"Exploring pre-Constantinian Developments of LXX/OG in Light of Early Papyri and Related Texts" [alternate title]
For the conference on "The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text" (Hampton Court, Herefordshire ENG; 27-30 May 1998)
My interest in this subject is nearly as old as my own wissenschaftlich career. When it came to choosing a subject for my Harvard dissertation some 40 years ago, I was torn between analyzing the pre-Hexaplaric fragments of Greek Jewish scriptures, and the topic I finally selected, the use of Jewish sources in the Epistle of Barnabas. My Doktor-Vater, Krister Stendahl, encouraged me towards the latter since he felt that it could receive better direction at that time than the LXX/OG topic. He also recommended me for my first full-time teaching job, at the University of Manchester, since he thought I might find there the archives from the Brooke-McLean- Thackeray-Manson "larger Cambridge Septuagint" project to nourish that side of my developing interests. I found no such archives.
Meanwhile, however, I had compiled a loose-leaf notebook with as much information as I could gather on the earliest LXX/OG fragments, arranged book by book in order of the current canonical sequence, and when Bas Van Elderen offered me this assignment, it seemed like a good opportunity to reacquaint myself with some old fragmentary friends.
Gathering the Raw Data. -- My first impulse was to create a computer file of the materials of which I had been aware 40 years ago, which I hastened to do, and then to rearrange those materials in roughly chronological order -- based on the well known vagrancies of available paleographical estimations.
I then turned to the main tools of which I was aware that had appeared since about 1959, that could help me supplement the list --
Kurt Treu's 1973 Kairos article on
" Joseph van Haelst's 1976 Catalog of Jewish and Christian Papyri,
Eric Turner's 1977 Colin Roberts' 1977 Schweich Lectures on and the new editions of individual Greek texts, especially by John
Wevers in the Goettingen series.
Initially, I spread a wide net, attempting to catch everything prior
to the success of Christianity under Constantine, and thus listing all
papyri and related materials in Greek dated to the 4th century ce and
earlier. As I said, it was a wide net, and it caught about 120
separate items (not all of them papyri), including a dozen that are
dated to the first century ce or earlier and are almost certainly
certifiably Jewish in origin. Of the 2nd - 4th century ce fragments,
another half dozen have been claimed as Jewish by one or another of
the respected authorities. Unanimity, of course, is difficult to
obtain in this sort of Wissenschaft.
The textual work of Origen (c 185-253) in producing the
multi-columned tool for studying and improving the extant text of
Jewish scriptures in his day is usually viewed as a watershed in
the study of the development of the Greek Christian "OT"
manuscripts. Not only does Origen's "Hexapla" (in its various
forms and formats) offer information about the Greek and Hebrew-
Aramaic texts available to him in the first part of the third
century, but to the extent that his endeavor to improve existing
LXX/OG texts was successful, his work became a major factor in
complicating the subsequent textual situation. In the two or
three generations immediately following Origen, we also hear of
extensive "recensional" work attributed to the now-mysterious
persons of Hesychius and Lucian.
With this in mind, the quest for texts not affected by these
well-intentioned efforts becomes important to the student of the
development of Greek Jewish scriptures -- the LXX/OG and related
materials. One way of approaching the problem is to try to
identify texts and readings that do not show influence from
Origen's "Hexapla," or other roughly contemporary recensional
developments, and use that as a criterion for identifying
presumably earlier materials. The textual apparatuses of the best
available LXX/OG editions are filled with relevant information
about such textual affinities.
Another approach, to which this report attempts to contribute, is
to use chronological considerations for isolating materials that
could not have been influenced by the work of these early critics
because the materials predate the period when the 3rd and early
4th century products would have begun to cast their shadows.
Manuscripts and fragments that predate the early third century
are obviously the most significant in this regard, but any items
that can reasonably be considered pre-Constantinian (early 4th
century) have an excellent chance of being "uncontaminated" for
these purposes.
The Manuscript Fragments
There are various convenient lists and collections from which to
gather these early witnesses to the development of LXX/OG. A new
one was released on CD-ROM in August 1998 by Willy Clarisse at the
papyrological congress in Florence. Otherwise, to my knowledge,
the most complete is the catalog by Joseph van Haelst, which
appeared in 1976. Van Haelst includes appendices in which he
lists Jewish and Christian materials by date, from earliest to
latest, and also provides statistics for what he has listed,
roughly generation by generation (early 2nd century, 2nd c in
general, late 2nd c, 2nd/3rd c, etc.). Around the same time, the
respected papyrologist Eric G. Turner produced his study of the
development of the Early Codex, which also provides similar
chronological lists of all codices known to him. Finally, still
from the late 1970s, the Schweich Lectures by Colin Roberts also
in their own way survey much of the relevant material, partly in
response to Kurt Treu's list of possibly Jewish fragments from
his 1973 article (see the appendix). I've put those lists
together in what follows, and have tried to adjust the
controversial datings towards Turner's judgment, on the belief
that an experienced paleographer looking at the entire range of
materials in a comparative way is more likely to be accurate than
are individual editors who have seen only parts of the picture.
Of course, paleographical judgments remain subject to
modification, and are at best approximations based on certain
assumptions about consistency, development, etc.
In the following list, which is arranged in roughly chronological
order (according to paleographical estimations), the Jewish and
possibly Jewish fragments (including some unidentified early
pieces) and marked with *. Items are presented with the
Goettingen number in brackets, when known, followed by the van
Haelst number (vh###). Generous assistance in locating some of the
fragments has been received from Matthew Hamilton,
Moore Theological College Library,
1 King St Newtown NSW 2042 Australia
[matthew.hamilton@moore.edu.au], and is gratefully acknowledged.
See also Emanuel Tov's article in the Pietersma Festschrift (2001)
mentioned
in my draft linked below.
===[*summary section on fragments discussed in the article -- images of
most of these can be found linked from the article.
late 1st bce
turn of era
1st ce
1st/2nd
2nd early
2nd
2nd late
2nd/3rd
3rd c. early
3rd c.
3rd c. late
3rd/4th
4th c. early
4th c.
late 4th
4th/5th c
5th c
undated
1. 4QLXXDeut [#819] (2nd bce, parchment roll, Dt 11)
2. PRyl 458 [#957 = vh057] (2nd bce, papyrus roll, Dt 23-28)
3. 7QLXXEx [#805 = vh038] (2nd/1st bce, papyrus roll, Ex 28)
4. 4QLXXLev\a [#801 = vh049] (2nd/1st bce, parchment roll, Lev 26)
5. 7QLXX EpJer [#804 = vh312] (2nd/1st bce, papyrus roll, EpJer/Bar6)
5+. Qumran cave 7 has produced several other Greek fragments that
have not yet been identified convincingly. In general, many of
them seem to be bilinear and showing serifs. No attempt is made
to include them in the current listing, although in some ways
they are also of relevance as attesting Jewish literary activity.
6. PFouad 266a [#942 = vh056] (1st bce, papyrus roll, Gen 3-38)
7. 4QLXXLev\b [#802 = vh046] (1st bce, papyrus roll, Lev 2-5)
8. PFouad 266b [#848 = vh56] (1st bce, papyrus roll, Dt 17-33)
9. PFouad 266c [#847 = vh56] (late 1st bce, papyrus roll, Dt 10-33)
10. 4Q127 (late 1st bce, papyrus roll, Greek paraphrase of Exod?)
11. 4Q126 (late 1st bce, parchment roll, unidentified Greek)
12. 4QLXXNu [#803 = vh051] (turn of era, parchment roll, Nm 3-4)
13. Nahal Hever [#943 = vh285] (turn of the era, parchment roll, MPrs)
14. POxy 3522 [#??] (1st ce, papyrus roll, Job 42)
15. POxy 4443 [#??] (1st/2nd ce, papyrus roll, Esther E + 8-9)
16. PFouad 203 [vh911] (1st/2nd ce, papyrus roll, prayer/amulet?)
17. PYale 1 [#814 = vh012 = T007] (2nd ce, papyrus codex, Gen 14)
18. PBodl 5 [#2082 = vh151 = T097A?] (2nd ce, parchment codex, Ps 48-49)
= Proc Br Acad 43 (1964), 229 (pl)
19. POxy 656 [#905(U4) = vh013 = T009] (2nd/3rd ce, papyrus codex, Gen
14-27)
20. POxy 1007 [#907 = vh005 = t002] (3rd ce, parchment codex,Gen 2-3)
21. POxy 1166 [#944 = vh014] (3rd ce, papyrus roll, Gen 16)
22. PBerlin 17213 [#995 = vh015] (3rd ce, papyrus codex, Gen 19)
23. POxy 1075 [#909 = vh044] (3rd ce, papyrus roll, Ex 40)
24. Cairo Ostrakon 215 [#999 = vh080] (late 3rd ce, ostrakon, Jdth 15)
25. PLitLond 202 = BM P 2557 [#953 = vh030 = T022] (3/4 ce, papyrus
codex, Gen 46-47)
26. PVindob 39777 = StudPal 2.114 = PWien Rainer 18 [#xx = vh167]
(3/4 ce, parchment roll, Ps 68/69, 80/81 Symm?)
27. PAlex 203 [# = vh300] (3/4th ce, papyrus roll, Isa 48)
28. PHarris 31 [#2108 = vh148] (3/4th ce, papyrus roll[?] Psalm 43)
29. POxy 1225 [#947 = vh048] (early 4th ce, papyrus roll, Lev 16.33f)
30. PLitLond 211 [#925 = vh319] (early 4th ce, vellum roll, Dan 1.17f Q')
---[end summary section]
2nd bce
Dt 11
4QLXXDeut ("leather") [#819]
Dt 23-28 PRyl 458 (roll, pl) [#957] vh057
2nd/1st bce
Ex 28
7QLXXEx
[#805] vh038
Lev
4QLXXLev\a ("leather")
[#801] vh049
EpJer/Bar6
7QLXX EpJer
[#804] vh312
1st bce
Gen 3-38
PFouad 266a (no Heb tetra; blanks)
[#942] vh056
Lev 2-5
4QLXXLev\b (IAW tetragr)
[#802] vh046
Dt 17-33
PFouad 266b (Heb tetra; blanks)
[#848] {vh56}
Dt 10-33
PFouad 266c (no Heb tetra; blanks)
[#847] {vh56}
4Q127 (Greek paraphrase of Exod?)
4Q126 (unidentified Greek, skins)
Nm 3-4
4QLXXNu ("leather")
[#803] vh051
MPrs
Nahal Hever ("leather" roll)
[#943] vh285
Job 42
POxy 3522 (roll, paleo tetragr, sp)
[#??]
Esth 8-9
POxy 4443 (Hamilton)
prayer
PFouad 203 (roll)
vh911
Ps 14
PBarc inv 2 (Hamilton)
[Roca-Puig 1985]
Gen 14
PYale 1 (vH late 1st; T 2/3!, pl)
[#814] vh012 T007
Ex 8/Dt 29
PBaden 56
[#970] vh033 T024
Lev 10
PSchoyen 2649 (Hamilton)
Nm - Dt
PChBeat 6 (3rd c?)
[#963] vh052 T036
Ps 1
PSI 1989 (Hamilton)
Ps 48-49
PBodl 5 (stich, no abbrevs; notes)
[#2082] vh151 T097A?
= Proc Br Acad 43 (1964), 229 (pl)
Ps 81-82
PAnt 7 (non-stich)
[#2077] vh179 T120
Gen 14-27
POxy 656 (Jewish codex? vh; pl)
[#905=U4] vh013 T009
Josh 9-11
PSchoyen 2648 (Hamilton)
[DeTroyer]
2Chr 29-30
PBarc 3 (pl)
vh076 T051
Ps 77
PSI 8.921 (recto = dated 143/44 ce)
[#2054] vh174
Isa 23
PPrinc Garrett/Bell 2G ... (Hamilton)
[on web]
Isa 36-37
PBerlin 6772
[#902] vh297 T197
Ex 4
Deissman Nachlass
[Horsley 1993
(Hamilton)]
Gen 19
PBerlin 17213 (Treu pl)
[#995] vh015 T011a
Ex 31f
POxy 1074 (plate recto)
[#908] vh040 T029
Ex 20
POxy 4442 (Hamilton, Tov)
Ps 118
PLeipzig 170 (stich, 2-3rd)
[#2014] vh224 T151
Pss 144-145
PBerol inv 21265 (Hamilton)
[Ioannidou; Gronewalf ZPE 115
(1997) 130]
Job 33-34
PBerlin 11778 = BKT 8.17 (magic?)
[#974] vh275
Isa 8-60
PChBeat 7, etc. (various locations)
[#965] vh293 T195
Ezk-Dn-Est
PChBeat 9 (various locations)
[#967] vh315
T183/207a
=
SIFC 12 (1935) 109f Aphroditopolis (notes)
[#967]
Gen 14
PLitLond 228 = BrMus 212 (quote?)
[# = U3]
Gen 16
POxy 1166 (roll; plate; Jewish?)
[#944] vh014
Ex 22-23
PHarris 2 166 (1985).?
[#??]
Ex 40
PRein 2.59 = PSorbonne 2166
[#1000] vh043 T031
Ex 40
POxy 1075 (roll; plate)
[#909] vh044
Jdg 1
PSI 2.127 (ed 5th c, T 3rd)
[#968] vh062 T043
2Chr 24
PLondChrist 3 = PEgerton 4
[#971] vh075 T051a
Ps 2
PLitLond 204 (non-stich, abbrvs)
[#2051] vh092 T060
Ps 8-9
PMich 133 (or 4th c)
[#2067] vh101 T065a
Ps 67-68
PVind/Wien Rainer 4.12 (stich)
[#2094] vh165 T110
=
PVind/Wien 26035B = MPER 4.12 (notes)
Ps 79
PRhodos (lead roll, magical)
vh177
=Ps 79
PBerlin 8630 (lead roll, dated 1-4 !!)
[#2004]
Job 9
PChBeat 18 (Hamilton) [Pietersma]
Prv 5-20 \
WSol 11-12 }
PAnt 8 (stichs; notes; txtcrit)
[#928] vh254 T165
Sir 45 /
Qohelet
PHamb (with some Coptic texts)
[#998] vh263
Qohel 3
PMed 1.13 (stich, pl)
[#989] vh264 T172
Qohel 6
PMich 3.135 (stich, pl =? #989)
[# ] vh265 =
Isa 19
PFir 8
Isa 38
PVindob/Wien Rainer 8024
[#948] vh298 T198
Isa 49
PBerlin 13422
[#904] vh301
Jer 2-3
PBerlin 17212 (Treu pl, mg notes)
[#837] vh303 T201a
Jer 4-5
PChBeat 8 (ed 2nd or 2/3; T 4th)
[#966] vh304 T202
Dan 1 OG
P(private) ed Schwartz
vh318
Gen 1-35
PBerlin fol 66 I/II
[#911] vh004 T001
Gen 2-3
POxy 1007 (parchm, pl; zz tetragr)
[#907] vh005 T002
Gen 24-46
PChBeat 5
[#962] vh007 T011
Pss 7-8
POxy 1226 (stichs)
[#2025] vh099 T065
Ps 120
PBarc inv 10 (Hamilton)
[Roca Puig; Treu AFP 26 (1978) 153]
Prv 2-3
PAnt 9 (notes; txtcrit interest)
[#987] vh252 T164
Tob 12
POxy 1594 (parch, txtcrit)
[#990] vh082 T186
Jdth 15
Cairo Ostrakon 215
[#999] vh080
MPrs
PWash Freer (txtcrit)
[#W] vh284 T187
Isa 6.10(q)
POxy 406 (pl, quote)
vh1152 T194a
Isa 23
PLibrCong 4082B
[#] vh295
??
JEA 11(1925) 241-46 (Gk-Copt extracts)
Gen 27-28
PBerlin Eg 9778 (parchm)
[#903] vh017
Gen 46-47
PLitLond 202 = BM P 2557
[#953] vh030 T022
Ex 9
Bodl MS Gr bibl f 4 (3-6 c)
[Spottorno & Marco 1976 (Hamilton)]
Ex 34-35
PBerlin 14039 (parch, Treu)
vh042 T029b
Esth 4
PPalauRibes inv 163 (Hamilton)
[Daris 1986]
Ps 1
PL 2 34 (Hamilton)
[Pintaudi 1980]
Ps 11-14
PLitLond 207 (roll? stichs music?)
[#2019] vh109
Ps 17-118
PBodmer 24 (earlier?)
[#2110] vh118 T075a
Ps 19
PRyl add 3.1 (liturgical?)
[#] vh121
Ps 21
PUG (pl, paragraphos)
[#] vh125
Ps 43
PHarris 31 (roll? amulet?)
[#2108] vh148
Ps 68, 80
PVindob 39777 = StudPal 2.114 (parch roll; S'?)(paleo-Heb tetragr)
=Ps 69, 81
PWien Rainer 18 (S')
[#xx] vh167
Ps 82-83
POxy 1352 (parch, corrs, numbers)
[#2049] vh180 T121
Ps 143-148
PSI 8.980 (lines between)
[#2055] vh238 T162
Job 1-2
PSI 10.1163
[#955] vh272 T177
Sir 29
PFlor 531
[#] vh281
Sir 36, 46
PChBeat 11 (pagination)
[#964] vh282 T180a
Hos 2-8
PLond BM (Gk-Cop liturg?)
[#] vh286
=? ++
BM inv 10924 + 2584 (Hamilton)
[Bell & Thompson JEA 11 (1925) 241-46]
Isa 48
PAlex 203 (roll; Treu let, pl; Jew?)
[#] vh300
Isa 49
PBerlin 13422/BKT 8.21 (roll?)
[#904] vh301 T200
Jer 41f
PVindob G 19891 (Hamilton)
[Treu 1974]
Ezk 5-6
PBodl = PGrenf 1.5? (hexapl signs)
[#922] vh314 T207
Dan 1++
PBodmer 46 (Hamilton)
[Carlini 1975, 1981]
Gen 1 & A'
PAmherst 3 (pl)
[#912=U2] vh003 (early 4th)
Gen 26/Dt 28
POsl 2.11 + PRyl 460 (Testimonies)
[#958] vh299
Lev 16.33f
POxy 1225 (roll; plate)
[#947] vh048
Ps 1-4
PChBeat 15 (Hamilton)
[Pietersma]
Ps 9
PWien Rain 28
vh105?(5th c)
Ps 50
PLaur 54 (Hamilton)
[Pintaudi pl 51]
Ps 88
PDuke inv 740 (Hamilton)
[Gonis AFP 46 (2000) 14ff pl]
Ps 92
PParis Louvre (lead tablets)
vh205
Ps 146
PParis Louvre (lead tablets)
vh239
Cant 5-6
PLitLond 209 (with Apol Aristid)
[#952] vh269
Dan 1.17f Q'
PLitLond 211 (vellum)
[#925] vh319
Gen 9, 17
PChBeat 4
[#961] vh008
Gen 5-6
POxy 1073 (Latin; plate)
Gen 13
PMich 131 = 2724 (parchm)
[#832] vh011
Gen27-28
St.Catherine's (Charlesworth ASOR 1981)
Gen 31
POxy 1167
[#945] vh021
Gen 37-38
PMunch 610 (parchm)
[#935] vh024
Gen 41
PHambIbscher 5 (parch)
[#997] vh028
Ex 5-7
PBerlin 11766 + 14046 (parch, Treu pl)
[# ] vh032
Ex 29
PMilRUniv (parch)
[#972] vh039
Lev 27
POxy 1351 (parch, 2col)
[#954] vh050
Nm 6
Marble plaque Thess (Samaritan; Heb/Gk; Tov)
vh053
Dt 2-3
PRyl 1
[#920] vh055
Jsh 4-5
POxy 1168 (parch)
[#946] vh061
1Sm 18-25
PWien 187 (parch; pl)
vh065
1Sm 22-24
PFeinberg 1
[# ] vh066
Ps 1
PTaur 27) (pl, chi-rho)
[#2116] vh084
Ps 1
POxy 1779 (non-stich)
[#2073] vh090
Ps 3-67
PVindob/Wien 9907-9972 (Gk-Sah, pl)
[#1220] vh096
Ps 11-13
PRainer 4.6 (parch, stich)
[#2087] vh110
Ps 14
White Marble
[#2012] vh111
Ps 17
PBerlin 11682 (roll? liturg)
[#2059] vh117
Ps 18
PVind/Wien = StPal 9.6
[#2037] vh120
Ps 28-29
PBerlin 5875 = BKT 8.7 (stich)
[#2045] vh131
Ps 30-55
PLeipzig 39 (roll stich)
[#2013] vh133
Ps 33-34
PBodmer 9 (pl, with Apol Phileas)
[#2113] vh138
Ps 34
PVind/Wien 26205 (recto, stich?)
[#2091] vh141
Ps 35-36
PBerlin 6747 + 6785 = BKT 8.8
[#2046] vh142
Ps 36
PSI 14.1371 (stich)
[#2064] vh143
Ps 39-41
PBour 2 = PSorbonne 827 (corrs)
[#2050] vh145
Ps 43
PHarris 31 (roll, pl; Jewish?)
[# ] vh148
Ps 77
PVindob gr 35781 (stich)
Ps 83-84
POxy 2386 (roll, stich marked; 4-5th)
[#2070] vh181
Ps 103-105
PBerlin 16390 = BKT 8.22
[#2060] vh214
Ps 111, 73
PGiss 4.34 (roll, liturg?)
[#2056] vh220
Ps 117-118
Ostrakon Kortenbeutel Gk-Copt
[#2107] vh222
Cant 5-6
PBerlin 18196 (parch, stich, Treu pl)
vh270
Jonah 1-4
PSI 10.1164 + PBerlin/BKT 8.18
[##956,975] vh289
Isa 36-37
PBerlin 6772/BKT 8.20 (palimps?)
[#902] vh297
Jer 5-6
PGenev 252 (pagination
[# ] vh305
Jer 17-47
PSorbonne 2250 (pl, mg notes; text)
[#817] vh308
Jer 18
PBarc 5
[#984] vh309
Ezk 33-34
PAnt 10 (parchment; txtcrit)
[#988] vh316
--
Codices (e.g. Vaticanus, Sinaiticus)
--
Codex G
Gen 41
PErlangen 2
1Sm 24- 2Sm 1
PYale Beinecke 544
2 Kgs 21-23
Codex Cambridge (Aquila) [paleo-Heb tetragr]
Ps 32
PVindob gr 29274
Ps 68-70
POxy 845
Ps 83-84
POxy 2386 (scroll)
Cant 2.5
PDamasc 7
Ps 30/31
PBon 147v (Hamilton)
[Shelton ZPE 25 (1977) 159ff pl]
//end, 12 July 1999 quick version, Robert A. Kraft (supplemented 27
September 2001)//