Loyola Institute: Catholic Theological Studies at Trinity College Dublin

In Matthew 27:17, we find one of the most interesting textual variants in the New Testament. When Pilate asks whether the crowd would like him to release Jesus or the heinous criminal Barabbas, some manuscripts read “Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Christ.”

The reading "Jesus Barabbas" was known to the Church Father Origen and seems to serve the purpose of disambiguating between two men named Jesus: "Jesus Barabbas" who was the "son of the teacher," and "Jesus" who was "called the Christ." External support is stronger in favor of the omission of “Jesus” before "Barabbas." However, the reading "Jesus Barabbas" is supported by significant witnesses, such as Family 1 and GA 038 (Codex Koridethi).

It is possible that some scribes were offended with the association of the name "Jesus" with a criminal, so they deleted the name and left only "Barabbas." This variant is important because it provides a captivating choice for the crowd in the story: choosing to receive Jesus the criminal or Jesus the Messiah.

See the variant here: https://buff.ly/HSbUSzU

📢 Join our team!

The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for a 12-month, full-time position starting in October 2026.

We’re looking for someone with strong quantitative and qualitative social science research skills, excellent communication abilities, and enthusiasm for engaging with questions at the intersection of science, religion, and society.

✨ Wellcome Trust-funded project
✨ Start date: 1 October 2026 (negotiable)
✨ Applications open until 15 July 2026

Please share this opportunity:
https://www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/news/vacancy-postdoctoral-researcher/

Bring heritage alive in schools. This programme will partially fund visits to post‑primary schools by specialists working in one or more areas of Ireland’s natural, built, or cultural heritage. It will serve all year groups at post‑primary level, highlighting heritage connections across the Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle curri...

THIS WEDENSDAY AT 4pm.

Register here https://www.tcd.ie/loyola-institute/news/news-2026/unpacking-magnifica-humanitas---webinar-june-2026/

Massimo Faggioli Trinity College Dublin Irish Jesuits

Great to see an Irish Dominican receive this recognition. Our students enjoy reading his work on Puer Iesus.

Dominican Order Names Irish Theologian a Master of Sacred Theology | Ordo Praedicatorum | OFFICIAL The Province of Ireland rejoices as fr. Vivian Boland, OP, receives the title of Master of Sacred Theology, a Dominican honor awarded for his contribution to the Order’s intellectual mission.…Continue reading →

GA 0206 is a fragmentary parchment leaf containing text from 1 Peter 5, held in the Museum of the Bible collection. In 2023, the CSNTM team captured images of this small and fragile manuscript during an expedition. Those images, along with others from the trip, have since been added to the digital collection.

Explore the high resolution images here: https://buff.ly/8JH3M15

New Cambridge Element, Prayer by Stephen R. Holmes, out now! Read for free for the next 2 weeks at
https://cup.org/3RU67K1