Welcome to my blog, the Second Century Scribes. My primary purpose is to explore how the Scripture was copied in the earliest days of its transmission (the second century). My novel, The Scribes (Amazon) was a first attempt to illustrate how Christian scribes went about their work. Three further novels were added in the series, and another is in production. My academic interest is in the textual criticism of the Greek New Testament, and to date I have produced about 100 items in journals and dictionaries. It is my hope that this blog will offer the opportunity for those interested in this and related subjects (Bible and early Christianity) to share thoughts and ideas.

I was Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Haven, Ct, from 1979-2003. Then I taught New Testament and Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary, Sacramento campus.(2003-2016). My interest in New Testament textual studies dates from my time of study and teaching in Oxford (Wycliffe Hall) and Cambridge (Divinity Faculty). I now live in Seattle

Blogger on Evangelical Textual Criticism @ blogspot

Member, American Society of Papyrologists

The Scribes Series

By Peter Rodgers

A series of Novels about the Early Church and the Scribes who copied the Scriptures:

                                 (A Novel Approach to New Testament Textual Criticism)

Book 1 The Scribes: This book traces the fortunes and misfortunes of a group of scribes in the late second century Christian Church. Justin and Marcus are scribes for the Church of Rome (179-180 AD). Juliana is a scribe of the Alexandrian church, and a member of the Catechetical school. The story begins when Juliana visits Rome, and she and Justin discover that they have different readings in their Gospel manuscripts. The story develops as Justin and Marcus travel to the churches of the Roman Empire, delivering letters for their bishop. Their final destination is Egypt, where the differences in readings and methods of copying intensify, as does Justin’s growing affection for Juliana. Discover all the dangers and challenges faced by scribes and their manuscripts. Will Justin find the true text? Will he win his true love? (Amazon, KDP, order 2012 edition)

Book 2: The Sign of the Dolphin. Set in the year 184 A.D., this book contains a collection of 72 letters that tell the story of a journey through Gaul and Britain. Along the way you will meet fascinating characters like Irenaeus of Lyons, Diognetus, Callistus, Hippolytus and Ulpius Marcellus. You will wrestle with the question of the two versions of the Acts of the Apostles. You will discover the glories of Art in Britain under Roman rule, and you will join Marcus the scribe as he seeks to manage an unruly team, deal with an independent young woman, and share the Good News with people on the Roman frontier. (Amazon, KDP)

Book 3: The Pelican and the Phoenix: Rufus, a scribe of the Roman church, was on a mission in western Britain in 184 A.D. He was captured by bandits who sold him into slavery. His enslavement took him to Ireland, to the west coast of Britain, and finally to Carthage. His new owner was determined to have him trained to be a gladiator. For Rufus this was a terrible fate. But the story changes when he discovers new friends, among them Paulina and Tertullian. Follow Rufus as he seeks a new freedom, discovers a new translation of the Gospel in Latin, and develops a new love. Watch as Tertullian moves his way toward Christian faith in the company of true friends, and as he comes face to face with the power of the Christian gospel. (Amazon, KDP)

Book 4: The Star of the East: Nathan was a Jewish Christian scribe in the church of Rome. In 189 AD he was asked by his bishop to travel to Ephesus (with his colleague Justin) to represent the Roman church in its growing controversy with the eastern churches over the date for the celebration of Easter. Nathan is also charged with the task of reviewing the new translation of the Old Testament in Greek being prepared by Theodotion of Ephesus with the assistance of his granddaughter, Miriam. Follow Nathan as he discovers new challenges to the church’s unity, new approaches to the text and language of scripture, growing tensions between the church and the synagogue, and a friendship that would forever change his life. (Amazon, KDP, 2025).

Endorsements for the Scribes Series:

“A nice way to make textual criticism come alive for otherwise bewildered students.” Prof. Rich Erickson, Fuller Theological Seminary.

“These novels help textual criticism come to life, revealing , in a highly accessible manner, the circumstances and decisions that shaped our New Testament and its variants,” The Rt. Rev. John Ashley Null, Bishop of North Africa.

“I believe these novels are very helpful in getting to know the different settings of the early Church. Congratulations on this excellent work of popular scholarship.” Prof. Jesús Peláez Cordoba, Spain.

“These novels bring the reader to the threshold of an imaginative 3-D world unavailable to us apart from the two-dimensional scholarly research that so richly funds the books. Imagine Oz in the Christian world of the late second century.”  The Rev. Kathryn Greene McCreight, PhD, author of Brazos Theological Commentary on Galatians.

 “These novels transport readers into the world of the early church. Through compelling characters and unexpected turns, Rodgers invites us to imagine the fellowship of ancient Christian communities—ever devoted to the study of Scripture and to the God revealed therein—and then challenges us to go and do likewise. A marvelous exercise of historical imagination.” Prof. Max Botner, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio.

“This is a great way to communicate textual criticism to non-specialists.”  Prof. Travis B. Williams, Tusculum University.  

Academic Publications:

Books:

Text and Story :Narrative Studies in New Testament Textual Criticism. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2011.

Exploring the Old Testament in the New. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2011.

1 Peter, A Collaborative Commentary. (Editor) Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2017.

Articles and reviews, especially relevant to the Scribes project

(A fuller list may be found on ATLA and Academia.edu).

Dictionaries:

“Textual Criticism,”  Dictionary for the Theological Interpretation of Scripture, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Grand Rapids:

“The New Testament,”   Textual History of the Bible, Vol 1 C, 21.5. Leiden: Brill, 2017, 747-751.

“Love,” and a number of other articles in the Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception.

Articles:

The New Eclecticism: An essay in appreciation of the work of Professor George D. Kilpatrick. Novum Testamentum 34 (1992) 388-397.

The Text of the New Testament and Its Witnesses Before 200 A.D: Observations on P90 (P. OXY. 3523)
Originally published in The New Testament in Early Christianity: Proceedings of the Lille colloquium, July 2000 (Histoire du texte biblique 6) (2003) 83-91.

Irenaeus and the Text of Matthew 3.16-17
Originally published in Text and Community: Essays in Memory of Bruce M. Metzger, Edited by J. Harold Ellens. Volume 1 , (2007) 51-54.

“The Origins of the Alexandrian Text of the New Testament, “ Filologia Neotestamentaria – Vols. XXXV – 2022, pp. 61-65.

“Streeter’s Four Gospels at 100 Filologia Neotestamentaria, XXXVII, 2024. 65-74.

“P4 and P75 Reconsidered,” Filologia Neotestamentaria, XXXVIII, 2025, 77-89.

Book Reviews:

N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God, Novum Testamentum 36 (1994) 296-297.

Harry Y. Gamble, Books and Readers in the Early Church, Novum testamentum,  39 (1997), 301-302.

(Elliott and Parker)The New Testament in Greek 4 1 The Gospel according to St. John The papyri: Novum testamentum,  39(1997) 90-92

Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids, Dictionary of the Later New Testament and its Developments
Novum Testamentum 42 (2000) 86-88.

Fragment of a Petition to Haterius Nepos
Originally published in Zeitschrift Fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Band 133 (2000) 199-201.

Kim Haines Eitzen, Guardians of Letters, Novum Testamentum 44(2002) 404-407

Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus, The Christian Century, 123 (July 2006), 38-39.

Roger S.Bagmall, Early Christian Books in Egypt,Novum Testamentum, 52 (2010)  298-300.

Michael J. Kruger and Charles E. Hill, The Early Text of the New Testament., Novum Testamentum 56 (1914) 218-220.

The Greek New Testament Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CBQ 81 (2019) 336-337.

Peter J. Gurry, A Critical Examination of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method in New Testament Textual Criticism, CBQ 81 (2019) 731-732.

Forthcoming: Review of United Bible Societies sixth edition of the Greek New Testament and the Textual Commentary by H A G Houghton. Filologia Neotestamentaria, 2026.

Posts:

July 11:2026:

Were Early Christian scribes careless or careful in copying? It is sometimes asserted that early Christian scribes were poorly trained and not careful in their copying of texts. For example Bart Ehrman wrote, “As a rule, early scribes were not as well trained as later ones, not as skilled, not as assiduous, not as interested in accuracy, or not working in a comparably controlled environment, or some combination of these factors.” The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, 2011, 343. By contrast, Alan Mugridge concluded on the basis of studying 548 Christian texts from the second to the fourth centuries that “by drawing on the services of trained copyists to have their texts reproduced, the Christians were guaranteed prompt and accurate work.” Copying Early Christian Texts, WUNT 362, Mohr Siebeck, 2016, 153.

Care in copying is also to be observed in a carefully copied text found in P4 (c.200) P75 (mid to late third century) and B (Mid fourth century). A strict copying tradition over 150 year and more. see my article “P75 and P4 Reconsidered.”. Filologia Neotestamentaria, XXXVIII, 2025, 77-89.