The Precursors of Aquila

The First Complete Publication of the Text of the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll (8ḤevXIIgr), Preceded by a Study of the Greek Translations and Recensions of the Bible Conducted in the First Century CE under the Influence of the Palestinian Rabbinate

Series: 

Author:
Dominique Barthélemy
Translator:
Ron Bell
This ground-breaking study in Septuagint translation technique is, after sixty years, finally available to an English-speaking audience. Barthélemy provides us with a first look at the fragments of the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from the Cave of Horror and embarks on a careful examination of this scroll’s place in the history of Septuagint translation and revision. He poses questions and answers that have yet to be fully explored. Devanciers d’Aquila is described as “epoch-making” (Robert Kraft—Gnomon), “a stimulating contribution” (Sidney Jellicoe—Journal of the American Oriental Society), and “a monograph of singular importance” (Geza Vermes–Journal of Semitic Studies).
Copyright Year:
2023
E-Book (PDF)
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-67844-6
Publication:
20 Nov 2023
Hardback
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-54958-6
Publication:
07 Aug 2023
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Jean-Dominique Barthélemy was a Dominican priest and biblical scholar. He was Professor of Old Testament at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, 1957–1991. He published a selection of Dead Sea Scrolls and worked on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Ron Bell is a PhD candidate at McMaster Divinity College. He holds BA and MA degrees from Providence College and Theological Seminary. He studied at the University of Manitoba, Toronto School of Theology, Queen’s University, and Dalhousie University.
Foreword to the English Edition

Introduction
 1 Manner of Citation

Part 1: Characteristics of the καίγε Group


1 Akiva’s Hermeneutic and Its Influence on Aquila
 1 Comparison of Akiva’s Hermeneutic with That of Ishmael ben Elisha
 2 Exegesis of the Particles of Inclusion
 3 Translation of אֵת by Aquila
 4 The “Septuagint” of Ecclesiastes

2 Specific Translations of גַּם in the Greek Bible
 1 Aquila and the “Septuagint” of Ecclesiastes
 2 Lamentations, Song of Songs, Ruth
 3 Judges, Kingdoms
 4 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Psalms
 5 Nehemiah, Daniel, Job, Jeremiah
 6 Symmachus, Theodotion, Quinta
 7 The Extension of the καίγε Group

3 Other Characteristics of the καίγε Group
 1 Elimination of “Each” (אִישׁ)
 2 “From Above” (מֵעַל)
 3 Etymological Translation of נצב־יצב
 4 Distinction between Horn and Trumpet
 5 Elimination of the Historic Present
 6 The Timelessness of the Negation of Existence
 7 “Me” or “It is Me” (אָנֹכִי)?
 8 “Towards” (לִקְרַאת)

4 Aquila Perfects the Work of the καίγε Group
 1 Translation of גְּדוּד
 2 Translation of יהוה צְבָאוֹת
 3 Translation of אֵל
 4 Translation of נֶגֶד
 5 Translation of עַל־כֵּן and עַל־זֹאת
 6 Translation of לְעֹלָם
 7 Translation of הוׄי
 8 Translation of אָסַף
 9 Translation of כֹּמֶר
 10 Translation of אֲפֵלָה
 11 Translation of חוּץ
 12 Translation of הָדָר and הֲדָרָה

Part 2: Studies on Some Already-known Members of the καίγε Group


1 Relationship between the Septuagint and the καίγε Recension for the βγ Section of Kingdoms
 1 Basic Identity between the Antiochian and the Palestinian Form of the Greek Text
 2 The Palestinian Form Essentially Differs by a Concern for Greater Fidelity to the Hebrew Text
 3 The Antiochene Form Cannot be Derived from the Palestinian Form through a Process of Degeneration
 4 Reciprocal Contamination of the Old Septuagint and the Palestinian Recension
 5 The So-called “Lucianic Recension”
 6 The So-called “Theodotion” of the βγ Section of Kingdoms
 7 Origen Substitutes the Palestinian Recension for the Old Greek
 8 Corollaries

2 Who is Theodotion?
 1 Criticism of Epiphanius’s Testimony
 2 Indications of the Date of Theodotion
 3 Theodotion = Jonathan ben Uzziel
 4 The Scope of Theodotion’s Work

3 The Translations of Ruth, Song of Songs, and Lamentations

Part 3: A New Member of the καίγε Group: Greek Fragments of the Minor Prophets


1 External Data
 1 Current State of the Fragments
 2 Original Condition of the Scroll
 3 Divisions in the Text
 4 The Two Handwritings

2 Transcription of the Text of the Fragments

3 Identification of the Text of the Fragments
 1 Comparison of R with the Septuagint
 2 Characteristics of the Work of R
 3 R belongs to the καίγε Group

4 Relationship to the Text Cited by Justin
 1 Justin, the Jews, and the Septuagint
 2 Justin Cited R
 3 Other Citations from the Minor Prophets in Justin’s Dialogue

5 Relationship to the Quinta
 1 Witnesses to the Text of Jerome’s Commentary
 2 R and Specific Citations from the Quinta by Jerome
 3 R and Non-Specific Citations from the Quinta by Jerome
 4 Citation from the Quinta by Origen and the Text of Justin
 5 Other Citations from the Quinta by Jerome

6 Relationship to the Old Coptic Versions
 1 R Explains the Hebraisms of these Versions
 2 Relationship of Coptic Hebraisms to the Quinta
 3 Relationship of Coptic Hebraisms to the Biblical Text of Justin

7 Relationship to the Washington Manuscript V
 1 Hebraisms of the First and Second Hands
 2 The Source of the Original Hebraisms of W
 3 The Hebraisms of the Third Hand

8 Relationship to Aquila
 1 Aquila Is Closer to R than to “Theodotion”
 2 Aquila Ignores the Unrecensed Septuagint
 3 The Strong Dependence That Links Aquila to R

9 The “Theodotion” Recension of the Twelve Prophets
 1 Witnesses of “Theodotion” for the Twelve Prophets
 2 The Transcription of the Divine Names
 3 “Theodotion” Depends on the Other Hexaplaric Versions
 4 The Disdain of “Theodotion” for Literalism
 5 “Theodotion” Knows the Unrecensed Septuagint and the Hebrew
 6 Literalism from Borrowing
 7 The Pseudepigraphy of “Theodotion”

10 Relationship to Symmachus
 1 Symmachus Knew R and the Hebrew
 2 Symmachus Seems to Ignore the Unrecensed Septuagint
 3 Symmachus Seems to Ignore Aquila

11 The Place of R in the Greek Textual Tradition of the Twelve Prophets

12 Conclusion
 Final Note
Bibliography
Index of Modern Authors
This book should be available in all university libraries. It is of particular interest to biblical scholars and students, and important to those considering the Septuagint as a focus area.
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