Edward Cook has revised his 2001 translation of the Psalms Targum.
Showing posts with label editions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editions. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Sunday, November 13, 2022
AIP Guidelines for Editing Papyri
For anyone who edits papyri, Jean-Luc Forget announced the useful AIP guidelines for editing papyri on the PAPY mailing list as follows:
Dear Papy-list members,
I am pleased to announce that the Guidelines for editing papyri are now online on the website of the Association Internationale de Papyrologues: https://aip.ulb.be//PDF/Guidelines_for_editing_papyri.pdfThis text was prepared at the request of the president of the AIP (after the Lecce Congress) by a working group headed by myselft and made up of the following people : Rodney Ast, Amin Benaissa, Willy Clarysse, Hélène Cuvigny, Alain Delattre, Nick Gonis, Jürgen Hammerstaedt, Federico Morelli, Paul Schubert, Joanne Stolk, Katelijn Vandorpe. It was presented to the AIP General Assembly at the end of the XXXth International Congress of Papyrology (July 30, 2022).
The purpose of these Guidelines is to propose precise norms for editing Greek/Latin, Demotic and Coptic papyri. It also proposes new rules for rendering certain data not taken into account by the Leiden system and for which a uniform treatment would facilitate systematic study.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the working group and the colleagues who kindly gave their opinion and contributed to improve this text.We hope that these Guidelines will be useful.Best wishes,Jean-Luc Fournet
Friday, May 20, 2022
Moore on Aramaic Papyrus Fragments in Berlin
James Moore has just released his open access monograph publishing many new documentary papyrus fragments from Elephantine in the Berlin collection. In addition to the editions themselves, he provides helpful reviews of the literature, paleographic analysis, and indices.
Friday, October 7, 2016
The Text of the Hebrew Bible and Its Editions
Brill announces a new book to be looking for this year:
Andrés Piquer Otero and Pablo Torijano Morales, eds. The Text of the Hebrew Bible and Its Editions: Studies in Celebration of the Fifth Centennial of the Complutensian Polyglot
The volume has a great selection of contributors, so I have no doubt it will be a wonderful addition.
ABSTRACT
In The Text of the Hebrew Bible and its Editions some of the top world scholars and editors of the Hebrew Bible and its versions present essays on the aims, method, and problems of editing the biblical text(s), taking as a reference the Complutensian Polyglot, first modern edition of the Hebrew text and its versions and whose Fifth Centennial was celebrated in 2014. The main parts of the volume discuss models of editions from the Renaissance and its forerunners to the Digital Age, the challenges offered by the different textual traditions, particular editorial problems of the individual books of the Bible, and the role played by quotations. It thus sets a landmark in the future of biblical editions.
Andrés Piquer Otero and Pablo Torijano Morales, eds. The Text of the Hebrew Bible and Its Editions: Studies in Celebration of the Fifth Centennial of the Complutensian Polyglot
The volume has a great selection of contributors, so I have no doubt it will be a wonderful addition.
ABSTRACT
In The Text of the Hebrew Bible and its Editions some of the top world scholars and editors of the Hebrew Bible and its versions present essays on the aims, method, and problems of editing the biblical text(s), taking as a reference the Complutensian Polyglot, first modern edition of the Hebrew text and its versions and whose Fifth Centennial was celebrated in 2014. The main parts of the volume discuss models of editions from the Renaissance and its forerunners to the Digital Age, the challenges offered by the different textual traditions, particular editorial problems of the individual books of the Bible, and the role played by quotations. It thus sets a landmark in the future of biblical editions.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition (HBCE)
The Society of Biblical Literature announced today their intent to publish a new critical edition of the Hebrew Bible. This new edition will be called The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition (HBCE). It is the same project as the Oxford Hebrew Bible project, still edited by Ron Hendel, but will now be published by SBL instead of Oxford. The first volume on Proverbs is due to be out by the end of the year. Here is the SBL announcement:
The Society of Biblical Literature is pleased to announce its publishing commitment to a major text-critical project: The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition (HBCE), under the general editorship of Ronald Hendel.
The HBCE will be an eclectic edition of the Hebrew Bible, featuring a critical text with extensive text-critical introductions and commentaries. The project anticipates twenty-one volumes, with an international team of volume authors.
The first volume—Michael V. Fox, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary—will publish in the second half of 2014.
The most distinctive feature of the HBCE project is its method of producing critical texts. HBCE constructs an eclectic text, drawing together readings from many manuscripts and, where warranted, conjectural readings. In other cases, such as Jeremiah, entirely variant texts of books are set side by side. While a common approach for critical editions of other ancient books, such as the New Testament and the Greek and Latin classics, this is not the norm for textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.
In this respect, the approach and scope of this project is a first of its kind for the Hebrew Bible, since our other modern text-critical editions are diplomatic, representing a primary manuscript, in each case, the Masoretic tradition.
The project is bold and innovative. It will stimulate vigorous conversation and critique. It will enliven the guild’s attention to text-critical methods, history of transmission, and translation. It is an exercise that will broaden discussion and open up new insights into the history of the Hebrew Bible.
SBL is delighted to publish the HBCE, to work with Ron and the team of outstanding scholars, and to foster biblical scholarship through discovery and debate.
The Society of Biblical Literature is pleased to announce its publishing commitment to a major text-critical project: The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition (HBCE), under the general editorship of Ronald Hendel.
The HBCE will be an eclectic edition of the Hebrew Bible, featuring a critical text with extensive text-critical introductions and commentaries. The project anticipates twenty-one volumes, with an international team of volume authors.
The first volume—Michael V. Fox, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary—will publish in the second half of 2014.
The most distinctive feature of the HBCE project is its method of producing critical texts. HBCE constructs an eclectic text, drawing together readings from many manuscripts and, where warranted, conjectural readings. In other cases, such as Jeremiah, entirely variant texts of books are set side by side. While a common approach for critical editions of other ancient books, such as the New Testament and the Greek and Latin classics, this is not the norm for textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.
In this respect, the approach and scope of this project is a first of its kind for the Hebrew Bible, since our other modern text-critical editions are diplomatic, representing a primary manuscript, in each case, the Masoretic tradition.
The project is bold and innovative. It will stimulate vigorous conversation and critique. It will enliven the guild’s attention to text-critical methods, history of transmission, and translation. It is an exercise that will broaden discussion and open up new insights into the history of the Hebrew Bible.
SBL is delighted to publish the HBCE, to work with Ron and the team of outstanding scholars, and to foster biblical scholarship through discovery and debate.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Hendel's Text of Genesis 1-11 Online
Ron Hendel has now put his book The Text of Genesis 1-11: Textual Studies and Critical Edition online on Academia.edu. While I would have a few minor critiques, this is an excellent work worthy of study by anyone interested in textual criticism and an essential reference tool for anyone working on the text of Genesis 1-11. This book also gives a good taste of the kind of work we can expect from the Oxford Hebrew Bible project, though the latter editions will probably vary significantly in format from Hendel's initial work.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Critical Edition of the Text of the Genesis Flood Narrative
I recently completed a first draft of my critical edition of the Hebrew text of the Genesis Flood Narrative (Genesis 6:5-9:17). It is significantly too long and detailed for the chapter that I was originally assigned to write, but significant portions of it should be published next fall (primarily the chronology). Hopefully I will be able to find a publisher willing to publish the entire work some time in the future. I will keep the blog updated with any developments. If anyone has any questions on specific textual problems in the Genesis Flood narrative, I would be happy to discuss my conclusions.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Hebrew University Bible Project
The Hebrew University Bible Project got a little sensationalistic attention from an AP reporter recently here. In truth the scholars of the Bible project should be commended for their extraordinary efforts in exhaustively collating the textual evidence, but there is nothing revolutionary about it. Ironically, the policy of the HUBP is not even to give evaluation of variants... :) The end result of the project will be the fullest listing of the evidence to date, but most of the significant problems have already been discovered and discussed. Nevertheless, we can look forward to the completion of the project as a great help for OT textual criticism... hopefully sooner than 2211! For anyone who wants more information on the Hebrew University Bible, fuller explanation can be found on pages 19-20 of my master's thesis here.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Online Biblical Manuscripts and Editions
NB (update 27 April 2016): For the most updated form of this list, see:
http://www.oldtestamenttextualcriticism.blogspot.fi/p/online-digital-images.html
The following is a collection most of the Hebrew biblical manuscripts I have found that are available online in digitized form. Following that are a number of Bible editions available online. I have also included some sites with information on how to obtain microfilms of manuscripts as well as a number of sites worthy of further consideration for occasional publication of biblical manuscripts. This catalogue should be viewed as a work in progress, and I will likely continue to update it when I find new manuscripts and editions. I have not been able to exhaust even the websites that I have found to date, but hopefully this list will be of service for those who want to do original research on primary sources online. Please post any additional sources you may be aware of in the comments, and I will probably incorporate them into the main catalogue.
Last updated 7 November 2013.
Hebrew Biblical Manuscripts
Aleppo Codex: The oldest complete manuscript of the entire Hebrew Bible, now with most of the Pentateuch and some other passages missing.
Berlin Codex:
Cairo Codex:
Eretz Israel Pentateuch (10th century):
Lisbon Bible (1482):
Spanish Bible or "Damascus Keter" (1260)::
Spanish Bible (1341):
Xanten Bible (1294):
Samaritan Pentateuch Cambridge Add.1846
Dead Sea Scrolls
Cairo Geniza Fragments:
Nash Papyrus
The British Library is digitizing their collection of Hebrew manuscripts
The University of Madrid has a digitized Book of Joshua.
Greek Manuscripts
Codex M
Chester Beatty LXX papyri (Rahlfs 961-968, 2149, 2150)
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Vaticanus
Editions
Rabbinic Bible:
Biblia Hebraica:
Ginsburg Hebrew Bible:
Early Critical Editions
Mechon Mamre:
Samaritan Pentateuch
Septuagint
Audio:
Microfilmed Manuscripts
(this section has not been organized, but hopefully contains some helpful links and citations)
Department of Manuscripts & The Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts at the Jewish National and University Library: http://jnul.huji.ac.il/imhm/index.html#reproduction
Sassoon manuscripts collection - full text of 1,281 manuscripts. Or.Mic. 2738-2893
List of manuscript collections to further consider: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/jewish/libraries.html#manuscripts
Other Potential Sources of Information
(some of these sources have additional manuscripts or other significant information, but I have not had time to exhaust and organize them all)
http://www.archive.org/
Consider St. Petersburg/Moscow/Firkowitch collection as well
Sharon Horowitz of the Library of Congress noted the following:
"Other digitized Hebrew Bibles include the Lisbon Bible (1700), Aleppo Codex, Prague Bible, Leningrad Codex, Spanish Bible 1260, Spanish Bible (1341), Xanten Bible.
The University of Madrid has a digitized Book of Joshua.
"You might also research Hebrew Bible fragments in the Cairo Geniza, much of which is being digitized in Cambridge, England.
(See the article:"Hebrew Bible Manuscripts in the Cairo Geniza"
Journal of Semitic Studies, 2005. (50:2))"http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/lisbon/accessible/introduction.html
Madrid University Library: http://cisne.sim.ucm.es/search~S1*spi?/tBiblia.+A.T.+Hebreo/tbiblia+a+t+hebreo/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CB/exact&FF=tbiblia+a+t+hebreo&1%2C27%2C
Seforim Online reports:
"I have contacted the library and they informed that they have high-resolution images of all of their manuscripts and they will mail them on CD to anyone who requests them for a particular manuscript, as far as I understood, for free. However they are not putting them on the web. The contacts for this at the library are:
Pilar Moreno:
Email: pmoreno@buc.ucm.es
Tel. 34 91 394 6642
Fax. 34 91 394 6599
and
Marta Torres – Library Director:
Email: mtorres@buc.ucm.es"
French National Library in Paris: http://gallica.bnf.fr/Search?ArianeWireIndex=index&lang=EN&q=hebreu&p=1&f_typedoc=manuscrit
Laurent HERICHER, Conservateur, Chef du service des manuscrits orientaux, said,"The BNF is in the process of digitizing its collections of manuscripts. As for Hebrew manuscripts, 65 have been digitized from microfilms. It is the very begining. The whole collection will be digitized mainly from the microfilms. Some manuscript will be digitized from the original. As for now, only 4 or five have been digitized from the original and can be consulted online. Precious,rare and important manuscript will be digitized from the original. That should not exceed thirty to fourty items.
"You can consult these manuscripts on Gallica BNF's Virtual library : http://gallica.bnf.fr/
Select "manuscrits" in the research options and type the shelf mark : Hébreu 1333 (here is the permanent link to the document : http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b60005435)
Manuscripts bearing the shelf mark Hebreu 1 to 65 plus Hébreu 1333, Hébreu 1388, Hébreu 113, Hébreu 1137, can be consulted so far on Gallica"
Search of blog posts on online manuscripts: http://www.seforimonline.org/blog/?category_name=hebrew-manuscripts
Munich Digitization Center (MDZ)
http://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=kurzauswahl&l=de&adr=daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/ausgaben/gesamt_ausgabe.html?projekt=1157527575&ordnung=sig&recherche=ja
PDFs of Hebrew MSS, most not biblical: http://www.hebrewmanuscripts.org/
List of MSS databases: http://www.hebrewmanuscript.com/hebrew-fragments-databases.htm
Austrian Library: http://www.hebraica.at/_scripts/php/hbf_lists.php
Historical Archive of Girona: http://manuscritshebreus.cultura.gencat.cat/index.php?ln=en
Catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts in the Vatican Library: http://nli.org.il/imhm/vaticanhebmss.pdf
http://www.oldtestamenttextualcriticism.blogspot.fi/p/online-digital-images.html
The following is a collection most of the Hebrew biblical manuscripts I have found that are available online in digitized form. Following that are a number of Bible editions available online. I have also included some sites with information on how to obtain microfilms of manuscripts as well as a number of sites worthy of further consideration for occasional publication of biblical manuscripts. This catalogue should be viewed as a work in progress, and I will likely continue to update it when I find new manuscripts and editions. I have not been able to exhaust even the websites that I have found to date, but hopefully this list will be of service for those who want to do original research on primary sources online. Please post any additional sources you may be aware of in the comments, and I will probably incorporate them into the main catalogue.
Last updated 7 November 2013.
Hebrew Biblical Manuscripts
Aleppo Codex: The oldest complete manuscript of the entire Hebrew Bible, now with most of the Pentateuch and some other passages missing.
- http://www.aleppocodex.org/newsite/index.html
- Seforim Online (high resolution)
- Seforim Online (low resolution)
Berlin Codex:
Cairo Codex:
Eretz Israel Pentateuch (10th century):
Lisbon Bible (1482):
- http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/lisbonbib.html
- http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/lisbon/accessible/introduction.html
Spanish Bible or "Damascus Keter" (1260)::
Spanish Bible (1341):
Xanten Bible (1294):
- Select illuminated pages: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=xanten&c=172&sScope=Collection+Guide&sLabel=Illuminated%2520Hebrew%2520Manuscripts
Samaritan Pentateuch Cambridge Add.1846
Dead Sea Scrolls
Cairo Geniza Fragments:
- These are being digitized in Cambridge, England.
- Genizah Research Unit
- Genizah Search
Nash Papyrus
The British Library is digitizing their collection of Hebrew manuscripts
The University of Madrid has a digitized Book of Joshua.
Greek Manuscripts
Codex M
Chester Beatty LXX papyri (Rahlfs 961-968, 2149, 2150)
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Vaticanus
Editions
Rabbinic Bible:
- First Rabbinic Bible (1518) (will require download of a document viewer)
- Second Rabbinic Bible (will require download of a document viewer)
- http://www.archive.org/ also has a low quality version.
- Walton's Polyglot (search for Walton on the page; multi-volume).
Biblia Hebraica:
Ginsburg Hebrew Bible:
Early Critical Editions
Mechon Mamre:
Samaritan Pentateuch
Septuagint
Audio:
Microfilmed Manuscripts
(this section has not been organized, but hopefully contains some helpful links and citations)
Department of Manuscripts & The Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts at the Jewish National and University Library: http://jnul.huji.ac.il/imhm/index.html#reproduction
MIcrofiche Manuscript Collections:
Collective catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts - bibliographic records of all Hebrew MSS held in public and private collections around the world. Asian & African Studies Reading Room OIC 011.31
Collective catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts - bibliographic records of all Hebrew MSS held in public and private collections around the world. Asian & African Studies Reading Room OIC 011.31
The Dead Sea Scrolls on microfiche. Leiden, 1993. ORB 40/260
The Allegro Qumran Collection - supplement to the above. OR Fiche 458
The Guenzburg manuscript collections - full text of 1,913 MSS from the Russian State Library, Moscow. OR.Mic.14119
The Allegro Qumran Collection - supplement to the above. OR Fiche 458
The Guenzburg manuscript collections - full text of 1,913 MSS from the Russian State Library, Moscow. OR.Mic.14119
- Described in the List of the Guenzburg Manuscript Collection. Printout of the ALEPH catalogue records supplied by the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, JNUL. Jerusalem, 2000. 4 vols.
JTS manuscript collections - full text of manuscripts and rare books held at the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York - Or.Mic.11693 (Adler collection); Or.Mic.13922 (Mishneh Torah); Or.Mic.11692 (Rare books); Or.Mic.11669 (Incunabula); Or. 13923 (Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic MSS), etc.
- Described in JTS Hebrew manuscripts - brief descriptions of fourteen microfilm collections arranged in two volumes.
- Described in Sassoon, D. S. & Ohel David. Descriptive catalogue of the Hebrew and Samaritan manuscripts in the Sassoon Library. Oxford, 1932, 2 vols.
List of manuscript collections to further consider: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/jewish/libraries.html#manuscripts
Other Potential Sources of Information
(some of these sources have additional manuscripts or other significant information, but I have not had time to exhaust and organize them all)
http://www.archive.org/
Consider St. Petersburg/Moscow/Firkowitch collection as well
Sharon Horowitz of the Library of Congress noted the following:
"Other digitized Hebrew Bibles include the Lisbon Bible (1700), Aleppo Codex, Prague Bible, Leningrad Codex, Spanish Bible 1260, Spanish Bible (1341), Xanten Bible.
The University of Madrid has a digitized Book of Joshua.
"You might also research Hebrew Bible fragments in the Cairo Geniza, much of which is being digitized in Cambridge, England.
(See the article:"Hebrew Bible Manuscripts in the Cairo Geniza"
Journal of Semitic Studies, 2005. (50:2))"http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/lisbon/accessible/introduction.html
(Lisbon Bible)
(Prague Bible)
(Center for Online Judaic Studies; helpful links)
(links to Lenningrad Codex, aleppo codex)
(catalog of digitized manuscripts)
(a listing, mosly non-Bible)
(a catalog, not the actual digitized manuscripts)
(good info on Manuscripts and manuscript catalogs)
Madrid University Library: http://cisne.sim.ucm.es/search~S1*spi?/tBiblia.+A.T.+Hebreo/tbiblia+a+t+hebreo/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CB/exact&FF=tbiblia+a+t+hebreo&1%2C27%2C
Seforim Online reports:
"I have contacted the library and they informed that they have high-resolution images of all of their manuscripts and they will mail them on CD to anyone who requests them for a particular manuscript, as far as I understood, for free. However they are not putting them on the web. The contacts for this at the library are:
Pilar Moreno:
Email: pmoreno@buc.ucm.es
Tel. 34 91 394 6642
Fax. 34 91 394 6599
and
Marta Torres – Library Director:
Email: mtorres@buc.ucm.es"
French National Library in Paris: http://gallica.bnf.fr/Search?ArianeWireIndex=index&lang=EN&q=hebreu&p=1&f_typedoc=manuscrit
Laurent HERICHER, Conservateur, Chef du service des manuscrits orientaux, said,"The BNF is in the process of digitizing its collections of manuscripts. As for Hebrew manuscripts, 65 have been digitized from microfilms. It is the very begining. The whole collection will be digitized mainly from the microfilms. Some manuscript will be digitized from the original. As for now, only 4 or five have been digitized from the original and can be consulted online. Precious,rare and important manuscript will be digitized from the original. That should not exceed thirty to fourty items.
"You can consult these manuscripts on Gallica BNF's Virtual library : http://gallica.bnf.fr/
Select "manuscrits" in the research options and type the shelf mark : Hébreu 1333 (here is the permanent link to the document : http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b60005435)
Manuscripts bearing the shelf mark Hebreu 1 to 65 plus Hébreu 1333, Hébreu 1388, Hébreu 113, Hébreu 1137, can be consulted so far on Gallica"
Search of blog posts on online manuscripts: http://www.seforimonline.org/blog/?category_name=hebrew-manuscripts
Munich Digitization Center (MDZ)
http://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=kurzauswahl&l=de&adr=daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/ausgaben/gesamt_ausgabe.html?projekt=1157527575&ordnung=sig&recherche=ja
PDFs of Hebrew MSS, most not biblical: http://www.hebrewmanuscripts.org/
List of MSS databases: http://www.hebrewmanuscript.com/hebrew-fragments-databases.htm
Austrian Library: http://www.hebraica.at/_scripts/php/hbf_lists.php
Historical Archive of Girona: http://manuscritshebreus.cultura.gencat.cat/index.php?ln=en
Catalogue of Hebrew manuscripts in the Vatican Library: http://nli.org.il/imhm/vaticanhebmss.pdf
Monday, March 21, 2011
Successful Conjectural Emendation on a Modern Printed Edition
 |
| http://www.amazon.com/Readers-Hebrew-Greek-Bible/dp/0310325897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300703594&sr=8-1 |
I first noticed that the unpronounceable form made it appear that בס is the beginning of a word of which the final letters were dropped out. This made it likely that the ב was not part of the root, but was instead the preposition "in/with," a conclusion which seemed to be confirmed by the following parallel terms וברכב ובפרשים "and with chariots and with horsemen," which are each prefixed with the same preposition. I then began to search for a Hebrew word beginning with ס that would be a component of an ancient army parallel to chariots and horsemen, and the word סוס "horse" was clearly the best choice. Thus, Nebuchadrezzar would come against Tyre בסוס "with horses" as well as with chariots and horsemen. A quick check of BHS and BHL confirmed that my emendation was correct. Further check of the Westminster Leningrad Codex in BibleWorks, the text which was used in the Zondervan edition, showed that the error was indeed the fault of the editors or publishers, who somehow corrupted their electronic base text.
This test case of conjectural emendation on a modern printed edition was objectively verifiable, and thus it was an interesting diagnostic example for how to approach the complicated question of conjectural emendations of corrupt texts without verifiable originals. It was also a good reminder that even readers of modern editions of the Hebrew Bible should be alert in their reading of the text for printing errors, as even the copy-paste electronic textual editions are open to error.
As a side note, some might consider me a sell-out for reading Zondervan's reader's edition, because it does not include any text-critical information and gives glosses for uncommon Hebrew words. On the contrary, there is no better way to read extensive quantities of Hebrew text quickly, and I have found that regular quick reading of the Hebrew text is often the best way to learn the language and literature well. Broad exposure to the literature of the Hebrew Bible in the original languages provides perspective and is essential for mature and judicious critical study of the Scriptures. I highly recommend readers' editions and tagged electronic editions towards this end.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
On the Feasiblity of Eclectic Editions of the Hebrew Old Testament
As a first OTTC post, I thought it would be appropriate to raise the age-old question of whether or not to publish eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Bible. This issue is one about which I am very passionate, as I wrote my Master's thesis arguing for them and still feel very strongly about the need for a critically established text of the Hebrew Old Testament. The field of OT studies is severely impoverished by the lack of even a single critical edition of the OT featuring a text base that adequately reflects the results modern text-critical analysis based on all the evidence now available. It is the textual critic's job to provide general readers and students of the literature with the most reliable text possible, and we have utterly failed to do so to date. All this to say, there is a lot of work to be done in OTTC, but it promises to be an exhilerating ride!
I have attached a link to my Master's thesis for those who might be interested in further investigating the issue of eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Old Testament, followed by the abstract of the thesis:
http://masters.academia.edu/DrewLongacre/Papers/415954/On_the_Feasibility_of_Eclectic_Editions_of_the_Hebrew_Old_Testament
Title: ON THE FEASIBILITY OF ECLECTIC EDITIONS OF THE HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT
I have attached a link to my Master's thesis for those who might be interested in further investigating the issue of eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Old Testament, followed by the abstract of the thesis:
http://masters.academia.edu/DrewLongacre/Papers/415954/On_the_Feasibility_of_Eclectic_Editions_of_the_Hebrew_Old_Testament
Title: ON THE FEASIBILITY OF ECLECTIC EDITIONS OF THE HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT
Author: Drew G. Longacre
Degree: Master of Divinity
Date: April 2010
Adviser: William D. Barrick
The exegesis of a text can of necessity only be as good as the text that underlies it. This thesis seeks to evaluate the feasibility of the application of an eclectic text-critical methodology to create eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Old Testament with a view to reconstructing a more pristine text.
It begins by surveying the various publishing methodologies that have been proposed in the history of OT critical editions and the critical editions which implement them. Possible methodologies examined and critiqued are the publication of diplomatic editions, purely eclectic editions, copy-text eclectic editions, multicolumn editions, and textual commentaries.
The survey of the history of critical editions includes extensive critique of the three main critical editions of the Hebrew Bible currently in process: Biblia Hebraica Quinta, the Hebrew University Bible, and the Oxford Hebrew Bible.
A critique of the method of publishing a diplomatic text then shows both the theoretical weaknesses and the practical inadequacies of the potential manuscripts for a diplomatic text. After detailed analysis of the Leningrad and Aleppo Codices, a listing of other significant manuscripts, illustrations of corruption in the Masoretic tradition, and discussing the danger of imposing doubtful vocalizations upon the text, it becomes clear that no existing manuscript or tradition can adequately serve as the base text for a reliable edition of the text of the OT.
The survey of the history of critical editions includes extensive critique of the three main critical editions of the Hebrew Bible currently in process: Biblia Hebraica Quinta, the Hebrew University Bible, and the Oxford Hebrew Bible.
A critique of the method of publishing a diplomatic text then shows both the theoretical weaknesses and the practical inadequacies of the potential manuscripts for a diplomatic text. After detailed analysis of the Leningrad and Aleppo Codices, a listing of other significant manuscripts, illustrations of corruption in the Masoretic tradition, and discussing the danger of imposing doubtful vocalizations upon the text, it becomes clear that no existing manuscript or tradition can adequately serve as the base text for a reliable edition of the text of the OT.
A substantial chapter is then devoted to listing and explaining all of the special problems of implementing an eclectic methodology in OT textual criticism, such as the problems of the nature of the evidence, conjectural emendation, comparative philology, publication of accidentals, the nature of the original text, dogmatic considerations, divided evidence, and the scope of the edition.
And finally, it is argued that, despite the difficulties inherent in the endeavor, it is preferable and feasible to publish eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew OT in both multi-volume major editions and in single-volume manual editions. Given the increased maturity of the discipline of textual criticism of the OT, the time has come for a new era where the results of decades of text-critical studies are incorporated into eclectic critical editions of the Hebrew Bible to present for general usage. A perfect text is forever an unattainable ideal, but a text which reflects the best possible understanding of the vidence available presents an important step in the right direction. Current efforts to produce eclectic critical editions of the text of the Hebrew OT should be embraced and further studies encouraged for the furtherance of the discipline and purity of the text.
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