Pioneers of the Critical Study of Holy Scripture

The commemoration of Saint Lucian, Presbyter of Antioch and Martyr, on October 15 offers an opportunity to recall a less widely recognized ministry of the Church: the care devoted to the faithful transmission of the biblical text. Hagiographical tradition associates him with the correction of the Greek Old Testament. Behind the image of the martyr, we thus also discern the figure of the scholar who dedicated his learning to the critical study of the Scriptures.

The word “correction,” however, requires clarification. Correcting a copying error, revising a translation, and assessing the authenticity of a passage are distinct undertakings. We should not interpret every textual difference as the result of deliberate falsification. Jerome identifies several causes of discrepancies in the Latin Gospels: errors in translation, carelessness on the part of copyists, and ill-judged interventions by correctors. Even the intention to improve a text could introduce new errors.

Origen’s work in the third century offers a landmark example of the systematic comparison of biblical texts. Eusebius of Caesarea describes his persistent search for Hebrew copies and Greek translations. In his…