how could the young Simonides do all that intense textual work in a short period? - Benedict prep

[Steven Avery]

This question, and variants, are asked all the time.
And the answer is right in the history.

[...] he [Benedict] recalled me to Athos. I sailed from the Pireaus in the month of November, 1839, and landed again at Athos for the fifth time. After a few days I undertook the task of transcribing the Codex, the text of which as I remarked before, had many years previously been prepared for another purpose" (Simonides, The Guardian 21. Jan 1863; published in The Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Record, 1863, Bd. 3, 228-229; vgl. daz.u auch Stewart 1859, 4 und Elliott 1982, 177).

Die getäuschte Wissenschaft: Ein Genie betrügt Europa – Konstantinos Simonides
https://books.google.com/books?id=go7fDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA311

Also in the:

Christian Remembrancer (1863)
https://books.google.com/books?id=rPQDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA396

Today we know more about that prep work.

David W. Daniels is doing research on the learned Benedict.

And we have one of the sources available, the Zosimas Moscow Bible of 1821.

 

[Steven Avery]

Journal of Sacred Literature (April, 1863)
Miscellanies
https://books.google.com/books?id=gnstAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA227

“First, that my undo Benedict, being by profession a theologian, and versed in twelve languages, intending to publish both the Old and New Testaments, and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers with exegetic scholia of the ancient commentators, and specially to reply to what had been written against the Septuagint, began this work while Professor in the College of Cydon in the year 1784. Having removed to Mount Athos in 1810 for the sake of retirement, and embraced the monastic life in the monastery of Esphigmenos, he was named Benedict (for surely they who adopt the monastic life ought to change themselves and their names as well as their lives), having formerly had two names, Basilaeus and Bessarion. While at Athos he gave himself up particularly to the study of the sacred Scriptures. He collected the most ancient MSS. of both Testaments and of their commentators, and at considerable expense prepared his work for the press. The Greek revolution interfered ... " p. 227-228

But Benedict, as well as the principals of the monastery, wishing to recognize with gratitude the munificence of the Emperor Nicholas on the one hand, and desiring on the other to acquire a printing-press without expense, and being unable otherwise to effect these purposes, decided that a transcript of the sacred Scriptures should he made in the ancient style, and presented as a gift to the Emperor Nicholos, and he found that all the heads of the monastery perfectly agreed with him. Accordingly, having again revised the books ready for publication, and first Genesis,« he gave it to me to transcribe. p. 228

 

[Steven Avery]

All four quotes placed in CARM
https://forums.carm.org/threads/the...egarding-sinaiticus.11880/page-16#post-920849

====================

On Benedict preparing the ms. over many years, here are two additional quotes to go with the two before in 201 and 203. By putting this together we show that Simonides was clear about the Benedict prep work.

Journal of Sacred Literature (April, 1863)
Miscellanies
https://books.google.com/books?id=gnstAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA227

“First, that my undo Benedict, being by profession a theologian, and versed in twelve languages, intending to publish both the Old and New Testaments, and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers with exegetic scholia of the ancient commentators, and specially to reply to what had been written against the Septuagint, began this work while Professor in the College of Cydon in the year 1784. Having removed to Mount Athos in 1810 for the sake of retirement, and embraced the monastic life in the monastery of Esphigmenos, he was named Benedict (for surely they who adopt the monastic life ought to change themselves and their names as well as their lives), having formerly had two names, Basilaeus and Bessarion. While at Athos he gave himself up particularly to the study of the sacred Scriptures. He collected the most ancient MSS. of both Testaments and of their commentators, and at considerable expense prepared his work for the press. The Greek revolution interfered ... "
p. 227-228

But Benedict, as well as the principals of the monastery, wishing to recognize with gratitude the munificence of the Emperor Nicholas on the one hand, and desiring on the other to acquire a printing-press without expense, and being unable otherwise to effect these purposes, decided that a transcript of the sacred Scriptures should he made in the ancient style, and presented as a gift to the Emperor Nicholos, and he found that all the heads of the monastery perfectly agreed with him. Accordingly, having again revised the books ready for publication, and first Genesis, he gave it to me to transcribe.
p. 228

Where David Daniel's discusses this is online available.

Who Faked the "World’s Oldest Bible"? (2021)
By David W. Daniels
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ap83EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA62


======================================

Earlier quotes showing Benedict prep work - taken from #201 and 203

Christian Remembrancer (1863)
https://books.google.com/books?id=rPQDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA396

" [...] he [Benedict] recalled me to Athos. I sailed from the Pireaus in the month of November, 1839, and landed again at Athos for the fifth time. After a few days I undertook the task of transcribing the Codex, the text of which as I remarked before, had many years previously been prepared for another purpose"

The British Quarterly Review (1863)
https://books.google.com/books?id=TMNjkkJZw8UC&pg=PA355

"my uncle Benedict corrected the MS in many places; and as it was intended to be re-copied, he marked in many letters which he intended to have illuminated. The corrections in the handwriting of my uncle I can of course point out; as also those of Dionysius, the caligraphist."

==============================
Earlier URLS - 201 and 203

one interesting point is that Benedict, from whom we do not have records, prepared before Simonides was involved.

Here is a spot where Simonides says that Benedict worked directly on the manuscript, and also Dionysius (his name is on the manuscript.)