937, 1938, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2048, 2096, 2098, 2111, 2119, 2125, 2126, 2127 (except Paul), 2132, 2133, 2135, 2138 (only in Rev.), 2139, 2140, 2141, 2142, 2144, 2160, 2172, 2173, 2175, 2176, 2177, 2178, 2181, 2183, 2187, 2189, 2191, 2199, 2218, 2221, 2236, 2261, 2266, 2267, 2273, 2275,2277, 2281, 2289, 2295, 2300, 2303, 2306, 2307, 2309, 2310, 2311, 2352, 2355, 2356, 2373, 2376, 2378, 2381, 2382, 2386, 2389, 2390, 2406, 2407, 2409, 2414, 2415, 2418, 2420, 2422,2423, 2424, 2425, 2426, 2430, 2431,2437, 2441, 2442,2445, 2447, 2450, 2451, 2452, 2454, 2455, 2457, 2458, 2459, 2466, 2468, 2475, 2479, 2483, 2484, 2490,2491, 2496, 2497, 2499, 2500, 2501, 2502, 2503, 2507, 2532, 2534, 2536, 2539, 2540, 2545, 2547, 2549, 2550, 2552, 2554, 2555, 2558, 2559, 2562, 2563, 2567, 2571, 2572, 2573, 2578, 2579, 2581, 2584, 2587, 2593, 2600, 2619, 2624, 2626, 2627, 2629, 2631, 2633, 2634, 2635, 2636, 2637, 2639, 2645, 2646, 2649, 2650, 2651, 2653, 2656, 2657, 2658, 2660, 2661, 2665, 2666, 2671, 2673, 2675, 2679, 2690, 2691, 2696, 2698, 2699, 2700, 2704, 2711, 2712, 2716, 2721, 2722, 2723, 2724, 2725, 2727, 2729, 2746, 2760, 2761, 2765, 2767, 2773, 2774, 2775, 2779, 2780, 2781, 2782, 2783, 2784, 2785, 2787, 2790, 2791, 2794, 2815,2817, 2829.^{[18][19][17]: 129-140}

9th century

461, 1080, 1862, 2142, 2500

9th/10th

399

10th

14, 27, 29, 34, 36e, 63, 82, 92, 100, 135, 144, 151, 221, 237, 262, 278b, 344, 364, 371, 405, 411, 450, 454, 457, 478, 481, 564, 568, 584, 602, 605, 626, 627, 669, 920, 1055, 1076, 1077, 1078, 1203, 1220, 1223, 1225, 1347, 1351, 1357, 1392, 1417, 1452, 1661, 1720, 1756, 1829, 1851, 1880, 1905, 1920, 1927, 1954, 1997, 1998, 2125, 2373, 2414, 2545, 2722, 2790

10th/11th

994, 1073, 1701

11th

7p, 8, 12, 20, 23, 24, 25, 37, 39, 40, 50, 65, 68, 75, 77, 83, 89, 98, 108, 112, 123, 125, 126, 127, 133, 137, 142, 143, 148, 150, 177, 186, 194, 195, 197, 200, 207, 208, 210, 212, 215, 236, 250, 259, 272, 276, 277, 278a, 300, 301, 302, 314, 325, 331, 343, 350, 352, 354, 357, 360, 375, 376, 422, 458, 465, 466, 470, 474, 475, 476, 490, 491, 497, 504, 506, 507, 516, 526, 527, 528, 530, 532, 547, 548, 549, 560, 583, 585, 596, 607, 624, 625, 638, 639, 640, 651, 672, 699, 707, 708, 711, 717, 746, 754, 756, 773, 785, 809, 831, 870, 884, 887, 894, 901, 910, 919, 937, 942, 943, 944, 964, 965, 991, 1014, 1028, 1045, 1054, 1056, 1074, 1110, 1123, 1168, 1174, 1187, 1207, 1209, 1211, 1212, 1214, 1221, 1222, 1244, 1277, 1300, 1312, 1314, 1317, 1320, 1324, 1340, 1343, 1373, 1384, 1438, 1444, 1449, 1470, 1483, 1513, 1514, 1517, 1520, 1521, 1545, 1556, 1570, 1607, 1668, 1672, 1693, 1730, 1734, 1738, 1770, 1828, 1835, 1847, 1849, 1870, 1878, 1879, 1888, 1906, 1907, 1916, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1946, 1955, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2001, 2007, 2098, 2132, 2133, 2144, 2172, 2176, 2181, 2183, 2199, 2275, 2277, 2281, 2386, 2295, 2307, 2381, 2386, 2430, 2442, 2447, 2451, 2458, 2468, 2475, 2539, 2547, 2559, 2563, 2567, 2571, 2587, 2637, 2649, 2661, 2723, 2746, 2760, 2782, 2787
2306 (composite of parts from the 11th to the 14th centuries)

11th/12th

665, 657, 660, 1013, 1188, 1191, 1309, 1358, 1340, 1566, 2389, 2415, 2784

12th

2e, 2ap, 3, 9, 11, 15, 21, 32, 44, 46, 49, 57, 73, 76, 78, 80, 84, 95, 97, 105, 110, 111, 116, 119, 120, 122, 129, 132, 134, 138, 139, 140, 146, 156, 159, 162, 183, 187, 193, 196, 199, 202, 203, 217, 224, 226, 231, 240, 244, 245, 247, 261, 264, 267, 268, 269, 270, 275, 280, 281, 282, 297, 304, 306, 319, 320, 329, 334, 337, 347, 351, 353, 355, 356, 366, 374, 387, 392, 395, 396, 401, 407, 408, 419, 438, 439, 443, 452, 471, 485, 499, 502, 505, 509, 510, 514, 518, 520, 524, 529, 531, 535, 538, 550, 551, 556, 570, 571, 580, 587, 618, 620, 622, 637, 650, 662, 673, 674, 688, 692, 721, 736, 748, 750, 760, 765, 768, 770, 774, 777, 778, 779, 782, 787, 793, 799, 808, 843, 857, 860, 862, 877, 893, 896, 902, 911, 916, 922, 924, 936, 950, 967, 971, 973, 975, 980, 987, 993, 998, 1007, 1046, 1081, 1083, 1085, 1112, 1169, 1176, 1186, 1190, 1193, 1197, 1198, 1199, 1200, 1217, 1218, 1224, 1231, 1240, 1301, 1315, 1316, 1318, 1323, 1350a, 1355, 1360, 1364, 1375, 1385, 1437, 1539, 1583, 1673, 1683, 1714, 1737, 1752, 1754, 1755a, 1755b, 1800, 1821, 1826, 1872, 1889, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1926, 1951, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1986, 1988, 2013, 2096, 2126, 2135, 2139, 2173, 2177, 2189, 2191, 2289, 2282, 2426, 2437, 2445, 2459, 2490, 2491, 2507, 2536, 2549, 2550, 2552, 2562, 2639, 2650, 2657, 2671, 2700, 2712, 2725, 2727, 2781, 2785, 2791, 2794
632 and 1227 (composites of parts from the 12th to the 14th centuries)

12th/13th

905, 906, 1310, 1341, 1897, 2311

13th

52, 55, 60, 74, 107, 121, 128, 136, 141, 147, 167, 170, 192, 198, 204, 219, 220, 227, 248, 260, 284, 291, 292, 293, 303, 305, 309, 327, 328, 342, 359, 361, 362, 384, 388, 390, 410, 449, 469, 473, 477, 479, 482, 483, 484, 496, 500, 501, 511, 519, 533, 534, 546, 553, 554, 558, 573, 574, 592, 593, 597, 601, 663, 666, 677, 684, 685, 689, 691, 696, 705, 714, 715, 725, 729, 737, 757, 759, 775, 811, 820, 825, 830, 835, 840, 897, 898, 900, 912, 914, 966, 969, 970, 981, 995, 997, 999, 1000, 1004, 1008, 1011, 1015, 1016, 1031, 1050, 1052, 1053, 1057, 1069, 1070, 1072, 1087, 1089, 1094, 1103, 1107, 1129, 1148, 1149, 1150, 1161, 1177, 1201, 1205, 1206, 1208, 1213, 1215, 1226, 1238, 1255, 1285, 1339, 1352a, 1400, 1594, 1597, 1604, 1622, 1717, 1717, 1728, 1731, 1736, 1740, 1742, 1772, 1855, 1858, 1922, 1938, 1941, 1956, 1972, 1992, 2111, 2119, 2140, 2141, 2236, 2353, 2376, 2380, 2390, 2409, 2420, 2423, 2425, 2457, 2479, 2483, 2502, 2534, 2540, 2558, 2568, 2584, 2600, 2624, 2627, 2631, 2633, 2645, 2646, 2658, 2660, 2665, 2670, 2696, 2699, 2724, 2761

13th/14th

266, 656, 668, 1334, 2499, 2578

14th

18, 45, 53, 54, 66, 109, 155, 171, 182, 185, 190, 201, 214, 223, 232, 235, 243, 246, 290, 308, 316, 324, 358, 367, 369, 381, 386, 393, 394, 402, 404, 409, 412, 413, 414, 415, 417, 425, 426, 480, 492, 494, 498, 512, 521, 523, 540, 577, 578, 586, 588, 594, 600, 603, 604, 628, 633, 634, 644, 645, 648, 649, 680, 686, 690, 698, 718, 727, 730, 731, 734, 741, 758, 761, 762, 763, 764, 769, 781, 783, 784, 786, 789, 790, 794, 797, 798, 802, 806, 818, 819, 824, 833, 834, 836, 839, 845, 846, 848, 858, 864, 866a, 867, 889, 890, 904, 921, 928, 938, 951, 952, 953, 959, 960, 977, 978, 1020, 1023, 1032, 1033, 1036, 1061, 1062, 1075, 1099, 1100, 1119, 1121, 1185, 1189, 1196, 1234, 1235, 1236, 1248, 1249, 1252, 1254, 1283, 1328, 1330, 1331, 1345, 1350b, 1356, 1377, 1395, 1445, 1447, 1476, 1492, 1503, 1504, 1516, 1543, 1547, 1548, 1572, 1577, 1605, 1613, 1614, 1619, 1637, 1723, 1725, 1726, 1732, 1733, 1741, 1746, 1747, 1761, 1762, 1771, 1856, 1859, 1899, 1902, 1918, 1928, 1929, 1952, 1975, 2085, 2160, 2261, 2266, 2273, 2303, 2309, 2310, 2355, 2356, 2406, 2407, 2431, 2441, 2454, 2466, 2484, 2503, 2593, 2626, 2629, 2634, 2651, 2653, 2666, 2668, 2679, 2698, 2716, 2765, 2767, 2773, 2774, 2775, 2780, 2783

15th

30, 47, 58, 70, 149, 285, 286, 287, 288, 313, 368, 373, 379, 380, 385, 418, 432, 446, 448, 493, 525, 541, 575, 616, 664, 694, 739, 801, 841, 844, 853, 880, 955, 958, 961, 962, 1003, 1017, 1018, 1024, 1026, 1059, 1060, 1105, 1202, 1232, 1233, 1247, 1250, 1260, 1264, 1482, 1508, 1617, 1626, 1628, 1636, 1649, 1656, 1745, 1750, 1757, 1763, 1767, 1876, 1882, 1948, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1978, 2003, 2175, 2178, 2221, 2352, 2418, 2452, 2455, 2554, 2673, 2675, 2691, 2704, 2729

15th/16th

99, 1367

16th

90, 335, 445, 724, 745, 755, 867, 957, 1019, 1030, 1065, 1068, 1088, 1239, 1362, 1370, 1374, 1618, 1749, 1768, 1861, 1883, 1911, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1979, 2009, 2218, 2378, 2422, 2496, 2501, 2532, 2555, 2572, 2573, 2579, 2635, 2636, 2690, 2711, 2721, 2779

16th/17th

1371

17th and later

289, 868, 956, 963, 988, 1044, 1063, 1101, 1104, 1303, 1748, 1869, 2267, 2450, 2497, 2581, 2619, 2656.^[20]

Compared toAlexandrian text-type manuscripts, the distinct Byzantine readings tend to show a greater tendency toward smooth and well-formed Greek, they display fewer instances of textual variation between parallelSynoptic Gospel passages, and they are less likely to present contradictory or "difficult" issues ofexegesis.^[21]

The first printed edition of the Greek New Testament was completed byErasmus and published byJohann Froben of Basel on March 1, 1516 (Novum Instrumentum omne).^[13]: 143 Erasmus provided substantial scholarly annotations based on multiple Greek manuscripts and Patristic evidence, but produced a Greek text on around a half-dozen manuscripts, all of which dated from the twelfth century or later; and all but one were of the Byzantine text-type.^{[13]: 143–146} Six verses that were not witnessed in any of these sources, he initially back-translated from the LatinVulgate; he also introduced some readings from theCaesarean text-type, Vulgate andChurch Fathers.^{[13]: 143–146 [22]} This text came to be known as theTextus Receptus orreceived text after being thus termed byBonaventura Elzevir, an enterprising publisher from the Netherlands, in his 1633 edition of Erasmus' text.^[13]: 152 The New Testament of theKing James Version of the Bible was translated from editions of what was to become theTextus Receptus.^[13]: 152

The different Byzantine "Majority Text" of Hodges & Farstad as well asRobinson & Pierpont is called "Majority" because it is considered to be the Greek text established on the basis of the reading found in the vast majority of the Greek manuscripts.

Although the Textus Receptus may be considered a late Byzantine text, it still differs from the Majority Text of Robinson and Pierpont in 1,838 Greek readings, of which 1,005 represent "translatable" differences. Most of these variants are minor; however, the Byzantine text excludes theComma Johannium andActs 8:37, which are present in the Textus Receptus. Despite these differences, the RP Byzantine text agrees far more closely with the Textus Receptus than with the critical text, as the Majority Text disagrees with the critical text 6,577 times in contrast to the 1800 times it disagrees with the Textus Receptus. Additionally, many of the agreements between the Textus Receptus and the Byzantine text are considered very significant, such as the reading "God" in 1 Timothy 3:16 and the inclusion of theStory of the Adulteress.^{[23][24][13]: 145}

Textual critic and biblical scholarKarl Lachmann was the first scholar to produce an edition that broke with theTextus Receptus, ignoring previous printings and basing his text on ancient sources, therefore discounting the mass of late Byzantine manuscripts and the Textus Receptus.^[25]: 21 The critical Greek New Testament texts of today (represented byUBS/NA Greek New Testaments) are considered to be predominantly representative of theAlexandrian text-type in nature,^[26] but there are some critics such asRobinson andHodges who still favor the Byzantine Text, and have produced Byzantine-Majority critical editions of the Greek New Testament.^[7] Around 6,500 readings differ between the Majority text and the modern critical text (represented by UBS/NA Greek New Testaments), although the two still agree 98% of the time.^[27] A critical edition ofFamily 35 of the Byzantine text has also been created byWilbur N Pickering, who believes that Family 35 most accurately reflects the original text of the New Testament.^[28]

The Byzantine type is also found in modernGreek Orthodox editions. A new scholarly edition of the Byzantine Text of John's gospel, (funded by theUnited Bible Societies in response to a request from Eastern Orthodox Scholars), was begun inBirmingham, UK. and in 2007, as a result of these efforts,The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition was published.^[6]

Textual critic Herman von Soden divided manuscripts of the Byzantine text into five groups:

• K^x: no uncials, hundreds of minuscules, among them codex2,3,8, 14, 45, 47, 49, 51, 54, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 73, 75, 76, 78, etc.
• K^r: no uncials, no early minuscules, hundreds of minuscules: 18, 35, 55, 66, 83, 128, 141, 147, 155, 167, 170, 189, 201
• K¹ (subfamily of K^x):S VΩ461
• Kⁱ (Family E):EFGH
• I^>k (also K^a), now Family Π: (A)KYΠ; this subgroup is the oldest, but only 5% of manuscripts belong to it. The majority of them have text mixed with other Byzantine subfamilies.^[29]

Since the discovery of𝔓⁴⁵,𝔓⁴⁶, and𝔓⁶⁶, these have demonstrated early manuscript witnesses to a small selection of Byzantine text readings.^{[30]: 55–61 [31]: 38} Examples:

Luke 10:39

Ιησου:𝔓⁴⁵𝔓⁷⁵ A W Byz b

κυριου:א‎ B D L Ξ 579 892 cop^bo syr^c[32]: 229

Luke 10:42

ενος δε εστιν χρεια:𝔓⁴⁵𝔓⁷⁵ACW Byz

ολιγων δε χρεια εστιν η ενος:B

ολιγων δε εστιν η ενος:א‎

ολιγων δε εστιν χρεια:38sy^{p[33][32]: 229}

Luke 11:33

φέγγος:𝔓⁴⁵33 Byz^[32]: 233

φῶς:א‎ BFΘƒ¹ƒ¹³

John 10:29

ὃ ... μεῖζον: B it

ὃς ... μείζων:𝔓⁶⁶ ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ Byz^[32]: 334

John 11:32

πρός:א‎ B C*DLX

εἰς:𝔓⁶⁶ Θ Byz^[32]: 338

John 13:26

βάψας:א‎ B C L X 33

καὶ ἐμβάψας:𝔓^66c A Θ^[32]: 349

Acts 17:13

ταράσσοντες:

omitted:𝔓⁴⁵ E Byz^[32]: 441

1 Corinthians 9:7

τὸν καρπόν:א‎* A B D* G P

ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ:𝔓⁴⁶ Byz^[32]: 534

Ephesians 5:9

φωτός:א‎* A B D*G P

πνεύματος:𝔓⁴⁶ Byz^[32]: 598

Philippians 1:14

του θεου:א‎ A B (D*) PΨ 33 81 104 326 365 629 1175 1241 2464

omitted:𝔓⁴⁶ D² Byz^[32]: 604

Other examples of Byzantine readings were found in𝔓⁶⁶ in John 1:32; 3:24; 4:14, 51; 5:8; 6:10, 57; 7:3, 39; 8:41, 51, 55; 9:23; 10:38; 12:36; and 14:17.^{[31]: 38 fn. 2} Many of these readings have substantial support from other text-types and they are not distinctively Byzantine. Daniel Wallace found only two agreements distinctively between papyrus and Byzantine readings.^[4]: 303 These readings support the views of scholars such as Harry Sturz (1984) andMaurice Robinson (2005) that the roots of the Byzantine text may go back to a very early date,^{[30]: 62–65} which some authors have interpreted as a rehabilitation of the Textus Receptus.^[34] However in 1963 Bruce Metzger had argued that early support for Byzantine readings could not be taken to demonstrate that they were in the original text.^[31]: 38

The Byzantine majority text of Robinson and Pierpont is the basis of theWorld English Bible.^[35] An interlinear translation of the Hodges-Farstad text has been made by Thomas Nelson.^[36] TheHolman Christian Standard Bible was initially planned to become an English translation of the Byzantine majority text, although because Arthur Farstad died just few months into the project, it shifted to the Critical Text. However, the HCSB bible was still made to contain the Byzantine majority readings within its footnotes. Similarly, theNew King James Version contains the Byzantine majority readings within the footnotes, although it is a translation of theTextus Receptus.^[37] There also exists multiple translations of the Aramaic Peshitta into English, translations have been made by John W. Etheridge, James Murdock and George M. Lamsa.^[38][39][40] The Peshitta has also been translated intoSpanish^[41] and intoMalayam.^[42]

An English translation of Family 35 has also been created by Wilbur Pickering, called "The Sovereign Creator Has Spoken" translation.^[43]

• Family Π
• Family E
• Family K¹
• Family K^r
• Family K^x

Families associated with the Byzantine text

• Family 1424
• Family 1739

• Categories of New Testament manuscripts
• Alexandrian text-type
• Caesarean text-type
• Western text-type
• Textus Receptus

• Novum Testamentum Graece
• Textual Criticism
• Conflation of Readings

• The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018, edited byMaurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, VTR Publications.ISBN 978-3-95776-100-2.
• The Greek New Testament for Beginning Readers: Byzantine Textform, The Greek Text & Verb Parsing as Compiled by Maurice A. Robinson & William G. Pierpont, Lexical Information & Layout by John Jeffrey Dodson, VTR Publications, 2010.ISBN 978-3-941750-24-1.
• The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text, Second Edition, edited by Zane C. Hodges and Arthur L. Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985.ISBN 0-8407-4963-5.
• The King James Only Controversy 2009, James R White, Bethany House.ISBN 0-7642-0605-2.
• "Some Second Thoughts on the Majority Text", Daniel B. Wallace,Bibliotheca Sacra, vol. 146, 1989. 270–290.
• B. M. Metzger,A Textual Commentary of the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament, 1994, United Bible Societies, London & New York, pp. 7*-9*, 15*-16*.
• Klaus Wachtel,Der Byzantinische Text Der Katholischen Briefe (Universität Münster, 1994).
• "The Byzantine Priority Hypothesis" At theEncyclopedia of Textual Criticism
• The Gospel According to John in the Byzantine Tradition
• Paulo José Benício,O Texto Bizantino na Tradição Manuscrita do Novo Testamento Grego(in Portuguese)
• Ernst Boogert,The Origin of the Byzantine Text: New Perspectives in a Deadlocked Debate.

• Online version ofThe New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2005, Edited by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont
• Online version of the Orthodox Patriarchal text
• Online version ofThe Greek New Testament According to Family 35, Edited by Wilbur N. Pickering
• Online version ofThe Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text (Hodges-Farstad)
• Comparison of the Byzantine/Majority Text with other manuscript editions on the Manuscript Comparator
• Center for Study and Preservation of the Majority Text

• Bible versions and translations
• Christian terminology
• New Testament text-types
• Textual scholarship

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