Tobit 12,8 and 2 Clement 16.4

The text of the book of Tobit raises many well-known issues. There is widespread agreement that the Greek textual witnesses divide into two main groups, with a third group also identifiable. This third group is often regarded as very late, and giving only stylistic improvements. A study of the text of Tobit 12,8 is of interest because of an interesting variant in the third group of texts, where almsgiving is rated above prayer and fasting, a reading also implicitly supported by the Old Latin. The saying in this form was thus probably very old. This is also supported by the evidence of 2 Clement 16,4 which also seems to reflect this reading of the text of Tobit 12,8. The article offers detailed analysis of the textual evidence of the texts of Tobit and 2 Clement here, and suggests that perhaps the third group of Tobit texts might reflect at times earlier traditions and also involve more than simply stylistic improvements of the text.