In the Oxford forum, From Papyrus to Cyberspace<\/i>, O\u2019Donnell provides a brief history of the birth of the codex. \u00a0Even though O\u2019Donnell\u2019s summary of the codex was a short segment of the much longer discussion, I found the piece fascinating and some further research uncovered some of the complexities of the topic of one technology replacing another.<\/p>\n
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The bound pages of the codex were the earliest form of the modern book and the technology gradually replaced the scroll. The success of the scroll is a historical mystery. \u00a0O\u2019Donnell explains that early Christians were early to adopt the technology and historians are not sure why. \u00a0Several theories have been discussed and refuted. \u00a0O\u2019Donnell dismisses the theory that the codex\u2019s ability to easily lookup passages could have been a factor because page numbers did not become a part of the technology until much later. Larry Hurtado discusses his book The Earliest Christian Artifacts: \u00a0Manuscripts and Christian Origins <\/i>on his blog and refutes several other claims that relate to the proposed advantages of the technology.<\/p>\n
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Hurtado explains that the materials and construction of the codex did not make the technology cheaper than the scroll, refuting the theory that Christians were looking to save resources. \u00a0The author also explains that portability was not an advantage either, both the scroll and the codex came in miniature versions that could have served similar functions. \u00a0The Christians use of a variety of texts as scriptures was also theorized as a trait that could have favoured the codex, however, Hurtado explains that again, the ability of a codex to string together multiple texts did not arrived until much later and could not have been a factor in its first success. \u00a0The author admits that despite little evidence, the best theory is that the new technology was favoured because it could distinguish its users from others. \u00a0Early Christians produced a variety of texts using both technologies but specifically focused on using the codex for their own scriptures; this suggests that the motivation for using the new technology was to create texts that were easily distinguishable from Jewish and Pagan texts which were found on scrolls.<\/p>\n
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O\u2019Donnell and Hurtado\u2019s description of the transition from scroll to codex raises many questions about the adoption of a new technology which did not appear to have a clear functional advantage over the old. \u00a0Although each historian explains that the reason why the Christians adopted the codex is unclear, I feel that the conclusions may be a little too dismissive regarding possible technological advantages. Even without page numbers, wouldn\u2019t locating passages be easier with a codex than a scroll? \u00a0Also, if the immediate functionality of the codex was not significantly advantageous, could early Christians have recognized the potential of the technology and find motivation in its long term potential? Despite refuting theories which focus on the functionality of the technology, alternative theories which focus on the social and political environment of the time are limited. \u00a0Hurtado suggests the possible desire of Christians to distinguish their texts from others but does not investigate this question further. In the early days of the codex, roughly 200 AD (O’Donnell, 1999), Christians were still actively persecuted, couldn\u2019t distinguishing the community of Christians by using the codex create some risk? \u00a0The mystery of the shift from scroll to codex highlights the complex relationships between technology, economics, society, and politics, narrowing down motivations behind technological change could prove difficult when studying present day examples, let alone historical examples with limited evidence.<\/p>\n
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References<\/p>\n
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\u201cByzantine Museum, Athens – Parchement scroll, 13th century – Photo by Giovanni Dall’Orto, Nov 12″ by G.dallorto – Own work. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons – http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:2049_-_Byzantine_Museum,_Athens_-_Parchement_scroll,_13th_century_-_Photo_by_Giovanni_Dall%27Orto,_Nov_12.jpg#\/media\/File:2049_-_Byzantine_Museum,_Athens_-_Parchement_scroll,_13th_century_-_Photo_by_Giovanni_Dall%27Orto,_Nov_12.jpg<\/p>\n
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Cambridge Forum. (1999). From Papyrus to Cyberspace<\/p>\n
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