Acknowledgements
Numerous colleagues and friends have made an academic contribution to this work. First and foremost, we thank Professors Christian-Bernard Amphoux and J. Keith Elliott, whose unfailing research about Greek manuscripts, the history of the text of the New Testament and textual criticism showed us how and where to work. Much gratitude is due to the Board of Management of the Institut de recherche et d’ histoire des textes (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris), especially Nicole Bériou, François Bougard and Alexandra Vrecq. A great deal of gratitude is also due to our colleagues in the Greek Department: Pierre Augustin, André Binggeli, Alexis Chryssostalis, Marie Cronier, Anna Lampadaridi, Jacques-Hubert Sautel. We also especially thank Brigitte Mondrain (École Pratique des Hautes Études).
Gratitude is due to all scholars and staff of the Albanian National Archives in Tirana (AQSh), and the management of this institution: Professors Nevila Nika, Guedj Nodj and Ardit Bido, with special mention of our colleagues and friends, Professor Sokol Çunga, archivist and palaeographer of the Albanian National Archives, and Professor Andi Rëmbeci, University of Tirana.
Countless are the colleagues and friends who supported us personally. In no particular order we thank the Great Archimandrite Βησσαρίων Κομζιάς (Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριαρχεῖον, in Istanbul), Professor Daniel B. Wallace (The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts), Professor Roderic L. Mullen who sent us his original study about the Greek New Testament manuscripts housed in Tirana, Delphine Spicq (Institut des hautes études chinoises, Collège de France), and Yuan Li 袁锂.
A great deal of gratitude is due to Father Jean Longère of the Compagnie des prêtres de Saint-Sulpice, and Agnès Jauréguibéhère, both curators of the Library of the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, in Paris Saint-Germain des Prés. We would like also to thank the whole Batiffol family who welcomed us so warmly in Paris in 2016 and 2017. We would especially like to thank Laurence Pasteau, Louis Batiffol’s granddaughter, and Philippe Batiffol, Pierre Batiffol’s grandnephew who sent us original documents in March 2016 about Pierre Batiffol’s Berat trip, including the original papers of his correspondence with Fenton John Anthony Hort.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Zotkaj Family, especially our beloved hosts in Tirana, Deti, Ridvan and their daughter Yllka who coped so well, so often and so kindly, with nineteen of our twenty-four Albanian stays during the last seven years. Our warmest thanks also go to Genci Shehu, Professor at the University of New York in Tirana for his translations of the two Albanian documents included in this book.
Last but not least, we must not forget to express our gratitude to our series editors, Professors Eldon Epp and Bart Ehrman, and the people at Brill Academic Publishers, especially Louise Schouten, Marjolein van Zuylen, and Maaike Langerak.