Textual Criticism (RelSt [ClasSt, JewSt] 735, Fall 2008, Robert
Kraft)
Tuesdays, 6-9 pm, Cohen (Logan)
204
Quick Links:
Jay Treat's Pages from the Web on Text, Manuscripts, Paleography
Wieland Willker's Bible-Links Page
Schedule:
09se -- Orientation
16se -- "3 Corinthians"
23se -- Polycarp-Barnabas
30se -- Barnabas papyrus ; Psalm 151
07oc -- Barthelemy's contributions to LXX/OG research
[14oc -- "fall break"]
21oc --
28oc --
04no (election day) --
11no --
18no --
25no (SBL Boston) --
02de --
General Description:
This is an introduction
to the textual criticism of ancient texts – covering theory as well as
specific applications, such as how to read and interpret text critical
apparatuses and their evidence. Primary attention will be given
to
texts preserved in Greek and Latin, including translations from Hebrew
to Greek (especially Jewish scriptures in Greek) and between Greek and
Latin. Jewish and Christian texts, scriptural and others, will be
examined as well as various classical writings. Working knowledge
of
Greek is necessary; some Latin and/or Hebrew would be helpful but not
crucial.
The goal of textual criticism is to collect and evaluate available information relating to the symbolic presentation (especially wording) and associated meaning(s) of a text in an attempt to shed light on its various stages of transmission and re-presentation, from the earliest ascertainable form onward throughout the lives of the preserved witnesses.Quest for "the original" is but one of many possible byproducts.
Initial Reading
Suggestions:
Maas, Paul. Textual
Criticism (Textkritik
1957\3; ET B.
Flower 1958, repr
1967; Oxford
University Press)
ISBN 0-198-14318-4
Projects:
This will be a "work-seminar" in which
each student chooses projects that will require detailed knowledge of
textcritical conventions and approaches relating to the students main
areas of interest. For example, one project should deal with aspects of
texts for which more than a score of witnesses exist, such as:
- Jewish Greek scriptures, and relationship to Hebrew and/or to
"Old Latin" and other "daughter" versions.
- Christian "New Testament" texts, also in relation to Latin and
other versions.
- Homer manuscripts and papyri
- Vergil
- Ovid
- Aesop's Fables
- Augustine or Jerome
Another project should explore a text
or texts for which no more than a handful of direct witnesses exist,
such as:
Selected Readings and Exhibits Relating to Special Situations:
On the highly specialized and technical vocabulary of LXX/OG editions --
On the complex situation involving
translation(s), recensions, etc. --
On recensional activity on a sub-set of
a larger corpus --
- Kraft, "Philo's Bible Revisited: the `Aberrant Texts' and their
Quotations of Moses," pp. 237-253 in Interpreting
Translation: Studies on the LXX and Ezekiel in Honour of Johan Lust,
ed F. Garcia Martinez and M. Vervenne with the collaboration of B.
Doyle (Peeters
2005) [also an expanded
version with working notes appended].
On recensional activity in a text with limited witnesses --
On Christian editing of Jewish and
other texts --
On textual confusion caused by faulty archetypes
On the textcritical impact of papyri evidence
On the influence of commentarial
treatments --
- Ralph Hexter, Ovid and
Medieval Schooling: Studies in Medieval School Commentaries on Ovid's
Ars amatoria, Epistulae ex Ponto, and Epistulae Heriodum
(Mu"nchner Beitra"ge zur Media"vistik und Reniassance-Forschung
38; Munich, 1986)
Some samples of interesting problems with names --
- Ornias son of David // Adoneias son of Aggeiq: 3Kgms 1.5, (1.7), 1.8, 1.9, 1.11, 1.13, 1,18, 1.24, 1.25, 1.41, 1.42, 1.49, 1.50, 1.51, 2.13, 2.19, 2.28, 2.23-25, [see also 4.5 Orneia // Azarias son of Nathan] 2Kgms 3.4
- Daniel 11.30 on the "Kittim" ("Theod" =
Κ?τιοι, OG =
?ωμα?οι)
Daniel 11.30 on the "Kittim" ("Theod" = Κ?τιοι, OG = ?ωμα?οι)
more to come
Sample Images of Possible Interest:
Textual Editions --
Textual Modeling --
//updated 13oc2008//
