The Jewish Quarterly Review, NS 61 (1970) 167-171 --
Review by Robert A. Kraft of

<t>The Septuagint and Modern Study</t>, by SIDNEY JELLICOE. 
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1968. Pp. ixx + 424. 65/-.

A WEALTH OF VALUABLE INFORMATION is presented in this 
contribution to the revival of "Septuagintal" studies by the Dean 
of Bishop's University (Lennoxville, Quebec) who is also a 
founding father of and the editor for the new "International 
Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies" (see <t>New 
Testament Studies</t> 16, 1969/70, 384-96). Jellicoe does not 
presume to replace or to revise the standard <t>Introduction to 
the Old Testament in Greek</t> published at the beginning of this 
century by H. B. Swete (1900, 1902; supplemented reprint by R. R. 
Ottley, 1914), but attempts to provide a selective treatment of 
"the principal features of Septuagintal studies since the time of 
Swete, to offers one contribution towards the solution of current 
problems, and to indicate those lines along which...future 
studies might be expected profitable to proceed" (vi). 
Understandably, there is considerable overlapping with Swete's 
treatment especially in such basic matters as description of 
manuscripts and discussion of the versions based on Jewish Greek 
scriptures and of the so-called "revisions" and "recensions" 
identified with Aquila, Lucian, and others. But Jellicoe updates 
the discussion in a manner that moves far beyond anything 
available elsewhere under a single cover. This breadth of 
<e>content</e> is itself more than ample justification for 
recommending the book to students and scholars, even though this 
reviewer has serious reservations about certain aspects of its 
<e>form</e> (organization, cohesion). 

     The primary strength of the book lies more with its 
descriptive summaries of the work of others -- including some 
critical comments (usually at a relatively general level) -- 
rather than with detailed analyses of basic problems or with the 
presentation of a flood of exciting new ideas. It is not always 
clear that the author has himself worked through the specific 
details of a given issue to his own satisfaction, and thus his 
own viewpoint is not always obvious. Not that the book is devoid 
of new, or at least relatively unfamiliar ideas -- e.g. Jellicoe 
suggests that ancient references to <e>ho Symmachos</e> might 
refer to a version of anonymous authorship used by an Ebionite 
sect of that name (compare <e>ho Syros</e> or <e>ho Hebraios</e) 
rather than to an individual named Symmachus (p. 99; a 
development analogous to the Ebion/Ebionite tradition!); he also 
encourages Septuagintal textual criticism to pay more attention 
to the possible existence of a wide ranging "western" textual 
stream (cf. Rahlfs in Psalms) parallel to that found by New 
Testament critics (p. 348). Furthermore, Jellicoe writes with 
[Page 168] obvious competence and enthusiasm for his subject in 
discussing the pertinent men, ideas, texts, and developments; he 
is well versed in the materials, and is anxious to see 
"Septuagint" studies progress along the lines he suggests. But 
the descriptive value of the book far outweighs any analytic or 
groundbreaking qualities it may possess. 

     Jellicoe does not claim to provide a comprehensive treatment 
of the subject area, but frankly admits to "some measure of 
selectivity" (vi). After an introductory chapter surveying text-
critical work on Jewish Greek scriptures from the Oxford edition 
of Holmes and Parsons (1788-1847) through the Cambridge and 
Go%ttingen projects of this century, Jellicoe divides his 
treatment into two parts: "Origins and Transmission-History," and 
"Text and Language." <e>Part I</e> begins with a lengthy chapter 
on the Letter of Aristeas (which is a special interest of the 
author -- he has written on it elsewhere), followed by a 
discussion of certain modern theories of "Septuagintal" origins 
(Kahle, M. Gaster, Thackeray, Tychsen-Wutz) and three chapters on 
"revisions" (Aquila, Theodotion, Symmachus) and "recensions" 
(Origen and the Hexapla, Hesychius, Lucian). <e>Part 2</e> 
offers descriptions of "Septagugint" manuscripts and fragments 
(uncials and papyri at some length, cursives rather briefly) and 
of other ancient versions of Jewish scriptures (rather brief, 
including Samaritan Pentateuch), then a survey of modern editions 
and text-critical studies for each scriptural book or section. 
The final two chapters deal briefly with "Language and Style" 
(translation technique, relation of the Greek scriptures to the 
Masoretic text, grammar and lexicography) and with "The Current 
Situation" and future prospects. Two useful <e>appendices</e> 
listing and correlating the manuscripts and sigla employed in the 
Cambridge and Go%ttingen editions follow (pp. 360-369), then a 
thirty page <e>bibliography</e> arranged topically and covering 
literature from ca. 1900-1965/66 (unfortunately, it does not 
necessarily repeat relevant material mentioned in the body of the 
book), and finally, relatively complete <e>indices</e> of 
subjects, modern authors, biblical and other ancient sources, and 
Greek and Semitic words. There is no real discussion of such 
topics (see Swete) as ancient quotations from Jewish Greek 
scriptures, nor of the problems of canon and order of books in 
the preserved witnesses. From the viewpoint of this reviewer, 
the discussion of translation technique also is lamentably 
restricted (pp. 314-318), given the purposes of the book and the 
important contributions by Thackeray, Barthe(/)lemy, S. Daniel, 
and others. 

     The ways in which the material is distributed (organized) 
within these chapters and sections is not always helpful, and is 
sometimes quite distracting. Some topics for which a unified 
treatment in one place, to which cross-reference could be made as 
necessary, would seem preferable are dealt with in various forms 
in different portions [Page 169] of the book: e.g. modern 
editions and textual classifications are discussed partly in the 
introductory chapter, partly in the long section on manuscripts, 
and partly in the chapter on modern editions and text-critical 
studies of each biblical book. Thus Ziegler's work on Jeremiah 
(see also his Isaiah) is described on pp. 18-21 (general overview 
and specific studies), 219 (manuscript groupings in section on 
cursives; not noted in index under "Jeremiah"), and 300 f. 
(manuscript groupings repeated in section on Jeremiah, with a 
cross reference to pp. 19-21). The general problem of Theodotion 
and the text of Daniel comes up in slightly different forms (with 
overlap) on pp. 86 ff. (section on Theodotion) and again on p. 
232 (on the Chester Beatty papyrus of Daniel). The possible 
value of even a late cursive manuscript for text-critical 
purposes is emphasized by different means on pp. 175, 215 ff., 
243, and 342. The relationship of Josephus to the so-called 
Lucianic text is discussed on pp. 286-290 (concerning Samuel-
Kings) rather than on pp. 157 ff., where the Lucianic recension 
is treated in some detail. Ziegler's Alexandrian group of 
manuscripts for the minor prophets is listed in detail on p. 234 
n. 4(discussing the Freer-Washington papyrus) rather than on p. 
299 where it belongs. Sometimes, relatively extensive footnote 
material is repeated unnecessarily -- e.g. p. 61 n. 4 = p. 343 n. 
4 (on supporters of Kahle's position); p. 84 n. 2 = p. 126 n. 5 
(on the old Greek of Daniel; cf. p. 231); p. 107 n. 2 = p. 230 n. 
4 (on Melito's <t>Paschal Homily</t>, the study of which has been 
furthered by the publication of the Bodmer papyrus in 1960, 
which is not noted). In short, the organization seems to be 
rather haphazard and the material not always fully digested 
before presentation --as a final example, note the oft repeated 
(cf. pp. 161, 169, 290, 346) but never critically evaluated (even 
on p. 238, where the payrus is described as such) claim that one 
of the oldest extant Greek payrus fragments of Jewish scriptures 
(P. Ryl. 458 to Deuteronomy = LXX 957) has significant "Lucianic" 
affinities, despite the recognition elsewhere (pp. 166, 276) of 
current pessimism about the possibility of isolating any 
"Lucianic" group of manuscripts in the book of Deuteronomy! 
Judicious use of the indices can, of course, help alleviate such 
problems -- but this does not make the volume any less 
frustrating to read, at times. 

     As would be expected, various criticisms or corrections also 
are possible at the level of pedantic detail. Jellicoe's 
inconsistent practice of usually referring to W. P. M. Walter, 
"better known to scholarship as Peter Katz" (p. 338), by the 
former rather than the latter name may prove distressing to 
beginners since the notes and bibliography normally list "Katz" 
(without explanation) -- in fact, the mystery is not really 
resolved until p. 338 (see also 20 n. I and 287) and in the 
index, where the entry for "Walters" reads "<e>see</e> Katz"! 
The Barthe(/)lemy scroll [Page 170] of the minor prophets is 
incorrectly described as "Qumra(^)n" material (pp. 93, 312, 358, 
388 -- it actually came from Nahal Hever), and Barthe(/)lemy's 
contributions to the study of Samuel-Kings are not even noted in 
the latter connection. There are some distressing typographical 
and similar errors, although considering the demanding contents 
of the book, they are relatively few: e.g. the dates given on p. 
117 (at n. 3) are incompatible; p. 211 n. 3 is somewhat confused 
and confusing (see pp. 365 and 367 for omitted sigla); the 
statistics on pp. 223f. cannot be correct; p. 238 line 19 should 
read 958 not 957; p. 363 to manuscript 108 add the siglum "a" in 
Esther; p. 364 to manuscript 370 add reference to Esther. Nor is 
it difficult to suggest additional bibliographic references in 
such a broad field -- I limit myself to only two of somewhat 
general significance: on p. 375 of the bibliography, under 
"Grammar", the important volume on <t>Semitische Syntax im Neuen 
Testament</t> (I. I, 1962, 19682) by K. Beyer deserves mention, 
as does A. H. R. E. Paap's supplement (1959) to Traube's work on 
<t>Nomina Sacra</t> mentioned on p. 377. But despite such 
suggested additions, the bibliographical value of the book alone 
will be worth its price to many users. 

     It would indeed be amazing if, with a volume of this nature 
and scope, a reviewer did not also find some points of substance 
at which to react with some degree of skepticism. They exist. 
For example, despite Jellicoe's carefulness in dealing with 
"Septuagint" origins and early developments, I sometimes felt 
very uncomfortable about what seemed to be an overly simplistic 
approach to questions such as the relationship between textual 
developments, canonical consciousness (at the level of a 
recognized and unified collection, "under one cover" so to 
speak), and what was or was not possible prior to the development 
of largescale codices in the late third and subsequent centuries 
(see pp. 89-93, 123, 316, 341, 352-354; despite the caution 
implied in statements on pp. 93, 119 f., 315). Or again, the 
idea that perhaps the <e>main</e> reason why "official Jewry" (?) 
came to "abandon" or correct the older "official" (?) Greek 
translation was because of Christian (mis-)use of those writings 
(cf. pp. 74-76; also 44,46) is to me very unconvincing as such; 
possibly much more important were the inner Jewish developments 
with regard to the Semitic text and to Pharasaic hegemony (see p. 
76). And whether there is any point in attempting to speak about 
a "Septuagint" <t>Vorlage</t> (cf. e.g. pp. 61f., 343f., 359) at 
any more extensive level than the origin of individual books or 
units (see quite rightly p. 315) seems to me to be quite 
questionable -- in which case the whole Lagarde-Kahle "debate" as 
carried out in some quarters might well dissolve by being shifted 
from the realm of broad generalizations to specific, more 
controllable data! [Page 171}] 

     But such hesitations, whether large or small, should not be 
allowed to obscure the general carefulness with which Jellicoe 
approaches this difficult subject area and presents the various 
pertinent opinions and options. Although to my way of thinking 
it is a book that would have profited from considerable 
"tightening up" before it was released, it is still the most 
comprehensive general work to appear on these subjects in recent 
decades, and should prove useful for many years as a companion 
volume to Swete (and/or others) in introducing students to the 
larger field of Septuagintal and cognate studies, as well as 
providing a ready reference tool for those already engaged in 
such work. 

University of Pennsylvania              ROBERT A. KRAFT

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