the-book-of-enoch-r-h-charles - Fallen Angels

Introduction xxv
the undivided a. For instances of the latter see 1^ (note 83), 8^
(note 34), 10^ (note 36), W^ (note 28), 10" (note 7), 10^2 (note
48), 15^ (note 24).^ Moreover, when the attestation of a is
divided, the individual or group of a attesting the right reading
will often have the support of /i or of groups within /3. The
above facts serve to prove that the recension was not tlie viorlc of
a few years, lut was rather a process which culminated in such a text
as we find in j3, hut particularly in the MS. v.
{b) /3 or groups in /3 sometimes preserve the original texts. Again
it is noteworthy that in a limited number of eases /3 preserves the
original text where a is secondary .^
(c) The character and affinities of the chief MS8.
g. Of the MSS. of a, g is decidedly the best all-round MS.
This does not mean that it has more unique and right readings
than any other MS. of the older type of text, but that when all
the good points of the various MSS. are summed up, g comes
out an easy first. In the first thirty-two chapters g alone attests
the right reading in 6* (note 37) ,i 17^ (note 27), 18^ (note 33),
215 (note 8), 28^ (note 11). In 89*^ (note 4) it has only the
support of n, the best of the second class MSS. This MS. has
been made the basis, so far as any single MS. can, of my text.
It exhibits much strange orthography and bad grammar, and
many corruptions. Notwithstanding it is by far the best repre-
sentative we have of the ancient text. It was this MS. together
with m that I used when emending Dillmann's text for my
translation and commentary which appeared in 1893.
^g. This MS., which has already been described, shows
certain idiosyncrasies in 103^^^', where it uses the first person
over against the third in the other MSS. Outside this chapter it
agrees in turn with g, m, q,
t, u or with combinations of these or
with one or more of these combined with /3, but it is most nearly
related to g.
m. This MS. is in some respects the weakest of the older
^ The references enclosed in brackets are to the critical notes in my edition of the
Ethiopic text, 1906.
' See further my Ethiopic Text, p. xxii.