RE: [split] Ms. germ. fol. 642
R. Sale > 01-02-2021, 09:13 PM
Well, not too far of topic - hopefully. The question is whether the Jonah image in the MS. germ. could have influenced the image of the VMs mermaid, if the Jonah image is dated after 1450? If all VMs parchment is created before 1438, then there is a decade-plus lag between the production of the parchment and the 'potential borrowing' of the Jonah image. If some of the VMs parchment production was after 1438, that alters the calculation a bit.
The four VMs dates exist along a timeline. The C-14 has a significant margin of error. All variation could be attributed to the inaccuracies of the C-14 testing method, the single source model. Alternatively, some variation could be attributed to an actual, chronological difference combined with inherent testing inaccuracies. If there are chronological differences between samples, then the model is a two source system. Using the most divergent alternative, this model will produce a result somewhat more conducive to 1450 connections. How does an investigator differentiate between a one-source model and a two-source model, if the C-14 test cannot distinguish between actual chronological differences and inherent testing variation? It would require some other method of dating that would be accurate within five years instead of 30 - but we don't have that. Sufficient data and higher accuracy would fill in the time-line and inform a correct decision, but that won't be happening either. So the situation will remain unresolved, perhaps for some.
Anyway, thanks for the consideration.
PS: I've been looking at Jonah illustrations a bit, not much that has the same similarity of style. However, that doesn't require a direct connection, or any connections at all. Still an interesting comparison.