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Machine readable texts of NT manuscripts



Glenn Wooden's response to TJ Finney's query about electronic versions
of uncial MSS is basically correct.  I would like to add just a few comments.
First, it is true that CCAT does do OCR scanning for outside parties, and
projects like Dr. Finney's are right up our alley.  The going estimate is
$1 per UNCORRECTED page.  Correction costs about the same.  This is of course
only an estimate and specific projects may vary.  We have not yet had a great
deal of luck with manuscripts, even carefully written ones.
HOwever, I do not think that this is the correct approach.  E-copies
of the Greek NT do exist, and some are available from us, others have
been posted to this list and do not require review.  It seems to me
that it would be much less work to take an existing electronic copy
and modify it to conform to this and that particular uncial.  For some
(all) of these, published collations may exist to make this work even
easier.  The resulting set of files could then be filtered through
the previously mentioned COLLATE program.
Another approach, and the one taken here at CATSS/CCAT is to put the
text critical data into a single file, tagged with marks that indicate
the nature and source of the variant.  We can supply the formats that
we use for this purpose, and we have some programs, and are working on
others for analysis and display of the data in ways appropriate to
text critical work.  Our work has centered primarily around the Old
Greek Jewish Scriptures (LXX) but there are others who have been entering
text critical data on the Greek NT.  It would certainly be worth finding
out whether any of these projects have already entered the necessary data
on Hebrews.  Even if it becomes necessary to do it yourself, you should
be in contact with us and with those projects in order to facilitate the
sharing of your data with others.
I am sure that Bob Kraft has more information about who, specifically, is
at work on this database.

Alan Humm (humm@ccat.sas.upenn.edu)
CATSS/CCAT
University of Pennsylvania