Introduction

This contribution to our Griesbach Colloquium does not give an exhaustive enumeration of all the Gospel synopses that have appeared within the period under review. This would have required years of time-consuming research and in the end one or another synopsis mentioned in scholarly discussion would still have had to be labelled as missing for the time being, until chance put a dusty copy from some cellar or attic that had been spared by war and fire into the hands of someone acquainted with the material. Furthermore, it is questionable whether a complete collection would impart more knowledge than is already provided by the material that could be obtained from European libraries over a period of a few months. It is true that to some degree chance rather than careful, expert judgement made the selection. But this does not justify excessive scepticism. For in the first place even in what was fortuitously present, the chaff had to be, and could be, separated from the wheat. Secondly, the more important and progressive works, especially if they went through several editions, did not disappear so easily. Thirdly, it is the custom of learned authors in detailed prefaces to distinguish their work from everything comparable to it, so that it is possible basically to comprehend the landscape by means of a good survey from many mountain peaks, without having to wander through every individual contributory valley.