How can accidental omissions change a manuscript during copying?

In the field of textual criticism, accidental omissions are common errors that occur when a scribe’s attention lapses during the copying process. These omissions significantly alter manuscripts by removing portions of the original text, often leading to unintended changes in meaning.

The most frequent causes of such omissions include:

• Homoeoteleuton: This occurs when two separate phrases or lines in a text end with the same or similar words. A scribe’s eye may slip from the first instance to the second, causing them to inadvertently skip all the text located between those two points.123
• Haplography: This is the accidental omission of a letter, syllable, word, or line that appears twice in close proximity. Instead of writing the sequence twice, the scribe writes it only once.23

These errors are particularly prevalent in manuscripts written with continuous script or in columns, where the lack of clear word division or the physical layout of the text makes it easier for a copyist to lose their place. Once an omission is introduced, it is often perpetuated as subsequent scribes copy the flawed manuscript, creating a "family" of corrupted texts that require careful analysis to identify the original reading.13