The sixth edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament has been published, with two Birmingham academics on the editorial board.
Professor Hugh Houghton and Professor David Parker with the new Greek New Testament
The United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament is one of the standard hand editions of the New Testament, used by translators, students and pastors across the globe. First published in 1966, this important work of reference is regularly updated in order to bring the latest scholarship to this worldwide audience.
The sixth edition has just appeared, published by the German Bible Society. It features a completely new introduction and a revised selection of variation units in all books, with a focus on readings which are important for translation or exegesis. In three books, there is a new biblical text and apparatus. These are the Gospel according to Mark, the Acts of the Apostles and Revelation: the new edition draws its text from the recently published volumes of these books in the Novum Testamentum Graecum Editio Critica Maior, a major collaboration in which Birmingham is a participant as part of the International Greek New Testament project.
Among the seven editors of this hand edition are Birmingham's Professor David Parker and Professor Hugh Houghton. This is the first time in its sixty-year history that English academics have been members of the editorial board. The same board is also responsible for the twenty-ninth edition of the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece which is expected to appear later this year.
In addition to his work as an editor, Professor Houghton has also written A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. This is a companion to the edition, which explains the critical apparatus in greater detail and includes English renderings of all of the Greek variants.
It is a great pleasure to see this edition appear, which has been in preparation for over a decade. We hope that it will bring the latest scholarship to a wide audience, and help translators and students in their work.
Ongoing research projects at Birmingham are working on further volumes in the Editio Critica Maior, which are expected to contribute to the next United Bible Societies' edition.
The new edition
Professor of New Testament Textual Scholarship
University webpage of Professor Hugh Houghton, Professor of New Testament Textual Scholarship at the University of Birmingham.
Emeritus Professor of Digital Philology
Biographical and contact information for David Parker.
