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J.N. Birdsall informed us that also Gregory of Antioch (6 th CE) notes the fire on
the Jordan in his Homilia in S. Theophania (CPG 7385, PG 10, 1177-89). Compare:
JTS 60 (2009) 531-37
According to Winkler, one must see "light" and "fire" as two distinct features,
with a different meaning. Compare:
Gabriele Winkler "Die Licht-Erscheinung bei der Taufe Jesu und der Ursprung
des Epiphaniefestes. Eine Untersuchung griechischer, syrischer, armenischer
und lateinischer Quellen", Oriens Christianus 78 (1994) 177-229
English translation: "The appearance of the light at the Baptism of Jesus and the Origins
of the feast of Epiphany" in: "Between memory and hope: readings on the liturgical year",
John Francis Baldovin and Maxwell E. Johnson (ed.), p. 291-348
The Old Syriac reading is probably just translation freedom. So also P. Williams:
Sy-S reads "then he permitted him to be baptized" and Sy-C similarly with no
significant difference in meaning. The problem with NA27's citation is that
without the last word it could be ambiguous. Williams:
"I suspect it would be most naturally read as 'then he left him'. There is
enough in the context to indicate that this is not the proper meaning ...
Granted that a motivation for SC’s addition can so readily be proposed, it is
precarious to use SC to reconstruct an unattested Greek reading."
P. Williams "Early Syriac Translation Technique and the textual criticism of the Greek
Gospels", Gorgias Press, 2004, p. 275-76.
Rating: 2 (NA clearly original)