When compared to the scribal tendency of writing πνεῦμα ubiquitously as a nomen sacrum in the New Testament of Codex Sinaiticus and the minimalist scribal tendency in the New Testament of Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus (02) demonstrates a consistent scribal tendency that prefers the nomen sacrum form. The codex also preserves selective scribal deviations from this preference to the plene form of πνεύμα in thirty-eight instances, eighty-two percent of which refer to a profane spirit(s). The Gospels, Acts, and Catholic Epistles show the most consistency in 02; whereas, the Pauline corpus and Revelation show the most aberration. This paper extends the research of the scribal tendencies with the forms of πνεῦμα into the LXX of Codex Alexandrinus.
The research for the paper located and examined three hundred thirty-three occurrences of πνεῦμα in the LXX of 02 in the manuscript images provided by The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts. The presentation will introduce the LXX of Alexandrinus, contribute a comprehensive picture of the data for πνεῦμα forms, compare findings to similar work in Codex Sinaiticus and collaborative work on Codex Vaticanus, explore selections of interest related to nomina sacra theories and early Christian pneumatology, and consider 02’s contribution to retrieving the nomina sacra for the contemporary Christian Bible.