Old and New in Textual Criticism: Similarities, Differences, and Prospects for Cooperation

Abstract The separation of the disciplines of textual criticism of the HB/OT and NT textual criticism has resulted in varying approaches to the task of textual analysis. Though the variety in and of itself is not detrimental, the lack of cross-pollination among textual critics is. Textual critics on opposite sides of the canonical aisle deal with different data, they see themselves in pursuit of different goals, they use different terminology, and they approach their tasks with different methodologies. Nevertheless, significant similarities also prevail, and the possibilities for fruitful cooperation between the practitioners of OT and NT textual criticism are many.