Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Aspostles (XXV) (Acts 18:24–19:40).», Vol. 26 (2013) 127-163
In the text of Acts according to Codex Bezae, a fourth and final part of the book begins at 18.24. It is Paul’s ultimate goal of Rome that separates it from the earlier missionary phases and confers unity on the remainder of the book. In this opening section (Section I), his activity will be centred for three years in Ephesus, the main city of Asia, where he will meet with some success despite hostility from some of the Jews. In his dealings with the Gentiles, opposition will also be encountered because of the threat posed by his teachings to the trade of the city. The Bezan narrator indicates plainly that Paul’s travel to Ephesus should have been the initial stage of his journey to the imperial capital. Additional references in Codex Bezae to the directions given to Paul by the Holy Spirit make clear that his visit had been prepared for by the work of Apollos; however, it was contrary to his own intentions, which were rather to go back to Jerusalem. The struggle against the divine leading is seen as Paul terminates his stay in Asia once he has carefully prepared for his return to Jerusalem.
156 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
The genitive in B03 is difficult to account for. If it is taken as a parti-
tive genitive, τι must be supplied (thus Zerwick and Grosvenor, Analysis,
p. 418); the missing particle must then be the subject of the passive in-
finitive καθαιρεῖσθαι and produces what Ropes calls a ‘monstrous sen-
tence’ (Text, p. 186, n. 27), which the Koine manuscripts amend with the
accusative. There then remains the problem of the feminine accusative
relative pronoun ἥν which, as the object of σέβεται, seems to refer to τῆϛ
μεγαλειότητοϛ αὐτῆϛ but would more naturally refer to the deity herself.
The D05 reading is not without its difficulty either. Without the
genitive phrase, the sequence of letters reads: ηοληαcια. Corrector B has
corrected the impossible nominative pronoun to the accusative. Another
correction is also required, however, where the article ἡ before Ἀσία has
dropped out by homoioteleuton (necessary because of the article before
οἰκουμένη in D05).
19:28 ἀκούσαντεϛ δέ B אrell || ταῦτα δὲ ἀκ. D, haec autem cum audis-
sent d (lat) syp.
D05 underlines the effectiveness of the speech with the pronoun ταῦτα
referring to what Demetrius has said.
(θυμοῦ) ἔκραζον B P74 אrell || δραμόντεϛ εἰϛ τὸ ἄμφοδον ἔκραζον D
(currentes in campo clamaverunt d syhmg) | καὶ δρ. εἰϛ τ. ἄμφ. ἔκρ. 257.
383. 614. 1799. 2147. 2401c. 2412.
D05 has those who heard Demetrius rush out into the street where
they start to acclaim Artemis. B03 omits this movement and has them go
directly from listening to Demetrius to the theatre (19:29a).
ἡ (Ἄρτεμιϛ) B P74 אDD rell || om. D* 1874 pc.
The omission of the article before Ἄρτεμιϛ in D05 confers emphasis
on the goddess as she is invoked (see Heimerdinger and Levinsohn, ‘The
Use of the Article’, p. 30).
19:29 καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ πόλιϛ τῆϛ συγχύσεωϛ B P74 אDF A 33. 88. 1175.
1241 | κ. ἐπλ. ἡ πόλιϛ ὅλη τῆϛ συγχ. E H L P Ψ 049. 056 M, et repleta est
tota civitas confusionem (!) d vg || καὶ συνεχύθη ὅλη ἡ πόλιϛ αἰσχύνηϛ
D* | κ. συνεχύθη ὅλη ἡ πόλιϛ gig syp sa.
D05 presents a dramatic picture of the whole city incensed by the
ignominy caused to the people of Ephesus and their goddess – the noun
αἰσχύνη expresses the idea of shame and disgrace. So the sense of outrage
spread from the craftsmen to the rest of the population once they had run
into the streets to defend Artemis (see 19:28 above). The verb συγχέω/
συγχύννω is found in the passive again at 19:32 of the gathering that
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