The Witness of Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus 



Summary. 



Codex Vaticanus (B) ends Mark's Gospel with v. 8 but the remainder 



of the column and the whole of the following (third) column, is 



left blank. 

 Codex Sinaiticus (S) also ends with v. 8. but does not leave a blank 



column. However the remainder of the line after yap is filled 



with an arabesque. 



Text Early Alexandrian of the time of Origen (*250 A.D.). 



Place .... Alexandria (?). 



Time Probably before 350 A.D. 



Inferences The scribes of B and of S knew of a conclusion for Mark 

 but did not consider it an authentic part of the Gospel. 



Discussion. 



It is most significant that the two oldest Greek MSS of the New 

 Testament known, the two great fourth century codices, Sinaiti- 

 cus and Vaticanus, our best representatives of the early Alexandrian 

 text, the "Neutral" text of WH, agree in ending the Gospel according 

 to Mark at 16 : 8. There is a difference however in the manner in 

 which they bear this witness. 



Codex Vaticanus (Gregory B, von Soden Bl) ends Mark at v. 8. 

 followed by the ornament and the subscription xa^a Mdcpxov. The 

 remainder of the column (the second) and the whole of the third is 

 left blank. This is contrary to the usual custom of the scribe. The 

 Gospel according to Matthew ends in the upper part of the second 

 column of the page in a similar fashion, yet the Gospel according 

 to Mark begins at the top of the third column. More significant 

 still, in the case of Luke, which ends on the last line but one of 

 the second column, the subscription together with the ornament is 

 crowded into the lower margin, below the usual bottom of the page, 

 instead of being carried over to the third column. 



Though no such blank is elsewhere found in this codex, it is sig- 

 nificant that "the same use of blank spaces is found in L at John 

 7:53—8:11, and also very instructively in A + Gg." (WH. II. 

 Notes, p. 29.) 



Dean Burgon pointed out to the critics that this unique blank 



