The Irony of Codex Ephraemi
Isn’t it ironic...(don’t ya think?)
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. That was a joke for the Gen X readers.
Now let’s get down to business. A codex is the ancient predecessor of the modern book. It consists of pages of vellum (stretched and dried calf skin) folded together. Vellum and parchment (any other animal skin other than calf), became popular writing material when papyrus was difficult to obtain. It also provided a better contrast for readability as it was lighter than papyrus. The Codex Ephraemi was likely written between 400-500 CE. This book contains most of our New Testament and some of the Old (Wegner 2006, 184). Its origin is unknown.
But in the twelfth century, someone attempted to “wash” the blue ink out of the book so it could be rewritten. It didn’t work very well, as you can see from the photo above.
At that point, the manuscript was approximately 600 years old.
The same people then, most likely, wrote over the original blue text with a larger black text.
What did they write in the scripture’s place? Some sermons by Ephraem, a Syrian church father.
Really?
I understand it was a different time and place than it is today in the United States. The Middle Ages was a terrifying time to live. Plagues struck without notice. Kings and Princes held unchecked power over their subjects. Leisure time, sports, and hobbies were unknown to the common person, and many struggled to simply avoid starvation. Life was hard, scary and sad.
So maybe they needed the writing space. Codices were expensive and writing was a service provided by a professional. It took a great deal of time to first prepare and then handwrite any manuscript. Maybe there weren’t any new books or pieces of vellum or papyrus available. Maybe they thought they had plenty of copies of the Bible and losing one wouldn’t be a big deal. Maybe there simply wasn’t the same appreciation for historical artifacts as there is today. I’m trying to be generous here.
The guy who scrubbed the pages must have known the writings in the codex were scripture. The writings known as the Bible had been determined by the late 300s. First in Athanasius’ Easter letter and again at the Council of Carthage in 397 CE. They also undoubtedly knew it was very, very old.
But when it comes down to it, this is what happened in modern terms:
Holy Scripture was erased to free up space for some sermons by a celebrity pastor.
That’s a little hyperbolic, but not by much.
So isn’t it ironic.
Why? Because I believe there is something bigger going on here. I don’t know exactly what drove the people who tried to wash away 600-year-old scripture, but I’m guessing it was similar to the Western church today. And what I do know about the Western church without a doubt is this: We favor the new, the grandiose, the sexy. We like big numbers at our services and small groups, bigger buildings and big money. We want big names speaking at big conferences. Often, we’d rather hear from a compelling preacher who looks good and feels good than do the hard work of wrestling with first the comprehension, then the theological, and finally the personal implications of the Bible in our lives. It’s easier to listen to a podcast or read something written by a Christian influencer.
I understand that, I really do. My kids say they don’t want to read the Bible because it’s boring. I often feel the same way. Sometimes reading the Bible is like eating Kale. It tastes bland and has a rough texture- but you know it’s good for you. We need to hold these truths in tension, and the key to doing that is self-awareness.
I don’t doubt Ephraem was a strong Christian man and a good teacher with profound insight. I’m sure he was, and his sermons were probably worth writing over another manuscript, perhaps many manuscripts- but not the Bible. Something has gone wrong when we are willing to erase the word of God in exchange for a popular pastor. There’s a long-term perspective missing there, an equating of two unequal things. A missing of what’s more valuable and more significant. The Bible is more than just the speeches of a person. It is God speaking directly to us.
It takes discernment to recognize what is temporary and of limited value, and what is eternal and priceless.
Discipline puts it into practice.
-TF
Wegner, Paul D. 2006. A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible, It’s History, Methods and Results. Downers Grove, IL. Intervarsity Press
Images from: Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, Département des manuscrits,
