New Images of Papyrus 967 (Ezekiel Portion)

Another portion of the 2nd-3d-century Papyrus 967 (LXX, RA 967), discovered in 1931, that contains parts of Ezekiel, Esther and Daniel has now been digitized and is available on-line. It is the National Library of Spain in Madrid that has digitized their pages with Ezekiel (HT: John Cook).

More here and here.

John Meade compiled a list for us in a blogpost from last year to which I have added a link to the new images below. We are now just waiting for images of the portions in Princeton and Montserrat:

1. Chester Beatty IX + X: pp. 10–17 (upper half); 71–83 (upper half); 102–109 (upper half) (images of the pages from Dublin can be viewed at the CSNTM).
2. Princeton, Univ. Libr., P. Scheide 3: pp. 20 + 22, 23–28, 30–32, 34–37, 40–45 (upper half).
3. Kӧln, IfA, P. Colon. theol. 3–40: pp. 10–17, 20, 22, 71–77, 79–83 (lower half); 90, 92–101 (upper half); pp. 18–19, 21, 29, 53–70, 84–89 (whole) (see images at Kölner Papyri of the Institute of Ancient History at the University of Cologne).
4. Madrid, CSIC (Fonds Photiaded), P. Matr. bibl. 1: pp. 10, 33, 38–39, 46–52 (access the new images here).
5. Montserrat, SBO, P.Monts./II Inv. 42. 43: p. 78 (lower half), p. 91 (upper half)

More information and link to the digitized portion in Köln here.

More about the text and paratext of this papyrus from our blog here, here, and here.

Update: An anonymous commenter (and Sofia Torallas Tovar) has informed me that the Monteserrat portion has indeed been digitized (a few years ago as P.Monts Roca IV was published):

Montserrat catalogue and images:
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR42r.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR42v.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR43r.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR43v.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/catalogo/ductus.php?operacion=introduce&ver=1&nume=472 .

Africanus–Origen Correspondence and the Form of Greek Daniel

As often happens in research, while investigating one topic, one becomes distracted by another. In several of my pursuits, the book of Daniel keeps surfacing, and I keep blogging on it. In this post, I tie together a couple of loose threads on the textual form of the book of Greek Daniel.

Order of Sections in Greek Daniel

In a previous post, I noted different orders of the sections/pericopes of the book of Greek Daniel according to B, Q, and Syh. B and Q represent (though with different paratextual features) what appears to have become the dominant order in MSS: Sus–Dan–Bel et Draco, and Syh represented Dan–Sus–Bel–Draco, all set off with separate titles, even though the opening title of the book was “Daniel according to the Seventy” in this same MS. In a post from last week, I commented on Ra 967 in conjunction with my research on Esther but did note that the order of pericopes for Daniel are as follows: Dan–Bel et Draco–Sus, though we can’t be certain whether there were pericope divisions or titles since the joins between Dan–Bel and Draco–Sus in the MS are in lacunae. This MS appears to be the only one that has this order of the sections, and one wonders whether it was because the 2nd/3rd century scribe wanted to place Susanna next to Esther, but I speculate here.

Enter: The Africanus-Origen Correspondence

The Africanus-Origen correspondence probably occurred around 248 AD. This is not the place to launch into all the debates over certain matters in this correspondence (e.g. Origen’s views of the Seventy and Hebrew texts), but there are a couple of places where these letters appear to provide a clue as to the order of the sections of Greek Daniel. First, in Ep. Or. 7, Africanus says, “Now above all these, this pericope (περικοπή) [Susanna] together with the other two at the end (ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει) does not circulate in the [book of] Daniel having been received by/among the Jews.” He does not name Bel et Draco, but he knows of these pericopes at the end of the book and mentions “two other” pericopes–not one.

Rahlfs 967 of the Kölner Papyri of the Institute of Ancient History at the University of Cologne

Ra 967, p. 197

I am researching the reception history of Esther in early Jewish and Christian sources and have come to Rahlfs 967 (2nd/3rd), a papyrus MS containing (with lacunae) Ezekiel (pp. 10–61), Daniel (pp. 62–93r), Bel et Draco (pp. 93v–95), Susanna (pp. 96–98), and Esther (pp. 99–109).

What I didn’t know previously is that the pages of this MS are divided between five different collections. The Verzeichnis (2004; pp. 98–103) lists the following (hyperlinks are to the images online of which I’m aware):

1. Chester Beatty IX + X: pp. 10–17 (upper half); 71–83 (upper half); 102–109 (upper half) (images of the pages from Dublin can be viewed at the CSNTM).
2. Princeton, Univ. Libr., P. Scheide 3: pp. 20 + 22, 23–28, 30–32, 34–37, 40–45 (upper half).
3. Kӧln, IfA, P. Colon. theol. 3–40: pp. 10–17, 20, 22, 71–77, 79–83 (lower half); 90, 92–101 (upper half); pp. 18–19, 21, 29, 53–70, 84–89 (whole) (see images at Kölner Papyri of the Institute of Ancient History at the University of Cologne).
4. Madrid, CSIC (Fonds Photiaded), P. Matr. bibl. 1: pp. 10, 33, 38–39, 46–52.
5. Montserrat, SBO, P.Monts./II Inv. 42. 43: p. 78 (lower half), p. 91 (upper half)

For my purpose, I wanted to see how Esther began and ended in this MS; that is, I was interested to learn about its paratextual features. Unfortunately, there are no visible paratextual features (e.g. title or inscription) except the page number (p. 197) at the beginning, and the end of Esther is not extant in the MS.

Ra 967, p. 196

Of some interest is the placement of Esther after Susanna (p. 196), which contains a subscription: Daniel: [pe]ace to the one who wro[te] and to those who re[ad] amen. In other MSS, the order is Sus–Dan–Bel et Draco, but in this MS, Sus is placed at the end of the book and may have been intended to be joined to Esther, another virtuous woman. Who knows? No other Greek MS has this order. The order Sus–Esth is attested in Syriac MSS.

Both of these images are from the Kölner Papyri collection, and I’m grateful to curator Prof. Dr. Charikleia Armoni for answering my query and directing me to the digitized images and also being willing to send me higher resolution images upon request.

New Reader’s LXX on Sale

For readers who haven’t heard, Greg Lanier and Will Ross have a new, two-volume reader’s Septuagint coming out this fall called Septuaginta. You can learn more about the edition (which follows Rahlfs) at the book’s website: lxxre.wordpress.com. See below for a preview of the page layout. Right now, the publisher is running a pre-order sale on both volumes for just $65. That’s 40% off retail.

I know Greg and Will have been working on this for about four years now, so a big congrats on finishing a massive project that will be a welcome aid to many!

Page Layout

The Septuagint Song

Yesterday was the 11th International Septuagint Day, see here and here. One of our readers, Brent Niedergall therefore wrote “The Septuagint Song” together with his music pastor Mac Lynch which he would like to share with the world, so here it is (click on the images to magnify):

Recent Journal Articles on Textual Criticism

While looking at the new journals shelf last week I noticed a number of text critical articles have come out recently.

Novum Testamentum  57.5

Ronald H. van der Bergh, “Old Testament Awareness” and the Textual Tradition of the Explicit Quotations of Isaiah in Codex Bezae’s Acts, pp. 360–378

This article investigates the textual history of the explicit quotations of Isaiah in the Acts of the Apostles of Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis (Acts 7:49–50; 13:34; 13:47) by introducing the concept of “Old Testament awareness.” This concept can be defined as the degree to which a NT tradition, at any stage of its transmission history, is aware of a quotation stemming from the OT. OT awareness can be identified in the layout of Codex Bezae (e.g., the indentation of text in the manuscript to indicate OT quotations), the text of quotations (e.g., readings that can be shown to be a subsequent change towards an OT tradition) and the context of the quoted text (e.g., the quotations’ introductory formulae). Through assessing the OT awareness of Codex Bezae’s explicit quotations of Isaiah, different stages in the transmission history of the text of these quotations in Codex Bezae’s Acts can be identified.

Laurent Pinchard, Des traces vétérotestamentaires dans deux variantes du Codex de Bèze (Mt 26,55 et 28,8) jugées harmonisantes, pp. 418–430

Codex Bezae is traditionally famous for its harmonising tendency compared to other early majuscule manuscripts of the Gospels. In this article we suggest that, based on two examples drawn from Matthew, some of its variant readings have striking lexical correspondence with passages from the Old Testament. As a result, it is more likely that they probably transmit an original reading as opposed to being the result of a less capable scribe, who would have corrected an earlier text to make it closer to the parallel passages from the Synoptics. The passages examined are Jesus’ arrest on the Mount of Olives (Mt 26.55) and the women’s encounter at the tomb on Easter day (Mt 28.8).

Also in NovT, Simon Crisp and J. K. Elliott review vols. 1–2 of the New Cambridge History of the Bible  and Hugh Houghton reviews Die Vetus Latina-Fragmente aus dem Kloster St. Gallen.

New Testament Studies 61.4

Joel D. Estes, Reading for the Spirit of the Text: nomina sacra and πνεῦμα Language in P46, pp. 566–594

This study examines every reference to πνεῦμα in NT Papyrus 46 (P. Chester Beatty ii / P. Mich. Inv. 6238) and whether or not it is contracted as a nomen sacrum. Against expectations, the scribe does not always use nomina sacra to designate the divine Spirit, nor are other kinds of spirits always written out in full. This discovery destabilises the assumption that we can access the scribe’s understanding of πνεῦμα simply by identifying where nomina sacra do and do not occur. At the same time, such scribal irregularity itself may illustrate wider theological ambiguities among some early Christian communities concerning the status and role of the Holy Spirit.

Peter Malik, The Corrections of Codex Sinaiticus and the Textual Transmission of Revelation: Josef Schmid Revisited, pp. 595–614

The role of manuscript corrections in studying textual transmission of the New Testament has been long recognised by textual critics. And yet, the actual witness of corrections may at times be difficult to interpret. A case in point is Josef Schmid’s seminal work on the text of Revelation. Following Wilhelm Bousset, Schmid argued that a particular group of corrections in Codex Sinaiticus reflected a Vorlage with a text akin to that of the Andreas text-type. By dating these corrections – unlike Bousset – to the scriptorium, Schmid utilised their witness to trace the text of Andreas back to the fourth century. Recently, Juan Hernández has shown that the corrections cited by Schmid were significantly later, hence calling his fourth-century dating of Andreas (among other things) into question. Through an analysis of the corrections cited by Schmid, supplemented by a fuller data-set of Sinaiticus’ corrections in Revelation, this study seeks to reappraise Schmid’s claims concerning the textual relations of these corrections, and identify their role in the later transmission of the text of Revelation.

Tyndale Bulletin 66.1

Lincoln Blumell, A New LXX Fragment Containing Job 7:3–4 and 7:9, pp. 95–101

This article presents an edition of a papyrus fragment from LXX Job that is housed in the Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan. The fragment likely dates to the sixth century A.D. and comes from a codex. On the recto the fragment contains Job 7:3–4 and on the verso Job 7:9. [Includes two black and white photos.]

Tov, Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research

A completely revised and expanded third edition of Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research will be published by Eisenbrauns this summer.

Publisher’s description

This handbook provides a practical guide for the student and scholar alike who wishes to use the Septuagint (LXX) in the text-critical analysis of the Hebrew Bible. It does not serve as another theoretical introduction to the LXX, but it provides all the practical background information needed for the integration of the LXX in biblical studies. The LXX, together with the Masoretic Text and several Qumran scrolls, remains the most significant source of information for the study of ancient Scripture, but it is written in Greek, and many technical details need to be taken into consideration when using this tool. Therefore, a practical handbook such as this is needed for the integration of the Greek translation in the study of the Hebrew Bible.

The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research is based on much background information, intuition and experience, clear thinking, and a solid description of the procedures followed. The author presents his handbook after half a century of study of the Septuagint, four decades of specialized teaching experience, and involvement in several research projects focusing on the relation between the Hebrew and Greek Bibles.

The first two editions of this handbook, published by Simor of Jerusalem (Jerusalem Biblical Studies 3 [1981] and 8 [1997]), received much praise but have been out of print for a considerable period. This third edition presents a completely revised version of the previous editions based on the many developments that have taken place in the analysis of the Septuagint, the Hebrew Bible, and the Qumran Scrolls. Much new information has also been added.

Eisenbrauns has been involved in the marketing of the previous two editions and is proud to offer now its own completely new edition. A must for students of the Hebrew Bible, textual criticism, the Septuagint and the other ancient translations, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Jewish Hellenism.

Product Details

Publisher: Eisenbrauns Publication info: Forthcoming, summer 2015 Bibliographic info: ca. xxvi + 260 pp. Language(s): English		Cover: Paper ISBN: 1-57506-328-X ISBN13: 978-1-57506-328-7 Price: $42.75

Link to order page (Eisenbrauns)

Jim Spinti tells me that there is currently a special offer:

Purchase the Tov book and Barthélemy’s Studies in the Text of the Old Testament together and Eisenbrauns will give you the Barthélemy book for 30% off. Just enter TOVETC in the “Purchase Order” field of your order when you check out.

Why Peter Williams Does Not Believe in the Septuagint

If you hang around Peter Williams long enough you will learn not to speak of the Septuagint unless you want a short lesson on the history of the translation of the Old Testament into Greek. In a recent lecture, Peter gave his reasons why he doesn’t believe in the Septuagint and why you shouldn’t either. You can watch the video on YouTube.

Summer LXX Course at Trinity Western University

New ETC Blogger: John Meade

The ETC blog team proudly presents a new blog team member:

John Meade

Meade is a candidate for the PhD (ABD) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky in the department of Old Testament. His dissertation is “A Critical Edition of the Fragments of Origen’s Hexapla of Job: 22-42,” which is also being compiled for the Hexapla Institute, of which he is a part (www.hexapla.org).

He has many interests in the area of biblical textual criticism including Hebrew Bible, LXX, Hexapla, NT, and the study of the ancient versions for their interpretation of the text.

The ETC team is particularly happy to strengthen its competency in the field of Septuagint studies, and we look forward to many interesting blogposts by John.

Welcome!

2nd International Septuaginta Summer School

The Septuaginta-Unternehmen of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities of Göttingen offers an "International Septuaginta Summer School" from June 27 to July 1, 2011 in Göttingen.

Information
Students from European and other universities who are interested in the development and history of biblical texts will be given the opportunity to study selected passages of the David and Batseba narratives (2 Sam 11-12) and to form themselves a detailed and nuanced impression of this book’s text history, which is as complex as it is fascinating.

This year‘s lecturer of the summer school is Kristin De Troyer, Professor for Old Testament and Hebrew Bible at St. Mary‘s College of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Flyer with further details here.

Joosten, Conflicting Exegetical Tendencies in the Septuagint (LXX 8)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here.

Jan Joosten, ‘To See God: Conflicting Exegetical Tendencies in the Septuagint’ in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 287-299.

A fascinating topic is the object of Joosten's article on the Septuagint Pentateuch. He explores the conflicting tendencies observed in the LXX with regards to "seeing God". One sees traces of what has come to be called "palestinian exegesis", i.e. the "toning down" of passages envisaging the "seeing of God". This tendency is found already in the Hebrew Bible and it is followed by the Targum and the Midrash. In Philo and the New Testament, God has become ἀόρατος ("invisible"), i.e. impossible to be seen, whereas the dominant notion prior to this period was that "to see God" was dangerous but not impossible (pp. 288-289).

At the same time, the opposite tendency is observed in the LXX. One finds passages where, not only is the notion of "seeing God" let to stand, but it is often introduced at the expense of the Hebrew. Joosten finds Hayward's "intertextual" explanations "fragile" and tries to explain this opposing tendency as originating from Egyptian influence. Seeing the god was an important feature in Egyptian religion and this element came through at various points in the LXX Pentateuch. He supports his theory by presenting additional instances in the LXX where Egyptian culture has permeated the version and argues that the LXX is "no flat translation" but "intertwines a great number of inputs" (p. 299). Joosten highlights the need to discern "tendencies" in the translation before attributing divergences between the Hebrew and the Greek to theological reasons. However, his rejection of Hayward's intertextual explanations need not be a pre-requisite for establishing his own theory. Intertextuality observes the use of similar language, but it does not comment on the translator's motivation. It is possible that both explanations could work together.

--
Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους
Chr. Adamopoulou 8
190 09 Pikermi, Attiki
Greece
ecclesiologia.blogspot.com

Wright, 'The Septuagint and its Modern Translations' (LXX 7)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here.

Benjamin G. Wright, ‘The Septuagint and Its Modern Translators’ in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 103-114.

The goal of Wright's article is to distinguish between various modern approaches of translating a translation, the LXX in this case, and to caution against confusion in the various methods adopted towards this endeavor. He alerts that the "sudden" availability of modern translations of the LXX to the wider public will require the "mediating" efforts of specialists to secure the correct understanding among non-specialists of what is meant by "Septuagint". While the availability of translations has helped "demarginalise" LXX studies and emphasize its rightful place in Second Temple Judaism studies, care must be taken against its misuse.

He rightly makes the distinction between the two levels of studying the text: that of the production point (i.e. the translator's understanding of his Hebrew Vorlage), and that of its reception history independent of the Hebrew. The philosophy of NETS has focused on the former level, relying heavily on Gideon Toury's Descriptive Translation Studies, whereas Bible d'Alexandrie (also here) has focused on the latter approach. The NETS editors sum up their translation philosophy in this way: "Since the Septuagint, with a few exceptions, was not originally composed in Greek, a fully idiomatic translation into English can scarcely be justified." (p.107). NETS, therefore, provides us with an English "facsimile" of the LXX/OG "including many of its wards" (p.107).

While Wright values Bible d'Alexandrie's approach, he stresses that one must distinguish between the two levels of interpretation and keep them separate since the results of each study will be widely different. He quotes Pietersma to sum up that "the difference between the 'produced text' and the 'received text' might be so great as to necessitate speaking of different Septuagints, lest there be a tacit assumption in scholarly discussion that 'the Septuagint is the Septuagint', while in reality quite different entities and distinct methodologies are at issue." (p.111).

Wright's emphasis on this sharp distinction forbids him from sympathizing with the LXX.D (Septuaginta Deutsch) model which aims at bridging the two (i.e. keeping the text as produced and the text as received together). For LXX.D translation and interpretation are mingled in the LXX and separation is impossible. Wright agrees that translation is interpretation, but not necessarily "exegesis" which is done "deliberately, systematically and purposefully." (p.112). That will need to be determined through a careful study of how each LXX translator worked.

Wright's cautionary critiques are essential for modern translations of the LXX, however, he neglects to deal with the fact that the LXX translator is at the same time a member of the receiving audience of his time, and such neat distinctions between what he meant and what they understood may be difficult to draw.

--
Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους

ecclesiologia.blogspot.com

Muraoka on Septuagint Lexicography (LXX 5)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here.

Takamitsu Muraoka, ‘Recent Discussions on the Septuagint Lexicography With Special Reference to the So-called Interlinear Model’ in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 221-235.


The Septuagint lexicography debate continues and Muraoka reminds us of the polarities of the discipline: translator-oriented vs reader-oriented approach.

NETS approaches LXX as the translator, not the audience, perceives the text, and the so-called Interlinear Model, advocated by Albert Pietersma, understands that the LXX aims at bringing the reader to the Hebrew, not vice versa.

Muraoka disagrees with Boyd-Taylor's pessimistic approach to LXX lexicography. Boyd-Taylor sees the LXX as a mirror of the Hebrew. He holds that, to treat such a decidedly hybrid linguistic environment as bearing on the study of word-use in the target-language is, to say the least, highly problematic. He thinks that LXX data are nothing more than parole data from which one cannot extract and distill a langue. (p. 228, 230)

Muraoka, however, does not think it is restrictive. For him it is wrong to start with the assumption that LXX Greek, being translational Greek, must necessarily deviate from the "normal" contemporary Greek. (p. 228-229)

A reason for strangeness of LXX Greek is the interference of the source language, some of which may have been tolerated. The average member of the congregation would have adjusted his bearings a little bit to understand the text. Therefore, the reader is not compelled to fall back on the source text to infer what possibly the translator wanted his reader to understand. (p. 235) According to Muraoka, no serious lexicographer can leave out translated works when compiling a lexicon of any language or time. (p. 234)

Myrto

Kreuzer, 'Papyrus 967' (LXX 4)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here (with forward links).

Siegfried Kreuzer, 'Papyrus 967' in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 64-82.

P967, discovered in 1931 in Aphroditopolis is a significant pre-hexaplaric text of the 2nd century CE. It originally covered the text of Ezekiel, Daniel (including Susanna and Bel and Dragon) and Esther. Its form is also a valuable witness to the conditions of codex development at the time.

Two hands are observed in the papyrus: one for Ezekiel and one for Daniel and Esther. Due to the nomina sacra, P967 is considered a Christian codex, however this is not always a good criterion since that is also a Jewish phenomenon.

Of interest is the chapter divisions in the text by Greek capital letters, which are believed to be original - not a later addition.

Moreover, Ezekiel's chapter 37 does not follow 36, but it follows 38. Also 36 has a shorter text (minus 36:23-38). The transposition makes resurrection taking place at the end of time, after Gog and Magog! (p. 73) Kreuzer favours the explanation that the minus would mean that a later addition is found in the Hebrew text (p. 74). Moreover, the LXX mss which agree with the MT against P967 represent a later revised text, with P967 attesting the OG.

The next transposition is Dan 7 and 8 coming immediately after ch. 4. This places the two visions from the time of Belshazzar before his death in ch. 5.

In Dan 7:13, the "son of man" Aramaic text agrees with Theodotion's version (εως του παλαιου των ημερων). P967, however, confirms the LXX text (ως παλαιος ημερων). The Son of man form and the ancient of days form apply to the same person. This is probably the original text, not a Christian change, while Theodotion's version seems to be a revision towards the Aramaic text.

Kreuzer's article is very valuable, not only for its discussion of the text-historical development of the Biblical text, but also for the photographs of the papyrus provided.

Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους

Hauspie on Calques in LXX Ezekiel (LXX 3)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here (with forward links).

Katrin Hauspie, 'The Idiolect of the Target Language in the Translation Process: A Study in the Calques in the LXX of Ezekiel' in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 205-213.

Although Hauspie's English was difficult to follow, her study of calques in LXX Ezekiel questions the stereotypical way of viewing translation technique in a particular LXX book. She manages to demonstrate the independence of the translator, even in places where the Hebrew seems to be determining the Greek phrasing.


She examines three grammatical constructions: (a) the use of the nominative αὐτός for the Hebrew הוא. Hauspie shows that αὐτός is not a stereotypical rendering of הוא but is used to denote emphasis; (b) ἐν with dative rendering -ב instrumenti. LXX Ezekiel uses ἐν only when the verb and the complement denoting instrument are in a loose relationship; (c) objective
clause by τοῦ with infinitive. Hauspie shows that τοῦ never occurs after modal verbs, as in proper Greek style, for the constructed infinitive preceded by -ל in the MT.


Hauspie's study shows that even in apparent "literalistic" translations, there is more freedom and conformity to the norms of the target language than meets the eye.

Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους

Gruen on the Letter of Aristeas (LXX 2)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here (with forward links).

Erich S Gruen, 'The Letter of Aristeas and the Cultural Context of the Septuagint’ in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 134-156.



In this article Gruen uses the Letter of Aristeas not in order to extract historical information about the LXX, but as a window upon the mentality of the Jewish diaspora resident in Ptolemaic Alexandria.
He accepts the relatively comfortable and untroubled existence of the Jews at the time as a self-governed political entity. Jewish writings available to us betray their intellectual ability and education in Greek literary modes and conventions.
In the Letter of Aristeas, Gruen notes that the story of the translation provides only a frame for the narrative, but the author's aims are deeper. The Letter, similar to the wider literary scene in Alexandria, is subtly subversive with undertones of cynicism and oblique mockery directed towards royal pretentiousness. Gruen compares the Letter with the writings of other Jewish authors, as well as pagans who worked in Egypt, and detects a similar agenda. He concludes that Jews, like their pagan counterparts in Alexandrian literary circles, had integrated enough in the Hellenistic culture and possessed the self-assurance needed to praise the king in their writings, but also tease and mock him.
Gruen's approach is a helpful reminder of the fact that the translation of the Seventy-Two is not the central concern of the Letter of Aristeas, but simply an element which helps its wider purposes. Moreover, the social standing of Alexandrian Jews at the alleged time of the translation (mid 3rd century) may not have been identical to that of the time of the composition of the Letter (2nd century). Nevertheless, this is the closest window we have into that world and Gruen's contextual reading of the Letter adds another dimension to our understanding of Alexandrian Jewish diaspora.
Myrto Theocharous

Karrer & Kraus on the Septuagint (LXX 1)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here.

Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus, ‘Umfang und Text der Septuaginta: Erwägungen nach dem Abschluss der deutschen Übersetzung’ in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 8-63.

Several modern translations of the so-called "Septuagint" are underway and others have recently been completed. It was the German translation which gave rise to research projects on Septuagint related issues. Martin Karrer and Wolfgang Kraus discuss how the popularization of the "Septuagint" brings to the fore some "open questions" such as that of Christian Theology. The authors argue that Christian theology is restricted when one is dependent on the Hebrew canon alone, since NT authors did not reject the "apocrypha and pseudepigrapha" but regarded it all as Scripture. This is an erroneous position inherited from Luther's reformation of the canon, according to Nikolaus Walter, one of the initiators of the Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), the German translation. (p.10)

Hanhart assumes a Jewish canon already in the 2nd century BCE, but others like Heinz-Josef Fabry question this position (pp. 12-13). According to Fabry, the idea of text-groups, as seen in mss from the Judean desert, throws into question the concept of one authoritative canon for all groups (pp. 14-15). In the light of these, the authors suggest that the statement in Sirach's prologue (vv. 24-25) is representative of only one group. Moreover, the Letter of Aristeas seems to be defending the authority of the translation of one particular community, the Alexandrian community, as derived from the Hebrew text in Jerusalem, and equally inspired, not subservient to the Hebrew (pp. 19-20).

A discussion of the LXX collection and whether it represents an older form than the MT follows. Various LXX passages and their reception in the NT are also examined. Finally, the authors note how different canons and orders in different church traditions today leave open the question on how a published Septuagint should look like, as well as the question of how double versions for single books should be represented.

In my opinion, while the authors succeed in drawing out the implications of how modern translations of the "Septuagint" may affect the understanding of Christian Theology, no clear distinction is made between the discussion of textual variations and the discussion of canon. Often the two are treated as one and the same.

One wonders whether Christian theology would be significantly affected by the availability of apocryphal/deuterocanonical books to the public — perhaps contemporary theology, but not NT theology. A variety of literature may have been influential on the thinking of NT writers without necessarily possessing the status of Scripture in their mind. The task of the NT scholar has always involved the recognition of such influences from both Jewish and pagan writings regardless of canonical status.

Moreover, modern readers of the "Septuagint" should not be fooled into thinking that what they hold in their hands was what the NT writers had access to. The multiplicity of Greek versions available at the time, as well as Aramaic versions (oral or written), would have been just as influential in Palestine and elsewhere.

Finally, while Qumran has revealed a variety of textual readings, one should not downplay the ancient concern for accuracy and uniformity in translation and copying, reflected in Aristeas' propaganda, in Philo and increasingly in revisions of Greek mss towards a proto-Masoretic text, culminating with Aquila. The modern Septuagint reader should be aware that what they hold in their hands is a still disentangled collage of ancient Greek readings from various times and places which remains to be sorted. Sadly, knowledge of these complexities will not accompany most purchases of modern "Septuagints".

Myrto Theocharous

Recent Septuagint Research coming to ETC

Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus, Die Septuaginta – Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008).
This 772 page book publishes 45 papers from a conference in 2006 which marked the completion of a German translation of the Septuagint (the Septuaginta Deutsch). These papers, from many of the leading scholars in the field, cover a wide range of state-of-the-art topics under several broad section headings: The Septuagint as a text collection; the milieu and context of the Septuagint, lexicography and grammar, writings and groups of writings (the broadest and vaguest section title), the influences of the Septuagint.
In coming weeks I am hoping to bring regular blog posts on some of the papers published in this book from Myrto Theocharous, a devoted follower of this blog, who is finishing up a PhD on the Septuagint here in Cambridge and has kindly agreed to offer some summaries and reflections on papers from this book. I hope it will be informative for all of us, stop us from being (really only) an ENTTC blog, and perhaps attract some interesting discussion about the perennially fascinating issues concerning the Septuagint.

Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus, ‘Umfang und Text der Septuaginta: Erwägungen nach dem Abschluss der deutschen Übersetzung’ pp. 8-63.

Erich S Gruen, 'The Letter of Aristeas and the Cultural Context of the Septuagint’ pp. 134-156.

Katrin Hauspie, 'The Idiolect of the Target Language in the Translation Process: a Study of the Calques in the LXX of Ezekiel' pp. 205-213

Siegfried Kreuzer, 'Papyrus 967' pp. 64-82.

http://evangelicaltextualcriticism.blogspot.com/2010/07/muraoka-on-septuagint-lexicography-lxx.html

Martin Rosel, ‘Schreiber, Übersetzer, Theologen. Die Septuaginta als Dokument der Schrift-, Lese- und Übersetzungskulturen des Judentums’ pp. 83-102.

Benjamin G. Wright, ‘The Septuagint and Its Modern Translators’ pp. 103-114.

Jan Joosten, ‘To See God: Conflicting Exegetical Tendencies in the Septuagint’, 287-299.

LXX Citations in their NT Versions

In a previous post here Peter Head draws the attention to a variant reading in Heb 1:8 involving a citation from the Septuagint. I would like to remind the readers that Martin Karrer, Wuppertal, Germany, is heading a project to create a new tool for the study of LXX citations in the New Testament. I attended a presentation of the project last year at the SNTS 63d meeting in Lund. There is a description of the project here.

Regarding Hebrews and the LXX, Karrer has published an essay, "The Epistle to the Hebrews and the Septuagint," in Septuagint Research. Issues and Challenges in the Study of the Greek Jewish Scriptures (eds. W. Kraus and G. Wooden; SBL.SCS 53; Atlanta / Leiden, 2006), 335-353.

There will be a session devoted to the subject of LXX and NTTC at the SBL in New Orleans on Monday 23 November, 9:00–11:30:

New Testament Textual Criticism (The Two Bibles: The LXX and NTTC),
Leonard J. Greenspoon: “If I forget thee…: Remembering, and Forgetting, in ‘Scriptural Citations’ (20 min)
Martin Karrer and Ulrich Schmid: LXX Citations in their NT Versions
Kristin De Troyer: Quotations of "the Septuagint" in the NT
William Adler, Respondent