Johann Jakob Wettstein

wetstein) (1693-1754. Swiss NT scholar. Born at Basle, he wrote a dissertation on variant NT readings (1713). He traveled in Switzerland, France, and England in search of manuscripts, meeting Richard Bentley (1716) who encouraged him in his textual studies. Made a deacon in Basle (1717), he became his father's assistant in St. Leonard's (1720). He devoted himself to NT study, and his rejection of the reading theos for hos in the Textus Receptus of 1 Timothy 3:16 led to his deposition in 1730 for alleged Socinianism.* Having answered his opponents (1732), he became professor of church history in the Remonstrants' college at Amsterdam (1733), remaining there till death. He published the prolegomena to his new edition of the Greek NT in 1730, the edition itself appearing in two volumes at Amsterdam, 1751-52. This was notable for its large collection of variants and the introduction of the sigla for denoting manuscripts still in common use.