In the latest Journal of Biblical Literature, James W. Barker has deflated the assurance recently given out that micro-conflation would have been too difficult to pull off in ancient times. Consequently the hypotheses built on extant documents are not necessarily excluded. He breathes new life into the Griesbach, Farrer-Goulder, and Augustinian hypotheses.
Meanwhile he acknowledged the current state of affairs:
"Recent studies on the Synoptic Problem by Robert Derrenbacker and Gerald Downing have investigated ancient compositional practices and have concluded that scribes could not conceivably have accssed multiple sources simultaneously within a single pericope (micro-conflation) or moved forward and backward through a scroll (radical reordering or reverse conceptualization). Compared with the Griesbach, Farrer-Goulder, and "Augustinian" hypotheses, the Two-Source 110 hypothesis requires the fewest instances of micro-conflation and radical reordering. Therefore Derrenbacker and Downing have validated the Two-Source Hypothesis and challenged the validity of its rivals."
James W. Barker, "Ancient Compositional Practices and the Gospels: A Reassessment."
Journal of Biblical Literature, 135 No 1 (Spring 2016), 109-21
The writings refuted: 'R. A Derrenbacker Jr. , "Ancient Compositional Practices and the Synoptic Problem", BETL 186 (Leuven: Peeters, 2005), 257. Alex Damm, "Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Problem: Clarifying Marcan Priority:, BETL 252 (Leuven: Peeters, 2103) xxxv.' Barker p. 110 note 1
and
'F. Gerald Downing, "Disagreements of Each Evangelist with the Minor Close Ageements of the Other Two," ETL 80 (2004):445-69 here 446' Barker p. 110 note 2.
On Barker's side he is promoting: Christopher Tuckett, Revival of the Griesbach Hypothesis, 1982.
for what it's worth (probably to SA) on p. 113 note 15: "According to David M. Carr, proto-Samaritan Qumran texts combined Exodus and Deuteronomy through visual copying."
Micro-Conflation and the Synoptic Problem
Re: Micro-Conflation and the Synoptic Problem
ABSTRACT of the above, pg 109:
"Recent studies of ancient compositional [techniques] and the Synoptic Problem have validated the Two-Source hypothesis and challenged the "Augustinian", Farrer-Goulder and Griesbach hypotheses. These studies conclude that, according to the Two-Source hypothesis, subsequent evangelists would have adhered to the Greco-Roman conventions of working with one source at a time and not working backward through a text. The present essay adduces counterexamples such as the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from Nahal Hever, which predates the Gospels, and Tatian's Diatessaron, which postdates the gospels. Upon further examination simultaneously accessing multiple sources and reordering those sources were established compositional practices in the first century. Moreover, every solution to the Synoptic Problem necessitates such scribal convention. Therefore the lesser extent of these ancient compositional practices does not privilege the Two-Source hypothesis over its rivals."
"Recent studies of ancient compositional [techniques] and the Synoptic Problem have validated the Two-Source hypothesis and challenged the "Augustinian", Farrer-Goulder and Griesbach hypotheses. These studies conclude that, according to the Two-Source hypothesis, subsequent evangelists would have adhered to the Greco-Roman conventions of working with one source at a time and not working backward through a text. The present essay adduces counterexamples such as the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from Nahal Hever, which predates the Gospels, and Tatian's Diatessaron, which postdates the gospels. Upon further examination simultaneously accessing multiple sources and reordering those sources were established compositional practices in the first century. Moreover, every solution to the Synoptic Problem necessitates such scribal convention. Therefore the lesser extent of these ancient compositional practices does not privilege the Two-Source hypothesis over its rivals."