 the byzantine text-type (also called majority text, traditional text, ecclesiastical text, constantinopolitan text, antiocheian text, or syrian text) is one of several text-types used in textual criticism to describe the textual character of greek new testament manuscripts. it is the form found in the largest number of surviving manuscripts, though not in the oldest. the new testament text of the greek orthodox church, the constantinople patriarchate edition of 1904, is based on this text-type. while considerably varying, it also underlies the textus receptus greek text used for most reformation-era translations of the new testament into vernacular languages. modern translations mainly use eclectic editions that conform more often to the alexandrian text-type. the byzantine text is also found in a few modern greek orthodox editions, as the byzantine textual tradition has continued in the eastern orthodox church into the present time. the text used by the greek orthodox church is supported by late minuscule manuscripts. it is commonly accepted as standard byzantine text. the byzantine textform is often marked with the abbreviations ð or byz. == manuscripts of the byzantine text == thumb|right|200px|codex alexandrinus, the oldest greek witness of the byzantine text in the gospels, close to the family Î  (luke 12:54-13:4) for some time following the fourth century different types of text were current in the east, but at the end the byzantine text "almost wholly displaced the rest."brooke foss westcott, fenton john anthony hort. the new testament in the original greek, 1925. p. 552 the byzantine text-type has by far the largest number of surviving manuscripts, many of them written in the newer minuscule (lower case) style and in polytonic orthography handwriting, which had been invented in the 3rd century bc by aristophanes of byzantium but which took many centuries to catch on outside scholarly circles. for example, of 522 complete or nearly complete manuscripts of the general epistles collated by the institute for new testament textual research in mÃ¼nster, germany, 372 of them attest the byzantine reading in at least 90% of 98 test places. amongst the earliest surviving manuscripts, the position is reversed. there are six manuscripts earlier than the 9th century which conform to the byzantine text-type; of which the 5th century codex alexandrinus, (the oldest), is byzantine only in the gospels with the rest of the new testament being alexandrian
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