05_Eubank_247_268 15/07/14 12:19 Pagina 252 252 NATHAN EUBANK Note that, like Matthew, Codex Bezae lessens the ambiguity of the centurion’s remark by putting “God” front and center. Yet, this change could be the result of synoptic harmonization and is, there- fore, not of itself convincing. More impressive is the attempt in Bezae and Freerianus to clarify the centurion’s feelings about Jesus by eliminating evx evnanti,aj auvtou/. The word evnanti,oj can signify hostility, and both Matthew and Luke omit it 10. Bezae removes any hint of animosity by describing the centurion simply standing “there” (evkei/) 11. Freerianus goes a step further, replacing evx evnanti,aj auvtou/ with auvtw/,| which could be translated “the centurion who stood with him”, suggesting that the centurion was actually standing in soli- darity with Jesus 12. The most conspicuous changes in these manuscripts concern what it was that prompted the centurion’s confession. All the man- uscripts cited above, with the exception of Vaticanus, clarify Mark’s ivdw.n … o[ti ou[twj evxe,pneusen by drawing attention to the fact that Jesus had cried out. Freerianus, for instance, says “When the centurion who stood with him saw that he breathed his last while crying out, he said … ”. This change, while subtle, makes a decisive difference. The centurion’s remark is no longer prompted simply by the manner of Jesus’ expiration, but by something more specific, namely, the fact that he died while (or “after”) crying out. The old Latin Bobbiensis goes so far as to leave no mention of Jesus’ death, saying that the centurion was moved to confess him to be the son of God when he saw that sic exclamavit. Similarly, Bezae, Alexan- drinus, the Vulgate ― as well as many other manuscripts and ver- sions ― all introduce corruptions that draw attention to the fact that 10 C. MYERS, Binding the Strong Man. A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus (Maryknoll, NY 1988) 393. E.g., instances in which evx evnanti,aj clearly describes opposition: 2 Sam 18,13; Obad 1,11; Dan 10,13 (Theod.) “The ruler of the kingdom of Persia opposed me (evx evnanti,aj mou)”; Titus 2,8; Herodotus, Hist. 7.225. Frequently evx evnanti,aj describes soldiers lining up against each other for battle, e.g., 2 Sam 10,10, “They were lined up for battle against the sons of Ammon (evx evnanti,aj ui`wn/ Ammwn)”; 1 Sam 17,2; 17,8; 1 Kgs 22,35; Ps 34,3. For instances without evk, see, e.g., Acts 26,9; 1 Thess 2,15. Pace K. IVERSON, “A Centurion’s ‘Confession’: A Performance- Critical Analysis of Mark 15:39”, JBL 130 (2011) 329-350. 11 See the same reading in Q 565 i n q. 12 See the same reading in f1 2542 sys.p. Cf. similar uses of the dative in 2 Cor 6,14; Jas 2,22.