Videos by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Esitelmä käsittelee yleistajuisesti Raamatun tekstikritiikin pääperiaatteita vertailemalla niitä ... more Esitelmä käsittelee yleistajuisesti Raamatun tekstikritiikin pääperiaatteita vertailemalla niitä elokuvatutkimuksen kysymyksenasetteluun.
Suomen Eksegeettisen Seuran vuosittaisessa Eksegeettisessä päivässä pidetty kutsuesitelmä (4.2.2021). 26 views
Published Papers by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
The slightly revised version of my doctoral dissertation sent to a publisher for evaluation. The ... more The slightly revised version of my doctoral dissertation sent to a publisher for evaluation. The dissertation was successfully defended on 7th of September 2019.
Biblische Notizen 186, 2020
The MT reflects in 2 Kings a text form that has in at least eight different instances (verses 2,1... more The MT reflects in 2 Kings a text form that has in at least eight different instances (verses 2,14, 3,14, 4,4.41, 5,18, 8,11, 13,14–21, 13,21) been subjected to a slight but noteworthy revision, interested in an ideologically more orthodox depiction of the prophet Elisha. This revision is lacking in the Old Greek edition. The more original readings of the OG indicate that, unlike in the Masoretic version, the original Elisha narrative was closer to a tragedy than a story of insuperable prophetic prowess.
Canonicity and authority of one textual form over another, textual plurality, and scribal freedom... more Canonicity and authority of one textual form over another, textual plurality, and scribal freedom in the early transmission of the Hebrew Bible have in the recent decades become prominent topics in the methodological discussions of biblical scholars. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it has become clear that, when attempting to discern the oldest text of the Hebrew Bible, we are in need of new and better models of textual transmission that take into account all extant textual evidence. Working solely on the basis of the so-called Masoretic Text is no more methodologically tenable, especially when it comes to the methods of literary and redaction criticism. Finding parallel phenomena – ancient or modern – of similar textual pluralities and evolution could help to refine these new models.
In this article it is argued that the editing of the Hebrew Bible and editing of films can in many regards be seen as parallel phenomena. Both the Hebrew Bible and the Star Wars saga evidence similar editorial techniques and attitudes of their editors towards the texts. Using the Star Wars saga as an example of how the text- and literary critical methods of biblical studies can be applied to the textual evolution of films, it will be argued that there are multiple ways these parallels from Star Wars and Film Studies can in turn enhance our understanding of the textual evolution of the Hebrew Bible.
The Star Wars franchise is also in a textually active situation, with new canonical installments being filmed at the very moment. This makes it an excellent example of a constantly evolving literary work, which is also at a constant interaction with its core audience, namely the fan community, paralleling the ancient situation. Moreover, the un-centralized nature of the Star Wars fan-editing community is argued to form a parallel with the scribal cultures in charge of the transmission of the books of the Hebrew Bible during the era when no textual tradition had yet emerged as the one and only authoritative version.
TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 66 (2022): 1-15, 2022
The value of Old Latin witnesses in the textual criticism of Septuagint has been lately noted by ... more The value of Old Latin witnesses in the textual criticism of Septuagint has been lately noted by a growing number of scholars. As a daughter version of the Septuagint, the Old Latin is an important witness to the textual history of the Septuagint, as well as to the Hebrew Vorlage behind it. This article seeks to elucidate and ascertain the text-historical position of the fifth century Old Latin manuscript Palimpsestus Vindobonensis (La 115) in 2 Kings. This task is carried out by first mapping all the characteristic readings of the manuscript (248 cases in total) and then by studying fourteen most illuminating readings. In 2 Kings, the manuscript seems to be free of Hexaplaric and Vulgate influence and most probably also of kaige readings. There are few, if any, recensional Lucianic readings. For the most part, the text of La 115 belongs to the proto-Lucianic layer and therefore mostly seems to preserve the Old Greek text-sometimes even when all preserved Greek witnesses have lost these Old Greek readings. La 115 is thus argued to be an exceedingly important witness to the textual evolution of 2 Kings.
Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies, 2021
The article discusses the character of the Spanish Marginal Latin (LaM or La91-95) glosses of the... more The article discusses the character of the Spanish Marginal Latin (LaM or La91-95) glosses of the five Medieval Vulgate manuscripts. The textual character of these glosses is varied: while many readings are clearly old and go back to the Old Greek, some are Hexaplaric and likely even recensionally Lucianic.
This article examines the editorial technique of large-scale transpositions through three case st... more This article examines the editorial technique of large-scale transpositions through three case studies from the Hebrew Bible. There is documented evidence from various textual witnesses that Josh 8:30–35, 1 Kgs 22:41–51, and the oracles against the nations in Jeremiah have been transposed during the transmission of these books. Insights gained from these cases illuminate the use of this editorial technique. All three transpositions reflect theological motivations related to meanings attributed to certain places, events, people, and revered texts. Transpositions of large textual units were generally achieved by two scribal methods: swapping the order of two sequential textual units or relocating a textual unit to a new context. The latter procedure led to compensatory revisions both within and around the texts. The article also discusses the methodology of studying transpositions and their text-critical evaluation.
On Hexaplaric and Lucianic Readings and Recensions, 2021
On Hexaplaric and Lucianic Readings and Recensions, 2021
Gilgameš -eepos oli yksi muinaisen Mesopotamian tärkeimmistä kirjallisista teoksista, ja sitä voi... more Gilgameš -eepos oli yksi muinaisen Mesopotamian tärkeimmistä kirjallisista teoksista, ja sitä voidaan pitää keskeisenä läpileikkauksena muinaiseen mesopotamialaiseen ajatteluun. Tässä artikkelissa käydään läpi eepoksen viittaukset eläimiin ja niiden pohjalta selvitetään sitä, millainen rooli eläimillä oli teoksen kirjoittajien ajattelussa. Artikkeli osoittaa myös, että eepoksen kielellinen ilmaisuvoima kytkeytyy tiiviisti sen laajaan eläinkuvastoon. Joissain kohdissa, joissa muinainen teksti on osittain turmeltunut, voidaan teoksen eläinkuvaa tutkimalla jopa saada selvyyttä tekstin alkuperäisiin sanamuotoihin. Eepoksen eläimiin liittyvä kuvasto on erittäin runsasta ja heijastaa eläinten suurta arvoa ajan ihmisille, joille tiivis yhteiselo eri eläinlajien kanssa oli välttämättömyys. Eepos ei kuitenkaan vain kuvaile eläimiä osana ihmisten arkea vaan heijastaa myös laajemmin aikalaisten eläinkuvaa sekä ymmärrystä eri lajien ominaispiirteistä ja niihin kohdistetuista asenteista. Eläimet eivät jää teoksessa pelkiksi sivustakatsojiksi, vaan jotkin lajit saavat narratologisesti tärkeän ja aktiivisen roolin. Muinaisen Mesopotamian eläinkuvan tarkempi tarkastelu puolestaan auttaa löytämään teoksesta merkityksiä, jotka ajan kulttuuria ja eläinkäsityksiä tuntemattomalle eivät muutoin avaudu. Eräs eepoksen tärkeimmistä teemoista on rajankäynti ihmisyyden ja jumaluuden välillä, mutta eepos tarjoaa näkymän myös mesopotamialaiseen käsitykseen ihmisen ja eläimen käsitetyistä eroista. Gilgamešin kumppani, villimies Enkidu, herättää kysymyksen siitä, miten muinaiset mesopotamialaiset ymmärsivät ihmistä ja eläintä erottavat piirteet. Voiko eron nähdä olleen tiukan binäärinen? Vai tehtiinkö tarkkaa eroa käytännössä lainkaan?
In Hasegawa, Levin & Radner (eds.), The Last Days of the Kingdom of Israel (BZAW 511; De Gruyter, 2018), 211-27., 2018
My master’s thesis is only available in Finnish, but here you can at least find an abstract and t... more My master’s thesis is only available in Finnish, but here you can at least find an abstract and the
table of contents in English. If you are interested in my take on some of the problems of the text, do
not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly answer your questions on the textual problems.
A very short abstract of what you will (and will not) find in the thesis:
The thesis is a text-critical assessment of the chronological information given by both the Masoretic
text (MT) and Septuagint (LXX) in Kings concerning the time of Omride dynasty. The accession
formulas of both the kings of Israel and Judah of this time period are assessed text-critically. In
addition to this some other interesting textual features which seem to be of chronological interest
are also taken into account.
The chronology of this time period found already in the MT books of Kings is very confused and
therefore highly disputed. However, the chronological readings of LXX have been almost
completely disregarded in the research so far. Mostly this has happened on the basis of unfair, and
even blatantly wrong, assumptions concerning the Greek text and its posited underlying tendencies.
The thesis takes a fresh look on the chronologically important readings of both MT and LXX (both
the B-text and the Lucianic text; occasionally even the Old Latin readings).
The chronology and textual composition of Septuagint differs at points notably from that of MT.
This fact is often dismissed as “midrashic” tendency in LXX. However, the arguments used to posit
this tendency in LXX have been somewhat inadequate, especially when generalized also to the
discussion on the chronology of Kings. In fact, when the “midrashic” tendencies of LXX in its
chronological scheme are studied, it becomes clear, that the “midrash”-argument is actually
reversible: the same arguments can be applied to MT as well, sometimes even more so.
One of the most important tools used to disentangle the MT chronology is the so-called theory of
co-regencies. As the years the kings seem to reign in MT version often overlap with each other, an
idea has been proposed that these periods of overlapping were in fact periods when both the king
and his son reigned simultaneously, or at least both kings recorded these times as periods of their
own, sole rule. This theory has been most notably argued by Edwin Thiele. From the get-go there is
nothing wrong with this idea.
However, when the passages most often used to argue for the co-regency theory are analyzed, it
becomes clear that in most of them there are grave text-critical problems (in addition to circular
reasoning almost inherent to the theory). In most, if not all, of the cases these passages do not
survive a text-critical analysis, and therefore should not be used to advance chronological, or
especially historical theories.
In conclusion, the chronological mess of MT is what it is for a reason: it has been most probably
later revised from the textual form attested by LXX. Thus any “historical” reconstruction of the
chronology of Omride dynasty on the basis of MT is most probably in vain. However, some of the
problems in the LXX chronology make this aspiration just as hard. Therefore, one of the things you
will not find in the thesis is any sort of reconstruction of the chronology of this time.
The thesis also discusses the methodological issues concerning the relationship between textual,
literary, and redactional criticism. As the chronology in Kings is an important literary component
and tool of
Conference Presentations by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
A slightly updated version of the paper with cover art and an added Introduction.
Originally a p... more A slightly updated version of the paper with cover art and an added Introduction.
Originally a paper given at EABS 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In recent decades, the figure of Asherah has been a subject of considerable debate. While some scholars believe that Asherah was simply a forbidden tree or wooden cult object associated with the worship of Yahweh, others emphasize Asherah's role as a goddess in ancient Israelite religion and possibly even as the wife of Yahweh. Asherah is, for example, mentioned alongside the god Yahweh several times in the inscriptions of Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-Qom from the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. While Asherah has been exhaustively examined from numerous perspectives, such as archaeology, inscriptions, comparative cultural material, and iconography, the text-critical material has so far been widely overlooked. In this study, I investigate whether further mentions of Asherah can be found from different textual sources such as the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and whether these mentions can give us any more clues concerning Asherah in the Hebrew Bible.
A paper given at SBL Annual Virtual Meeting 2021
All 248 cases collected from 2 Kings La115, arranged into patterns according to the textual affil... more All 248 cases collected from 2 Kings La115, arranged into patterns according to the textual affiliations
Talks by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Luento katsottavissa osoitteessa: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/unitube/video/d9ca15e0-2295-48bf-a44... more Luento katsottavissa osoitteessa: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/unitube/video/d9ca15e0-2295-48bf-a441-ffb320bd56f8.
Tekstikritiikkiä metodina tuntuu usein vielä teologian pääaineopiskelijoidenkin mielessä hunnuttavan jonkinlainen salamyhkäisyyden verho, jota vain alan saloihin vihkiytyneet saavat salaisissa menoissaan hienovaraisesti raottaa. Vaikka tekstikriittinen lahkomme saakin menojaan valitettavan usein täysin keskenään harjoittaa, ovat metodin keskeisimmät perusteet kenen tahansa ymmärrettävissä. Pyrkimykseni on tässä lektio-puheessa mahdollisimman selvästi erinäisten vertausten avulla ilmaista, mistä väitöskirjassani ja siinä käyttämässäni metodissa on pohjimmiltaan kyse.
Book Reviews by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Outdated papers/presentations by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
A paper given at Boston SBL Annual 2017, IOSCS Session
Uploads
Videos by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Suomen Eksegeettisen Seuran vuosittaisessa Eksegeettisessä päivässä pidetty kutsuesitelmä (4.2.2021).
Published Papers by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
In this article it is argued that the editing of the Hebrew Bible and editing of films can in many regards be seen as parallel phenomena. Both the Hebrew Bible and the Star Wars saga evidence similar editorial techniques and attitudes of their editors towards the texts. Using the Star Wars saga as an example of how the text- and literary critical methods of biblical studies can be applied to the textual evolution of films, it will be argued that there are multiple ways these parallels from Star Wars and Film Studies can in turn enhance our understanding of the textual evolution of the Hebrew Bible.
The Star Wars franchise is also in a textually active situation, with new canonical installments being filmed at the very moment. This makes it an excellent example of a constantly evolving literary work, which is also at a constant interaction with its core audience, namely the fan community, paralleling the ancient situation. Moreover, the un-centralized nature of the Star Wars fan-editing community is argued to form a parallel with the scribal cultures in charge of the transmission of the books of the Hebrew Bible during the era when no textual tradition had yet emerged as the one and only authoritative version.
table of contents in English. If you are interested in my take on some of the problems of the text, do
not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly answer your questions on the textual problems.
A very short abstract of what you will (and will not) find in the thesis:
The thesis is a text-critical assessment of the chronological information given by both the Masoretic
text (MT) and Septuagint (LXX) in Kings concerning the time of Omride dynasty. The accession
formulas of both the kings of Israel and Judah of this time period are assessed text-critically. In
addition to this some other interesting textual features which seem to be of chronological interest
are also taken into account.
The chronology of this time period found already in the MT books of Kings is very confused and
therefore highly disputed. However, the chronological readings of LXX have been almost
completely disregarded in the research so far. Mostly this has happened on the basis of unfair, and
even blatantly wrong, assumptions concerning the Greek text and its posited underlying tendencies.
The thesis takes a fresh look on the chronologically important readings of both MT and LXX (both
the B-text and the Lucianic text; occasionally even the Old Latin readings).
The chronology and textual composition of Septuagint differs at points notably from that of MT.
This fact is often dismissed as “midrashic” tendency in LXX. However, the arguments used to posit
this tendency in LXX have been somewhat inadequate, especially when generalized also to the
discussion on the chronology of Kings. In fact, when the “midrashic” tendencies of LXX in its
chronological scheme are studied, it becomes clear, that the “midrash”-argument is actually
reversible: the same arguments can be applied to MT as well, sometimes even more so.
One of the most important tools used to disentangle the MT chronology is the so-called theory of
co-regencies. As the years the kings seem to reign in MT version often overlap with each other, an
idea has been proposed that these periods of overlapping were in fact periods when both the king
and his son reigned simultaneously, or at least both kings recorded these times as periods of their
own, sole rule. This theory has been most notably argued by Edwin Thiele. From the get-go there is
nothing wrong with this idea.
However, when the passages most often used to argue for the co-regency theory are analyzed, it
becomes clear that in most of them there are grave text-critical problems (in addition to circular
reasoning almost inherent to the theory). In most, if not all, of the cases these passages do not
survive a text-critical analysis, and therefore should not be used to advance chronological, or
especially historical theories.
In conclusion, the chronological mess of MT is what it is for a reason: it has been most probably
later revised from the textual form attested by LXX. Thus any “historical” reconstruction of the
chronology of Omride dynasty on the basis of MT is most probably in vain. However, some of the
problems in the LXX chronology make this aspiration just as hard. Therefore, one of the things you
will not find in the thesis is any sort of reconstruction of the chronology of this time.
The thesis also discusses the methodological issues concerning the relationship between textual,
literary, and redactional criticism. As the chronology in Kings is an important literary component
and tool of
Conference Presentations by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Originally a paper given at EABS 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In recent decades, the figure of Asherah has been a subject of considerable debate. While some scholars believe that Asherah was simply a forbidden tree or wooden cult object associated with the worship of Yahweh, others emphasize Asherah's role as a goddess in ancient Israelite religion and possibly even as the wife of Yahweh. Asherah is, for example, mentioned alongside the god Yahweh several times in the inscriptions of Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-Qom from the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. While Asherah has been exhaustively examined from numerous perspectives, such as archaeology, inscriptions, comparative cultural material, and iconography, the text-critical material has so far been widely overlooked. In this study, I investigate whether further mentions of Asherah can be found from different textual sources such as the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and whether these mentions can give us any more clues concerning Asherah in the Hebrew Bible.
Talks by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Tekstikritiikkiä metodina tuntuu usein vielä teologian pääaineopiskelijoidenkin mielessä hunnuttavan jonkinlainen salamyhkäisyyden verho, jota vain alan saloihin vihkiytyneet saavat salaisissa menoissaan hienovaraisesti raottaa. Vaikka tekstikriittinen lahkomme saakin menojaan valitettavan usein täysin keskenään harjoittaa, ovat metodin keskeisimmät perusteet kenen tahansa ymmärrettävissä. Pyrkimykseni on tässä lektio-puheessa mahdollisimman selvästi erinäisten vertausten avulla ilmaista, mistä väitöskirjassani ja siinä käyttämässäni metodissa on pohjimmiltaan kyse.
Book Reviews by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Outdated papers/presentations by Timo Tapani Tekoniemi
Suomen Eksegeettisen Seuran vuosittaisessa Eksegeettisessä päivässä pidetty kutsuesitelmä (4.2.2021).
In this article it is argued that the editing of the Hebrew Bible and editing of films can in many regards be seen as parallel phenomena. Both the Hebrew Bible and the Star Wars saga evidence similar editorial techniques and attitudes of their editors towards the texts. Using the Star Wars saga as an example of how the text- and literary critical methods of biblical studies can be applied to the textual evolution of films, it will be argued that there are multiple ways these parallels from Star Wars and Film Studies can in turn enhance our understanding of the textual evolution of the Hebrew Bible.
The Star Wars franchise is also in a textually active situation, with new canonical installments being filmed at the very moment. This makes it an excellent example of a constantly evolving literary work, which is also at a constant interaction with its core audience, namely the fan community, paralleling the ancient situation. Moreover, the un-centralized nature of the Star Wars fan-editing community is argued to form a parallel with the scribal cultures in charge of the transmission of the books of the Hebrew Bible during the era when no textual tradition had yet emerged as the one and only authoritative version.
table of contents in English. If you are interested in my take on some of the problems of the text, do
not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly answer your questions on the textual problems.
A very short abstract of what you will (and will not) find in the thesis:
The thesis is a text-critical assessment of the chronological information given by both the Masoretic
text (MT) and Septuagint (LXX) in Kings concerning the time of Omride dynasty. The accession
formulas of both the kings of Israel and Judah of this time period are assessed text-critically. In
addition to this some other interesting textual features which seem to be of chronological interest
are also taken into account.
The chronology of this time period found already in the MT books of Kings is very confused and
therefore highly disputed. However, the chronological readings of LXX have been almost
completely disregarded in the research so far. Mostly this has happened on the basis of unfair, and
even blatantly wrong, assumptions concerning the Greek text and its posited underlying tendencies.
The thesis takes a fresh look on the chronologically important readings of both MT and LXX (both
the B-text and the Lucianic text; occasionally even the Old Latin readings).
The chronology and textual composition of Septuagint differs at points notably from that of MT.
This fact is often dismissed as “midrashic” tendency in LXX. However, the arguments used to posit
this tendency in LXX have been somewhat inadequate, especially when generalized also to the
discussion on the chronology of Kings. In fact, when the “midrashic” tendencies of LXX in its
chronological scheme are studied, it becomes clear, that the “midrash”-argument is actually
reversible: the same arguments can be applied to MT as well, sometimes even more so.
One of the most important tools used to disentangle the MT chronology is the so-called theory of
co-regencies. As the years the kings seem to reign in MT version often overlap with each other, an
idea has been proposed that these periods of overlapping were in fact periods when both the king
and his son reigned simultaneously, or at least both kings recorded these times as periods of their
own, sole rule. This theory has been most notably argued by Edwin Thiele. From the get-go there is
nothing wrong with this idea.
However, when the passages most often used to argue for the co-regency theory are analyzed, it
becomes clear that in most of them there are grave text-critical problems (in addition to circular
reasoning almost inherent to the theory). In most, if not all, of the cases these passages do not
survive a text-critical analysis, and therefore should not be used to advance chronological, or
especially historical theories.
In conclusion, the chronological mess of MT is what it is for a reason: it has been most probably
later revised from the textual form attested by LXX. Thus any “historical” reconstruction of the
chronology of Omride dynasty on the basis of MT is most probably in vain. However, some of the
problems in the LXX chronology make this aspiration just as hard. Therefore, one of the things you
will not find in the thesis is any sort of reconstruction of the chronology of this time.
The thesis also discusses the methodological issues concerning the relationship between textual,
literary, and redactional criticism. As the chronology in Kings is an important literary component
and tool of
Originally a paper given at EABS 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In recent decades, the figure of Asherah has been a subject of considerable debate. While some scholars believe that Asherah was simply a forbidden tree or wooden cult object associated with the worship of Yahweh, others emphasize Asherah's role as a goddess in ancient Israelite religion and possibly even as the wife of Yahweh. Asherah is, for example, mentioned alongside the god Yahweh several times in the inscriptions of Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-Qom from the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. While Asherah has been exhaustively examined from numerous perspectives, such as archaeology, inscriptions, comparative cultural material, and iconography, the text-critical material has so far been widely overlooked. In this study, I investigate whether further mentions of Asherah can be found from different textual sources such as the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and whether these mentions can give us any more clues concerning Asherah in the Hebrew Bible.
Tekstikritiikkiä metodina tuntuu usein vielä teologian pääaineopiskelijoidenkin mielessä hunnuttavan jonkinlainen salamyhkäisyyden verho, jota vain alan saloihin vihkiytyneet saavat salaisissa menoissaan hienovaraisesti raottaa. Vaikka tekstikriittinen lahkomme saakin menojaan valitettavan usein täysin keskenään harjoittaa, ovat metodin keskeisimmät perusteet kenen tahansa ymmärrettävissä. Pyrkimykseni on tässä lektio-puheessa mahdollisimman selvästi erinäisten vertausten avulla ilmaista, mistä väitöskirjassani ja siinä käyttämässäni metodissa on pohjimmiltaan kyse.
The full list of the cases enumerated in the table of agreement patterns is attached to the paper (see "FILES 1/2" above the paper).
The so-called Marginal Latin (LaM or La91-95) is increasingly used in the textual criticism of Samuel-Kings as a source of Old Latin readings. These readings were collated by Ciriaca Morano in his edition "Glosas Marginales de Vetus Latina en las Biblias Vulgatas Españolas" (1989). The text of LaM seems to often agree with the Lucianic/Antiochean tradition, which has been sometimes seen as confirming the Old Greek character of the Lucianic text (especially in 1-2 Kgs; see Julio Trebolle in "The Legacy of Barthélemy: 50 Years After Les Devanciers D’Aquila," 2017). However, thus far no complete text-critical surveys of the characteristics of LaM's all readings have been made. Such a study has the potential to shed further light on the textual character and even the origin of these glossed readings. In this paper the textual affiliations of LaM in 2 Samuel will be for the first time fully analyzed. The study is part of the Academy of Finland project “The Septuagint and Its Ancient Versions,” which in turn forms part of the "Göttingen Septuagint of 2 Samuel" project, led by Tuukka Kauhanen.
The full list of the cases enumerated in the table of agreement patterns is attached to the paper (see "FILES 1/2" above the paper).
The study of the Old Latin (OL) witnesses of the books of Samuel-Kings has lately become a topic of increasing scholarly interest. On many occasions it has been noted that the OL witnesses may preserve original Old Greek readings even in cases where all the other manuscripts give later readings. However, systematic studies on the textual affiliations of the OL witnesses have been somewhat scarce, especially in the case of the so-called Codex Vindobonensis (La115). Of the books of Samuel-Kings only the text of 1 Samuel of La115 has been studied in its entirety. Tuukka Kauhanen in his recent study has found that with the help of La115 there are to be found in 1 Samuel quite a few so-called proto-Lucianic readings, i.e., secondary readings that are earlier than the Lucianic revision. According to him there may also be a faint revisional Lucianic layer to be found in La115 as well. In my study of the text of 1 Kings of La115 I have found and inspected altogether 176 variation units between B, Lucianic/Antiochian text (L), and La115, all in the non-kaige sections of the book. Of these there are 49 cases of agreements between L and La115 against B. Some 20 cases are of particular interest, as they cannot be put aside as simply apparent agreements between the witnesses. Are these agreements due to revisional activity in La115 towards the Lucianic text or could they be explained otherwise, possibly as original Old Greek readings – or even as proto-Lucianic readings?
Abstract:
The books of Kings contain significant text- and literary/redaction critical problems that have seen numerous solutions in the modern research. Maybe the most interesting trait of this research has been, however, the lack of the use of the evidence of Septuagint. Even some of the most influential literary critical and redaction critical theories concerning the textual evolution of Kings have been proposed almost solely on the basis of the Masoretic text. In the wake of the findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, however, it has become evident that all of the textual evidence has to be taken into account without any presumptions about the priority of certain text forms.
The chapter 17 of 2 Kings is notorious for its literary and redaction critical problems. However, it is not that well known that there are in this chapter many vast text-critical problems as well. In this paper a text-critical analysis of the verse 17:7 is provided. In this verse, where the majority of the Greek witnesses have been revised to conform to the Masoretic text, an Old Latin manuscript La115 has preserved a text differing drastically from all the other witnesses. The most interesting fact is that while mostly agreeing with the majority text, the Antiochian text partly agrees in this verse with the Old Latin readings. Are we dealing here with (proto-)Lucianic readings – or even the Old Greek? What are the relationships between the witnesses? Are the majority readings in the Antiochian text due to harmonization with kaige-text or is the Old Latin text simply attributable to a later revision?
It is in this paper argued that these questions can only be answered by literary critical considerations. There are three literary critically important variants to be found between the different text forms of verse 2 Kings 17:7 (MT/kaige, Antiochian text, and La115). These differences seem to speak for the greater antiquity of the Old Latin’s text when compared to other textual traditions, while the unified nature of Masoretic text seems to be resulting from a very late unifying redaction. The Antiochian text has preserved partly the Old Greek with La115, but has also been partly revised towards MT. This fact has its implications on the redactional models posited for this verse and chapter as well, as the verse 17:7 is often taken as the beginning of a greater redactional block in the chapter.