Protokanoniset

Protokanoniset is a term used in textual criticism, particularly in the study of religious texts, to refer to early textual witnesses that are considered to be of great importance for establishing the original or earliest recoverable form of a text. These are not necessarily the oldest manuscripts in existence, but rather those that are deemed to be the most reliable and representative of the earliest textual traditions. The selection of what constitutes a protokanoniset witness often involves a careful evaluation of various factors, including the manuscript's age, its geographical origin, its textual peculiarities, and its relationship to other manuscript traditions.

The concept is particularly relevant in fields such as biblical studies, where scholars work to reconstruct the original Greek or Hebrew texts of the Bible from a multitude of ancient manuscripts. Different scholarly traditions may emphasize different sets of protokanoniset witnesses, leading to variations in textual reconstructions. For example, in New Testament studies, certain early uncial manuscripts and influential patristic quotations are often considered protokanoniset. The goal is to move past later scribal errors or intentional alterations and arrive at a text that is as close as possible to the author's original composition. Identifying and prioritizing these early witnesses is a fundamental step in the critical process of textual analysis.