Shirley Rollinson wrote:Handwritten texts generally use abbreviations, which make them quite difficult to read.
Well as long as it is not impossible or blatantly wrong I think I'll be happy even if there are some abbreviations. Do you have any specific in mind which are difficult in the texts I have uploaded?
David Lim wrote:RandallButh wrote:Just a thought: before writing stuff on the body, try reading the whole Greek Bible.
I second this, and would like to assume it includes the LXX. Important things there!
I might do that in my studies, but for this I will take any help I can since I will get the tattoo before I have learned everything I need to know to do this myself (which may sound stupid, but I trust this can be done by the help, support and LOVE of others)
Stephen Hughes wrote:I'm not very experienced in reading the handwriting, but it seems that there is a spelling mistake on the second last line of the picture of John 8:12. ΑΛΛΕΖΕΙΤΟ ΑΛΛΕΞΕΙΤΟ. The letter that is needed is third last letter of the first line of Revelations 22:5 that you have uploaded.
I personally wouldn't put the narrator's voice in, only the words of Christ - like what is put on stained-glass windows. If, however, you do put the whole verse, then the line above and after ΠΑΛΙ and above IC are both significant. Not all of what you have in the picture is the verse you want - but perhaps now you are thinking of using the manuscript as a stencil.
In the picture of 1 John 2:10, the section you want starts just right of centre on line 3. The supralinear stroke at the end of ΑΓΑΠΩ is significant. The words "ἐν αὐτῷ" appear to be missing from the text that you have shown.
The text of revelations 22:5 that you want starts in the middle of the first line. The second last letter of the first line is an omicron, not a high-point. The supra-linear stroke at the end of line 3 is significant. The thing that looks like a forward slash under the Κ at the end of the fourth row is significant too. The third letter of the fifth line is the same as the third letter of the fourth line (i.e. it is not a Γ). The lines over the ΚC and the ΘC in the sixth row are both significant. The second last letter of the seventh line is a beta, not a kappa. The last letter of the eighth line is a supralinear C (lunate sigma), not an omicron. What you have shown here cuts of the last part of the verse - ΝΑΙΩΝΩΝ.
Perhaps other will be able to find further points you should take care about.
This is fantastic stuff Stephen. Thank you so much. I will sit down with this a couple of days and try to understand what can be done using this post. I will then upload my results
It is also in my closest thoughts to adjust the texts with some editing and make a stencil that works on the surface which will be the tattoo artists workspace.
I like the idea of using only Christ's words but I don't mind the narrators voice as well. For me the three (three is important since it symbolises the trinity) texts represent the light in faith (John 8:12), hope (Rev 22:5) and love (1 John 2:10). For me that light comes from Christ, and the texts are trying to explain that, and even when the narrator explains that Jesus "is turning to them" (us?) to say, it's important, since I believe that he still turns to us in the same way today as he did to "them". But it's just a personal preference I guess, to keep those narrated parts as well.