Is the Bible ancient?
Yes
What other works are considered ancient?
the Greek tragedies
How many copies do they survive in?
hundreds
is the relationship of copies to the original always clear?
No
What type of scholars debate about the sources?
Textual scholars
How long have they debated about them?
for centuries
What are they debating about the readings?
which sources are most closely derived from the original
What presumably had one original souce?
biblical books that are letters
Did Greek plays also have one original?
Yes
Is there a question about how many originals the Gospels had?
Yes
What type of criticism is there interest in applying to the Qur'an?
textual
When did this interest develop?
after 1972
Whose manuscript had been discovered?
Sana'a
How far back might it date?
to the 7–8th centuries.
Is that earlier or later than when we put a man on the moon?
earlier
Does Textual criticism concern itself with any books?
yes
Who made alterations when they copied manuscripts?
Ancient scribes
How did they make copies?
by hand
What does the critic want to do to the original text?
reconstruct it
Can the same process be used for intermediate versions?
Yes