Textual Criticism

Textual criticism refers to a method of analyzing multiple versions of a text in order to study how it was copied, preserved, and altered across generations. By comparing manuscripts, translations, or quotations, this approach identifies variations in wording, omissions, and additions that arose through scribal and copyist activity. The goal is not simply to recover an original form, but to understand the history of transmission and the choices made by copyists and editors. Textual criticism provides insight into how texts functioned within the communities that preserved and used them.