SUPPLEMENTS TO
VETUS TESTAMENTUM EDITED BY THE BOARD OF THE QUARTERLY
H.M. BARSTAD - PHYLLIS A. BIRD - R.P. GORDON A. HURVITZ - A. VAN DER KOOIJ - A. LEMAIRE R. SMEND -J. TREBOLLE BARRERA J.C. VANDERKAM - H.G.M. WILLIAMSON VOLUME LXXI
THE ORACLE OF TYRE The Septuagmt of Isaiah XXIII as Version and Vision
BY ARIE VAN DER KOOIJ
BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KÖLN 1998
This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kooij, Arie van der, 1945The Oracle of Tyre : die Septuagint of Isaiah XXIU as version and vision / by Arie van der Kooij. p. cm. — (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, ISSN 0083-5889 v. 71} Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004111522 (alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Isaiah XXHI—Criticism, Textual. 2. Bible. O.T. Isaiah XXm. Greek—Versions—Septuagint. I. Title. H. Series. BS410.V452 1998 vol. 71 [BS1515.2] 224M0486—dc21 98-16843 CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme [Vetus testamentum / Supplements] Supplements to Vetus testamentum. - Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill Früher Schriftenreihe Reihe Supplements zu: Vetus Testamentum
ISSN 0083-5889 Vol. 71. Kooij, Arie van der. The oracle of Tyre. - 1998 Kooij, Arie van der: The oracle of Tyre : the Septuagint of Isaiah XXIII as version and vision / by Arie van der Kooij. - Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill, 1998 (Supplements to Vetus testamentum ; Vol. 71)
ISBN 90-04-11152-2 ISSN 0083-5889 ISBN 9004 11152 2
O Cofyri&t 1998 by Kmmklgk Bnii NV, Leuten, The Netherlands AU rights reserved. No pari of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored m a retrieval y stem, or transmitted in anyjbrm or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission ßom the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Bntt provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drw, Slate 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. HUNTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abbreviations I.
Introduction: The Method for the Book A. Historical Outline B. Method of Analysis
II. The Masoretic Text of Isaiah 23 A. Verses 1-14 B. Verses 15-18 C.Division, Style and Contents Excursus: Tarshish: Tartessos or Tarsus?
2
3 4
III. The Septuagint of Isaiah 23 as Text A. LXX Isaiah 23 compared with MT B. LXX Isaiah 23 in its own C. Concluding remarks
4 4 7 8
right
IV. The Septuagint of Isaiah 23 as a Vision A. Prophecy as prediction B. LXX Isaiah 23 as updated prophecy C. Concluding remarks
8 8 9 10
V. The Septuagint of Isaiah 23 and its Hebrew Vorlage A. The translator as scribe B. The Hebrew text underlying LXX Isaiah 23 and the way it was interpreted C.Isaiah 23 according to lQIsaa D. Concluding remarks
11 11
VI. The Septuagint of Isaiah 23: Revision and Reception A. Theodotion B. Hexaplaric text, and its interpretation by Eusebius, and Jerome C. Antiochene text, and its interpretation by Theodoret of Cyrrhus D. Alexandrinian text, and its interpretation by Cyril of Alexandria E. Concluding remarks
12 14 16
16 16
16
17
17 18
VI
CONTENTS
VII. Conclusions Appendix: Text Critical Notes on MT Isaiah 23 according to the principles of the Biblia Hebraica Quinta Bibliography Indexes....
...
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I owe a great debt of gratitude to Prof. Richard Weis, New Bruns wick, for correcting the English of this study, and for his useful an critical comments. Needless to say, I am responsible for the view expressed and the remaining defects of this work.
I would also like to thank Prof. Eugene Ulrich, Notre Dame, fo making available to me the 4QIsaiah-materials before their publica tion in Volume XV of the Discoveries in thejudaean Desert (1997).
This study is meant as a contribution to the study of exegesis in th Septuagint of the Book of Isaiah. Chapter 23, 'the Oracle of Tyre serves as an illustration of the method of analysis applied.
Since my research of the Septuagint of Isaiah is related to the projec of the Biblia Hebraica Quinta, an Appendix is added providing tex critical notes on the Masoretic text of Isaiah 23 according to the principles of this project. ARIE VAN DER KOOIJ Leiden, January 1998
ABBREVIATIONS
The abbreviations are according to Theologische Reakruyklopädie Abkti yaigsverzeichnis, 2., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, zusammen gestellt von S.M. Schwertner (Berlin, 1994), except the followin
A Aq BRL2 BT C CTAT 2 CTA T 3 A?-A/7*Y./. GKC IDB.S HALAT HUB L LXX LSJ M MT PT IQa IQb 4Qa 4Qc AGG3 WBC SAA SBL.SS Th
Aleppo Codex Aquila Biblisches Realkxikon, hrsg. von K. Galling, 2. neugestaltete Au lage (Tübingen, 1977) Babylonian Talmud Cairo Codex of the Prophets D. Barthélémy, Critique textuelle de l'Ancien Testament. Tome 2 (Fribourg/Gottingen, 1986) D. Barthélémy, Critique textuelle de l'Ancien Testament. Tome 3 (Fribourg/Göttingen, 1992) Dutch Studies—Near Eastern Languages and Literature Geseraas' Hebrew Grammar as edited and enlarged by the late Kautzsch. Second English edition by A.E. Cowley The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Supplementary Valiant Hebräisches und Aramäisches Lexikon zum Alien Testament (Leiden 1967-1996) Hebrew Unwersify Bible (Isaiah: Jerusalem, 1995) the Leningrad Codex Septuagint H.G. Liddel and R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, revised an augmented throughout by H. Stuart Jones, with a supplemen Mishnah Masoretic text Palestinian Talmud IQIsa' lQIsab 4QIsaa 4QIsac Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 3., völlig neu bearteitet Auflage (Tübingen, 1957-1962) Word Biblical Commentary State Archives of Assyria (Helsinki, 1987ff.) Society of Biblical Literature, Symposium Series Theodotion
As to the commentaries on the Book of Isaiah only the name of th author is cited. For full references see the BIBLIOGRAPHY at 'Isaiah Commentaries on'.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
The Septuagint version of the book of Isaiah (LXX Isaiah) in severa passages differs markedly from the Hebrew texts of this book as a tested in the Masoretic text (MT) and in the texts from Qumra (IQIsa", lQIsab, and eQIsa'-1). The aim of this study is to analyze i detail and from several points of view the Greek version of one o these passages, namely chapter 23, "the Vision of Tyre" (To opa\i Tupo-u). Generally speaking, cases where LXX diverges from MT may b due to different factors, such as mistranslations or misreading? of th Hebrew, guesses because of difficulties in the Hebrew, a differen Hebrew original, or exegesis. However, the main issue of this study i to find out whether in the case of LXX Isa. 23 most of the difference are best understood as the result of a particular interpretation. T that end, the Old Greek version of Isa. 23 will be dealt with, globall speaking, in two respects: {a} as a translation in its relationship with the available Hebrew texts (see chapters III.A and V.B), and (b) as text in its own right (see chapters III.B and FV.B). In order to avoid an atomistic approach, differences will not be analyzed as isolated cases, but strong emphasis will be put on their actual context, first o all their immediate context in LXX Isa. 23 itself, and further also in LXX Isaiah as a whole. An important issue at stake here will be the question whether specific renderings in LXX Isa. 23 do cohere with each other.
It is a well-known saying that every translation is also an interpreta tion. This is certainly true, and it means that LXX Isaiah, being the first translation of the book of Isaiah we know of, represents the oldes interpretation of it. For the sake of clarity, however, one has to distin guish between sorts of interpretation. In one of his publications J Barr makes the distinction between two types: (a) the "basic syntac tic/semantic comprehension of the meaning of the text", and (b) the type of interpretation which lies on "a higher level", namely that o "matters of content, of reference, or of theological exegesis".1 Like-
1 J. Barr, The Ttfxtogr of Literalism in Ancient Bittcal Translatons (Götringcn, 1979) 291.
2
CHAPTER ONE
wise, E. Tov distinguishes between "linguistic exegesis" (word eq lents; lexical level) and "contextual exegesis" (e.g. harmonization "tendentious theological exegesis").2 The concern of our study i question of exegesis in LXX Isaiah in its various types, with an phasis on the interpretation of "a higher level". Before dealing with the text of LXX Isa. 23, however, we present, first, a short historical outline of LXX research from a 1850 with a special emphasis on publications about exegesis in LXX, and secondly, the method of analysis that will be applied in study. It is not our intention to give a full survey of the publica since 1850, dealing with the matter of interpretative elements in LXX. The idea is to mention those publications which may serv an illustration of methodological issues involved.
A Historical Outline
Apart from scattered remarks in earlier publications such as comm taries, the study of interpretative elements in the LXX started the work of Z. Frankel.3 (He was also the first to put emphasis on need to study each book of the LXX as to its own style of transla This issue has been underlined since then by other scholars as w and it has become clear that this claim is fully justified in the lig the diversity within LXX.5) The issue of exegesis in the LXX r the question of the religio-cultural background against which dis tive renderings in the LXX may be understood. Frankel assumed certain renderings and différences between LXX and MT in book the Pentateuch are due to influence of exegetical traditions from
2 E. Tov, The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagait m Biblical Research (Second ed revised and enlarged, Jerusalem, 1997), pp. 45-50. See also his Textual Criticism Hebrew Bitle (Minneapolis and Assen/Maastricht, 1992), pp. 124-128. For typ exegesis in the LXX, see further G. Vernies, "Bible and Midrash: Early Old T ment Exegesis", in Cambridge History of ike Bible, Vol. I {Cambridge, 1970), pp. 231. 3 2. Frankel, Historisch-kritische Studien &t der Septuaginta. Bd. I, Erste Abthei Vorstudien zu der Septuaginta (Leipzig, 1841), and idem, Uebrr den Einfluss der patästtm Exegese auf die alexandrwischf Hermeneutik (Leipzig, 1851). 4 See e.g. also the publications of H. Gehman and his school (D.H Gard, Wevers). 5 See e.g. M. Harl, C. Dorival, O. Munnich, La BibU grecque des Septante (P 198«), pp. 231-233. See also below.
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
estine (as known from rabbinic sources, and Josephus). Scholars like J Fürst, V. Aptowitzer and A. Kaminka have followed him.6 In the light of the religio-historical ideas of A. Deissmann, W Bousset and H. Gressmann7 G. Bertram took a different view: h regarded the LXX as the main document of the so-called Hellenisti Judaism which, as C.H. Dodd puts it, is to be seen as "a distinc phenomenon, not identical with the religion of the O.T. in genera nor yet with the Rabbinic Judaism which developed out of it".8 From this perspective special attention was given to particular terms fo God in the LXX, and for the names of God (such as xrjpioc), an furthermore to the notion of education by God in suffering, to th aspect of universalism, and to the central position of the words of th prophets over against Law, cult, temple and priesthood.9 The ap proach of Bertram has been criticised inter alia by I.L. Seeligmann who argues that the lexical studies of Bertram contain theologoumen which were alien to the translators, because the translators of th LXX are to be regarded as Jewish theologians.10 A crucial part of the question of the background against which renderings in the LXX might be understood is the lexicographica matter: how to establish meanings and connotations of Greek word and phrases used in the LXX? As to this aspect a study like that of M Flashar on the use and meaning of particular terms in LXX Psalm deserves to be mentioned." Specific lexemes are discussed here a being first of all part of the Old Greek of Psalms as a document in it
fi J. Fürst, "Spuren der palästinisch-jüdischen Schriftdeutung und Sagen in de Ueberzctzung der LXX", in Semitic Studies m Memory of A. Kohut (Berlin, 1897), pp 152-166; V. Aptowitzer, "Rabbinische Parallelen und Aufschlüsse zu LXX und Vg I, Die Bücher Samuelis", £A W 29 (1909), pp. 241-252; A. Kaminka, "Studien zu LXX an der Hand der zwölf kleinen Prophetenbucher", MGWJ 72 (1928), pp. 49 60, 242-273. 7 See e.g. A. Deissmann, Licht vom Osten (Vierte, völlig neubearb. Auflage Tübingen, 1923); W. Boussct, Du Rtkgam da Judentums m Spathellenistischen flatte (Dritte, verb. Auflage, hrsg. von H. Gressmann, Tübingen, 1925; repr 1966). • G.H. Dodd, The Bible and the Greeks (London, 1934), p. xi. 9 See the articles by Bertram, e.g., his "Praeparatio Evangelica in de Septuaginta", VT1 (1957), pp. 225-249, and his "Septuaginta-Frömmigkeit", RGG3 Bd. 5 (1961), cols. 1707-1709. Bertram was the main adviser on LXX to die Theologisches Wörterbuch yon Neuen Testament, his ideas on the meaning of lexemes from the LXX have found their way into this major work. 10 I.L. Seeligmann, "Problemen en perspectieven in het moderne Septuaginta onderzoek", JEOL 7 (1940), p. 389. For the English version of his article see now "Problems and Perspectives in Modem Septuagint Research", Textus 15 (1990), pp 169-232. For critical remarks on the lexical method of ThWMT see J. Barr, The Semantics of Biblical Language (Oxford, 1961), p. 206-262. 11 M. Flashar, "Exegetische Studien zum Septuaginta-Psalter", ZAW'S! (1912) pp. 81-116, 161-189, 241-268.
4
CHAPTER ONI;
own right, but at the same time newly discovered Greek papyri Ptolemaic Egypt are used in order to find out which shades of m ing particular terms did convey. His approach is fully in line with ideas of Deissmann: on the assumption that the language of the L is basically "identisch mit der hellenistischen Weltsprache" (p. 87 argues that "die Wortbedeutungen sind nicht durch Gleichset mit der Vorlage zu gewinnen" (ibid.). "Vielmehr muss das für Exegese der Septuaginta massgebend sein, was die übrigen D mente der Vulgärsprache jener Zeit: Papyri, Ostraka, und Inschriften an Parallelen bieten. Erst wenn man mit diesen Mi den Sinn der Septuaginta-ausdrücke festgestellt hat, darf man an Vergleichung mit der Vorlage denken" (p. 87f.).12 Most important, of course, is the question of how to evaluate ferences between LXX and MT (variant; plus, and minus). In gen scholars reckon with a variety of factors, such as mechanical er different Vorlage, faulty knowledge of Hebrew, guesses, style of tran tion (linguistically speaking), types of exegesis. However, a pred tion for one or more of these factors may differ not only from boo book in view of the diversity within LXX, or from scholar to sch but also from period to period in the history of research. At the when the reliability of MT was seriously questioned (the last dec of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century), r ings of LXX which differ from MT were often regarded as attesti better Hebrew text. Typical of this period is to see secondary r ings, in LXX or in MT, as due to a mistranslation or to mechan errors.13 Some time later, in the forties and fifties of our century w the reliability of the MT tradition is looked upon by scholars m positively, L. Prijs stresses the factor of exegetical traditions and vices, known from Jewish tradition, as the main reason for differen between LXX and MT.14 "So ergibt unsere Arbeit gleichzeitig Resultat, dass im Gegensatz zum üblichen Verfahren ATh'
l? Other issues to be noted are the ones raised by H.M. Orlinsky in his discu of the studies by D.H. Gard (The Exegctical Method of the Greek Translator of She Book o [Philadephia, 1952]) and G. Gerleman (Studies m the LXX, 1: The Book of Job [L 1946}) on LXX Job. His main points are: the text of LXX Job must be criti established in order to avoid ideas based on secondary additions in the Greek the style of the translation should be dealt with more thoroughly (in his opinion m differences between LXX and MT are due to the style of the translation), thirdly, more attention should be paid to the context of LXX Job as a whole. Se "Studies in the Septuagint of the Book of Job" in HUCA 28, 29, 30, and 32. 13 See F. Perles, Analtkten an Textkritik du Alten Testaments (Leipzig, 1 F. Delitzsch, DK Lese- vod SchreAfehier an Allen Testament (Berlin/Leipzig, 19 J. Kennedy, An Aid to the Textual Amendment of the Old Testament (Edinburgh, 1928 '* L. Prijs, Jüdische Tradition m der Septuagaita (Leiden, 1948).
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
Textkritik jede Abweichung der LXX vom MT daraufhin geprü werden muss, ob sie nicht auf Grund jüdischer Tradition erklä werden kann".15 However, since the publication of biblical texts fro Qumran which contain non-MT renderings in agreement with LX (see esp. Samuel and Jeremiah), in today's discussion die factor of different Vorlage has become an important issue again,16 althoug opinions differ whether one should try to find some explanation o the level of translational and/or interpretative factors before assumin a different Vorlage." Having referred to the discovery of biblical texts at Qumran, new issue which has come to the fore and which is most important fo the study of the LXX needs to be mentioned here, viz. the matter o large-scale divergences (minuses or pluses to the extent of verses o even pericopes; a different order of verses, and/or chapters in a book between MT on the one hand, and Qumran and LXX on the othe Consequently, in some cases such as the text of Samuel and Jeremia textual criticism has now also to do with the evaluation of majo differences between MT and non-MT on the redactional or editoria level of a book. It means that the relationship between textual crit cism and literary criticism has become part of die text critica agenda.18 An interesting example of this new issue is the textual his tory of the story of David and Goliath, 1 Sam. 17. Four scholars, D Barthélémy, D.W. Gooding, J. Lust and E. Tov, have studied di text in a joint research venture. The publication which contains the contributions to the discussion is a nice illustration of how a compl cated matter like that of 1 Sam. 17 gives rise to different opinion resulting from different approaches.'9 One gets the impression that i this and other cases we are still in need of a real dialogue betwee textual criticism and literary criticism, that is to say a dialogue be
15 Jüdische Tradition, p. xxi. Critical comments have been raised, inter alia by E. To who argues that a midrashic variant might have been present in the Vortage. See £ Tov, "Midrash-type Exegesis in the LXX of Joshua", Aß 85 (1978), pp. 50f. 16 The argument is that the interesting (though partial) agreements suggest that th LXX should be regarded primarily as a faithful rendering. 17 On this issue see e.g. Tov, Text-Critical Usi, pp. 40, 45; J.W. Wevers, "A Apologia for Septuagmt Studies", BIOSCS 18 (1985), p. 29, and M. Rosel, Übersetzun ah Vollendung der Auslegung. Studien air Gaiuis-Scptuagmta (Berlin, 1994), pp. 13-15. 18 See e.g. Tov, Textual Criticism oft/u Hebrew Bible, pp. 313-349. See also A. van de Kooij, "Zum Verhältnis von Textkritik und Literarkritik. Überlegungen anhan einiger Beispiele", in Congress Volume Cambridge 1995 (Leiden, 1997), pp. 185-202. 19 D. Barthélémy, D.W. Gooding, J. Lust, E. Tov, The Story of Dood and Gohath Textual and Literary Criticism (Freiburg/Göttingen, 1986). For comments see A. van de Kooij, "The Story of David and Goliath: The Early History of Its Text", ETL 6 (1992), pp. 118-131.
CHAPTER ONE
tween scholars who are experts in textual criticism and scholars are experts in forms of literary criticism (in the sense of literary a sis and of redaction criticism as well). It may be clear that this issue complicates the search for exegesis in the LXX, though it be emphasized that the situation varies from book to book. At the end of our short survey, recent publications on LXX P and LXX Daniel may serve as an illustration of how the stu interpretation in the LXX is related to the question of metho analysis. In his study on theological exegesis in LXX Psalm Olofsson deals with the free renderings of metaphors for G Theological exegesis is clearly distinguished by him from ling and contextual exegesis, because it concerns cases "where the tra tion is more influenced by the theology of the translator than b meaning of the words in their context" (p. 2). It is suggested tha choice of a specific vocabulary (the inanimate metaphorical des tions of God in LXX Psalms and elsewhere in the LXX) has influenced by the language used in the synagogues in Alexan Most recently J. Schaper has contributed to the study of exeges LXX Psalms from a broader perspective.21 It is his aim to invest LXX Psalms not only as a translation, but more particularly " document of the religious, intellectual and political life of Hellen Judaism" (p. 19). Specific renderings, therefore, should not onl objects of study from the point of view of translation technique also from the perspective that LXX Psalms is a religious docume its own right, reflecting ideas of the (Jewish) milieu of its translato is emphasized by Schaper diät the translators were executing an egetical task, because as translators of literary texts they were " often in the awkward position of having to choose between as two options in order to render a single given word" (p. 24), the m so since the Hebrew text of the time was unvocalized. As to LXX Daniel A.P.J. McCrystall, dealing in his unpubli thesis with the matter of freedom and literality, and discussing alia LXX Dan. 9:24-27, and LXX Dan. 11, argues that LXX Da is not "a dragoman rendering", but rather "a translation the par larities of which can only be accounted for by the activity of some who was translating from a deliberate standpoint".22 The conclu reached by S.P. Jeansonne in her dissertation on LXX Dan. 7-
20 S. Olofsson, God u my Rock. A Study of Translation Technique and Theological Ex in the Septuaguit (Stockholm, 1990). 21 J. Schaper, Esckato/agy m the Greek Psalter (Tubingen, 1995). 22 A.PJ. McCrystall, Studies m the Old Greek Translation of Darnel (Oxford, 198 93.
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
7
quite the opposite.23 She endeavours "to determine whether differences between the OG translation and the Hebrew/Aramaic parent text of Daniel 7-12 are due to intentional theological Tendenz [—] or to errors or to unintentional cross-linguistic mechanics of translation, or to a combination of these reasons" (p. 1). Her line of reasoning is that if differences can be explained as arising from mechanical and linguistic errors, or from a different Hebrew original, one should prefer this type of explanation to the idea of translational and interpretative factors being involved. The conclusion of her study is that all the textual cases dealt with point in the same direction, that of errors on the part of the translator, or of a different parent text. T J. Meadowcroft in his study on LXX Daniel takes up a middle position between McCrystall and Jeansonne.24 He partly agrees with the latter in arguing that many variations between MT and LXX can best be explained on technical grounds. However, so he points out, there are also significant divergences which reflect a different understanding of the Hebrew text. It is his purpose to explore these divergences "by applying the tools of literary criticism to a comparison of the MT and the LXX Daniel 2-7" (p. 16). The term "literary criticism" is meant here in the sense of narrative criticism. It is interesting to see that the approach of Meadowcroft is different from the one applied by Jeansonne: the latter is analyzing MTLXX on word-level from the point of view of translation technique with a strong emphasis on statistical analysis25, but Meadowcroft is also looking at Greek renderings in their immediate context from a literary perspective.26 As may be clear from our short outline given so far, the study of exegesis in the LXX has to do with several issues (study of each book of the LXX as to its own style of translation; the lexicographical matter; the question of the Vorlage, etc.). It seems to me that basically :
' S.P. Jeansonne, The OU Grid Translation of Daniel 7-12 (Washington, 1988). TJ. Meadowcroft, Aramaic Darnel and Greek Daniel: A Literary Comparison (Sheffield, 1995). 25 Cf. Jeansonne, The OU Greet Translatant, p. 2. 26 Other recent publications of interest are: R. le Déaut, "La Septante, un Targum?" in R. Kuntzmann et J. Schlosser (éds), Études sur le Judaïsme hellénistique (Paris, 1984), pp. 147-195; R. Albertz, Der Gott des Damtl Untersuchungen & Daniel 4-6 m der Septuagmtafassvng sowie zu Komposition und Theologie des aramäischen Daniflbüches (Stuttgart, 1988); J.W. Wevers, Notes m ihi Greek Text of Genesis (Atlanta, 1993); idem, Notes on the Greek Telt of Exodus (Atlanta 1990); idem, Notes on the Greek Text of Deuteronomy (Atlanta, 1996), and Rösel, Übersetzung ah Vollendung der Auslegung (on LXX Genesis). To be mentioned are further the volumes published so far (on the LXX books of the Pentateuch, and on LXX Joshua) of La Bible d'Alexmdne (Paris, 1986fT). 24
8
CHAPTER ONE
two questions are at stake, both of which will also play an imp role in our analysis of LXX Isa. 23: (a) the matter of how to evaluate differences between MT LXX: either by treating them on word-level as isolated rea exploring the context of a given book only as far as the stat analysis is concerned, or, by treating them first of all on a co level in a given chapter and book, reading the Greek version a its own right; (b) the matter of the image of the translator: either he is seen dragoman aiming at a faithful rendering on the level of word clauses, but making also all kinds of mistakes comparable to cop or as a "scribe" who was trained in the reading of the an (unvocalized) Hebrew texts and who was familiar with matte interpretation of these literary texts. B Methad of Analysis
An exposition of the method of analysis is first of all in order i light of the issues and the difference of approaches referred to a In view of the diversity within the LXX the method of analysis posed here is not to be understood as the method for every bo the LXX, but as the mediod to be applied in this study to the bo LXX Isaiah. The analysis of LXX Isa. 23 is meant to serve illustration thereof. However, in order to make clear how this method is relate several aspects that have been brought forward by research on Isaiah in the last decades, a survey of dial research will be given The work of two scholars, J. Ziegler and I.L. Seeligmann become of great importance to the study of LXX Isaiah.27 Ziegle laid the basis for research on LXX Isaiah by producing a cr edition of LXX Isaiah within the framework of the Gottm Septuagint Project. He has also written the well known public entitled Untersuchungen zur Septuaginta des Buches Isaias.18 As to the of the relationship between LXX and MT he makes the follo programmatic remark:
Um das Verhältnis der Js-LXX zum MT recht zu würdigen, zunächst die ganze Persönlichkeit des Übersetzten vor uns erstehe
27 For earlier literature on LXX Isaiah see A. van der Kooij, Dû alten Tcxt&ug Jaqabacha (Freiburg/Göttingen, 1981), pp. 23-25. 28 (Münster, 1934). 29 Ziegler, UhUrsuchtaigm, p. 7.
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
9
Several aspects of LXX Isaiah are discussed with quite a number of examples. It is argued that a tendency to explication and to paraphrase is typical of this translation, although some of these variants might have been present in the underlying Hebrew original. It is pointed out that LXX Isaiah is not to be regarded as a literal rendering e.g. in view of the large number of minuses and pluses. A minus seems to be due, in most cases, to the non-rendering of synonymous words or clauses,30 whereas most pluses are best understood as part of the tendency of the translator to make things explicit and clear.31 It is further pointed out that the translator wrote good Koine, in particular in his rendering of images and comparisons. Ziegler gives also much attention to the influence of the Hellenistic milieu of Egypt by comparing the vocabulary of LXX Isaiah with what is known from papyri. Important are his observations with regard to lexical choices related to agriculture, botany, economics, and to jurisdiction ("gerade in den Fachwörtern des Rechtslebens zeigt der Übersetzer eine gute Kenntnis"32). Finally, another important characteristic of LXX Isaiah to which Ziegler has drawn our attention is the following: Der Js-Übersetzer scheint überhaupt sein Buch sehr gut dem Inhalte nach im Gedächtnis gehabt zu haben; denn es begegnen viele Wiedergaben, die sich nur auf Grund der Exegese nach sinnverwandten Stellen erklären lassen. Gerade bei der Js-LXX darf irgendein Wort oder Wendung, die vom MT abweicht, nicht aus dem Zusammenhang genommen werden und für sich allein betrachtet werden, sondern muss nach dem ganzen Kontext der Stelle und ihren Parallelen gewertet werden; erst so lässt sich manche Differenz der LXX gegenüber dem MT erklären.33
In his study, entitled The Septuagmt Version of Isaiah,3* Seeligmann offers also many valuable observations and suggestions which add to a better understanding of LXX Isaiah. This applies particularly to the following passage of his book: This translation, in fact, is almost the only one among the various parts of the Septuagint which repeatedly reflects contemporaneous history. [...] those places where the paraphrase of the text contains allusions to events happening in the more or less immediate neighbourhood of the translator's place of residence give one a surprising image of the translator's notion that the period in which he lived was to be time for the fulfilment of ancient prophecies, and of his efforts to contemporize die old biblical
M 31 32 31 34
Ziegler, Untersudamgm, Ziegler, Untersuchungen, Ziegler, Untersuchungen, Ziegler, Untersuchungen, (Leiden, 1948).
pp. 46-56. pp. 56-80. p. 195. p. 135 (with examples, pp. 135-175).
IO
CHAPTER ONE text and revive it by inspiriting it with the religious conceptions of age.35
Seeligmann gives several examples of actualization, or fulfilme terpretation, such as LXX Isa. 14:18-20; 8:8, and 10:24.36 O basis of significant differences between LXX and MT he further to reconstruct the complex of theological ideas behind the tra tion.37 Yet, though remarkable differences (be it minuses, pluses, ants, or specific lexical choices) may be part of an actualization torical or theological, it is argued that not every free rendering be seen as serving that tendency. Other factors which may ex free renderings are the aim of producing a text in good Koine G and defective knowledge of Hebrew particularly in respect to (with R.R. Ottley38 and Ziegler he is of the opinion that the trans had recourse to favoured words and phrases in cases of difficulti Hebrew). It is to be noted that according to Seeligmann actual passages, or passages reflecting the translator's own views and i are to be found "in isolated, free renderings".39 The idea of actualization in LXX Isaiah has been taken ove other scholars, J.C.M. das Neves40, R. Hanhart41, J. Koenig42 myself43. The study of Das Neves offers a detailed treatment of Isa. 24 by applying the following stages: first of all, the exegesi theology of the Hebrew text is dealt with, then the philological d ences between MT and LXX are discussed, and finally the exe and theology as reflected in LXX Isa. 24 is analysed. His conclu is that, although LXX and MT differ widely, the Greek version constitutes a meaningful text on its own ("uma unidade litera unidade ideológica"44). In his long article on LXX Isa. 25:l-545 Coste applies a corresponding method and reaches the same co 15
Seeligmann, Stptuagmt Vanen, p. 4. See Seeligmann, Septuagint Version, pp. 83-86. Seeligmann, Sfptuagint Version, pp. 95-120. 38 R.R. Ottley, The Book of haiah according to the Septuagint. Vol l: Introductio Translation (2nd ed., Cambridge, 1909); Vol. Hi Text tuut Nous (Cambridge, 190 39 Seeligmann, Scptuogmt Version, p. 41. 40 J.C.M. das Neves, A Teobgia da Traducao Grega dos Settnta no Lwro de hcûas (C de Isolas) (Lisboa, 1973). 41 R. Hanhart, "Die Septuaginta als Interpretation und Aktualisierung. Jesa (8:23)-7(6)", in A. Rofé and Y. Zakovitch (eds.), Isac Leo Seekgmann Volume. Vo Non-Hebrew Section (Jerusalem, 1983), pp. 331-346. 42 J. Koenig, L'herméneutique analogique du Judaïsme antique d'après Us témoins d'Isaie (Leiden, 1982). 43 Van der Kooij, Dû alten Textzeugen. 44 Das Neves, Teologia, p. 44. 45 J.M. Coste, "Le texte grec d'Isaie xxv,l-5", RB 64 (1954), pp. 36-66. 36 37
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
11
sion: as a translation LXX Isa. 25:1-5 is "comme un échec presque complet", but read in its own right this passage turns out to be "une composition ordonnée et cohérente".46 Both studies do raise the issue of coherence in pericopes or even chapters of LXX Isaiah, and this would mean a criticism of the view of Seeligmann that exegetical free renderings should be considered as isolated from their context. The studies of Seeligmann and the other scholars mentioned above have in common that LXX Isaiah contains passages where the ancient text of Isaiah has been actualized, not only in the sense of some modernization (of names of places or countries, for instance), but more in particular in the sense of the updating of a prophecy or oracle of Isaiah, a phenomenon which is well-known in the Targumim.47 The underlying issue here is that of the genre of the text: has a prophetic passage from the book of Isaiah been translated into Greek as a text only from a linguistic or philological point of view, or as a text which should make sense as "prophecy" at the time of the translator? This issue is central to the study of Koenig. His main concern is to show that many variant-readings or free renderings in LXX Isaiah are not to be seen as accidental ones (due to mechanical errors such as misreadings), but as intentional ones, being the result of ancient methods of interpretation. He concentrates on one of these methods, namely what he calls the analogical interpretation {"herméneutique analogique"). According to his definition this method is of two types: (a) borrowings of words and phrases from another biblical passage in or outside the book of Isaiah, and (b) the introduction of alternative forms and meanings through such devices as metathesis and (assumed) homonymy. In his book he deals with both types by giving examples from LXX Isaiah and IQIsa* as well. As to the question of whether free renderings are to be looked upon as the result of this method Koenig argues that the crucial proof is that this type of interpretation serves the purpose of the translator (as far as LXX Isaiah is concerned), viz. the actualization of the prophecies of Isaiah. As for this aspect he refers to the study of Seeligmann, and points to examples of this type of interpretation in the book of Daniel (see e.g. the way in which Num. 24:24 is used in Dan. 11:30) and to the pesher interpretation attested in Qumran documents. "Les modifications oraculaires décelables dans G Is livrent donc la preuve cruciale de 46 Goste, "Le texte grec", p. 50. Compare also K.F. Euler, Die Vrrkundigtmg com Iridauien Gotteshiecht ausjes. bit in der griechischen Bibel (Leipzig, 1934), pp. 16-18. 47 See e.g. L. Smolar and M. Aberbach, Studus m Targtan Jonathan to the Prophets (New York and Baltimore, 1983), pp. 63IT.
12
CHAPTER ONE
l'application au livre d'Is d'une herméneutique méthodique".4 reasoning makes sense indeed, for if free renderings serve an ac ing transformation of a prophetic passage in Isaiah, then such dering is probably to be seen as part of an interpretative appro method. However, as I have argued elsewhere,49 Koenig's ana the sample passages from LXX Isaiah (and from 1 QIsaa as wel fragmentary to be conclusive. One misses inter alia a detailed d sion of the actual context of the sample cases in LXX Isaiah. It is generally assumed that the parent text of LXX Isaiah, t often difficult to reconstruct, does not differ much from MT. not only the opinion of scholars like Ziegler and of Seeligman wrote their studies in the pre-Qumran period, but it has also confirmed generally speaking by the Isaiah texts of Qumran, f all IQIsa».50 From a typological or recensional point of view t no particular connection between LXX Isaiah and one of the texts from Qumran. This holds not only for 1 QIsab and the 4QIsa, but also for what is still the most interesting Isaiah tex Qumran, IQIsa*. Both texts, LXX Isaiah and IQIsa", do d from MT in many instances, but it should be emphasized tha large number of cases they are mutually divergent, where number of common readings versus MT is relatively very smal even in cases of common readings it is not easy to show tha attest the same Hebrew text, because both texts, LXX Isaia 1 QIsaa, reflect a free approach. In light of this overall charac these texts one is more inclined to ascribe agreements on the level to a common practice of both authors rather than to the derlying Hebrew originals. Thus, the issue of the Vorlage has to do with the overall charac a text such as LXX Isaiah. It is commonly agreed that LXX represents a "free translation" in reflecting a "free approach" to its Hebrew original.51 This is clearly the view of the scholars re to above. Recent studies concerned with the linguistic aspects o is called "free translation",52 and studies in which a formal-equi 48
Koenig, L'hermâuuùgue analogique, p. 47. A. van der Kooij, "Accident or Method? On "Analogical" Interpretation Old Greek.of Isaiah and in IQIs"", BiOr 43 (1986), cols. 366-376. 50 See also A. van der Kooij, "The Old Greek of Isaiah in Relation to the Q Texts of Isaiah: Some General Comments", in GJ. Brooke, B. Lindars Sepbagmt, Scrolls md Cognate Wntrngs (Atlanta, 1992), pp. 195-213. 51 See e.g. R.A. Kraft who is of the opinion that LXX Isaiah belongs to th of the "nonparaphrastic free rendering" ("Septuagint", in IDB.S, p. 814). 52 See e.g. R. Sollamo, Renderings of Hebrew Senùpreposititms in the Septuagtnt (H 1979). 49
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
13
approach is used in order to measure the literalness in terms of percentage scores53, do point into the same direction. Generally speaking, a free approach of a translator has primarily to do with the linguistic level: it concerns the language of the Hebrew original in several respects (grammatical, syntactical, semantic, and idiomatic) and it serves the aim to produce an adequate rendering in good Koine Greek.54 As to characteristics of a free translation the following aspects or tendencies apply: the aim of writing good Koine Greek; variety of lexical choices; different word order for reasons of style; grammatical and contextual changes, such as harmonizations.55 However, though it is true that these aspects are also found in LXX Isaiah, it must be pointed out that the observations made by Ziegler, Seeligmann and others strongly suggest that LXX Isaiah also shows traces of something that goes beyond the border of the just mentioned definition of "free translation". In that definition it is implied that the Greek version, albeit in good Koine in syntactic, lexical and stylistic respects, can be viewed as an "adequate" rendering as far as its contents are concerned. Apart from the problem that is raised by the criterion of "adequate" (the ancients might have read and understood a given Hebrew text in a way different from die Masoretic interpretation or from our philological understanding!), the interesting matter is that a passage such as LXX Isa. 25:1-5 is far from being an "adequate" version; instead, as has been pointed out byJ.M. Coste (see above), this passage constitutes a type of a rewritten or rephrased text. This approach is more of a creative type. In such cases the expression "free approach" should not be taken in the linguistic sense only, but also in a literary, or "editorial" sense: the passage produced by the translator turns out to be, to some extent, a new text or composition. To illustrate this point another example from LXX Isaiah may be given: LXX Isa. 8:11-16(18). LXX reads as follows (in translation): (11) Thus says the Lord:
» Sec e.g. E. Tov and B.C. Wright, "Computer-Assisted Study of the Criteria for Assessing the literalness of Translation Units in the LXX", Tcxtus 12 (1985), pp. 149-187. H See e.g. Barr: Typolop of Literalism, p. 289, and I. Soisalon-Soininen, "Zurück zur Hebraismenfrage", in D. Fraenkel, U. Quast, J.W. Wevers (Hrsg.), Stadial fur Septuagaita Robert Htmhart fit Ehren (Göttingen, 1990), p. 37. 55 See also Barr, Typelogt ofLóaaksm, pp. 294-296, and Tov, Tact-Critical Use, pp. 20-26.
14
CHAPTER ONE
"With a strong hand they disobey the course of the way people, saying: (12) "Do not say, it is hard, for whatsoever this people says, is har not their fear, neither be dismayed. (13) Sanctify the Lord himself, and he himself shall be your fear. you put your trust in him, he shall be to you for a sanctua you shall not come against him as against a stumbling-block, as against the falling of a rock. (14) But the house of Jacob is in a snare, and the inhabitants of lem are in a hollow." (15) Therefore (Sià TOÛTO), many among them shall be powerle fall and be crushed; and men who are in security shall approa be taken. (16) Then shall be manifest those who seal up the Law that they not learn (it)." [(17) And he shall say (KOV epei): "I will wait for God, who has away his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in hi (18) Behold, I and the children who God has given me; and they s for signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord S who dwells on mount Sion".] MT reads as follows (in translation):
(11) For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon m instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: (12) "Do not call conspiracy all that this people call conspiracy, not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. (13) But the Lord of hosts, him shall you regard as holy; let him b fear, and let him be your dread. (14) Then he will be for a sanctuary, but (he shall be) a stone of o and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (15) And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broke shall be snared and taken". (16) Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples [(17) I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the ho Jacob, and I will hope in him. (18) Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me ar and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Sion.]
The differences between MT and LXX are not only on the level, but also on the discourse level: the LXX passage as a who a structure different from MT. MT Isa. 8:11-18 has two parts: 15 and vs 16-18, but LXX is organized this way: vs 11-16, and v Further, in MT God is speaking to the prophet ("me", vs 11), a words are found in vs 12-15, whereas in vs 16-18 the prophet h is the one who is speaking to his disciples. LXX is quite different is speaking too, but the direct speech now begins in vs l i b and
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
15
with vs 16, whereas interestingly within this direct speech of God a certain group of the Jewish people is quoted {vs 12-14). We can not deal with this passage in detail56, but it may be clear that the differences between MT and LXX57 cannot be taken as isolated renderings; instead, they are part of the passage as a whole. It is further to be noted that LXX offers a text of Isa. 8:11-16(18), the contents of which differ greatly from MT (and from IQIsa" as well). Since it is unlikely that LXX represents here a literal version reflecting a Hebrew text differing widely from the Hebrew texts we know (MT and Qumran), the passage of LXX Isa. 8:11-16 may illustrate the idea of a creative approach on the part of the translator. Against the background of what has been said so far, an outline of our method of analysis will now be given. The basic idea of this method is to study different aspects of LXX Isaiah in a more systematic way than has been done up to now. In view of the scribal and reading practices in antiquity58 the analysis aimed at is not on the level of a single word, or verse, but on that of a passage, a pericope or chapter, in LXX (and MT) as a whole. This offers the opportunity to apply what we would like to call a "contextual approach", which, as will be explained below, constitutes a crucial part of the method proposed for the analysis of LXX Isaiah. The method of analysis for LXX Isaiah has the following aspects: 1. The study of the text of MT as it stands, grammatically, stylistically, and semantically.59 The exegesis of a given passage in MT is important for the comparison between MT and LXX Isaiah (see below, sub 2.). Problems of a text critical nature in MT can be touched upon, but they will not be treated at length at this stage, because one of the most important ancient witnesses, the LXX, has not yet been analyzed.
56 For a discussion of this passage see A. van der Kooij, "Isaiah in the Septuagint", in G.G. Broyles and C.A. Evans (eds.), Writing aid Rauiaig At Scroll of Isaiah. Studies of m Interpretative Tradition. Vol. II (Leiden, 1997), pp. 520-528. 57 As to IQIsa1, which öfters a text close to MT, albeit with some interesting readings of its own, see A. van der Kooij, "IQIsa* Col. Vm,4-] 1 (Isa 8,11-18): A Contextual Approach of Its Variants", in F. Garcia Martinez and E. Puech (cds.), Memorial Jean Carrmgnac. Etudes Qwmamennes, ÄQ. 49-52 (1988), pp. 569-581. 58 See J.M. Oesch, Petucha und Setana (Freiburg/Gottingen, 1979), and W.G. Rutherford, A Chapter m the History of Annotation, being Scholia Anstopkamca, Vol. HI (London, 1905), p. 168. M For the text of MT the edition of BHS and that of HUB will be used.
16
CHAPTER ONE
2. The investigation of a passage in LXX Isaiah, first of all, b paring the Greek version with MT, and secondly, by dealing w version on its own.60 The companion concerns the levels of grammar, particularly and semantics. The level of semantics raises the question of the ing of words (lexemes), phrases, clauses and even whole ve LXX Isaiah. For matters of equivalence and of lexical aspe wider context of LXX Isaiah will of course be taken into acco is not necessary to enter into the discussion of how to determi meaning of Greek words in the LXX: by emphasizing the unde Hebrew word, or by considering the use of Greek words elsew Greek sources of the time, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Both a have to be taken into consideration, though in this study the em will be on the second one, the more so since it is crucial method applied to LXX Isaiah not to isolate Greek words from actual context, but to try to understand them as part of their context.61 Although at this stage LXX is compared with MT, this do mean that MT is supposed to be in every detail equal to the H parent text of LXX Isaiah. Cases where the LXX suggests a r different from MT will be noted; also preliminary and prov suggestions will be made in cases where LXX seems to ref different grammatical or lexical interpretation of the Hebrew unvocalized form. A full and systematic study of the question Hebrew original, however, will be given at a later stage (see sub 4.). It is to be noted that the comparison between MT and L meant in a descriptive way. It means that a question of wheth text of LXX represents an "adequate" version, or not, is left consideration. After having carried out the comparison between LXX an the Greek passage will be read as a text in its own right, ba course on the observations made at the level of comparison. It thing to try to establish the meaning of a particular Greek wo phrase in LXX, but it is another thing to examine how this
60 For the text of LXX the edition of Gottingen, made up by Ziegler (Isav be used. Where necessary a critical judgment of this text will be made. 61 On this issue see e.g. E. Tov, "Three dimensions of LXX words", RB 83 pp. 529-544; J.A. Lee, A Lexical Surfy of the Septoagait Vaam of the Pentateuch 1983); T. Muraoka, "On Septuagint Lexicography and Patristics", JTJiS 35 pp. 441-448; T. Muraoka (ed.), Melbourne Symposuan on Stptuagint Lexuography (A 1990).
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
17
word or phrase functions within its own context. For instance, it is interesting to see that Hebrew ~BO has been rendered by ypanmureuç ("secretary") in Isa. 36:3,22(+ tfjç ÔDVOMEÛJÇ); 37:2, and by ypa|incmKOÇ ("grammarian, scribe") in Isa. 33:18, but it is then to be asked how this lexical choice is related to the context (in Greek) in which it occurs. The same applies to an interesting case in Isa. 23, the chapter of this study, where Hebrew "TO is translated as jieraßoXoc in vs 2, and as ënJtopoç in vs 8, two words which differ in meaning. Here the "contextual approach" comes in. Particularly in cases of passages where LXX differs markedly from MT this approach gives one the opportunity to study the Greek text, in the sense of a pericope or chapter, in its own right. This has the advantage that LXX Isaiah is not analysed in an atomistic (on word-level only) or fragmentary (on the level of single verses) way. Passages such as LXX Isa. 8:11-16 (see above) require an approach by which one tries to do justice to the text in Greek as a whole. It is to be examined which function and meaning specific renderings of LXX may have in their own context, be it cases of pluses, minuses, variant readings compared to MT, or in cases of particular lexical choices. (This last category is of interest because of the fact that the alternative of a different underlying Hebrew text does not come into play.) By doing so an attempt can be made to deal with questions such as: Do specific renderings, be it words or clauses, relate to each other contextually? Are free renderings to be considered as isolated from their actual context, or not? Thus, the contextual approach to a given pericope or chapter in LXX Isaiah has basically to do with the question of whether the Greek text itself represents a coherent text.62 Though the word "context" is meant here primarily in the sense of the immediate literary context (pericope or chapter), it does not mean that the analysis will be limited to that aspect; also the broader context, the text of LXX Isaiah as a whole, will be taken into consideration, particularly as far as related passages are concerned. 3. The study of a passage in LXX Isaiah as to its genre. Having dealt with a passage on the textual level (see 2.) the next step is to investigate a passage in LXX Isaiah as far as its genre is concerned (in most cases that of prophecy). In line with the idea of actualization of prophecies (see above) a prophetic passage in LXX 62 For this aspect see the article on LXX Isa. 8:11-16 referred to in note 56 above, and see also A. van der Kooij, "The Old Greek of Isaiah 19:16-25: Translation and Interpretation", in C.E. Cox (ed.), VI Congress of the International Organization for SefKiagiat and Cognole Status, Jtnsalan 19S6 (Atlanta, 1988), pp. 127-166.
18
CHAPTER ONE
Isaiah, such as ch. 23, will be examined in order to see whet passage does not only constitute, as a translation, a transfor from the linguistic point of view, but also a transformation sense of a reinterpretation of the temporal application of an prophecy.63 To give an example: the introduction of the city-n "Carthage" in LXX Isa. 23, as rendering of Hebrew "Ta might be nothing more than a modernization of the name city, but it is also possible that this modernization serves a rea tion of the ancient prophecy of Isa. 23. The hermeneutical q of the genre of prophecies is here at stake: did the translator producing a version of an ancient prophecy which would mak as an oracle at his time? If so, LXX Isaiah would reflect an int prophecies which is well-known from other Jewish documents time (cf. e.g. the pesharim of Qumran).
4. The issue of the Hebrew original behind the Greek ver Isaiah, and the question of how the Hebrew parent text was re interpreted. It is a well-known argument that the study of the style of t tion of a given book of LXX is to be carried out before LXX used textcritically. This is basically also our approach to LXX and that is why the aspects 1., 2. and 3. as described above are priority to the discussion about the Vorlage. The expression "s translation" is used here in a comprehensive sense, including of translation and of interpretation as well (cf. above}.64 Th passage of) the Greek version of Isaiah will be analyzed alo lines of aspects 1., 2., and 3. before the relationship between th and the Hebrew texts (MT, Qumran) is dealt with. The question of the Vorlage of LXX Isaiah concerns, of cour reconstruction of its Hebrew parent text. In attempting this struction, both the characteristics of LXX Isaiah, as resultin the analysis in terms of aspect 2. and 3., and the attested H texts (MT, and Qumran) are to be taken into account. The ev from Qumran is very important indeed, because these materi dated, roughly speaking, to the same period as LXX Isaiah d order to avoid an atomistic approach, or an approach in whi attested variant readings are used at random, the Isaiah te Qumran will be treated as far as possible as individuals each
65 For this phenomenon see M. Fishbane, Btbtitol hlafritatum in Ancu (Oxford, 1985), pp. 4601T. 64 The expression "style of translation" is preferred to that of "tra technique". Gf. A. Aejmelaeus, ThL£ 117 (1992), col. 509.
INTRODUCTION: THE METHOD FOR THE BOOK
19
own right. This is particularly important in the case of 1 Qlsa" which clearly has very much a place of its own among the Isaiah texts of Qumran. However, the reconstruction of the Hebrew Vorlage is not the only thing to do. It is also to be asked how the parent text was "read" and interpreted, both syntactically and semantically. This raises the question about the image of the translator of a text like LXX Isaiah. It will be argued that it is reasonable to assume that our translator is to be seen as a scholar ("scribe"). So far about the method of analysis which will be applied in this study. The four aspects mentioned above will be the subject matter of chapters II-V respectively. In addition, some attention will be given to the aspects of revision (kaige-Tccension; Hexaplaric and Antiochene texts) and reception (early commentaries on the text) of LXX Isa. 23 in chapter VI. The main purpose of this chapter is to show how LXX Isa. 23 was interpreted by Christian scholars of the Early Church, and more in particular to see from which hermeneutical perspective the oracle of Isa. 23 was read and understood. It might be worthwhile to compare the hermeneutical stance of the patristic commentaries with that which may arise from our analysis of LXX Isa. 23 itself. The final chapter (VII) contains the concluding remarks. An Appendix will provide text critical notes on MT Isa. 23 according to the principles of the BMica Hebrmca Quinta (BHÇfy.
34
CHAPTER TWO
expression of "to sit before YHWH" (iTïT 'B1? 3ET) refers most ably to the priests of the temple (cf. Wildberger). The expressio sit before someone" has here, just as its equivalent in Akkadian mahar NN, "he who serves someone [personally]"), the meani "serving someone".28 The Hebrew pTU) read as pTII) occurs only; for its meaning the word pro in Prov. 8:18 may be comp C Division, Style and Contents
After our discussion of MT Isa. 23 verse by verse this chapter now be dealt with as to the aspects of division, style and conten Division
According to the most important Tiberian manuscripts the divisi MT Isa. 23 is as follows:29
MSS:
L
A
C
23:1 23:15 24:1
S S P
P S P
P S P
The chapter as a whole is clearly marked off in mss A and C pelucha at the beginning and the ending of the whole passage. It i clear why L has a setuma between 22:25 and 23:1 (see also at o places in Isa. 13-23). Within the chapter the passages of vs 1-14 vs 15-18 respectively are marked out as two pericopes by a se which is fully understandable in view of the contents of both passa vs 1-14 oilers a picture of the fall of Tyre and its consequen whereas vs 15-18 announces a new future for this city as trade ce of the world. Style and Contents
Verses 1-14
The passage of verses 1-14 begins and ends with a call to "the ship Tarshish" to lament, because "their fortress has been laid wa 28 25
See CAD A s.v. âïâhu. Cf. Targuni: T Dip j'BOirr?. See Oesch, Pttudia md Stiuma, p. T12+f.
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
The repetition in vs 1 and vs 1 4 clearly functions as an indusio:
TTC? 'D GTcnn [TDK i17*Vn TTD 'D ïnzhn FTP»
As has been observed already, the difference between the two pa sages is that the second one (vs 14} offers the subject of T7B which not mentioned explicitly in vs 1, namely pWD ("your stronghold" The repetition of words in this case is thus characterized by the fa that some important information is made explicit in the second in stance (for this feature see further below). Repetition of significant words is an important feature of verses 14. Including the parallel between vs 1 and vs 14 the following in stances are found: -
the verb Vm: vss 1, 6, 14; "the ships of Tarshish" (SWlTl m'3K): vs 1 and vs 14; the verb TUB: vs 1 and vs 1 4; "the inhabitants of the island" fK '3tD'): vs 2 and vs 6; the root HOD: vss 2, 3, 8; the verb "13JJ: vss 2, 6, 10, and 12, albeit with different connotation "to pass over the sea as traders" (vs 2), "to pass over the sea as fligh (vs 6 and vs 12), and "to pass through the land" (vs 10); "the fortress" (run): vs 4 (+ "of the sea"), and vs 14; see also vs 1 (plural, albeit in an unusual form); the root t"?D: vs 7 and vs 12; the verb ffl': vs 8 and vs 9; "the most honoured of the earth" (f~!R '~D23): vs 8b and vs 9b.
Another characteristic of MT Isa. 23:1-14 is the fact that in quite number of cases the imperative is used: see vss 1, 2, 4, 6a, 6b, 10 12b, 14. This feature has a structuring effect30 and it heightens th dramatic tone of the text. A most interesting feature of our text is the one we touched upo in the case of vs l//vsl4 mentioned above: that of making informa tion (more) explicit in the second instance. Apart from the case of vs I / vs 14 the following instances are to be mentioned: -
vs 4a: "the sea" —"the fortress of the sea" vs 5: "the report"—"the report about Tyre" vs 6: the addressee "you" —"the inhabitants of the island" vs 7-8: "this (city)" (vs 7)—"Tyre" (vs 8) vs 11: "He (vs lia)— "YHWH" (vs lib) vs 13: "this is the people" —"beasts of the desert".
*° As to this aspect see now M.A. Sweeney, Isaiah 1-39 (Grand Rapids/ Cam bridge, 1996), pp. 302-305.
36
CHAPTER TWO
In all these cases a clarification or explicitation is given in the se instance. In some cases this is done by repeating one or more w in other cases the explicitation is given without repetition of word 7f., andvs II). 31
Though the pericope of verses 1-14 is characterized by short cla and sentences, often of a cryptic nature, we will try to give now, the help of stylistic features mentioned above, an outline of the tents of this MT passage as it stands. Verses 1-14 begins and ends with a call on "the ships of Tarsh to wail because of the fate by which their fortress, the city of T has been visited: this famous city and most important harbour been destroyed. They got the message from "the land of Kitt presumably Cyprus. Within verses 1-14 as a whole verses 2-6 can be set apart to s extent, because the beginning and ending of this part of Isa. 23 clearly related to each other: vs 2a: "Be silent (with grief), inhabitants of the island" vs 6b: "Wail, inhabitants of the island".
The reason of the grief of the inhabitants of the island of Tyre is g in the passage of vs 2-6 by referring to the glorious past of Tyre w stands in sharp contrast to the present situation. In the past Tyre a rich and wealthy city, full of merchandise which was brought i "the merchants of Sidon". They "filled" the city with corn f Egypt, and thus Tyre was able to do business with the nations, m ing a good profit as the ending of vs 3 indicates. However, the s tion has changed completely and dramatically, not only for Tyre, as a result, also for Sidon and for Egypt. Tyre, the city that was ca "the fortress of the sea" (vs 4) because she dominated the sea c mercially speaking, has now become like a mother without child a city ruined and desolated. Sidon will be ashamed, and disappoi by the fall of Tyre (vs 4a). And Egypt, the land of corn, will also greatly shocked at the news of the disaster that has overtaken Tyre 5). (It is here, in vs 5, that the name of Tyre is mentioned for the time.) So much is clear from the passage of vs 2-6 that the grief of inhabitants of Tyre is very great indeed, because their city has b
33 Though the passage of vs 8-9 has something in common with this feature, not to be mentioned, because the style is different here: to the question of vs 8, has planned this, the answer is given in vs 9: YHWH of hosts has done so.
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
laid waste. The advice is given to look for another place to live, b passing over the sea to Tarshish. The call to "pass over" underlines this way how great the disaster is. It makes clear that there is n prospect of living in Tyre any longer. The exclamation of vs 7, "Is this your exultant (city) whose orig is from days of old, whose feet led her to settle far away?", points al to the contrast between past and present, and gives expression astonishment and fear: How could it happen to such a famous an strong city. The city of Tyre was not only "exultant", rich an wealthy, but also very ancient indeed, and its inhabitants went out settle as foreigners in distant places. The question of vs 7, Is this city which is destroyed your famou city?, raises the next question: Who has decided the fall of this city, Tyre (vs 8)? In view of the answer to be given in vs 9, vs 8b depic the most powerful position of Tyre: it was the "crowning (city)", i merchants were honoured everywhere as princes. The idea he probably is that Tyre "crowns" the merchants in its service, that is t say, gives them a high, royal status. These merchants dominated th sea trade; they were doing big business. It was YHWH of hosts who planned the evil against Tyre, in orde "to defile the pride of all glory, to dishonour all the honoured of th earth" (vs 9). Here the motif of making low of anyone who is "high proud and powerful" is used (see Isa. 2:6ff.). The use of "73, twic gives the impression of generalisation, but it is also possible that a who owe their "royal" position to Tyre are meant. Vs 8f. evokes th picture of Tyre as having been the centre of worldwide sea trading Because of the power and pride involved, YHWH has decided t destroy this centre, with all the negative effects on the merchants an on other places of die trading network. These effects are the subject matter of the following verses, vs 10 12. Two cities seem to be of particular interest: Tarshish, the city o the trading ships (vss 1, 14), and Sidon, the city of the merchants (vs 2 Tarshish is said to turn to agriculture, because commercial activitie on sea have come to an end through the fall of Tyre. The next verse, vs 11, gives the theological explanation for the fac that the commercial activities came to an end: according to vs 11 a is because of the power of God who has stretched his hand agains the sea; he has made kingdoms tremble, presumably city-states, suc as Tarshish, which were dependent on Tyre as the trading center The economic crisis was caused by what YHWH did to the "for tresses" of Canaan/Phoenicia (vs lib), i.e. by giving the order t destroy these strongholds (Tyre and Sidon in particular) with th result that the power of Canaan was broken.
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CHAPTER TWO
Vs 12 makes clear what this command of YHWH means to S the first born of Canaan: she will no longer live as a wealthy c a result of the fall of Tyre, she will feel like someone being pressed", ill-treated. As with the inhabitants of Tyre (vs 6), the a is given to look for another place to live, which presupposes the of destruction of the city (cf. vs 1 Ib). It would be best for her t over to the Kittim, to Cyprus, although also at that place there rest to be found. The idea of Cyprus as being one of the without "rest", a place where one can not live in safety and p seems to be related to the trouble and fear of the kingdoms caus YHWH (see vs lia). As to the role of YHWH, it is stated in vs 9 that he is the one has taken the decision for the destruction of Tyre. In vs 11 it i that he is the one who gave the order to break the power of Ca There is, however, one question left: Who is supposed to carr the decision about Tyre? Who is supposed to act as the age YHWH? The answer to this question is given nowhere in vs explicitly; the only verse which may hint at the supposed age YHWH is vs 13. Vs 13 draws the attention to the fate of "the land of Chaldeans" as being destroyed by Assyria. It has become a deso area, inhabited by "beasts of the desert". The disaster that ha fallen the land of the Chaldeans through the hand of Assyria see imply the fall of a major city (cf. the siege terminology in vs 13) thus the underlying idea might be that Assyria acted as the age YHWH in destroying Tyre and in doing so causing a similar dis to Canaan/Phoenicia. The call on the inhabitants of Tyre (vs 6 of Sidon (vs 12) to look for another place to live, and to pass ove sea) to Tarshish and Kittim/Cyprus respectively, seems to sup this idea, because it would result in an area left without human p lation, just as it is said of the land of the Chaldeans in vs 13. Verses 15-18
The last part of MT Isa. 23, verses 15-18, has the following struc (a) vs 15a: Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years; (bl) vs 15b-16: "at the end of the 70 years ..." (b2) vs 17-18: "at the end of the 70 years ...".
After seventy years of having been forgotten, things will change. a forgotten harlot Tyre will go around and present herself with m and singing, so that she will be remembered. The comparison tween city and prostitute becomes clear in the light of vs 17f verb ror, "to play the harlot", is used here in the sense of d
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
3
business with the kingdoms of the earth. Tyre will be restored to he former position as a central trading place, but the important thing i that her gains from trade will no longer be for her own benefit, bu will be a sacred gift to YHWH in Jerusalem.32 As a result ofthat, th priests of the temple YHWH will have a good life: they will have foo in abundance, and they will be able to clothe themselves splendidly
32 Tyre will be related to Jerusalem, as "her colonies once stood to Tyre" (Oswal p. 437).
4O
CHAPTER TWO
EXCURSUS TARSHISH: TARTESSOS or TARSUS?
At three places in Isa. 23 the name Tarshish is used, twice expression "ships of Tarshish" (vs 1 and vs 14), and once as "da (of) Tarshish", probably referring to a city (vs 10). Many schol of the opinion that Tarshish in this chapter and at other places Old Testament as well is to be identified with (the region of) Ta in Spain.'
"Das nach Ez. 27 12 Silber, Eisen, Zinn und Blei liefernde T. (= vdK), das in Gn. 10 4 [...] als Sohn Jawans genannt wird, ist in bzw. Südspanien zu lokalisieren" (K. Galling, BRI2, p. 332).
"An der Identifikation von CrtÖTT! mit dem Toptnaoóc der Griec sprachlich nicht zu zweifeln" (Wildberger, p. 869).
And according to E. Lipinski Tarshish as mentioned in Gen. 10:2 seen as the name of "une région située à l'extrémité occidental Méditerranée" (ZAH 3 [1990], pp. 5If).
The historian Herodotus tells us that the inhabitants of Pho Asia Minor were the first Greeks who in their long journeys b discovered the city of Tartessos (Histories I, 163). This seems to so Wildberger assumes, with Gen. 10:4 where Tarshish is men as one of the sons of Javan (Ionia in Asia Minor). Galling argue an inscription of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, points into the direction (of Tartessos): the text in question (see below) speaks o "living in the midst of the sea", "und nennt in Westrichtung: Y (Zypern), Täwän (die griech. Ägäis) und Tarsisi, das nichts mi kleinasiatischen Tarsus (so Josephus) zu tun hat (akk. Tarzu'.)" p. 332). Other scholars like M. Koch and Lipinski have put fo similar arguments. In reviewing the work of Koch2 in whic conclusion is drawn that Tarshish is to be identified with the reg Tartessos in Spain, Lipinski makes the following remark abou conclusion: "elle constitue probablement un résultat définitif domaine" ("Carthage et Tarshish", &'O45 [1988], col. 63). Se the most recent contribution about Tarshish by Lipinski in T Bd. VIII (1995), cols. 778-781 (with literature cited). 1 2
S. Bochart was the first to propose this identification. M. Koch, Tarsetisch wid ffispamen (Berlin, 1984).
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
41
The issue of the identification of Tarshish is, however, still a matter of some dispute. There are scholars who do not subscribe to the idea that Tarshish should be equated with (the region of) Tartessos in Spain, as is clear from the fact that the following alternative options have been put forward up to the present: a place in India {J.M. Blâzquez)3, some indetermined region in the far west (G. Bunnens)4, Carthage (P.R. Berger)5, some place in Asia Minor (G.W. Ahlström)6, or Tarsus in Asia Minor (G. Garbini;' cf. the Jewish historian Josephus).
Passages that appear to be of particular interest for the question of the identification and localization of Tarshish, are places in the O.T. where Tarshish is part of a listing of names of countries (Gen. 10:2-4; Isa. 66:19; Ezek. 27:12-14), and further, a reference in one of the royal inscriptions of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon already mentioned above. The text of Gen. 10:2-4 contains a list of peoples who havejaphet as their father. Vs 4 gives the names of the sons of Javan, himself a son of Japhet; the text reads as follows: "The sons of Javan: Elisha, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim". The peoples of Japhet represent nations living in the northern countries, from that of the Medes in the northeast up to that of Javan/ Ionia in Asia Minor in the northwest, so constituting the northern part of the horizon of the then known world.8 This applies also to vs 4: Elisha is probably Alashia, Cyprus; Kittim is also related to Cyprus, and Dodanim ("Rodanim" in I Chron. 1:7} is thought to refer to Rhodes. So it seems that the peoples of vs 4, being regarded as the sons of Javan, are to be located in the area of Asia Minor and the isles south of this region.9 Given the geographical horizon of this verse, the
s J.M. Blâzquez, Tartessos y los origmes de la colonisation fenicia en Ocadente (Salamanca, 1975), pp. 15-21. For critical comments seeJ.B. Cirkin in BiOr 39 (1982), col. 405f. The idea of India was already one of the options at the time of Jerome (see his commentary on Isaiah, ad Isa. 66:18f.). 4 G. Bunnens, L'expansion fthêniaerme en Méditerranée (Bruxelles/Rome, 1979), pp. 33 Iff. * P.R. Berger, "EUasar, Tarschisch undjawan, Gn 14 und 10", WO 13 (1982), p. 65. 6 G.W. Ahlström, "The Nora Inscription and Tarshish", Maarao 7 (1991), p. 48. 7 G. Garbini, I Femci, slant e retigiau (Napoli, 1980), pp. 95-116. " See J. Simons, "The "Table of Nations" (Gen. X): Its general structure and meaning", OTS 10 (1954), p. 177. 9 For the ancient view expressed in Gen. 10:2-5 that all these peoples are placed on islands, see especially W. Horowitz, "The isles of the nations: Genesis x and Babylonian geography", in J.A. Emerton (ed.), Studies in the Pentateuch (Leiden, 1990), pp. 35-44.
42
CHATTER TWO
assumption that Tarshish is some place far away, in the far does not seem warranted. On the contrary, it stands more to to look for Tarshish somewhere in the neighbourhood of the peoples mentioned in Gen. 10:4.10 In Isa. 66:19 the following countries are mentioned: Tarshis Lud, Tubal, Javan, the distant isles. The name of Pul is unc because it occurs only here, and LXX offers the name Put instead which, in combination with Lud, seems to make more (for the two names together see Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10, and However, since the reading of MT (*71S) is supported by 1 Qls lOJsab this reading may be considered to be the more difficu and thus the more ancient one; it might attest a geographical still unknown to us. ' ' Be that as it may, the important thing is t names Lud, Tubal and Javan all point to Asia Minor, or at l Lud is to be identified here with Libya) to the eastern part Mediterranean world. It is therefore not convincing to Tarshish in the western part of the Mediterranean. It is interesting to notice that also the Old Greek of Isa. favours the view of Asia Minor. It contains the following Tharsis, Put, Lud, Mosoch, Thobel, and Greece. Apart "Greece" the names of Put, Lud, Mosoch and Thobel can located in Asia Minor (for Put and Lud, see Judith 2:23( Mosoch, see Gen. 10:2). So even a rather late text such as LX 66:19 seems to suggest that Tharsis is to be situated somewh Asia Minor. Our third text, Ezek. 27:12-14, points into the same dire here the following countries are mentioned: Tarshish, Javan, T Mesech, Togarma. Again, because of these names it is very un that the text of Ezek. 27 favours the idea of a location of Tarshi away from the area of Javan up to Togarma, i.e. Asia Minor. more likely to assume that Ezek. 27, together with Gen. 10:2Isa. 66:19, attest a tradition according to which Tarshish is l somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean world. As has been vincingly argued by W. Horowitz13 the fact that these countries
10 Cf. G. Westermann, Genesis, p. 678; Garbini, I Fernci, pp. 97-99; Ahlstróm Nora Inscription", p. 48. 11 See also CTAT2, pp. 464f.—One could think of the name of the region southern parts of Asia Minor which the Greeks called rian#uXm.(Grecized f Pul?) 12 Other texts in the O.T. where Tarshish occurs as the name of a country no help: Ps 72:10;Jcr. 10:9: Ezek. 38:13; and the book of Jonah. " See note 9 above.
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
43
believed to be "(distant) isles" (Gen. 10:4; Isa. 66:19) is fully in line with the geographical world-view of the time. The only non-biblical text which plays a major role in the discussion is the inscription of Esarhaddon referred to above. The text in question contains a description of the campaign of the year 671 B.C., when Esarhaddon besieged the city of Tyre. It is claimed that when this city was captured, the following kings submitted themselves to the mighty king of Assyria: alle Könige, die mitten im Meere wohnen, von Kypros (mât larlanana] und Jawan (mat laman) bis nach Tarsis {mât Tarsui), unterwerfen sich meinen Küssen."
It is often argued that the countries mentioned in this text are listed "in geographic order from east to west".15 According to J.B. Tsirkin "the two ends of the Mediterrenean are meant here—the one is Cyprus [...], the other—Tarshish, the very west of the sea".16 The question is, however, why this passage should be understood as listing countries from east to west. It is not the only possible interpretation of it. Just as with the passages from the O.T. discussed above, it is more plausible to assume that the Assyrian text is not referring to Tarshish as a country far from Asia Minor, such as in Spain, but rather close to the other countries mentioned, Cyprus and Javan (Ionia in Asia Minor)." The idea that the Asia Minor is the geographical horizon of the passage in the inscription of Esarhaddon is supported by a description of a similar political situation two years later. In the year 669 B.C. the city of Tyre was taken by king Assurbanipal, and as a result terror was spread to the hearts of the kings in the neighbouring territories. According to the inscriptions the kings of Arvad, Tabal and Cilicia (Hilakku) submitted themselves to the Assyrian king in Nineveh. It thus seems likely that at both occasions, in 671 B.C. and in 669 B.C. neighbouring countries in Asia Minor were responding to the fall of Tyre.
14 R. Borger, Die huclmfttn AsarhadJons (Graz, 1956), p. 86. For the view that these kings were supposed to live "in the midst of the sea", see the article referred to in note 9. 15 M. Elat, "Tarshish and the Problem of Phoenician Colonisation in the Western Mediterranean", OLP 13 (1982), p. 58. See also Galling (above); Koch, Tarschisch ma Spanien, pp. 103-109. 16 Ju.B. Tsirkin, "The Hebrew Bible and the Origin of Tartessian Power", Aula Onentak 4 (1986), p. 181. 17 Cf. Westermann, Genesis, p. 678; Ahlstrom, 'The Nora Inscription", p. 48.
44
CHAPTER TWO
Thus, if Tarshish is to be located most probably somewhere Minor, the question arises whether Tarshish is identical with least related to, the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. This is in fact th expressed in antiquity by Josephus in his Antiquities I, 127 (o 10:4): Tarshish is equated by him with the city of 0opooc; remarks that the name of this city in his days is spelled w (Tapooç).18 At another place, Antiquities IX, 208, about the fl Jonah to Tarshish, Josephus uses the spelling "Tarsos", again fying Tarshish with Tarsos in Cilicia. The city of Tarsus is already referred to in Neo-Assyrian ments dating from the time of Salmanassar III and Sanhe name is spelled as Tarzu, or Tarzi, in both cases with z (UR AR-ZU, and URU TAR-ZI). This spelling is in agreement wit maic legends on coins dating to the mid-fifth century B.C.: Tarsus.19 As we have seen already the name to be found in the Esarhaddon is spelled differently: Tarsisi (KUR TAR-SI-SI) (apart from the difference between "city" [URU] and "co [KUR]20). This difference in spelling is one of the main argume the thesis that Tarshish (= Tarsisi) is to be distinguished from on the assumption that the last name is only spelled as Tarzu.21 However, there is no strong reason why one should disti between Tarsisi/Tarshish and Tarzu/Tarzi/trz as referring different localities. First of all, as we have seen above, there textual evidence which clearly supports the idea of locating T Tarshish in the far west; on the contrary, the more natural ex tion seems to be to look for a location in Asia Minor. Secondl difficult to argue on the basis of the difference of spelling just tioned, because actually the spelling of the name of "Tarsus" sh great variety: Tarzi, Tarzu (in Neo-Assyrian texts), TRZ (Aramaic legend on coins), Tarsha (Hittite documents),22
18 The name of SapoEic, is taken by him as referring to the inhabitants of T cf. TopcEiçin classical sources, 13 See J. Naveh, The Development of Ou Aramaic Scnpl {Jerusalem, 1970), p. 4 20 This difference is not that important, since also in other cases a topony used by Assyrian scribes as the name of a country and of a city (in that cou well (for other examples, see S. Parpola, Neo-Asyrum Tofxntjms [Neukirchcn 1970], e.g., Hatarikka [p. 156], Hilakku (pp. 161f], Samirina [pp. 302f.]). 21 See e.g. J. Skinner, Genesis, p. 199; Galling (see quotation above); L JhWAT, Bd. Vin, col. 780. 22 See J. Garstang and O.R. Gumey, The Geograph, af the Hittite Empae (L 1959), p. 61.
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
45
Tapoxn (Xenophon), Tapaoc, (other Greek sources), TapoEi; (u Mace. 4:30), eapooc/Tapooc. (Josephus [see above]; LXX Ezek. 27:25 [ms A/ms 544 resp.]), DOTD (in later Jewish sources, e.g. Targ Neof. Gen. 10:4).
In the light of these data there is no reason to maintain that the spelling of Tarsisi and of Tarshish could not be part of this picture: beside the c also the s and /are attested. So it seems justified with S. Parpola to regard the name of Tarsisi as referring to the same locality as does Tarzu/Tarzi.23 The spelling Tarzu/Tarzi is found in inscriptions of Salmanasser III and Sennacherib, whereas the spelling Tarsisi is used somewhat later, in one of the royal inscriptions of Esarhaddon. It might be that the spelling with z reflects the Aramaic one, whereas the second spelling may have been based on the Phoenician one of the name (cf. t-r-f-f in the Nora inscription24). It is further important to note in this connexion that the equation between Tarsos (Greek spelling) and Tharsis (cf. Tharshish) is attested in one of the fragments preserved through Polyhistor and Eusebius, from the Batylaniaca of Berossus (third century B.C.). The passage in question tells us that Sennacherib marched against the Greeks who had invaded the land of Cilicia, and after having defeated them he built "the city Tarson after the model of Babylon, and he gave it the name Tharsin".25 This so-called Cilician campaign, which took place in 696 B.C., is also known to us from the inscriptions of Sennacherib himself: because of a revolt in Asia Minor by Kirua of Illubru he sent an army against the men of Hilakku (Cilicia), and on that occasion the cities of Ingira (Greek: Anchiale) and Tarcu were captured.26 So the interesting thing is that according to the Babylonian priest Berossus the city "Tarsos" (Greek spelling) was given the name of "Tharsis", whereas the ancient report has "Tarzu" as the name of the same city. 21
Parpola, Topmyms, pp. 348f. 24 For this inscription see the article by Ahlstrom (note 6 above). The spelling (t-rs-s, without^-od) is also attested by a palaeo-hebrew ostracon published most recently. See P. Bordreuil, F. Israel, D. Pardee, "Deux ostraca paléo-hébreux de la collection Sh. MoussaïefT', Samtita 46 (1996), pp. 49-76, esp. pp. 53-55. 1 owe this reference to professor André Lemaire. 25 See S.M. Burstein, TTu Babylamaca of Berossus (Malibu, 1978), p. 24; P. Schnabel, Bmues (Hildesheim 1968 [= Leipzig/Berlin 1923]), pp. 269f. The spelling "Tharsin" is probably meant as the accusative of the name. M See D.D. Luckenbill, THi Amok ofSamachaib (Chicago, 1924), p. 61; E. Cassin, J. Bottéro, J. Vercouter (eds.), Du Altonmlalischai RncJu, UI (Frankfurt am Main, 1967), p. 129.
4.6
CHAPTER TWO
In addition, the following observation may serve as another ment in favour of the thesis Tarshish = Tarsus in the ancient so Problably due to the widening of the geographical horizon Hellenistic period several names of countries were applied to re further to the west: Javan, Ionia in Asia Minor > Greece Kittim, Cyprus > Greece, and Italy Tubal, in Asia Minor (cf. Tabali in Assyrian sources) > Iberia (Josephus).27
In my view the same happened to Tarshish: initially only referr the city (and region) of Tarsus, in later times it was (also) used to to "the sea", or to Africa/ Carthage, attesting too the widening geographical horizon.28 Finally, it is to be noted that there is no textual evidence f identification of Tarshish with Tartessos in Southern Spain. No earlier tradition, neither the later application of the name Thar more remote areas provides evidence for this identification. How Koch and Lipinski have drawn the attention to data which in view do support the idea of a relationship between Tharshish Tartessos/Southern Spain. Koch is of the opinion that two n attested by Polybius in his Histories, can be regarded as concl evidence for that relationship; these are Mao-ria Tapcnitov (Histor 24,1.4) and 0epcntai (Historiés III 33, 9f.).w These two names, th one of some locality, and the second one of some people indeed, to be related to Southern Spain, but a specific connexion bet them and "Tarshish" is far from certain. Lipinski adduces another, more interesting piece of evidenc drawing the attention to a Greek list dating to the late Roman p in which the following designation is found: Öapaeicri Bamiai.30 list knows of a Tharsis in Southern Spain, but apart from the fac the list is of a very late date one can also argue that the addit BaiTiicn, is just meant to distinguish between this Tharsis and an one elsewhere.
27 For this phenomenon see in particular the interpretation of Gen. 10 inj 9 and by Josephus {Antupatus I, 122-147). 28 See below p. 49. 25 Koch, Tarsdascfi and Hupamm, pp. 11 Iff. w Lipinski, "Carthage et Tarshish", BiOr 45 (1988), col. 62. For the textua see F. Wutz, Ontmtasttca Sacra. Untersuchungen &an Liber Interpretation!! No Hetnnconm da HL Hieronymus, TU 3. Reihe, 11. Bd., 1. Hälfte: Quellen und Sys OnamastrJia (Leipzig, 1914), p. 195.
THE MASORETIC TEXT OF ISAIAH 23
47
Lastly, it must be stated that the raw materials referred to in Old Testament texts about Tarshish do not necessarily point in the direction of Spain. Scholars have pointed out that the materials exported from Tarshish are to be found in several Mediterranean places, including Asia Minor.31
"" See M. Elat, "Tarshish and the Problem of Phoenician Colonisation", p. 55; G.W. Ahlstrom, "The Nora Inscription", p. 44. Lipinski (BtOr 45 [1988], cob. 64-74) adduces the fact that the materials are found in Spain as an additional argument for the thesis of Tarshish-Tartessos.
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CHAPTER THREE
so since according to 8:18 God himself "dwells on mount (lojpiou aaßocoO, öc Katoiicei èv T<5 öpei Luov;. This all means that those who dwell on the temple mount wi a good life. Tyre will supply abundant food (MT literally: " sufficiently"). LXX has given here expression to the same id using three verbs: (tœryeîv rai TCIEÎV KOU eunXiiaOfivai. The collocat "to eat and to drink" is a very common one (see e.g. Isa. 2 These two verbs together with "to be satisfied" are also foun Esdras 3:3, a passage about a festival meal of king Dariu è^óyooov KCÙ èirlooav Kal É(UtXT|<j6ÉVTEÇ [...]. The last part of vs 18 differs considerably from MT. For MT stately clothing", LXX reads: eiç crujipoXriv (ivnuóeruvov ëvavti K Ziegler is of the opinion that the translator "denkt hier wohl a Schilderung eines Gottesmahls" (p. 116). This idea would als count for the plus of evavn Kupiou.47 (Ziegler does not agree w Scholz who regards the Greek iropioc as interpretation of the H pTO, taken in the sense of "the Old of days", i.e. God [see Dan ]tJP p'TO].48 See further chapter V.B.) The Greek ouußoWi can the meaning of "contribution", but then also of contributions ma provide a meal, and of the meal itself, Ziegler argues. It is to be however, whether the meaning of "meal" fits the text under d sion. Two other observations made by Ziegler point in another tion: (a) The rendering
Xf| for Hebrew PtODD presupposes a read this Hebrew word as iTOpD or 030, which means "contributed tion", "regular contribution", "tax" (see e.g. Num. 31:28, [LXX: -réXoç, in the sense of "tax"]); (b) The ending of vs 18 can be accounted for in the light of 31:5449. According to this text the gold from the war booty o Midianites is brought to Moses and Eleazar who in turn bring the tent of meeting as a nvrpócruvov TAV \noiv laparjX evavn K
(MT mrr -xb bmar 'ab fror).
These two observations do suggest that the ending of LXX Isa. reflects an interpretation based on Num. 31:25ff. Just as part o war booty of the Midianites is considered a tribute, or tax to the (ODD), so part of the commercial richness of Tyre is seen that w our text. If so, this interpretation of LXX vs 18 points again (se
47 See also J. Schreiner, "Hermeneutische Leitlinien in der Septuaginta", Lorctz und W. Stroh (eds.), Die hemmaOudu fiagf m da JTuologie (Freiburg, 19 376, and HUB ad locum ("picture of sacrificial meal"). 48 See A. Scholz, Die aleamihtmsdu Uebmttamg JesBudus Jeaaas (Würzburg, p. 13.
THE SEPTUAG1NT OF ISAIAH 23 AS TEXT
75
above, on the "dwelling before the Lord") to the temple of Jerusalem, because it implies that, just as the gold from the booty of the Midianites was to be put in the tent of meeting, the merchandise of Tyre, even "all her merchandise" (so LXX, without equivalent in MT), will be stored in the temple of the Lord. The last part of vs 18 is therefore best translated as follows: "for a (regular) contribution/ tax, a memorial before the Lord".50 For the expression nvrpócruvov evavTi K-upiou see further also Sir. 50:16. B LXX Isaiah 23 in its own right
After having compared LXX Isa. 23 with MT we will now deal with the Old Greek text of Isa. 23 in its own right. Do significant renderings and passages in the LXX text make sense in relation to each other? Does LXX Isa. 23 present itself as a text with some coherence? We first discuss verses 1-14, and then verses 15-18. Verses 1-14 The Greek text displays several elements which may point to a coherent composition, and which, particularly in comparison with MT, give expression to its own profile: (a) stylistically speaking, the following data are of interest: the parallelism between vss la,10b, and 14; the use of icxvxB, ioxûç in vss 4, 8 and 11 ; the use of oincéti in vss 1, and 10-12; the triple use of (jetaßoXoc in verses 2-3; the use of 8e as coordinator, indicating change of subject, in vss 4, 5, 11; the use of üßpic and üßpiCo) in vss 7, 9, 12; the use of ËvSoÇoç in vss 8 and 9. In most of these cases MT does not offer a repetition of the same word, or the same collocation. There are on the other hand cases of variation in LXX where MT does contain the same word(s):
49
See also Seeligmann, Stpiuagml Vasum, p. 47. Gf. Ottley, Vol I, p. 151 ("for a contribution, as a memorial for the Lord"). See also the translation by Jerome in his Commentary on Isaiah: "in collationem, memoriale coram Domino". 50
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r| vrpoç (vs 2) — T) vfyjoç nÜTT| (vs 6); (vs 2) - Ejmopoc (vs 8); 4) - oxûpcotia (vs 14); (vs 8) - ëvSoÇov (vs 9b).
(b) renderings which are characteristic of chapter 23, in being u mon within the whole of LXX Isaiah, and/or within the rest LXX: "Carthage" (for "Tarshish") in vss 1, 6, 10, 14; toxin; (for HUD) in vs 4; ioxwo (for no]) in vs 1 1 ; ànépxojioi (for ~OS) in vss 6, 12; ÉvSoÇoç (for T3X) in vs 9; O8vvr| Xajißovetca (for "TTI) in vs 5; üfSptc (for P"?U) in vs 7; vßpiCeo (for frB) in vs 12; (for riDQ) in vs 14.
(c) passages constituting a syntactic unity quite different from M particular verses 2-3, and verses 12-13.
In order to explore the matter of coherence further it is to be which contextual function all the above mentioned elements others as well, may have within the whole of verses 1-14. Do make sense as lexical choices when taken seriously, not only o level of verses but also on discourse level (vs 1-14)? The only w answer these questions is to read die Greek text as it stands clo
Vs 1 reads, "Cry aloud, ships of Carthage, for it is dest (cmcoXeto), and they no longer come (ëpxovtai) from the lan Kittim; it is led captive (TJKTOI alx^aXmroc)". The verse as it s raises a question about the subject of the verbs involved. First, w what is the subject of ajoüXeto? The answer can be given on the of vs 14, the text which runs parallel to vs 1 (cf. MT): vs la: oXoXûÇETE jcXoîa KapxiSóvoi;. öti ajiui*£TO vs 14: oXoXv>C£t£ icXota KopxiiSovoc. on anc&eto TO àxtipcofiu ÙHÙV
From the parallel text it is clear that "ships of Carthage" are call cry aloud, because "their fortress" is destroyed. It stands to reaso assume that this fortress is also the implied subject of the last pa vs 1 ("it is led captive"), because both verbs of vs 1 are in the sing The next question regards the subject of the second verb of (ëpxovrai). As to this matter the textual relationship between v and vs lOb within LXX Isa. 23, not to be found in MT, is impo
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vs 1 b: icai OÙKÉTI Ëp^ovrai ÈK TTIÇ Kraécov
vs 1 Ob: Kal yap TÛOÎ u ÜUVÉTI Ëpxetai EK KapxiSóvoç
Read as parallel texts, the subject of epxovrai appears to be "(the) ships", as is stated explicitly in vs 10b.51 That is to say, ships no longer come "from the land of Kittim", apparently because "their fortress" has been destroyed. Or to put it with the wording of vs 1 Ob, which is more specific: ships no longer come "from Carthage". Here the question arises, which fortress is meant. One may be inclined to think of Tyre (cf. MT)52, but LXX vs lOb suggests that Carthage is the fortress that has been destroyed and so for that reason ships can no longer come from that place. As we will see below there are other passages in LXX Isa. 23 which point into the same direction. This interpretation of vs lOb seems to imply that "the land of Kittim", being the place mentioned in the parallel passage of vs Ib, is meant here as referring to Carthage and its surrounding country. The designation "Kittim" (Greek: Kmeîç53) was a name which could be given to different maritime countries. For instance, in I Mace. 8:5 the name refers to the people of Macedonia, or Greece (Kituteov ßaoiAea; cf. I Mace. 1:1 [ÈK -pïç XETTHU]), whereas "Kittim" of Dan. 11:30 is clearly supposed to be a cipher for "Romans" from Italy (cf. LXX Dan. 11:30: ' Pœnaîoi; see also Targ Onk Num. 24:24: 'NTH [for MT DTD])54. All this means that it is at least possible that the name "the land of Kittim" could also be applied to a maritime area such as that of Carthage. This would be in line with the statement ofjosephus on the "Kittim" of Gen. 10:4: "Chetimos held the island of Chetima— the modern Cyprus—whence the name Chcthim (Xe9in) given by the Hebrews to all islands and to most maritime countries" (Antiquities I, 128).55 51 As to the difference in number between vs 1 (plural) and vs 10 (singular) it is to be noted that both constructions (a neuter subject in the plural with verb in the singular, or in the plural) are possible in Koine Greek. See E. Mayser, Grammatik, II, 3, p. 28. It may well be that the plural form of vs 1 is used to make clear that the subject of èpxovtm is not the same as that of the verbs in the singular (tntUeTO and 52 53
See note 5 above. For this designation see also H. Donnei—W. RöUig, Kanaandtsdit md aramiusdu Insdsnfim, Bd. I (Wiesbaden, 1966), nr 55, 57 (in both cases in the singular) and P.M. Fraser, Ftolaruac Alaaubia, Vol. U: fioles (Oxford, 1972), p. 318 (note 418). 54 Compare the rendering "Apuleia" (in Italy) for "Kittim" in Targ Ezek. 27:6. And see Targ Neof Gen. 10:4: "Italy" for "Kittim". 55 It is to be noted that "Tarshish" and "Kittim" are mentioned together in Gen. 10:4. Compare further the expression "isles (plural) of the Kittim" injer. 2:10 and Ezek. 27:6. On "Kittim" in the Qumran documents, see GJ. Brooke, "The Kittim in the Qumran Pesharim", in L. Alexander (ed.), Images of Empire {Sheffield, 1991), pp. 135-159.
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However, the text of vs Ib can be understood more easily lows: ships (of Carthage) no longer come "from the land Citians", i.e. Cyprus. In the light of the parallel passage of vs idea then is that ships no longer come from Cyprus, the isle which the seafaring merchants of Carthage used to sail on the from Carthage (cf. vs lOb) to Tyre. Thus, the text of vs 1 may be interpreted this way: sh Carthage are called to cry aloud, because their fortress, Carth destroyed; for that reason ships no longer come from Cyprus (o way from Carthage to Tyre), because it (Carthage) is led capt
The next two verses (vs 2-3) are quite interesting. As we will se help greatly in understanding the first part of the verse quoted (vs 10). The passage of vs 2-3 reads as follows: "To which hav become like, the inhabitants of the island, the retailers of Pho passing over the sea in great waters, a seed of retailers? As wh harvest is gathered in are the retailers of the nations". The inhabitants of the isle are the retailers of Phoenicia. B isle" the city of Tyre must be meant, because it is situated island, it is a trading city, and it belongs to the area of Pho Moreover, it makes perfect sense that the inhabitants of Ty called "the retailers of Phoenicia", because in the Hellenistic Tyre was seen as the mother-city of the Phoenicians (cf. p. 53 Vs 2-3 in its Greek version is about a most difficult situatio which the retailers of Tyre had run. The retailers were used t over the sea, from ancient times onwards (from father to son they were called therefore "the retailers of the nations". Accord the answer given to the question posed in vs 2-3a, the retailer become "as when the harvest is gathered in". Instead of crossi sea the retailers are "gathered in" in Tyre, that is to say, they h stay at home in Tyre. There is no employment for them any It is interesting to see that what is meant in vs 2-3 sheds li the first part of vs 10 which reads as follows: "till your land" (èp TTjv yfjv oou). As has been stated above (p. 63), Seeligmann is opinion that Carthage is the addressee here (Carthage is giv advice to change to agriculture), but this is improbable in the l vs lOb: "for ships no longer come from Carthage". (In that ca would have expected: ships no longer go to Carthage.) Vs lO gests another place than Carthage itself, namely a place to ships from Carthage were used to go. In fact, vs 2-3 helps to u stand vs lOa: Since there is no longer work for the retailers trade, the advice is given to till the land. This implies that that of vs lOa is given to Tyre, and not to Carthage.
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Thus, vs 2-3 together with vs 10 can be paraphrased this way: Tyre is called to change to agriculture, because there is no longer work for the retailers, since ships with merchandise no longer come from Carthage, the reason being that Carthage has been destroyed. From our discussion of LXX Isa. 23 so far the picture of a particular relationship between two cities, Tyre and Carthage, emerges. This relationship is also the subject matter of verses 6-9. In vs 6 we read, "Depart (àicéXSate) to Carthage, cry aloud, inhabitants of that isle (oi évOIKOÛVTEÇ ÈV TO VT|
The question is, who are the addressees in this verse. The expression "the inhabitants ofthat isle" is very similar to that of vs 2, but the difference between vs 6 ("that isle") and vs 2 ("the isle") should not be overlooked. As we have argued above, the island in vs 2 refers to Tyre as the city of the retailers of Phoenicia. Because of the difference just mentioned it does not seem plausible to assume that vs 6b also refers to Tyre. Within the text of vs 6 as a whole "the inhabitants of that isle" are better understood as denoting the inhabitants of Carthage, the city being mentioned in the first part of the verse. The objection might be made that the use of the Greek vf|ooc for Carthage creates a problem, since Carthage was not situated on an isle, but on a peninsula. (As for Carthage the historian Polybius remarks: "Carthage [...] lies in a gulf, on a promontory or peninsula (xeppovticiÇouoa) surrounded mostly by the sea and in part by a lake*'.56) However, in the Hellenistic period both Tyre and Carthage lay on peninsulas. If the Greek vfjooc could be used for Tyre, as is the case at vs 2, then the sameword could be used for Carthage too.57
The idea that vs 6 speaks of (the isle of) Carthage is supported by two other observations: (a) The verb used in vs 6a (cwcepxonai) quite often carries the meaning of "to depart to one's home city"; see LXX Isa. 37:37; I Mace. 1:24; 5:48; 9:69, 72; 10:13. This would mean that the addressees of vs 6 are supposed to have Carthage as their home-city; (b) The parallelism between vss la, 6, and 14a: vs 1 a: óXoXvCete itXoïa Kapxiloovoç vs 6: cntèXOoTE etc KapxnSóva, óXoXüCete, oi ÊVOIKOWTEC èv TÉ vfjotp tavrri vs 14: óXoXüCete itXoïa KapxT|8óvoc
56
Polybius, Histarus I 73, 3-4 (LCL 128, p. 197). For vnooç denoting a peninsula, see also Apollonius Rhodms, Argonautica 1:1120, and the Lean ofAnstuu^ 301. The Greek word xepoovnooc is never used in the LXX. 57
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The persons of vs 6, who are called to cry aloud (oXoXûÇe obviously the same as in vs 1 and vs 14: (people/merchants on of Carthage. The translator has reached this effect by addi pronoun touti). It may be added, however, that the call to de Carthage is to be taken in an ironic sense because of the dest of that city.
The next verse (vs 7) is clearly meant as a continuation of v reads, "Was not this your pride (of strength) from the beginnin crikr) f\v ùudiv T| üßpic TI dm' àpxfjç), before it was handed over irapa8o9r|vav awrijv)"? The text has it that "this" was "your" pride of strength, i.e. inhabitants {"your", cf. vs 6) from the beginning, before it was in the hands of an enemy. ContextualJy speaking, the pronoun best understood as referring to "that isle" of vs 6b, and to "Car as well (vs 6a). (For a similar situation see vs 12f.: (vs 12) K omeX&nc ... (vs 13) KOI etc yfp/ XoXSaiwv, Kai aürri ... Compare cmeX9oTe elc KapXT|8ova ... ot»x aum ... •) Thus, the city of Carth characterized as "your pride (of strength)". The term üßpic is ated in LXX Isaiah with the notion of over-boldness (9:9), of (10:33), and of injustice and arrogance (13:11). Further, the text makes clear that Carthage is no longer a be proud of, because although she was the pride of her inhabita the meantime she has been given into the hands of an enemy. turns out to be in agreement with the underlying idea of the ve and 10 that Carthage is destroyed. In vs 8 the attention is drawn to Tyre: tic icrura eßovXevoEv Era Tiipov, nil ffsewv eativ fj OXIK iaxviet; oi ënicopoi mmiç Év5oJ;oi apxovreç Tfjç ynç.
Different from MT this verse has two questions: "Who has take counsel against Tyre"?, and, "Is she inferior, or has she no stren The answer to the first question is given in vs 9 (see below), w the last part of vs 8 ("Her merchants are honourable, rulers earth") has to do with the second question, which actually is torical one. The first interrogative clause refers to what is said preceding verses 6-7: the decision to destroy Carthage is seen counsel against Tyre, because, as has become clear, the destruct Carthage causes economic disaster to Tyre. The second question, Is she (Tyre) weaker, or has she no po is introduced by urj, and this suggests an answer in the negativ
THE SEPTUAGIOT OF ISAIAH 23 AS TEXT
8l
she is not weaker. The use of the comparative makes sense if understood in the light of the relationship between the two cities, that is to say: Tyre is not weaker than Carthage. The sentence, "Her merchants are honourable, rulers of the earth", seems to be meant to make clear why this is so. The important thing here is the lexical choice of Ë(inopoç in this verse, instead ofthat of neiaßcAoc in vs 2-3. From vs 2-3 it is clear that the "retailers" (netaßoXoi) are supposed to live in Phoenicia, to be more precise, in Tyre. The "merchants" (e(i)topoi), the big business men, are apparently thought of as living elsewhere. In the light of the context Carthage must be meant as their city, because the merchants are to be linked up with the ships of Carthage. The merchants with their ships have to provide for merchandise for the retailers. So, when the ships no longer come from Carthage with merchandise to Tyre, the retailers of Phoenicia, being dependent on the merchants (of Carthage), can no longer do their job. Yet the merchants are called "her merchants" in vs 8, namely of Tyre. The explanation for that is that the merchants of Carthage could be regarded as the merchants of Tyre because of the fact that Tyre was the mother-city of Carthage, for as was well known in antiquity this city was founded by traders from Tyre.58 Thus, the question, Is she not weaker than Carthage?, is quite understandable. Although Carthage, with the ëunopoi, seems to be the stronger city in comparison to Tyre, with the uetctßoXoi, the answer can be in the negative, as soon as the economic power of Carthage is considered to be the power of Tyre in her role of mothercity of Carthage. This economic power is strongly underlined by the rest of the verse: "her merchants are honourable, rulers of the earth" (ëvSoÇoi, ÔPXOVTEÇ trj; yfjç). With her merchants being "rulers of the earth" the power of Tyre was very great indeed. As may be clear this refers to the situation when Carthage was not yet destroyed. (See further below, at vs 11.) The next verse (vs 9) reads, "The Lord Sabaoth decided to undo all the pride (jcooav tr|V üßpiv) of the honourable ones (TCBV èvSoÇajv), and to bring dishonour upon every glorious thing (jrâv ëvSo^ov) on earth". Contextually it is to be noted that vs 9a is related to vs 7 (üßpic) and to vs 8b (ËvSoÇoi). The decision "to undo the pride (of strength) of the honourable ones" refers then to the destruction of "the pride (of 58 On the date of the foundation of Carthage according to the available sources (about 814 B.C.) see e.g. Katzenstein, Tht History ofljrt Jerusalem, 1973), pp. 188IT; Bunncns, L'txpansim jJimuiaaa, pp. 317-324.
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strength)" (vs 7) of "the honourable ones" (i.e. the merchants that is to say, to the fall of the city of Carthage (cf. vs 7) and as of that, to the end of the glorious position of Tyre (cf. vs 8b). The same idea may apply to vs 9b, where the neutral èvôofjo not refer to persons, but to something impersonal ("a gloriou on earth"), most probably to a city, as we have argued above ( A). It is important to note, however, that the decision of God is in general terms: "to undo all the pride [...] and to bring dish upon every glorious thing on earth". This means that the Carthage, with the result that Tyre lost its powerful position garded as a part of the counsel of God. Another city that sho mentioned is Babylon, the fall of which is announced in LXX I As we have seen this chapter contains the only parallel instance use of ëvooijoç for a city (vs 1 9: KOU ëorai BaßuXcov, T\ KaXettm ë vmó ßacnXecocXaXSaicBv ...). So, although the text of vs 9 is sayin God has decided to bring dishonour to every glorious city on ear cities of Carthage, Tyre and Babylon seem to figure as the prominent ones. The interesting thing is that we here touch upon the motif "counsel" ( (5ouXf\) of God which is specific to LXX Isaiah as ha pointed out by Seeligmann.59 One of the texts about this co which also contributes to an understanding of the verse under d sion, is LXX Isa. 25:l-2a: (1) iciipie 6 6eoc now, SoÇàoco oe, inviioco TO ovo^d ow>, ou éicouioaç 9auf«KTtà nperftiara, ßoyXf|v àpxatav àXn6ivf|v yévouo Kiipte. (2) ou éfhycaç noteiç eiç tafia, itoXeiç àxupàç TOÜ jreoeîv airtûv ta
It is stated here that God has carried out his age-old plan ancient (and) faithful counsel") by destroying "(strong) c Whereas MT has a singular (TÜD/mta nnp) LXX offers her at other places as well (24:12; 26:5), a plural: "(strong) cities". there seems to be a correspondence on the content level betw passage like LXX Isa. 25:1-2 and LXX Isa. 23:9b concernin counsel of God as far as the destruction of (strong) cities is conc
In vs 8 the verb iayixû is used to denote the powerful position of The use of this verb, and of the substantive ioxûç, is characteris LXX Isa. 23:1-14, for the verb is also used in vs lia, and the su
59 On the notion of the counsel of God (ßot&fi) in LXX Isaiah see Seeli Septuagmt Vtrsion, p. 110. See also Van der Kooij, Du alten Tatçeugm, p. 43.
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tive occurs in vs 4 and in vs lib. Let us have a closer look at these verses. The beginning of vs 4 reads, "Be ashamed, Sidon, said the sea". The economic disaster that met "the retailers of Phoenicia" (vs 2} will also effect Sidon as far as her sea trade is concerned. Vs 4 then continues with, "The power of the sea (T| Se to^ùç rfjç 9aXàa
The Greek expression icorn BaXoociav is the appropriate one.
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trading people (the destruction of Carthage being the kiss of de business life in Tyre). In the next verse (vs 5} it is said, that when this disaster is he Egypt, "distress" (oSwn) will seize the Egyptians for Tyre. To return to vs 11. The second part of vs l i a reads, "[your that provoked kings". This too underlines the great power of T Vs 1 Ib reads, "The Lord Sabaoth did command concerning C to destroy its strength (cütoXéaai criraîç Tt)v iaxiiv)". The use word iaxùç establishes a clear relationship with vs l i a (ioxiie strength of Canaan has to do with the power of Tyre. The H ]21D has not been rendered here by 4>oiviKT| (so in LXX Exod. and Josh. 5:1; and see vs 2 above). The name of "Chanaan have been understood as "Canaan", "the father of the Phoeni (cf. Pseudo-Eupolemus:TOVXavaàv ... tav mrcépa trôv dHnviiaov Gen. 10:15), including of course Tyre, but it is also possible th extension "Canaan" as father of the Phoenicians was seen as r to the Punic city of Carthage.63
The following verses, vs 12-13, read, "And diey/one shall sa longer shall you any more insult and injure the daughter of S you depart to the Kittim, neither there shall you have rest, and land of the Chaldeans, also that one is desolate, left withou Assyrians, because its wall is fallen". The words spoken by people ("they", "one") in vs 12f. are understood as a response to what is said in vs 11 : Tyre is no l strong by sea, and the strength of Canaan has been broken notion of "no longer" is in line with vs 1 la and vs lOb (see ab Thus, the addressee of vs 12f. is Tyre/Canaan. The first part of the direct speech has a plural (jipooOfVte), wh the second part (vs 12b + vs 13) is in the second person sin (ànéXOrjç, °°v)- The plural can very well be seen as a construc smsum, referring to Canaan in vs lib. The singular, on the hand, is in line with the second person singular of vs lOa and lia, which means that the second part of the speech is directed n much to Canaan, but more specifically to Tyre.
61
On the relationship between this part of vs 11 and 14:16, see chapter IV 62 See C.R. Holladay, Fragments Jraa HiUaastic Jewish Authors. Vol. I: Hi (Chico, 1983), p. 174: fragment 1,9. 63 It is interesting to note that the book of Jubilees (9:1, and 10:29, 34) atte view that the portion allotted to Ham is the Carthaginian North Africa, t Canaan seized another portion, the so-called land of Canaan. See P.S. Alex "Notes on the "Imago Mundi" of the Book of Jubilees", JJS 33 (1982), pp. 200
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According to the first part of the direct speech Canaan will no longer insult and injure the daughter of Sion. The underlying idea is that Canaan, when it was still powerful economically, did cause trouble for Sion/Jerusalem. The second part of the direct speech is about the question whether Tyre could go elsewhere to find a better place to live. The text as it stands makes it quite clear that it would be of no help to Tyre to go to the "Kittim", or to go to the land of the Chaldeans. She will not find "rest" (avrótcnxjic) in the land of Kittim; that is to say, it is not possible to have at that place a life of peace and prosperity (cf. 32:16ff.) as she was used to it in her own city. As has been argued above, the name "Kittim" can point to different countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy). It is not so clear to which region the "Kittim" of vs 12 may refer, although Cyprus would make sense, because, when ships with merchandise no longer sail along that isle (see our discussion of vs 1 above), it will be no (alternative) place of a good and prosperous life. It would be of no help either when Tyre would go to "the land of Chaldeans", of which it is said that it is "desolate, left without the Assyrians", because its line of defence has been broken through (by an enemy). The wording of the Greek text ( jçgt ava\ Tjpifrunai ...) seems to reflect the idea that the situation of the country of the Chaldeans (Babylonia) is similar to a situation elsewhere. Contextually speaking, one may think of Carthage (see our discussion of vs 67 above), or of Tyre itself, that is to say, Tyre as being left without trading people (see vs 15 below). According to vs 14, the last one of verses 1-14, the ships of Carthage are called to cry aloud, because their fortress is destroyed. As has been argued above "the fortress" (oxupeona) of the ships of Carthage is the city and harbour of Carthage itself, and not that of Tyre. This becomes even more clear when one considers the variation of lexical choice in this verse (oxopco(ia) and in vs 4 (ioxuc) for the same word in Hebrew (PiTD). In the light of our close reading of the pericope of vs 114 as a whole, this variation fits in with the distinction between Tyre and Carthage: Tyre is signified by "the power (of the sea)", and Carthage by "the fortress". Versa 15-18 Stylistically, the most striking element of the last part of LXX ch. 23 is the frequent use of Km e
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- the use of ejiiiopiov (vs 17) and |U
Though differing not so much from MT as is the case for verse the last part of LXX Isa. 23 presents itself also as a meaningfu Verses 15-18 are about the future as is made fully clear by t peated use of rat tarât. In vs 15 it is said that Tyre "shall b (KaTotei^OnoETai) for a period of 70 years. The city and harb Tyre will be left, not in the sense of being desolate as a re destruction, but in the sense of vs 2-3: the isle of Tyre will without trading people, because the retailers of Tyre are no supplied with merchandise by the merchants on the sh Carthage. The situation has become miserable for Tyre from a nomical point of view (the only thing left for them is to till their vs lOa), a situation of dishonour and lack of prosperity. It is sim the situation of Moab as described in LXX Isa. 16:14:
Kai vw 3i£7ü>' Ev tpioiv ëteaiv ÈTÖV [uoöcoroü an^aa&f\actm T| 8oCa M navii tip nXovittj) t
After a period of 70 years Tyre shall do her best to try to dra attention of the nations again, as in the past. In vs 16 she is com with a harlot who, after a period of having been forgotten around playing music (on the cithara) and singing songs, so th may be remembered. According to vs 17, God himself will tak tice of Tyre, and she will be restored to her ancient, glorious po in being again a port of merchandise for all the kingdoms o inhabited world. However, as is clearly implied in vs 18, this new situation wi be to the benefit of Tyre herself, but actually to the benefit o temple of the Lord and to the people who live on the temple m of Jerusalem (presumably priests and Lévites, cf. MT). The gain profit will be "a sacred gift" (oyiov) to be put in the treasuries o temple of God, because it is regarded to be "a tax (and as su memorial before the Lord" (eiç ouußoXfiv |j.vimó
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C Concluding remarks
From our discussion of LXX Isa. 23 the important conclusion can be drawn that, on the one hand, the Greek text differs markedly from MT, particularly in verses 1-14, but that, on the other hand, the Greek text in its own right turns out to be a coherent text to a large extent, syntactically, stylistically and semantically. Significant renderings and passages appear to be related to each other. It points to a translator who aimed at producing a meaningful text. The main difference between MT and LXX, on the level of contents, has to do with the presence and contextual function of "Carthage" in the Greek text. In contrast to MT which is about a destruction of Tyre, LXX refers to a destruction of Carthage with its serious consequences for Tyre. Instead of being powerful by sea thanks to the merchants of Carthage, the only thing left for Tyre is to till her land for the time being.
CHAPTER FOUR THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
The central issue of this chapter is the question of why the Old G version of Isa. 23, considering its own form and contents, has produced. This question concerns basically the genre of the tex the way in which the genre of our text (oracle/vision) was under at the time LXX Isaiah was written. It will be argued that "the v of Tyre", just as with other prophetic passages in LXX Isaiah, re the interest of the time, namely, the interest in prophecies as p tions. Before dealing with LXX Isa. 23 from this point of view will first give some examples of the great interest in propheci learned circles of the Jewish people in the Hellenistic period, bo Palestine and in Egypt. A Prophecy as prediction
In particular since the second century B.C., presumably becau the threat of their own national and religious identity in the firs of that century, a growing interest in both the Law and the Pro is apparent among Jewish priests and scribes of the time. In one or another the ancient prophecies were considered to be a sour hope, which was based on a reading and interpretation of prophecies as referring to events of the age in which the rea interpreters were living.' One of the earliest passages that reflects this attitude and inter Ben Sira 36:13-20. This text reads as follows in translation: Gather all the tribes of Jacob, that they may inherit the land as in days of old. Show mercy to the people called by your name: Israel, whom you named your firstborn. Take pity on your holy city, Jerusalem, the foundation for your throne. Fill Zion with your majesty, your temple with your glory. Give evidence of your deeds of old; fulfil the prophecies spoken in your name, See e.g. J. Barton, Oracles of Gad (London, 1986), pp. 179-213.
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reward those who have hoped in you, and let your prophets be proved true.2
This part of the prayer (36:1-22) contains motifs well known from the prophetical literature: the return of the tribes of Jacob to the promised land, and the restoration of Jerusalem and its temple.3 The author urgently pleads with God to rescue his people by fulfilling (Hebrew opn) the prophecies, or visions (the Hebrew text reads ]1TTI). It is clear from the passage cited that the ancient prophecies in question are seen as predictions which have not yet been fulfilled, although the hope is given expression that the time of dieir fulfilment may be close at hand. All this implies that the prophecies are envisaged as being still to be trusted as predictive revelations, though one gets the impression that this belief was disputed at that time. This may explain the phrase of vs 20b: "and let your prophets be proved true"
(in»' lirai).4
Anodier passage that offers a clear illustration of the interest in the oracles of salvation of the prophets is Tobit 14:3-5 (according to the longer version as attested by manuscript S5). The text reads in translation as follows:
(3) When he [Tobit] was dying, he sent for his son Tobias and gave him these instructions: "My son, you must take your children (4) and be off to Media with all haste, for I believe God's word spoken against Nineveh by Nahum. It will all come true; everything will happen to Asshur and Nineveh that was spoken by the prophets of Israel who were sent by God. Not a word of it will fall short; all will take place in due time. It will be safer in Media than in Assyria and Babylon. I know, I am convinced, that all God's words will be fulfilled. It will be so; not one of them will fail. Our countrymen who live in Israel will all be scattered and carried off into captivity out of that good land. The whole of Israel's territory with Samaria and Jerusalem will lie waste; and for a time the house of God will be in mourning, burnt to the ground. (5) But God will have mercy on them again and will bring them back to
2 For this translation see P.W.Skehan and A.A. di Leila, Tht Wixbm of Ben Sm (New York, 1987), pp. 413f. 3 The question as to whether Sir. 36 is an addition or not can be left out of consideration here. See M Gilbert, "Siracide" in DBS Xu/71 (Paris, 1996), col. 1404. * For the view that die book of Qphelet attests a critical position in this regard sec D. Michel, Qohtlet (Darmstadt, 1988), pp. 73f. 5 The fragments (in Aramaic, and Hebrew) of Tobit found at Qumran agree widl the longer version. See M.O. Wise, "A note on 4Q196 (papTob ar-a) and Tobit i 22", PT43 (1993), pp. 566-570. For the remains of Tob 14:2-6 in 4QTob ar see now DJD XIX, pp. 57-59.
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the land of Israel. They will rebuild the house of God, yet not as it first, not until the time of fulfilment comes. Then they will all return from their captivity and rebuild Jerusa splendour; then indeed God's house will be built in her as the prop trad foretold."6
It strikes one how much the reliability of the words of the proph emphasized here by Tobit in his last words: all words of the pro will be fulfilled, not only the words of doom (vs 4 [ending]), bu the words of salvation and restoration (vs 5b), albeit after a long It is further interesting to see that the rebuilding of the temple Zerubbabel and Joshua (vs 5a) is not regarded as the fulfilme prophecies: the temple was rebuilt at that time, but not as it w first (ox>x tic TÖV 7tp(OTOv)(cf. Esra 3:12). Instead, "at a later date" TOUTO) the city of Jerusalem and its temple will be rebuilt glori "as the prophets of Israel foretold" (tcaSàç eXaXricrav nept aÙ reportai TOÛ loparjX).7 So the criterion for the fulfilment seems that the "eschatological" temple should be as impressive as befor as beautiful as the temple of Solomon. In addition it is to be that the fulfilment of the words of the prophets is not limited t temple (vs 5a deals only with the rebuilding of the temple); rath concerns the city of Jerusalem and the temple within her.8 Another aspect which deserves attention here is that an "act ing" reading of ancient prophecies, in the sense of a fulfilmentpretation, was regarded to be not only a matter of particular in and wisdom, but also of a competence restricted to persons o highest scholarly level of the time. As has been pointed out b Fishbane, the reinterpretation of ancient prophecies was a mat scholarly study.9 Of a specific nature are cases, so he rightly obse "where the gap between promise and fulfilment widened" (p. 48 time. In these cases "the paradox of God's historical concern increasingly resolved on a more mysterious plane" (ibid.): interp tion became a matter of inspiration and revelation. This is for e ple clearly the case with the figure of Daniel in the book of D (and, by implication, with the authors of the book of Daniel as w In Dan. 9:2 we read that, in the first year of Darius, D "searched" (TT3) "in the books the number of years which, acco to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass befor 6
Translation according to The Revised English Bible. See also M. Rabcnau, Studien ftan Buch Tobft (Berlin, 1994), p. 169. For a slightly different view on the time of Zerubbabel and Joshua see Be 49:1 If. 9 M. Fishbane, Bibkad Inlapretatum in Anmnt Israel (Oxford, 1985), pp. 474f 7
8
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
9
end of the desolation of Jerusalem, namely seventy years". The wis Daniel is inquiring into "the books" (D'"12D3)'° "in the hope of dis cerning the correct application of Jeremiah's seventy-year oracl concerning the period of Jerusalem's desolation" (p. 482). From th answer given by the angelus intafrres (vs 24-27} it is evident that th underlying concern is the question how to apply the seventy yea oracle of Jeremiah to particular events in the second century B.C Without going into the details of Dan. 9 it can be said that the specific understanding of the oracle of Jeremiah is seen as divine knowledge given to Daniel, the sage." This is in line with Dan. 2:21 God "gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to diose who have understanding". Dan. 1:17 also is of much interest, because Daniel i introduced here as someone who has "understanding in all vision and dreams" (nicbm Jim ^DD pn 'TK'm). The same verb (J'3 Hifil + prep. 3) is used here as in 9:2.12 Daniel and his friends are all described as learned persons (God gave them "knowledge and proficiency in all literature and wisdom" [1:17aJ), but the (higher) wisdom of "insight into visions and dreams" is said to be the competence of Daniel. That the figure of Daniel is held to belong to the highest scholarly level is further evident from Dan. 5:1 If. In this passage the queen says to king Belshazzar:
There is a man in your kingdom in whom there is "a holy divine spirit" Q'iznp ]'rt7& m~l). King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him chief of dream interpreters, exorcists, Chaldeans, and diviners, because an extraordinary spirit and knowledge and understanding, ability to interpret dreams and explain riddles and resolve problems, were found in this Daniel.13
Another text which is, of course, of great significance in this connection is IQpHab. As is well known, "the reinterpretation of prophecy is a major exegetical feature of the Qumran scrolls"14, and IQpHab is one of the most important examples as far as the /wAer-literature is concerned. It is made explicit in this scroll, firsdy, that the prophecy of Habakkuk was looked upon as not yet fulfilled, because its author,
10 For the question which books might be meant here, see J J. Collins, Danitl, p. 348 ("presumably [...] the books of the Prophets"}. 11 Cf. Hengel, Judentum und Hellenismus, pp. 369-381. 12 See also 4QMMT C, 10 (DJD X, p. 59: "the expression -3 pn denotes here careful study of a written text"). 13 Translation according to Collins, Darnel 14 M. Fishbane, "Use, Authority and Interpretation of Mikra at Qumran", in MJ. Mulder (ed.), Mikra (Assen/Maastricht/Philadelphia, 1988), p. 373. See further e.g. D. Dimant, "Qumran Sectarian Literature", in M. Stone (ed.), Jewish Writings of thf Second Temple Perwd (Assen/Philadelphia, 1984), pp. 505ST.
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the prophet Habakkuk himself, did not know when the end of t would be, in which the predicted events are supposed to happ
And God told Habakkuk to write what was going to happen to generation, but he did not let him know the end of the age (col. vi
So the prophecy will be fulfilled in a time much later than seem suggested by the prophets themselves: "the final age will be ex and go beyond all that the prophets say, because the mysteries o are wonderful" (col. vii:7-8). Secondly, the Teacher of Righteousness is the one who kno inspiration, what the "mysteries", the hidden meanings, of a te that of Habakkuk are, as the comment at Hab. 2:2 indicates:
Its interpretation concerns the Teacher of Righteousness, to who has disclosed all the mysteries of the words of his servants, the p (col. vii:4-5).
See also col. ii:6-10 where it is said in a passage about the "last
They shall be violators of [the coven] ant who will not believe whe hear all that is going [to happen to] the final generation, from the of the Priest whom God has placed wifthin the Community,] to the fulfilment of all the words of his servants, the prophets, (by] m whom God has declared all that is going to happen to his people [
The Teacher was a priest to whom God has given the knowle the fulfilment-interpretation of the words of the prophets. That view which is dearly expressed in these passages. As leader community he is obviously to be seen as a leading priest. Wheth Priest of the last days (col. ii:9-10) is to be distinguished fro Teacher of the historical past in IQpHab as is argued byJ.J. C or not, is difficult to say, but both figures have the same sp characteristics in that they are seen endowed with divine w which enables them to interpret the prophecies of the past." since there are good reasons for identifying the eschatol Teacher and priest with the messiah of Aaron, that is to say, to r him as a high priest,17 diis again points to the fact that just as case of Daniel the ability to interpret ancient prophecies and vis related to a high position in society. In this respect die book of D and the texts of Qumran reflect a reality which is also very known from ancient Mesopotamia (see further below, section C
15 Translation according to F. Garcia Martinez, The Dead Sea Scrolls Tr (Leiden, 1994). 16 JJ. Collins, The Scepter and the Slar (New York, 1995}, p. 112. The que however whether the phrase, "whom God has placed [...]", is in favour of thi 17 See Collins, Scepter, pp. 114f.
THE SEPTÜAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
9
The interest in prophecies as predictions is, however, not restricted to the matter of "interpretation" (in the sense of pes/ier) of the pro phetic texts which were considered part of the "literary heritage" o the Jewish nation.18 This interest is also clear from the fact tha prophecies were created and composed at that time, both in Judaea and in Egypt. The most well known examples are Dan. 11-12, 1 Henoch 83-90, and Sib. Or. III. Also among the Dead Sea Scroll there are texts, unfortunately preserved in a fragmentary state, which belong to the genre of "eschatological" prophecy. The fact that these texts were ascribed to authorities ("wise men") of the distant past is quite understandable for two reasons: the prophecies in question were given authority, and they could be presented (published) as predic tions. The concern of these texts is with the fate of the Jewish people o a special group of that people, in (political) history. Basically, all these texts are about a period of (political) troubles to come, which will be followed by a new and bright future. Eschatological oracles were apparendy meant to overcome periods of national crisis, a phenomenon which is also well attested outside Judaism of the time, because similar texts are known from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Iran.19 As has been pointed out by S.K. Eddy many of these texts do reflect elements of religious resistance to Hellenism.20 In short, in the Hellenistic period the mode of reading prophecies as predictions about the recent past, the present and the near future of the reader/interpreter was the prevailing one. The corresponding interpretation of the prophecies was a matter of wisdom and scholarship of a specific nature, an ability which was thought to be the privilege of wise men of the highest level within the society of the time (see further below, section C). An additional aspect of the fulfilment-interpretation should be mentioned. This is the belief that when part of the prophecies was seen as being fulfilled, the other part of it will also come true.21 This is the underlying idea of Dan. 11-12, and of other texts which are of the type of the so-called vatiania ex ftienta. As far as the interpretation
18 Gf. the expression "ancestral books" (icOTpia ßij&ia) in the Prologue to the Wisdom of Ben Sira (1. 10). 19 See the contributions byj. Gwyn Griffiths, H. Ringgren and A. Hultgard in D. Hellholm (ed.), Apocabptinsm m Üu Mediterranean World and iht Near East (Tubingen, 1983). 20 S.K. Eddy, 77« Kag u Dead (Lincoln, 1961). 21 There is of course also the problem of "delay" of fulfilment. In a text like IQpHab this problem is dearly a matter of concern (see col. vii:9-14).
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of ancient texts is concerned this belief is probably given express 4QMMT:
And we know that some of the blessings and the curses have been f as it is written in the bo[ok of Mo]ses. And this is at the end of day they (blessings and curses) will return to IsrafelJ [forever ...] and cancelled (C, 20-22; according to DJD X, p. 61).ffi
This passage is about the final fulfilment of the blessings and cur they are written in "the book of Moses". The eschatological int tation seems to be based on Deut. 31:29 (where also the expre "the end of days" is found; see also Deut. 4:30). The idea seems that at the end of days, the period in which the authors of 4QM believed themselves to live, the blessings and curses, some of w have come true already, will be fulfilled completely in the nea ture.23 The use of the verb "return", in the passage quoted, in the of "being fulfilled" is also known from texts in the Targumim. of these texts is Targ Jonathan Isa. 8:2, which also represent other example of the belief that when part of a set of predictions come true, the remaining part will also do so. This text rea translation:
And I will get reliable witnesses before me, the curses which I s bring in the prophecy of Uriah the priest, behold, they have come; so all the consolations which I said to bring in the prophecy of Zech the son of Jeberekiah I am about to let (them) return (i.e. to fulfil).
According to tradition it was this interpretation of Isa. 8:2 that, his colleagues were weeping because of the destruction of city temple, was a source of cheerfulness to R. Aqiba. "I rejoiced", said, "because the words of Uriah have been fulfilled and in future the words of Zechariah will be fulfilled" (Lam. Rabbah V
22 For a discussion of this translation see F. Garcia Martinez, "4QMMT Qumran Context", in J. Kampen and MJ. Bernstein (eds.), Reading 4QMMT Perspective! m Qymran Law and Hislmy (Atlanta, 1996), pp. 18-23. 23 For a similar view see Josephus, Antiquities iv, 125, where the following stat on the prophecies of Balaam is made: "And from all these prophecies havin ceived the fulfilment which he predicted one may infer what the future also store". 24 See also BTMaUot 24b; Sifrt ad Deut. § 43.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
9
B LXXhmah 23 as updated prophay
There are several indications that the book of Isaiah too was read an understood as containing predictive oracles which could be applied t events and persons of the time (the Hellenistic period). The passage o Ben Sira 48:24-25 about the prophet Isaiah and his words is of inter est here: By his dauntless spirit he looked into the future and consoled the mourners of Zion; he foretold what should be till the end of time, hidden things that were yet to be fulfilled.
This characterization of the prophecies of Isaiah by a learned scribe like Ben Sira makes clear that they were regarded as containing "things to come" (rrrra/râ èoóneva), "hidden things that were yet to be fulfilled" (lit. "hidden things before they come true": ]KQ '3D1? rmnOVicai TO dmOKpxxtxi jtpiv f\ rtapcryevEoflai aura).
The terminology used in this passage is typical of passages abou visions and oracles: For TÓèaóueva see also LXX Dan. 2:45, and Sib Or. Ill: 164, 299, 822; for rrnncû comp. Dan. 2:22 (RmnoD), and for its equivalent in Greek (TU dnoicpiMpci) see Th Dan. 2:22. As has been observed by scholars, Jesus ben Sira does not give any example of fulfilment-interpretation by applying a passage from Isaiah to persons or events of his time,25 but we do have evidence of this type of interpretation in the several pesharim on passages of Isaiah discovered at Qumran. As has been argued by Seeligmann, H.L Ginsberg and Fishbane, indications of a reapplication of texts of Isaiah are further to be found in Dan. 9:26-27 and Dan. 11, where citations, associations and lexical links occur that have been derived from the book of Isaiah.25 For instance, in Dan. 1 1 Isaianic language about Ashur is used which implies that passages such as Isa. 10:5ff. were interpreted as referring to Seleucid kings. Apparently, the name of Ashur was taken as a cipher, as a veiled allusion to the Seleucid power, a well known technique of this type of interpretation of oracles, and that of dreams as well.
25 Sec e.g. DJ. Harrington, "The Wisdom of the Scribe according to Ben Sira", in JJ. Collins and G.W.E. Nickelsburg (eds.), Ideal Figures in Ancient Judaism (Chico, 1980), p. 185. There is reason to believe that teamed scribes like Jesus ben Sira were not supposed to have the authority and ability of doing so. See also chapter V.A. 26 Seeligmann, Srptuagint Version, p. 82; I.L. Seeligmann, "Voraussetzungen der Midraschexegese", in Congress Valiant Copenhagen 19S3 (Leiden, 1953), p. 171; H.L. Ginsberg, "The Oldest Interpretation of the Suffering Servant", VT 3 (1953), pp. 400f; Fishbane, Biblical Interpretotum, pp. 489-491.
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It is against the background of this type of interpretation of o in the Hellenistic period that the prophecy of LXX Isa. 23 w dealt with. With other words, we will try to read and understa text of LXX Isa. 23 in being a "vision" from the hermeneutica of view of the time of its author. Our discussion of LXX Isa. 2 concentrate on specific themes or motifs as they have come chapter III.B. Where appropriate, attention will be given broader context of LXX Isaiah as a whole. The specific items
(a) Tyre and Carthage; (b)the land of the Chaldeans left without Assyrians {vs 13); (c) the injustice done to Sion (vs 12); (d)the future relationship between Tyre and the temple of Jeru (vs 18). (a) Tyre and Carthage
As we have argued in the previous chapter, the main theme text is the destruction of the city of Carthage and the disastrous thereof on the economics of Tyre, its mother-city. Instead of powerful by sea due to the merchants of Carthage, the only thi Tyre left is to till her land. From the point of view of fulf interpretation the question arises as to which event LXX Isa. 2 refer. J. Fischer has suggested that the verses about "the sh Carthage" (vss 1, 14) and about Carthage as city (vss 6, 10) in that the translator "die Zerstörung Karthagos 146 v.Chr. noch erlebt hatte".27 Seeligmann has put forward a different opinio cause in his view the chapter as a whole "purports to be one di ful lamentation for the destruction of the nXoia KapxnSovoç".28 vs 10 ("Till your land, for indeed ships no longer come Carthage") he states that this verse "may well be an echo from time when Carthage, after the destruction of its shipping and made an attempt to become an agrarian state instead of a com cial one".29 The difficulty with the views of both scholars is tha are not based upon a close reading of the Greek text as a whole use of the expression "ships of Carthage" as such is too small a for making a suggestion as Fischer does, and contextually spe "your land" of vs 10 is not referring to Carthage, but to Tyre. I view the chapter as a whole is not a lamentation about the de 27 28 29
Fischer, In welcher Schnft lag Jas Buch Isaas dm LXX vor?, p. 6. Seeligmann, Septitagmi Version, p. 90. Sceligmann, Septuagutl Version, p. 91.
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tion of the ships of Carthage, but of "the fortress" of the ships (vs 14) namely Carthage itself. The destruction of the island-city of Carthage in the Hellenistic period occurred in the year 146 B.C. It was carried out by the Romans, marking the dramatic ending of the Third Punic War.30 This event made a deep impression on people in antiquity. The fall of Carthage was seen as crucial at that time by the historian Polybius; it made clear to him that the Romans eventually had gained the power of the world. His description of the fall of Carthage ends significandy with a passage in which it is described as an event of major moment:
Scipio, when he looked upon the city as it was utterly perishing and in the last throes of its complete destruction, is said to have shed tears and wept openly for his enemies. After being wrapped in thought for long, and realizing that all cities, nations, and authorities must, like men, meet their doom; that this happened to Ilium, once a prosperous city, to the empires of Assyria, Media, and Persia, the greatest of their time, and to Macedonia itself, the brilliance of which was so recent, either deliberately or the verses escaping him, he said: A day will come when sacred Troy shall perish, And Priam and his people shall be slain (Iliad vi, 448f.).31
One senses a notion of apocalypticism here, because the destruction of Carthage is put within the long history of rise and fall of empires, that is to say, a point of view that reminds one of the book of Daniel. This feeling about the fate of Carthage as marking a crucial event is also basic to LXX Isa. 23. As we have argued above (chapter III.B) the fall of Carthage is related, in the perspective of this text, to the position of Tyre. In vs 4 and vs 1 la this position is expressed as "the power of the sea", and as having had "power by sea" respectively. Although actually Carthage had the command of the Mediterranean sea, especially in the third century B.C.,32 the city of Tyre could be seen as owing this great power to its role as mother-city of Carthage. The important thing is that, as has been pointed out in the previous chapter, LXX Isa. 23 reflects an awareness that actually Carthage was the mercantile power which dominated the sea. First of all, there is the differentiation between uetaßoXoc and ëuitopoç which presupposes that Tyre {and Phoenicia) was dependent on Carthage. Secondly, there is die interesting question of vs 8 ("Is she inferior, or has she no strength?") as to whether Tyre can be regarded as having w
See e.g. Polybius, Histories xxxviii 7f. 19-22. Histories xxxviii 22,1-2 (in the translation of W.R. Paton [LGL, 161, p. 439]). See e.g. Polybius, Histories i 16,7 (eain-noicpatÉia); 39,10. For economic links between Carthage and Tyre in the eariy second century B.C. sec J.D. Grainger, HcOaastic Phoenicia (Oxford, 1991), p. 203. 31
32
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the great power of Carthage. The answer is that Tyre is not in to Carthage because the merchants of Carthage are to be seen merchants of Tyre (vs 8b). Thus, whereas Polybius looks at the fall of Carthage from perspective of how the new power of Rome came to the for vision of LXX Isa. 23 can be taken as an interpretation of tha mentous event in 146 B.C. in the light of an ancient oracle of about Tyre. Seen from the perspective of this part of the Is tradition the new power of the world is not Rome, but as will be from vs 18 the city and the temple of Jerusalem are seen a central place of the world (see below). (b) The land of the Chaldeans
According to vs 13 "the land of Chaldeans" is desolate, "left wi the Assyrians because its wall is fallen". As has been discussed i previous chapter this passage implies, first of all, that Assyrians supposed to live "in the land of Chaldeans", i.e. Babylonia (fo relationship between Chaldeans and Babylon, see 13:9 and The view that Babylonia was part of Assyria is well known i Hellenistic period. Its origin may go back to the decision taken b Persian rulers to incorporate Babylonia into the satrapy of As ("Athoura").33 So it was possible, since then, to consider the c Babylon as the political center of Assyria (cf. e.g. Herodotus, His III, 92). The last part of vs 13 ("because its wall is fallen") implies Babylonia was invaded by an enemy. The wall of this text is prob to be taken as referring to the Median wall at the northern frond the region (see chapter III.A). From the "oracular" point of view the question arises as to event in the Hellenistic period to which vs 13 might allude. question is justified because, if the main topic of our chapter m perfect sense if understood as referring to an important event o time (see above, sub [a]), the same may apply to vs 13, the mo since this verse does not constitute an isolated passage, but is cl related to the fate of Tyre given the syntactical unity of vs 12LXX.
" See A.T. Olmstead, History of the Persum Empire (Chicago & London, 196 237; E. Stem, "The Persian empire and the political and social history of Pales the Persian period", in The Cambridge History of Judaism, Vol. I: Introduction; the P Pmod. Ed. by W.D. Davies, L. Finkelstein (Cambridge, 1984), pp. 70-87, esp.
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There are good reasons to assume that as part of the re-interpretations of ancient oracles the "Assyrians" were taken as a cipher for the Seleucid rulers. We did already mention the use of Isaianic traditions in Dan. 11 which presuppose this type of exegesis as far as Ashur/ Assyrians is/are concerned. A clear example of the name of "Assyrians" as a veiled allusion to Seleucid rulers is to be found in the Third Book of the Sibylline Oracles, which, for the most part, dates to about the same period as LXX Isaiah (mid-second century B.C.). The passage of lines 303-313 is an oracle of doom for "Babylon" and "the race of Assyrian men". Its first line reads: aiaî act BaßuXuv ffê ' Aocrupuov févoç avSpiâv. (Woe to you, Babylon, and race of Assyrian men)
The oracles of Sib. Or. Ill are referring to nations, cities, and political events of the time (third-second century B.C.).34 The passage following the one about Babylon, 11. 314-318, is about Ptolemaic Egypt and its "seventh king" (1. 318), presumably king Ptolemy VI Philometor.3 It means that the oracle about "Babylon" and "the race of Assyrian men" in fact refers to the center and the rulers of the Seleucid empire. Finally, also LXX Isaiah itself contains indications, in ch. 10 and ch. 14, that the "Assyrians" and "the king of Babylon" were taken as Seleucid rulers.36 Understood this way, vs 13 of LXX Isa. 23 seems to allude to a disaster that befell Seleucid Babylonia resulting from an invasion by some enemy. The fall of the city of Babylon is a well known motif in the Book of Isaiah (see ch. 13 and ch. 47). Interestingly, LXX Isa. 14:22ff. contains a passage about the downfall of "Babylonia", the country of Babylon. The first half of vs 23 reads as follows: LXX
Km 9f| THV BaßvXtoviav éprmov ÛXJTC KCrroiiceîv éxtvouç, KOU ëorai elç oùSév (MT ISp ÖTC1? nTDOl)
Vs 23 marks the ending of the long oracle about "the king of Babylon" and his sons in LXX Isa. 14:l-2337. It is not possible to go into all the details of this chapter (in comparison with MT). On the basis of the verses 19-20 in particular, it is probable that the Old Greek version of the oracle refers to the death of the Seleucid king 14 See jj. Collins, "The Sibylline Oracles, Book 3", inJ.H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old Testament PsaJt/ngrap/ia, Vol. 1 (New York, 1983), pp. 354fT 15 SeeJJ. Collins, The &bylluie Chocks of Egyptian Judaism (Missoula, 1974), p. 44. 36 See Secligmann, Septuagml Version, pp. 84f., and Van der Kooij, Die altm Tcitefugen, pp. 35-43. 37 It may well be that the following verses, 24-27, of LXX Isa. 14 are to be taken, in contrast to MT, as belonging to the oracle of vs 1-23.
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Antiochus IV Epiphanes.38 The verses 21-22 are about the so this king, presumably his successors: they will be slain by the Lo the sins of their father, "so that they will not arise and inher earth and fill the earth with wars" (LXX vs 21b: 'iva ^T| dvanrrâ TT)v YOv KXripovonTJooxn Kai è(i7tXT|aoxn rf|v YHV noXé^tuv; cf. MT, e for the last word: LXX "wars", MT "cities" [D'~UJ]). The oracle up then with vs 23 where the fall of "Babylonia" is announce MT the textual situation is different: here "Babel" is mentioned 22b). So the destruction of the region of Babylonia is related t plan of God to make an end to die power of the Seleucid ruler It is to be noted that LXX Isa. 23:13 and the text just menti 14:23, display a specific relationship: both are dealing with "the of Chaldeans" // "Babylonia" (and not only with the ci Babylon), which is said to become a deserted area (cf. the u èpTinóco and of epnuov ti&imi respectively). Furthermore, as we have noticed in the preceding chapter, chapters show also a clear relationship between 23:1 la and I4 (which is not the case in MT): 23:1 la: r| 6e yf\.pCTOUOÙICÉTC ioxtei KOTO öcüinooov, 1 4: 1 6b: ofaoç à âvOpoMtoç 6 itapoÇwœv tf|v fff/, oetcov
In both cases the issue is that of great power, the difference being Tyre is said to be (no longer) powerful by sea, whereas "the man" the king of Babylon, is said to have been powerful by land (the e As to the question to which political event the text of LXX 23:13, together with 14:23, might refer, the text of Sib. Or. Ill, should be mentioned again, because this text has much in com with the passages of LXX Isaiah mentioned above; all are referri some disaster for Babylon/Babylonia and the "Assyrians", that say, the Seleucid rulers. As has been rightly observed by Debevoise the passage of Sib. Or. Ill is best understood as "pre ing" the Parthian invasion in Babylonia in the years 141-140 B Given the agreements between this passage and the texts of Isaiah just mentioned, it may be assumed that these texts are m to refer to the same event. It was in the years 141-140 B.C., that the Parthian king M ridates I invaded Babylonia and occupied it (including the mos
" Cf. Seeligmann, Septitagmt Vtrsim, p. 84; Van der Kooij, Du alten Tactzaig 39-41. 39 N.C. Debevoise, A Poüud Hulop ofPtathm (Chicago and London, 1938), (note).
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
IO
portant cities, Babylon and Seleucia on the Tigris); the Seleucid arm was defeated.40 Seen from the point of view of Jewish/Isaianic tradi tion the fall of Babylon/Babylonia marked a crucial event, indicatin the imminent end of the Seleucid empire. (c) The injustice done to Sim
The LXX version of vs 12a has it that people will say to Canaan Tyre (see vs 11): "No longer shall you any more insult and injure the daughter of Sion". This text suggests that Canaan/Tyre, at the time when it was in a powerful position, did cause trouble to Sion Seeligmann is of the opinion that "the translator actually did have in mind [...] the injustice suffered by the daughter of Zion, the Jewish people, at the hands of Canaan—which in this connexion, as in othe places in the Jewish-Hellenistic literature, must sureley [sic] mean the Phoenician towns".*1 He thinks of "the anti-Jewish movement in the Phoenician cities during the time of the Maccabean wars" (p. 89) such as is hinted at in I Mace. 5:15. As to the use of the verb dSiKEto in our text Seeligmann argues elsewhere (pp. 111 f.) that this term in LXX Isaiah carries the notion of hostility and oppression by enemies of the Jewish people. The text of I Mace. 5:15 is an interesting one indeed. It tells about a particular event at the time of Judas (Maccabee): messengers from Galilee announce to him and his brothers that
men from the cities of Ptolemais, Tyre and Sidon, and from all Galilee of the foreigners (xooov raXtXatav cAJko^iJXcov) have mustered their forces to make an end of us (i.e. the Jews in Galilee).
Though it might be that our text, LXX Isa. 23:12, refers to circumstances such as described in I Mace. 5:15, the difficulty with the suggestion of Seeligmann is that it is based on the equation of "the daughter of Sion" with "the Jewish people". In LXX Isaiah (and elsewhere), however, the expression "the daughter of Sion" refers to the city of Jerusalem (see LXX Isa. 1:8; 52:2), or, more specifically, to the temple mount (see 10:32). The text of vs 12 thus expresses the view that Canaan/Tyre treated Sion/Jerusalem despitefully. So the question arises to which events this part of the vision of LXX Isa. 23 might allude if we take the meaning of "the daughter of Sion" more strictly than Seeligmann does.
40 See e.g. K. Schippmann, QnmdzMgf da Partinsdun Gesdathte (Darmstadt, 1980), pp. 24-26 (and literature cited). " Seeligmann, Stptxagmt Vanm, pp. 88f.
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As far as the second century B.C. is concerned, the idea of inju being done to Sion/Jerusalem brings to mind in particular die cr events in the seventies and the sixties of that century when th tempt was made to hellenize the city of Jerusalem. It is therefore asked which factors or events might have given rise to the vie enmity of Canaan/Tyre towards Sion/Jerusalem at that time. A few passages from II Mace. 4 suggest that there were sp links between the Hellenizing party ofjerusalem and the city of T The passages in question are the following ones: - II Mace. 4:18-19:
When the quinquennial games were being celebrated at Tyre in presence of the king, the abominable Jason sent a delegation represe the Antiochenes from Jerusalem bearing three hundred drachmas to for the sacrifice to Herakles. The bearers themselves, however, dec not to use the money for a sacrifice, since that was not proper, b donate it to be spent for another purpose.
- II Mace. 4:32:
Menelaus believed that here was a favorable opportunity. He purlo some of the gold vessels of the temple and made a present of them Andronikos. In fact, he had sold other vessels to buyers at Tyre and neighboring cities.42
So the high priests, Jason and Menelaos, who were strongly in fa of the introduction of a Greek way of government different from traditional one, seem to have had a special interest in Tyre. It is further to be noted that the cult of Ba'al Shamem which introduced into the temple ofjerusalem as part of the Helleniza of the city was very much at home in Tyre. This element might h been due to links between the Hellenizing party ofjerusalem ( Antiochenes") and Hellenized cities such as Tyre.43 It has been gested that "Tyre's commercial success and prosperity would h made their gorj extremely popular with the Jewish hellenistic p and its aims, and some of the residents of Antioch in Jerusalem m have been from the Phoenician coast towns just as we Phoenicians at Marisa and Shechem".44
42
Translation, in both cases, according toJ.A. Goldstein, II Maccabees. Sec Hengel, Judentum und Hellaàsmus, pp. 543f, and S. Freyne, Gakltefiam ander the Great to Hadnm 323 B.C.E, la 135 C.E. (Wilmington and Notre Dame, 1 pp. 264C. « Freyne, Gaklte, p. 265. 43
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
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It is conceivable that these factors led to the view in Jewish leading circles which were strongly opposed to the politics of making Jerusalem into a Greek polis, that Phoenician cities like Tyre were to blame to some extent for "injustice" done to Jerusalem and its temple related to the Hellenization of city and temple. As I have argued elsewhere, LXX Isaiah probably has been produced by the circle of Onias IV,45 member of the high-priesdy family of the Oniads, who fled to Egypt at the time of the crisis. If so then LXX Isa. 23:12 reflects a negative view on Canaan/Tyre of this Oniad party. The involvement of Tyre and Phoenicia in one way or another in the Hellenization of city and temple may also have been the background of a similar anti-Phoenician view in circles that supported Judah Maccabee. In his work Concerning the Kings in Judaea the Jewish priest and historian Eupolemus from Jerusalem (mid-second century B.C.; supporter of Judah Maccabee) in describing the achievements of David deals also with the relationship between David and Hiram, king of Tyre. Different from the ancient traditions in the Books of Kings and Chronicles Eupolemus' account displays an antiPhoenician bias, because in his version David campaigned against "Souron, king of Tyre and Phoenicia, whom he also forced to pay tribute to the Jews".*6 Scholars have argued that the account of Eupolemus reflects the contemporary political scene, which strongly suggests that this change of tradition was done for polemical reasons (as is usually the case with the genre of "creative history").47 In contrast to the view of Tyrian historians of the time like Menander and Dius, who, as has been pointed out by Mendels,48 were emphasizing the superiority of Tyre over the Jews, Eupolemus expresses the view that the culture of the Jews is more respectable than, and superior to, that of the Phoenicians since Moses was the first wise man; he gave the alphabet to the Jews first, and then the Phoenicians received it from the Jews (Fragment I). (d) Tkejuturc relationship between Tyre and Jerusalem
Our last item concerns vs 18 of LXX Isa. 23, the verse which is part of the "real" prophecy of the chapter as a whole (verses 15-18). This verse therefore can not be read as reflecting a fulfdment-interpreta45
Van der Kooij, Du ahm Tacl&ugm, pp. 50-55. « See Holladay, Fragments Vol. I, p. 117. " See Wacholder, Eupobmus, pp. 134f., and D. Mendels, The Land of Israel as a Political Concept tn Hasmonean Literatare (Tübingen, 1987), pp. 140f. « Mendels, Land of Israel, pp. 135-138.
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tion; it rather expresses expectations for the future. Yet it mig worthwhile to try to understand vs 18 against the background o time of the translator. It reads in translation:
The merchandise of Tyre and her gain shall be a holy gift to the Lo shall not be gathered for them, but for those who dwell before the (shall be gathered) all her merchandise, to eat and to drink and filled, for a contribution, a memorial before the Lord.
The underlying idea of this verse is that the profit of all tradin Tyre will be a holy gift and a regular tribute (o-unßoXi\) to the Lo shall be to the benefit of the temple in Jerusalem and its pers One is reminded here of other texts in LXX Isaiah about the s did future of Jerusalem such as LXX Isa. 60:5-7:
Then shall you see and fear and be amazed in your heart, for the w (nXoûtoç) of the sea shall come round to you, and of nations and peo and herds of camels shall come to you, and the camels of Madiam Gaphar shall cover you. All from Saba shall come bearing gold, and bring frankincense, and they shall proclaim the salvation of the Lo
The honouring of Jerusalem and its temple by the nations with s did gifts is not only part of an expected new future, but was accor to II Mace. 3:2 reality at the time of the pious high priest O (Onias III):
The kings ofthat time did honour the place [Jerusalem] and magnifie temple with their best gifts (cniooroXaîç raîç icpatio-taiç).
It is, however, to be observed that LXX Isa. 23:18 is not a occasional gifts or presents. As we have argued in chapter III point of this text is that Tyre will be obliged to collect her profit her world-wide trading on sea as a regular contribution or («roußoXri) to the temple authorities of Jerusalem. The idea that T will be obliged to pay tribute to Jerusalem only makes sense if T and Phoenicia as well, is thought of as becoming politically dep ent on Jerusalem. Within the whole of LXX Isaiah this idea is understood in connexion with expectations about a central positio Jerusalem in a world-wide kingdom. Texts like LXX Isa. 9:7 11:10 are of particular interest here.
" Compare also LXX Isa. 61:6: "But you shall be called priests of the Lord ministers of God; you shall cat the material possessions of nations (io%w è , and shall be admired because of their wealth".
THE SEPTÜAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
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- LXX Isa. 9:7: MeyóXri f] opxn aùroû, Kai Tf\c, eipiîvnç aùtoi OÙK ëonv öpiov éiciTOVepóvov AawS Kai ù|v pamXeiav ainoû KUTopOûaai avrnv Kai ävnXoßeaöai avtfi; èv BiKOicxriivTi Kai èv Kpifum ana too vOv Kai eiçTOVairâva jcpovov {Great is his rule, and of his peace there is no border to the throne of David, and his kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from now and for ever)
(MT [vs 6] fp p« Dt n ~m KCO *? np-iu3i DBDQD rroio^ nrw 071» im nriüo) "Great" shall be the rule of the new leader, and his peace shall have no öpiov, "border". According to MT peace will have no end in time (fp), but the choice of öpiov in LXX suggests another meaning: the peace will have no "border", geographically speaking, to the throne of David and his kingdom. LXX expresses here the idea of a peace which goes beyond the borders of the kingdom of David; it is a peace all over the world which will be realized by God (and not by the kingly figure) according to vs 6 (ending): éycl) yàp âÇeo eipiivnv èniTOÙÇapxovroç (MT [vs 5] Ql^ti IB ID "3»)
"I", i.e. God, shall bring peace to the rulers. Presumably, the rulers of the eardi are meant here, because the peace will be world wide.50 The beginning of vs 7, "great is his rule", is likely to have the same meaning, a rule all over the world. - LXX Isa. 11:10: Kai Ëatai èv tfj T(iépq ÈKeivr| r| piÇa TOÛ leooai KOti 6 àvujTOjffivoç ofyfiv èOvôv, en' aurai ëOvri ÈJjnoûai Kai ëcrrai f\ àvanavroiç avroû Tt(iT) (And that day there shall be the root of Jesse, also the one who will arise to rule (the) nations; in him the nations shall hope, and his rest shall be honour) 50 Cf. Seeligmann, Stptoagml Version, p. 119, and R. Hanhart, "Die Septuaginta als Interpretation und Aktualisierung. Jesaja 9:l(8:23)-7(6)", in A. Roß and Y. Zakovitch (eds.), hoc ie> SaUgmam Votant. Vol. DJ: J/m-Hetnui Section Jerusalem, 1983), p. 345.
(MT mai) oft -tau TCK TB' anio Kinn DI-D rrm TDD irraa nnvn HOTT D*U r1»)
The main differences between MT and LXX concern the p "also the one who will arise to rule nations"51 (MT: "[the ro Jesse] who will stand as a sign of nations"), and the verb "to hop MT "inquire" (E~n).
Both passages reflect the hope of a world-wide kingdom with Je lem as center. The rule of the new leader, a kingly figure, w great; he will reign over the nations. Seen from the perspecti LXX Isa. 23:18 Phoenicia, with Tyre, will be one of these nati
Quite interestingly, as in the case of the previous section (c), th aspects mentioned, the tax to be paid by Tyre to Jerusalem Phoenicia/Tyre being submitted to the authorities in Jerusalem, a clear parallel in the writings of Eupolemus. As to the first ele Eupolemus retells the story of David as one who forced Tyre Phoenicia to pay tribute (i|>opODç ùitoieXeiv) to the Jews. And as aspect of Tyre being submitted to Jerusalem, it is most reveali see how, according to Eupolemus, king Solomon is addressed i ters by the king of Tyre and by the king of Egypt as well. Both Souron of Tyre, and Vaphres of Egypt, address Solomon as " king" (paoiXel neydXip). The heading of their letters thus clearly gests a position of Phoenicia and Egypt as client kingdoms, be the use of the title "great king" places Solomon in the class of of the world, as this tide was used from Assyrian times onwards Eupolemus' own time to denote a world emperor.52 C Concluding remarks
The above may have shown that LXX Isa. 23 makes good se read in line with the hermeneutics of the time, that is to say, if un stood as a predictive text which may refer to specific political e at the time of its author. Since this text is a translation it means an older oracle about Tyre, referring to events in earlier times rendered to the effect that a new oracle about Tyre was prod which could be read as a prediction of events in the second cen B.C. So, as to genre and function, LXX Isa. 23 corresponds to
51 See also LXX Num. 24:7 (èÇeteùcE-rai àvOpoHHx; ÊKTOÛoicépuatoç aùro KupieOaei éOvûv itoAAüv). H Cf. Wacholder, Eupolama, p. 159.
temporaneous texts like Dan. 11 and Sib. Or. Ill, prophecies which, though being presented as oracles and visions, contain in fact for the most part vaticinia ex eveniu. The only difference is that LXX Isa. 23 also represents a translation of an ancient prophecy in Hebrew. Thus, the Old Greek version of Isa. 23 can be characterized as a translation which was made on the basis of a fulfilment-interpretation of the underlying prophetic text in Hebrew, the result being a reapplication of an ancient prophecy. All this is in line with the rendering of the heading of LXX Isa. 23 as TO opcena Tvipou As we have noted above (chapter III) the lexical choice of optima (or opaaiç) for Hebrew KÓD is typical of LXX Isaiah. So our text, and other oracles in the book of Isaiah as well, present themselves as a "vision". The choice of this term reflects an interest in prophecy as "vision". This corresponds not only with Isa. 1:1, but also with the usage of its Hebrew equivalent (]im) in texts like Dan. 1:17; Ben Sira 36:15, and 11QIV col. 22:13. In the first part of this chapter it has been pointed out that the actualizing reinterpretation of ancient prophecies was the competence of scholars of the highest level of the time, sages like Daniel and the Teacher of Righteousness. As far as temple circles are concerned, leading priests, and of course especially the high priest himself, seem to have had the authority and competence of this type of interpretation. The Teacher of Righteousness clearly belongs to this category. Also Josephus, priest and historian, claims to be "an interpreter of dreams and skilled in divining the meaning of ambiguous utterances of the Deity"; "a priest himself', so he continues, "and of priestly descent, he was not ignorant of the prophecies in the sacred books" ( War 3,352).53 As is clear from this place, and from others as well (see e.g. Dan. 1:17), the actualizing interpretation of visions appears to be similar to the interpretation of dreams, a phenomenon which also applies to the /«sAw-technique.54 LXX Isa. 23, then, if seen as a reapplication of an ancient prophecy, has been produced under the authority of a sage like Daniel or the Teacher of Righteousness. As I have argued elsewhere the scholar or sage who was responsible for LXX Isaiah was a member of the high-priestly family of the Oniads, namely Onias IV.55 The interpretation of ancient oracles as being the competence of the most important scholars of the time has its analogies in other " See e.g. S. Mason, flown Josephus an Ihi Pharisees (Leiden, 1991), pp. 267-272. 54 Gf. Dimant, "Qumran Sectarian Literature", in M. Stone (ed.), Jewish Wnüngs of the Second Temple Pemd, pp. 505f. (and the literature cited). 55 Van der Kooij, Du alten Textteugen, pp. 60-65.
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countries and cultures of the time. In Egypt the iepOYpamiaiei scribe of the House of Life, a leading priest, is the one who h authority and ability to interpret dreams and to predict the futu the basis of ancient writings.56 As far as Babylonia is concerne interesting fact is that the book of Daniel clearly points to the cu setting of that country; Daniel, the sage, is presented here o highest scholarly level, namely that of the court of the king. know from Mesopotamian sources, the scholars at the court king were the most important scholars of the Assyrian or Baby empire. Central to their activity is the idea of the protection king. They did so "by watching for and interpreting the signs th gods sent and advising the king how these signs should be re to".57 It has further been observed that these scholars were versed in the Scriptures". "Everything in their correspondence it patently clear that their learning, way of thinking and profes competence were based on and moulded by an intensive study "Scriptures", the professional lore accumulated by earlier gener of scholars".58 The image of Daniel in Dan. 1 -6 fits in very well with this of the scholars of ancient Assyria and Babylonia; in these chapt is concerned with the fate of the Babylonian king and his empi the following chapters (7-12), however, the situation is differen they are concerned with the survival of the Jewish people with setting of world history.59 As to the production of our text, LXX Isa. 23, we can dr parallel now with the activities of the court scholars just mention has been stated above dial the Old Greek version of Isa. 23 result of a reapplication of an ancient oracle of Tyre to the effec it could function as a recognizable prediction of events at the ti its author-translator. However, in the light of the data from Me tamia (and see also the book of Daniel) it might be better to de the process from another angle, by starting with the time of the preter which was also a time of great difficulties for the Jewish pe just like his colleagues in Mesopotamia a Jewish scholar interp
56 See K.Th. Zauzich, "Hierogrammat", Lcnhm da Apptologie, Bd. II, cols. 1201. " S. Parpola, Letters from Assyrian and Bafyloraan Schalars (Helsinki, 1993), p. 58 Parpola, Letters, p. xxvii. 59 See JJ. Collins, "The Sage in the Apocalyptic and Pseudepigraphic Liter in J.G. Gamtnie and L.G. Perdue (eds.), Tht Sagt m Israel aid the Ancient He (Winona Lake, 1990), p. 349. On the connection between the wisdom of Dani Mesopotamia see alsoJ.N. Lawson, ""The God Who Reveals Secrets": The potamian Background to Daniel 2.47", JSOT 74 (1997), pp. 61-76.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AS A VISION
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the "signs" of his rime on the basis of ancestral, prophetical books, in our case the book of Isaiah, in order to help his people survive in hard rimes and to give them, at least the pious ones, hope for the future. This type of "visionary" interpretation seems to lie at the basis ofLXXIsa. 23. In sum, as far as the aspect of fulfilment-interpretation is concerned, the vision of Tyre in LXX Isa. 23 can very well be understood as witnessing to the interpretation of following political events as signs of the time in the light of the ancient oracle of Isa. 23 in Hebrew: - the complete destruction of Carthage by the Romans in the year 146 B.C., seen as having serious consequences for the position of Tyre, the mother-city of Carthage; — the Parthian invasion in Babylonia, presumably understood as a sign of the nearby breakdown of the Seleucid empire; — the involvement of Tyre, in some way or another, in the Hellenization of the city and temple of Jerusalem. As to this last item, it is interesting to see that the anti-Phoenician bias of LXX Isa. 23 is shared by a contemporaneous Jewish author (Eupolemus). The first and second item suggest a positive view on the Romans in the west and the Parthians in the east; one gets the impression that they were considered to be agents in the eschatological drama who were going to destroy the world powers of the time, Tyre, the power by sea, and Babylon, the power by land.
I CHAPTER FIVE
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
Having dealt with the questions of "what" (chapter III) and (chapter IV), in this chapter we will discuss the question of "how translator did his work. Basically this concerns the question o the translator read and interpreted his parent text, syntactical semantically, and which devices he may have used to realize ticular rendering of the underlying Hebrew text. It will be clear, however, that a discussion of how the Greek Isa. 23 was produced presupposes an idea of the Hebrew Vorlag by the translator. For this reason the following treatment of verse of ch. 23, which aims to reconstruct the process from th brew parent text to its Greek version, will start with the quest the underlying Hebrew text of that verse (Section B). The preceding chapters (III and IV) may have left the reade the impression that it was taken for granted that the Vortage of Isa. 23 was very close to MT. As has been argued in chap however, it is the aim of our investigation to discuss the Greek t Isa. 23 in two respects, namely as text (including the aspects of c ence and contents)(chapter III) and as prophecy ("vision")(c IV), before the question of the underlying Hebrew text is dealt wi far, the MT was only used for the sake of comparison with the text. The advantage of this procedure is that a Greek version lik of LXX Isa. 23 can be taken seriously in its own right. The disa tage is that the question of the Vorlage is postponed to some exten effect being that an analysis as presented in chapters III and carried out as if the parent text were very close to MT. It is time to check this as far as LXX Isa. 23 is concerned. This procedure implies that the observations made and idea veloped in chapters III and IV will be taken into consideration fo question of the Hebrew Vorlage. Of particular importance is th herence in LXX Isa. 23 which, as we have seen, can be observ several respects; it may concern the level of syntax (see e.g. the of vs 2-3 and of vs 12b-l 3), the level of style (the preference of sp terms) and the internal relationship between verses (e.g. vs 1 a 10; vs 2-3 and vs lOa). These traits, and others as well, are to be into account in reconstructing the parent text. It means at least t
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 2J AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
III
would be unwise to reconstruct the underlying Hebrew ad hoc, that is to say, on the word level only, without due attention to the context in Greek. Another issue to be taken seriously in reconstructing the parent text is the point that the Hebrew of the Vortag must be correct, or at least plausible, grammatically and idiomatically, in terms of biblical and late-biblical Hebrew. Further, a variant reading must make good sense in its supposed (Hebrew) context.' Most important are, of course, the ancient witnesses in Hebrew available besides the MT itself: the MSS of Qumran, lQIsaa (IQa), lQIsab (IQb), 4QIsa« (4Qa) and 4QIsac (4Qc).2 As we will see, these primary witnesses, dating to the period from the second century B.C. up to the first century A.D., testify to a Hebrew text of Isa. 23 which was, at that period at least, close to MT (ketit). This does not mean that the parent text of LXX Isa. 23 is to be equated automatically with the available evidence, but it is certainly a weighty factor to be taken into consideration togedier with the other aspects just mentioned. Among the Qumran witnesses of the book of Isaiah the text of IQa has its own place.3 The passage of Isa. 23 in IQa, therefore, will be treated separately in order to deal with this passage in lQ_a not only in relationship with LXX Isa. 23, but also in its own right (section C). The odier ancient witnesses to the Hebrew text of Isa. 23, above all the Targum, Peshitta and Vulgate, will be left out of consideration, not only because this would require a study of these translations in their own right, but also since they date to a period of the history of the Hebrew text of Isaiah in which the proto-MT was dominating the scene. The only other ancient witness that will be used (as far as available) in some cases is the version of Theodotion (i.e. the kaigerecension of Isaiah; see also chapter VI.A). All the aspects mentioned so far will play an important role in our attempt to reconstruct the Vorlage of LXX Isa. 23. Though it has been stated above that the question of haw the translator created his Greek version presupposes the reconstruction of the Vorlage, it is also true that this question of "how" can help us in finding an answer to remarkable dinerences between LXX and the supposed Hebrew text. As we have indicated already in chapter III.A, and as we will discuss 1 On these and other aspects of the rétroversion see particularly Tov, Tht TextCnttcol Use of the Septuogoit, pp. 57ff. 2 As for the 4QIsaiah materials see now DJD XV (Oxford, 1997). 3 On this issue, see section G below.
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in more detail in section B of this chapter, the question of specific differences between the Greek and the supposed H were realized need not be a matter of a different Vorlage, but ca well be explained as being the result of a particular way of re and interpreting the underlying Hebrew text, both syntacticall semantically. Here we touch upon the question of how one thin translator did his work. The following section (A) is meant to clear which image of the translator of the Book of Isaiah into is presupposed in our discussion in section B. A The translator as scribe
In my study, Die alten Textzeugcn des Jesajabuches, I argued th author of LXX Isaiah is to be seen as a learned scribe.4 Gen speaking, however, the translators of the Old Greek version Hebrew Bible are considered to have been very much like a "d man", that is to say, someone who is trained in giving an ad ho literal translation, either in the setting of an oral communicati in a situation where a translation of a written document is requ Although it is not to be denied diat translators of the books o LXX can be compared with professional dragomans (e.g. drago at the court), as will be argued below, the evidence available in points to the milieu where the "biblical" books were read and stu that is the milieu of scribes? In order to be able to produce a Greek translation of an an literary text in Hebrew, like that of the book of Isaiah, it may re ably be assumed that the translator was someone who was train the "reading (aloud)" (»npn/órvóyvoxnc; see below) of such a This is likely not only in the light of the available data (see below
* Van der Kooij, Die alien TaOvugen, pp. 62ff. 5 See in particular C. Rabin, "The Translation Process and the Character Septuagint", Texlas 6 (1968), pp. 21ff.; E. Bickerman, Studies I, pp. 177(T; S.P. "The Phenomenon of the Septuagint" in The Witness of Tradition (Leiden, 197 19f; S.P. Brock, "Aspects of Translation Technique in Antiquity", GRBSW pp. 69-87; S.P. Brock, "Translating the Old Testament", in D.A. Carso H.G.M. Williamson (eds.), It is Written Scripture Citing Scnflme. Essays in Ho Barnabas Lindars (Cambridge, 1988), pp. 87-98; J. Barr, ""Guessing" i Septuagint", in Sunken cur Sepcuaginta—Robert Han/tart zu Ehren. Hrsg. von D. Fra U. Quast und J.W. Wevers {Göttingen, 1990), pp. 19-34. 6 For what follows in dûs section (A), and also for a presentation of the vi scholars mentioned in the previous note, see A. van der Kooij, "Zur Frag Exegese im LXX-Psalter. Ein Beitrag zur Verhältnisbestimmung zwischen O und Übersetzung" (forthcoming), and idem, "Perspectives on die Study Septuagint: Who are the Translators?" (forthcoming).
THE SEPTÜAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
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is also understandable for the following reasons: the Hebrew text of the books concerned was unvocalized, and these books, which made up the literary heritage of the Jewish nation, were written in a language ("biblical Hebrew") that was more a part of the tradition than of everyday life in the second century B.C. As will be obvious, diis implied some interpretation, on a basic level at least, of a Hebrew text like that of the book of Isaiah. Since literary texts such as the book of Isaiah were regarded as belonging to the collection of the so-called "ancestral writings" (cf. Prol Één Sira 10: jraipia ßißXia),7 scrolls which primarily were at home in die sacred domain of the temple of Jerusalem at that time (second century B.C.), one may assume that the knowledge and the expertise of the "reading" of these texts is to be looked for, first of all, in the milieu of the temple (priests, and Levites/"scribes of the temple"8). A clear indication for diis can be found in Neh. 8:8 where it is said of the Lévites: "They read from the book, from the Law of God" (trrfJH n~nrO loon lR~lp1|'l). This passage is about the "reading aloud" in public from the Law by Lévites. The fact that these Lévites apparently were able to do so means that they had got enough practice in "reading" the Hebrew text of the Law. Another text which clearly indicates that the skill of "reading aloud" the ancient "ancestral" books was basic to the (Jewish) scribe of the time is to be found in the Prologue to the Wisdom of Ben Sira. In 1. 7-11 the grandson praises his grandfadier as a scholar who éiti jiteîov èavuov Soùç etc œ tiiv TOÛ vónou KOI tav npo$i\tâv icai HÖV äXXtov Jtatpicov ßißXicov ctvorfvawiv ical évTOVTOIÇiicavf|v ëÇw ïtepinoinaOHEvoç (who had devoted himself for a long time to the "reading" of the Law, the Prophets, and the other books of our ancestors, and developed a thorough familiarity with them).9 Here the "reading" of the "ancestral books" carries the connotation of the "study" of diese books.10 Although it is a matter of dispute whether Jesus ben Sira was a priest," it is evident that he can be seen as a "scribe", in particular on the basis of the passage on the wisdom of the scribe in 38:24-39:11 (cf. TBTO/ypamiaTEUc in 38:24). As this 7 On this terminology see A. van der Kooij, "Canonization of Hebrew Books Kept in the Temple of Jerusalem" (forthcoming). 8 For this expression see the Jetter of Antiochus III as transmitted by Josephus (Antiquities xii, 142: oi ypowicneli; toO iepou [listed after "the priests" and before "the temple-singers", i.e. at the place of the Lévites]). 9 According to the translation (except for "reading" instead of "study") by P.W. Skchan in Skchan and Di Leila, The Wisdom o/Bm Sira. 10 Cf. H. Stadelmann, Ben Sira als Sclin/igelt/irtiT (Tübingen, 1980), p. 257. 11 See Gilbert, "Siracide", in DBS XU/71, col. 1405.
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passage makes clear, a scribe was a literate person (literatus) who a social point of view, belonged to the leading circles of societ This is in line with the picture given in another document time, the so-called Letter ofAristeas. Here the translators of the L presented as learned persons of noble parentage, who were se by the High Priest (§ 121). It is said of them that they were fa with the Law (§ 32), that they had a great knowledge of and i into its meaning (§ 1 22), and that they had studied the Judaea guage and the Greek language as well (§ 1 2 1 : oïtiveç où nóvov lo'uSaiicâiv Ypaujiótrov ëÇw nEpienoinoav aùtotç, àXià rai tf EXXî|vitco>v e$povTiaav où rcapépTioç icaTCKncewjç}. The use of ypà in this passage means that both languages in their written for envisaged. The présentation of the translators of the Law in the Le certainly an ideal one (the translators as the best philosophers there is reason to believe that basically it reflects (social) reality. the culture of the time that tranlations of "ancestral books" produced by respected persons, both in the sense of being of birth and of being learned, who were asked by leading auth (such as the High Priest) to do so. The important thing is that o this way could a translation (into Greek) of writings belonging literary heritage of a nation be accepted officially. An interestin allel is known from the Persian period. On the orders of the P king Darius I a company of Egyptian scholars ("the wise [...] a the military, priesthood and scribes of Egypt") produced an Eg law-code and its Aramaic translation.12 As to the work of the translators itself (the translation of the into Greek), the Letter of Aristeas is unfortunately very brief, bu 305b the following interesting statement is found:
éTpéîiovTO npôç THV övÓYvucnv icon. TTIV ÉKâffrov (they turned to the "reading aloud" and the interpretation of ever sage).
The work of translating the Hebrew text turns out, according t passage to be based, first of all, on the avoyvcuo-ic, the "re (aloud)", of the text. This supports the idea of the translator as s since, as we have seen, the ability to "read aloud" ancient He texts is basic to the Jewish scribe. The second term used in the L SiaCTOitnioiç, denotes the aspect of interpretation (on this, see fu below). So the passage just quoted suggests that the translation
12 See E.G. Kraeling, The Brookfyx Museum Aramaic Pa/yn (New Haven, 19 30, and P. Briant, Histoire de l'empire perse lie Cyrus à Alexandre (Paris, 1996), p. owe the latter reference to professor André Lemaire.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
115
cess includes the aspects of the "reading (aloud)" and of the "interpretation" of the (Hebrew) text, before the actual translation was written down.13 Thus, it is likely that anyone who was accepted as a translator of the ancient Hebrew (or Aramaic) texts belonging to the literary heritage of the Jewish nation, actually was a scribe, that is to say, someone who was able, just as a scholar like Jesus ben Sira, to "read" the text of the ancient books and to give an interpretation of it. One may further assume that a scribe-translator was already familiar with the book to be translated. This is at least clearly implied in the picture of the translators as given in the Letter ofAristeas, and it is, for example, quite probable indeed that the grandson of Jesus ben Sira was acquainted with the work of his grandfadier before he translated it into Greek. For a proper evaluation of the idea of the translator as scribe it is now to be asked what, first of all, the aspect of the "reading (aloud)" may imply for the way a translation was produced. There are a few texts which provide, albeit roughly, an important picture. The Hebrew HDD for "scribe" is usually translated in LXX as ypajiuateiic (e.g. Ben Sira 38:24). Interestingly, LXX Isaiah attests a slightly different rendering of this Hebrew word understood in the sense of "scribe": ypantiaiiKOç {Isa. 33:18)14, a term which is also found in LXX Dan. 1:4 (for Hebrew run MTT). This word is well-known from Ptolemaic Alexandria, denoting a scholar who is able to "read" and "interpret" ancient texts {like the works of Homer). This ability is described with the technical expression YpaMHcmicfi téyyr] which, incidentally, is also found in LXX Dan. 1:17. The first and basic aspect of this skill is the dvoyvoxjic, the "reading aloud", which is described by Dionysius Thrax, pupil of the famous grammarian Aristarchus (second century B.C.), as follows: the àvffyvctxji; is the reading "with correct dramatic expression" (icaB' wiÓKpimv), rendering "correctly the musical side of the words employed" (KOTO itpooo)8iav}, marking "correctly the intervals" (icata8ia<noA.T)v).'5
13 The phrase iàv éKàtnov 5iac is also found in LXX Isaiah, but only in the sense of "secretary (of the army)". See LXX Isa. 36:22. 15 See W.G. Rutherford, A Chapter m the History of Annotation, tang Scholia Aristophmica,Vo\. HI (London, 1905), pp. 97f.
III.
CHAPTER FIVE
Here also the text of Neh. 8:8 concerning the Lévites deserve mentioned again, because it seems to contain a similar idea re the "reading aloud", in this instance of a passage from the L
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly (ETISO) giving die sense (^30 DTO1), and they gave understanding in the 13'D'I).
The term "clearly"16 is best understood as referring to the as the clear pronunciation of each word, whereas the expression the sense" seems to refer to the intonation and the marking clauses and sentences. In doing so the Lévites gave understan the people in the reading aloud of the text. M. Fishbane com on Neh. 8:8 in a similar vein:
Such a lection undoubtedly involved care for exact pronunciation nation, and phrasing, so as to make die units of the piece and i tional sense readily comprehensible."
The interpretation of Neh. 8:8 as given in rabbinic sources is the same lines (except for KTIEB which is understood in the s "targum"). For instance, BT Meg. 3a has it that "PDÔ DTCT1 refers division of sentences, and that R~pQ3 TT:n refers to the divi words into clauses in accordance with the sense.18 Thus, the texts just mentioned, from Alexandria up Babylonian Talmud, point to a practice of "reading aloud" whi the following aspects: a clear pronunciation of each word, and intonation related to a division of words into clauses and senten the case of Hebrew texts which were unpointed and unaccented a reading implies an interpretation of the text, not only of words, but also on the level of clauses and sentences (cf. "ve FJements of syntax and semantics are clearly involved. One minded here of commentaries on biblical texts, like the pesha Qumran, which probably reflect the way texts were studied setting of a "school": the text to be commented on is cited in th of syntactical entities {clauses, and/or sentences). It would be in ing to analyze the quotations of a biblical text, such as in the of Habakkuk, in order to see, first, in which clauses and/or sen
16 The Hebrew CTISD does not refer to "targum" as is the case in the later r interpretation of the text. See A. van der Kooij, "Nehemiah 8:8 and die Que die "Targum"-Tradition", in GJ. Norton and S. Pisano (eds.), Tradition of (Freiburg/Gotongen, 1991), pp. 79-90. 17 Fishbane, AWtcoi Intaprctatom, p. 109. 18 See also, with some variety of interpretation, BT Hid. 37b; FT Meg. 4 GmR. 36,8.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 2J AND ITS HEBREW VOR1AGE
117
a given text was divided in comparison to MT,19 and, secondly, how these clauses and sentences were "read". As to this latter aspect it may well be that the accompanying comments provide clues for the reconstruction of the "reading" {vocalization, syntax) of the quoted text. In discussing § 305 of the Letter ofArisleas above it became clear that the "reading aloud" is only the first step of the translation process. The second step, i.e., the step between the "reading" and the translation, concerns the level of "interpretation" (5iaadi)ni
It is with the help of the model of the scribe-translator that we will try to analyze the relationship between LXX and the underlying Hebrew text of Isa. 23. An example from the book of Numbers may serve as 19
For this aspect sec also our discussion of early patristic commentaries in chapter
VI.
20
See Rutherford, Annotation, p. 188. 21 For this aspect in LXX see the important contribution of D. Weissert, "Alexandrinian Analogical YVordanatysis and Septuagint Translation Techniques", Talus 8 (1972), pp. 31-44.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
I ig
(c) The actual rendering into Greek. In the light of this the following explanation for our text, LXX Num. 24:7a, may be given: (l)The "reading" of the parent text on which the version is based, may be reconstructed as follows: "Water shall flow from his buckets, and his arm shall be in many waters". (2) The interpretation implied may be reconstructed as follows: - "water", that is: "seed" understood as of "man" (cf. the singular verbal form); - "buckets", that is: buckets containing the "water", i.e. "seed", here taken as referring to the people of Israel (cf. vs 5);23 - "his arm", that is: his might; - "many waters", that is: "many nations" (cp. Isa. 17:12; see also targumic literature). (3) The rendering into Greek, based on the "reading" and the specific "interpretation". The choice of the two verbal forms, éÇeXeûœTai and KupieuoEi, can very well be seen as free renderings to suit the interpretation of the metaphorical language.24 As may be clear from this example the use of the model of the .seriestranslator in order to try to explain the relationship between LXX and the underlying Hebrew text of Isa. 23 means that emphasis will be put more on the level of clauses and sentences than on that of single words. The attempt will be made to reconstruct the "reading" (dvoyvoxjic) of the Hebrew on which the translation is based, as well as the "interpretation" which may account for striking differences between the parent text and the Old Greek version, such as in Num. 24:7a. So our model of analysis will be that of "reading" + "interpretation" > translation.25
In applying this model we will try to reconstruct the process from the underlying and supposed Hebrew text (which has, of course, to be established first) to the actual Greek version of Isa. 23. Just as in the 2S For a parallel case of "water" taken as metaphor for "seed" sec Isa. 48:1 where the phrase "from the water of Judah" is to be taken, at least according to the Targum ("from the families of Judah"), as the "seed" of Judah. 24 For a comparable explanation of the differences between MT and LXX Num. 24:7a see G. Vermes, Scnpten <md TraMon mjueasm (Sec. revised ed., Leiden, 1973), pp. 159-160. More can, of course, be said about the LXX Num. 24:7a. An important contextual element is the fact that die rendering av6p
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case of Num. 24:7a the element of some specific "interpretat the Hebrew, particularly on content level, may turn out to much help in looking for an explanation of remarkable diff between the Hebrew and the Greek. As was stated above, it is not to be denied mat the transl the LXX can be compared with professional dragomans of th Both, the scribe-translator and the dragoman (e.g. at a cou learned persons who master two (or more) languages, thus bei to produce a translation, either orally, or in writing.
Daniel 1 offers a nice example of learned, bilingual Jews, i.e. Dan his friends, at the court of Babylon. It was part of their three-year tion to study the Chaldean language, both in its spoken and writte (cf. vss4, 17).
There is, however, an important difference to be noted betw scribe-translator and a (professional) dragoman. It is typica dragoman to produce not only an ad hoc translation (as is assumed), but also a translation of a text which is new to him. case of a scribe-translator the procedure is different, beca knows already the Hebrew text of a biblical book to be transla a scribe he is familiar with matters of content and of interpre This means, among other things, that a phenomenon such as h nization is to be expected. A few other aspects related to the model of the scribe-tra which deserve to be mentioned, are the following ones.
(a) First, the aspect to be emphasized is that the model of the translator does not say anything, in principle, about the style of lation ("literal", "free", or something in between). In the light great variety of styles of translation within the Greek bible this is in favour of our model, because that of the dragoman-tran does not leave room, strictly speaking, for different styles, unle postulates that every translation is to be regarded as a literal on seems to me, however, that the matter of style is due to the v and attitude towards the Hebrew text, both quantitatively and
26 Brock tends towards that view as far as the LXX books subsequent t Pentateuch are concerned: "Subsequent translators, while often drawing Greek Pentateuch for their choice of vocabulary, usually aim at (and achieve) even rendering—and a more literal one, for by now the biblical translat sciously sees himself in the role of mttrprrs {i.e. dragoman, vdK), rather than expositor?' ("To Revise or Not to Revise: Attitudes to Jewish Biblical Translat G.J. Brooke and B. Lindars (eds.), Septuagmt, Scrolls and Cognait Writings [ 1992], p. 325).
THE SEPTUACINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
I2I
tatively, adopted by the scribal milieu to which the translator belonged (compare for instance the different types of translations, such as that of Aquila on the one hand, and of Symmachus on the other).27 Of course, another factor might have been the degree of knowledge of Koine-Greek. {b)A second aspect to be considered is that of exegetical "devices" used by scribes as a means of realizing some interprétation of the text to be translated. Whereas the model of dragoman-translator seems to imply the idea that differences between translation and Vorlage may be due to "misreadings" and "errors", it may be argued that the Jewish scribe of the time had recourse to a set of devices by which he was able to interpret words and phrases in a way which, in some respects, is incompatible with a modern philological approach.28 (c) A third aspect which is of interest, is the question of the "readingtradition". Tov and Barr are of the opinion that a translator could be acquainted with the "vocalization" of the biblical text, because, as they assume, this text was read in public.29 Apart from the fact that we know so litde about the reading in public of biblical texts in the Hellenistic period, it may be clear that the picture of the scribetranslator leads to another idea, namely that the translator in being one of the scribes himself was trained in the reading of biblical texts, and as a result ofthat was familiar with a reading tradition. One may assume, that in scribal circles where the Hebrew text of the ancestral books was studied, a "reading" of these texts was practiced which was part of the tradition adhered to in a particular scribal milieu. The teaching of the "reading" of these literary texts, in the setting of a "school", implies that a "reading" was transmitted by teachers.30 This is not to say, however, that there existed a standardized reading in the Hellenistic-Roman period.31 This is not only out of question in view of the different "readings" attested by the ancient witnesses in par27 For ancient Jewish traditions which place Aquila in a scribal milieu see S. Lieberman, Greek m Jewish Palestau, pp. 17-19. 28 See Prijs, Jüdische Tradition m da Seftuaginta; Tov, TuA-Cntical Ust, pp. 162-180; Van der Kooij, Dit allai Tcxtzmgm, pp. 66-69. Concerning the interpretation of dreams and prophecies see also S. Licberman, Hellenism tn Jewish Palestine, pp. 70-82. See further the article by Weissert (n, 21), and the aspects of interpretative skill of the Alexandrinian grammarian, mentioned above. 29 Tov, Text-Critical Use, p. 105; Barr, "Guessing", p. 26. 30 Presumably, these teachers were members of the priestly class, as in Egypt of the time. See H. Maehler, "Die griechische Schule im ptolemäischen Ägypten", in E. van 't Dack, P. van Dessel and W. van Gucht (eds.), Egypt and the Hellenistic World (Leuven, 1983), p. 193. 31 For this matter see also EJ. Reveil, "LXX and MT: Aspects of Relationship", in A. Pietersma and C. Cox (eds.), De Septuagàita (Misrissauga, 1984), pp. 44-51.
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ticular cases, it is also very unlikely because of the pluriformity ancient Judaism. It may well be that in cases where the same H text was shared specific "readings" varied in different circles lieus within Judaism because of a different interpretation. It that a "reading" different from that of MT (i.e. the Hebre vocalized and accentuated) should not be judged, too easily, light of the MT, and/or in the light of our modern, philologica about the grammar and meaning of a given Hebrew text, as b misunderstanding. Seen from the perspective of the model scribe-translator it is more plausible to regard such a case as the "reading" of the text that was current in his milieu.
As to the last aspect (the reading-tradition) it is to be noted, ho that it has its limitations, in principle at least, as far as the actu interpretation of prophecies is concerned (see chapter IV). It ceivable that for the sake of an actualizing interpretation a "re plus "interpretation" of a Hebrew text was preferred which d from an older, "traditional" one. The question of the actualizing interpretation of prophecies us to the last issue to be mentioned in this section: the relatio between the scribe(-translator) and scholars, "wise men" like D and the Teacher of Righteousness, who had the authority of ap a prophecy to events of their own time (see chapter IV.A). It divert us too much from our main task to deal here with this qu in detail. The relationship between the two types of scholars fact to do with a difference of position in the hierarchy of scho the time. One of the texts which is illustrative in this respect i 1:17. It may suffice to quote this passage, and to make a few rem Dan. 1:17 reads (in translation):
God gave these youths (i.e. Daniel and his friends, vdK) knowled proficiency in all literature and wisdom, and/but Daniel had insig all visions and dreams.
Daniel and his friends represent die level of "scribes" (cf. ypauji in LXX Dan. 1:4), but Daniel himself has an additional gift: endowed with higher wisdom ("insight in visions and dreams also chapter FV.A), which makes him a scholar of a higher po than his friends. This may be compared with the difference in tion of the High Priest on the one hand, and that of the (s translators on the odier, in the Letter qfAristeas.32
32 For other data and observations in this respect, see Van der Kooij, D Texl^eugm, pp. 197-200.
L
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these places. It is further to be noted that the reading of MT 2 also attested by 4Qa.
MTTOO- LXX - : The fact that the reading of MT is support 1 Q.a> 1 Qp and 4Qa strongly suggests that the Vorlage of LXX tained this reading too. According to Ottley, "the Hebrew word have been overlooked before K13D" (Vol. II, p. 215). The HUB ed of the book of Isaiah considers the Greek KOI oiJKéti ëpxovtat the rendering of R13O PP3Q; its note says, "hardly om IT3D". The seems to be that the (free) rendering in Greek not only presupp in one way or another, Hebrew R1DQ, but also rP3Q. There is, ever, no indication for this. The Greek reflects a specific synta interpretation of the Hebrew text by taking the words DTO flRD as belonging together (for the collocation ]Q KO, "to come from" Deut. 33:2). An interpretation of the verb R13 together with TO w imply the meaning of "to enter" for Hebrew RTJ, as is the ca LXX Isa. 24:10 (oiiciav TOO (if| eiaeXoeîv), but this does not fit in the notion of "to come from" the land of Kittim. Thus the question remains why the Hebrew !T3D has been untranslated. From our discussion in chapter IH.A the followin planation could be given. The Hebrew text may have been un stood as "it is destroyed from being a house" (in Greek presum [...] onto OÏKOU; cf. LXX Isa. 7:8: eicXcixirEi... ànô XaoO). In view o commercial practice of his time the translator might have interpr "house" as a "house" for ships with their merchants designating organization of a state-recognized group in a foreign port, that say, somewhere outside the home harbour.33 Since, as we hav gued, it is the city of Carthage that is referred to in LXX Isa. 23 would not make sense to render the Hebrew TO, because Cartha the home port of the ships, and can not be called a "house" foreign port. However, it is also possible to explain the non-rendering of T this way: The translator may have taken the verbal form R13 related to TTD, because usually an infinitive + JD is dependent preceding verbal form. Consequently, TOD was passed over.34 A eral rendering would then have been: (it is destroyed) tot> nf| epxE onto [...]. Actually, this part of the verse has been rendered more f by creating an independent clause, KOI OÙKÉTI èpxovtai èic [...],
33
As to this meaning of Greek OÏKOÇ see Fraser, Plotanau Altamdna. Vol. I
185f. 34
As to our text see also Soisalon-Soininen, Infmicx, p. 104.
tZD
CHAPTER FIVE
The assumption of an underlying Hebrew text with the re 'D1? seems to be improbable. First, the evidence from Qumran favour of MT35, and secondly, the reading 'D1? introduces an rogative sentence, which syntactically does not fit very well th brew text of Isa. 23:1-3 (as far as attested by MT/Qumran). A been observed by Ziegler our text (vs 2-3) is one of die ins where LXX Isaiah has a comparison which is not found in MT the case under discussion the Greek tivi öuoioi Yeyóvaovv is c related to the answer given in vs 3 (tbcàinyroûeia<|iepou£voi> [...]) answer, too, does not constitute a literal rendering of the Hebrew as attested by MT/Qumran (see further below). So the Gree seems to be part of a free rendering of vs 2-3 as a whole. LXX r a syntactical interpretation according to which TCh is taken tog with the following verbal form (TD1) and not with the preceding v form (n^E), as is the case in MT. On nbï as considered a v clause on its own see above.
"The retailers of Phoenicia, passing over the sea": This part of seems to presuppose a Hebrew text as attested by MT. Both for the singular ("TID and ~O2) have been interpreted in the coll sense by taking this part of the text as an apposition to "the in ants of the isle". The reading of TITO is also attested by IQa presumably by 4Qa. It is therefore not necessary to suppose tha LXX reflects a Vorlage with the plural 'TIO.37 Note also the sin forms (THÖ and TID) and their plural rendering in vs 3. As t reading ~OS the situation is different: whereas LXX seems to su MT (including the interpretation of the form as participle) Qumran evidence offers a variant reading here: TOD (so 1 Qa, 4
MT '['»'PO - LXX—: Since MT is supported, albeit with vari by the Qumran witnesses, it is not likely that the Vorlage of LXX not contain a word like "JIK'TQ, but precisely because of some var in readings it is not easy to know which reading might have been of the Vorlage of LXX. In particular, 1 Qa is important here, be it offers a real and interesting variant reading, "J'DK'TD, which in together with D' VI3D, makes up the following clause, "your me gers have passed the sea". This variant reading has aroused m
35 The reading of 4Qa (IQTQ1?}, though attesting also the wow of TO1?, is diffi understand. What could be meant by the word D~ITO? 36 Ziegler, Uhtersudaagm, pp. 100-103. 37 For this suggestion see BHS, Kaber, and Wildberger. M On IQp see above.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
127
attention, because it partially affirms a well-known conjecture, to wit, the reading VDS'TD (with suffix masc. as referring to "the isle") or iTDR^D (with suffix fem. as referring to Sidon).39 These emendations are in fact based on the text of Ps. 107:23: D'31 D'DD rOttTO 'US rTOG DTI 'TV. The assumption is made that the "messengers" of our text are to be understood in the light of this verse, i.e. not as messengers in the sense of envoys, but in that of "Geschäftsleute" (Wildberger). Since this idea has a bearing on the question of the Vorlage of LXX we will deal with this text critical issue. The attested readings of vs 2b are the following: MT LXX
IQa IQb 4Qa
-prf» D* "UU ôiajteprâvTEç rf|v 60X0000 v
-j'aVjD er TOB -\vbc o' l -\vt?a D' ras
In CTATÏ it is argued that the text of IQa should be considered as the most ancient one because of die agreement between this text and the text of Ps. 107:23 (see above). It is further stated that this ancient text reading is supported by 4Qa, albeit partially (D' TOD), because the reading "JR'TQ of this MS is probably due to haplography of the kapk (I'SK^D > IR^D). In line with these arguments Barthélémy has also dealt with this question in CTAT3 (p. cviii) where the following picture is offered:
1 . 1 Qa attests "l'état primitif du texte"; 2. The second stage is to be found in 4Qa (the new reading ["[K^D] being due to haplography); 3. 1 Qb represents a third stage (the new reading TIR'TO resulting from a plene writing of ~]KI7Q); 4. MT as the final stage (for -\vtxi see IQb; the form ~as (in IQb '~as or TOS) is due to harmonization with the context [TIO]).
This is a very interesting picture, but it also raises some questions. Generally speaking, in view of the character of 1 Qa on the one hand, and of IQb (considered to be an archaic text tradition) on the other, it does not seem plausible to regard the reading "|1R17D of IQb as secondary to the reading of IQa. Further, the idea that the reading of 4Qa ("IK^D) is the result of a haplograpy of the kaph is not convincing either. Most important, it seems to me, is the question whether the 1
See e.g. Wadberger, p. 856, and CTAT2, p. 162. See also the Appendix.
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Hebrew word "JR'TD ("messenger") should be taken here in the of "Geschäftsleute" (so Wildberger, Barthélémy, and others i light of Ps. 107:23; see also HAUT, s.v. -JK^D: "? Händler", as c tation for our [reconstructed] text only). Although etymolog speaking the word "JR^D may be related toTOR^D,the difficulty i Hebrew •JR'PO never conveys the notion of "Händler" at any pla the Hebrew Bible; on the contrary, it is always used in the sen "messenger", "envoy". This means that the text of Ps. 107:23 is much help for Isa. 23:2. What does this mean for the question of the Vorlage of the LX well as for the question of which "reading (aloud)" of the Vorl implied in the Greek version of vs 2? For the latter question in ticular it is important to see how the various readings of this clau in with the verse as a whole: - IQa reads (in translation): "your messengers have crossed the "Your messengers" is the subject of TDB. The words D' TOB not taken here as apposition to "the merchants of Sidon" (as case in MT). For this text, see further below, section C. — IQb is more difficult to evaluate because the verse has been served only fragmentary. The preserved part reads: "... the diey filled you". "They" probably refers to "the merchan Sidon". - 4Qa seems to be similar to IQb: "they crossed the sea; they you". In the light of IQb and MT the form "JK'PD is best un stood here as defective spelling of "flR'TQ, although it is also pos to take it as it stands, i.e. in the singular: "he filled you" (c sing. "TO). In both cases "the merchant(s) of Sidon" is (are ferred to. The word "]Ki7D in the meaning of "messenger" doe make sense here. Thus, in contrast to 1 Qa, 1 Qb and 4Qa seem to point to the ing "to fill" for the last word of the verse, which is also the mea of MT. It is often stated that this meaning does not make sense a it therefore should be corrected on the basis of Ps. 107:23 to VDK'T iTDR'TD (see above). It is far from clear, however, why MT ("they you") should be judged that way. As we have seen, the text o 107:23 is not of much help. Furdier, die tradition of "to fill" is only supported by 1 Qb and, probably, 4Qa, but is also found in witnesses, Targum Jonathan to Isaiah, Peshitta and Vulgate. And but not least, the use of K"7Q in the sense of "filling" a city (Tyre) merchandise has a nice parallel in Ezek. 27:25b; Tyre "was fi ('«"Tom) with merchandise by many merchants (cf. the context of 25). Let us return to LXX. It is likely that the Greek text (Sunrepo
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
I2Q
-rrçv eóXcKKiav) is based on a text like MT (b' ~QP). As to the syntax of the verse, it is clear that the translator regarded these words as apposition to "the merchants of Sidon", in line with IQb and 4Qa. But what about MT -JittTQ - LXX—? The fact that LXX does not reflect the variant clause of 1 Qa ("]'DR17D IT TDJ)), indicates that the Vorlage o LXX did not contain the reading TDKbn, as this reading is part of that clause (on the text of 1 Qa see further section C). Thus, it may be assumed that the reading "[TH^D, or "[H'TO, was found in the Vorlage of LXX, the more so since it is unlikely in the light of the available evidence that the parent text did not contain a word like this. The question then is why this reading was left untranslated. According to Ottley the LXX has "omitted it" (Vol. II, p. 216), but he does not discuss the question why. Ziegler states, "LXX hat diesen Vers ganz frei wiedergegeben und kam mit 'D nicht zurecht" (p. 52). If the reading of the Vorlage was understood as "they filled you (Tyre)" then it is not difficult to guess, in the light of the contents of LXX vs 2-3, why this reading was left untranslated. The Greek text reflects the interpretation that "the inhabitants of the isle" are the retailers of Phoenicia, passing over the sea. A rendering of ~|'W'7Q/~]R'7Q in the sense of "they filled you" would mean that the retailers of Phoenicia are the ones who filled Tyre with merchandise. This, however, does not fit the picture evoked by LXX Isa. 23; as we have seen, the retailers of Tyre are to be distinguished from the merchants of Carthage, and it are the merchants who were to "fill" a harbor city like Tyre, not the retailers. That is why the Hebrew "[1K17D/"[1*17D could not be used in the interpretative rendering of vs 2-3. Verse 3 MT D'OSI - LXX <no rendering of waw>: The reading of MT = IQa, IQb, 4Qa; the non-rendering of the wow in LXX is due to the free rendering of vs 2-3 as a whole: after having left untranslated •JTK'TD/'fU'TD the expression "on many waters" is taken with "passing over the sea".
MT "TIB - LXX uetaßoXiov: It could be that the Vorlage of LXX was spelled with samekh ("TO), but since MT = 1 Qa, 4Qa, it is more likely to assume that the reading TUB was read as "TIED = "ITID.40 LXX œç auntou: the plus of càç is part of the construction of LXX vs 2-3 as a whole. For the question, "to which have they become like", For this phenomenon in 1 Qa, see Kutscher, Isaiah Scroll, p. 185.
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one expects an answer beginning with "as" (tix;). The Vorlage of is probably the same as MT = 1 Qa, 4Qa. For the underlying ing" of the Hebrew text, see below.
MT "TW — LXX—: The minus in LXX may also be due to th rendering of vs 2-3. MT = IQa, 4-Qa (1RV). It therefore is diffic use LXX as an argument for a Hebrew text without "IIR1, as Pro does.41 See further below. As to Tim, see also below.
MT iTTIKIDn - LXX eicr^ponévou: The Hebrew substantive (M 1 Qa, 4Qa) is rendered here with a verbal form. See also below
MT ~ino - LXX nETopoXoi: The Greek rendering presupposes h reading (vocalisation) as in vs 2, ~inb, different from MT qere ( plus a collective interpretation of the singular form.
Having discussed which Hebrew text may have been used by translator it is now to be asked in which way he may have "r (including vocalization and syntax) his text of vs 2-3 as a whole His "reading" underlying the Greek rendering may be reconstru as follows: To which have become like the inhabitants of the isle, the retailers of Sidon, passing over the sea, they filled you, that is, on great waters, the seed of retailers? (As) a harvest at (of) the river its revenue: it (= its revenue) shall be the retailers of the nations
(OT l£? as TOT "tf?) (Sidon as Phoenicia), (waai explicative) ("TO! = "IRQ as part, act.)
(Tim in the future sense) (T10 as part, act.)
Apart from cases of spelling or vocalization different from th MT, the main difference concerns the syntactical interpretation 2-3 as a whole: an interrogative sentence, followed by an answ the form of a comparison. The text of the answer, "(As) a harve the river its revenue: it shall be the retailers of the nations" ( referring to "Sidon"), has been rephrased in order to produ smooth text in Greek in which the implicit meaning as understood the translator, has been made explicit. On the level of "interp tion" the elements of "Sidon" as "Phoenicia", and, most importa 41
See also Wildbcrger.
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MT pTIB noSDVl — LXX eic m>n(5oWvv [ivrinocruvov ëvavn xupio discussion in chapter III.A has led to the conclusion that this r ing in Greek is based on an interpretation of the text in the Num. 31:25ff. OTußoXfj reflects Hebrew HDDC (MT = IQa, 4 the sense of nO?Q, "portion, contribution" (cf. ODD in Num. 3 the expression nvrpOCTuvov ËVOVTI icupuyu see Num. 31:54 (miT p-DI). The remaining question, however, is how Hebrew pTlu ( 1 Qa; 4Qc: pni!) was understood. A suggestion made by A. S very helpful here; the Hebrew P'PB, "old", was taken in the s "the Old of Days", i.e. God, of Dan. 7:9 QW pTO).55 Thus, the underlying "reading" can be reconstructed as f "and for a tribute of (for) the Ancient (of Days)". C Isaiah 23 according to IQIstf
The complete Isaiah scroll found in the first cave at Qumra unique manuscript, not only because it is the only complete script among the biblical texts from Qumran, but also becaus character. Unlike 1 Qb and the Isaiah fragments of 4Q, the 1 Q_a offers many interesting variant readings both of a linguis of an interpretative nature.56 In contrast to the state of affairs r ing the books of Samuel and Jeremiah, a notable agreement be IQa and LXX Isaiah on the textual level over against MT do emerge from a comparison between them. Yet 1 Qa and LXX do have something in common, since it generally is agreed tha texts reflect a free approach towards their parent text. In light overall characteristic one is more inclined to ascribe agreeme word-level (which are few in number, comparatively speaking common practice of both authors than to their underlying H texts.57 In this section we will discuss the passage of Isa. 23 (col. XV 27) by way of a contextual analysis of its variants. The main poin try to find out how the variant readings of 1 Qa function withi 55
Scholz, Du alexaruhvttscfu Uebersetcung, p. 13. See e.g. Kutscher, Ifaiah Scroll (with much emphasis on the linguistic na the variants); Van der Kooij, Die alten Text&ugm, pp. 81-98 (examples of int tive variants); Koenig, L'herméneutique analogique, pp. 20Iff. s7 For these and other comments see A. van der Kooij, "The Old Greek o in Relation to the Qumran Texts of Isaiah: Some General Comments", Brooke and B. Undars (eds.), Septuagmt, Scrolls and Cognate Writings (Atlanta, 19 195-213. 56
THE SEPTUAGWT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
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own (IQa) context, syntactically and semantically. This approach should precede, in my view, the text-critical and text-historical analysis which represents a more atomistic treatment of the text of IQa.58 The discussion of Isa. 23 according to IQa in its own right, therefore, is also meant to show that this witness should be used with much caution in the study of the Vorlage of LXX Isaiah. The analysis consists of a close reading of the text of IQa by studying its significant readings from a contextual point of view. An important aspect that has to be taken into account is the paragraphing, and subparagraphing system of IQa.59 Just as with the Vorlage of LXX Isaiah, we will make an attempt to reconstruct the "reading (aloud)" (avoyvomc) of certain passages of Isa. 23 in the wording of IQa. This is based on the assumption that IQa is not just a copy, but an "edition" of the book of Isaiah in its own right.60 Aspects of IQa, such as the modernization of its language, and traces of an actualizing interpretation of the Isaianic prophecies, seem to be in favour of this qualification.61 Col. XVIII, 5f./Verse 1:
:rwQ »ran ir-an TTHD '3 izrsnn rm» i^'r« -a KTO TO1? rf?%
DTD
Apart from the orthographical variants 1 Qa agrees here with MT. It therefore may well be that the text of IQa was understood ("read") as inMT: Oracle of Tyre. Wail ye ships of Tarshish, for it is destroyed so that there is no house to enter anymore; from the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.62
Hebrew K13D is taken here as in MT (inf. with preposition), but it can also be interpreted as a noun with the meaning "entrance", at this place more specifically in the sense of "entrance of the sea", i.e. "harbour" (cf. Ezek. 27:3). This would result into the following trans58 On this issue see A. van der Kooij, "IQIsa' Col. Vin, 4-11 (Isa 8,11-18): A Contextual Approach of its Variants", in F. Garcia Martinez ct E. Puech (eds.), Memorial Jem Carmgnac, RdQ.13 (1988), pp. 569-581. 59 On this subject see Oesch, Petacha md Setuma. 60 Cf. Van der Kooij, Du allen Textyugcn, p. 108. 61 For die matter of actualizing interpretation see Van der Kooij, Du alun Textçeugen, p. 8 Iff-, and Koenig, L'herméneutique analogique, pp. 201ff. See also W.Th. van Peursen, "Guarded, Besieged or Devastated? Some remarks on Isaiah 1:7-8, with special reference to IQIsa-a", DS-XELL 2 (1996), pp. 101-110. 62 For Hebrew Vb in writings of Qumran see e.g. 1QH 4:7f.26; 1QM 12:3; 1QS 4:14.
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lation (taking RISQ TO as an expression63): "for it is destroyed it is no "house of the entrance" (i.e. harbour place) anymore" Col. XVIII, 6/Verse 2: 1 I'DK'Ta D" ras JITS ino "N -nzr im
The last part of this text contains two variant readings (TI3 I'DR'TO) which are clearly related to each other. In transla reads: your messengers have crossed the sea.
IQa does not offer the reading D' "OP as an apposition to JITS in MT (and cf. LXX). Instead, the last part of the verse repres clause on its own. The first part may be translated as follows: "Be silent, inha of the isle, merchants of Sidon". On word level the text of IQa with MT, but because of the variants in the last part it differs MT syntactically: "merchants of Sidon" is best understood in 1 an apposition to "inhabitants of the isle". In the clause "Your messengers have crossed the sea" the p "your messengers" seems best understood as messengers of th that is to say, messengers sent out by the inhabitants of the isle. have argued in section B, these "messengers" is not to be tak "merchants". So our clause does not refer to commerce, but it evokes the picture of persons who bring tidings. In view of the ning of the verse ("Be silent") bad tidings are likely to be impl Col. XVIII, 7f./Verse 3: mca ~no 'nm nrwon TW Tsp TIB art CTTI irnai 1 Qa offers no significant variants in comparison with MT. Col. XVIII, 8f./Verse 4: •non1? DTI nso D' man -o ]TS 'D'à
rrbva Tmn orra Ttnj «Vn 'rrïr ttfn T/n «V?
A small space in 1 Qa just before TZTO indicates that this word beginning of a new sentence.64 The text of IQa offers one re 65
One may compare collocations (with fl'3) like PIM n'X See also Oesch, Pelucha and Setama, p. T12+ (the note "ski" is mistakenly sub IQb instead of sub IQa). 64
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which calls for some comment: the feminine form moR (MT: masc.). Kutscher may be right in suggesting that the scribe made this change on account of the verbs used in the direct speech, since they are "appropriate only in the mouth of a fern, speaker" (Isaiah Scroll, p. 393). In view of the Hebrew D' (or DTI RUD), which is masculine, one would expect the form HQR. The variant is not of a purely linguistic nature. It may well be that due to the contents of the direct speech as Kutscher proposed, an (original) masculine form was changed. Interestingly, a similar case is to be found in the text of vs 14 (see below). Col. XVIII, 10/Verse 5: •j -K BOZO VTTT oraa aas -ma
1 Qa offers no significant variants in comparison with MT. Col. XVIII, 10-12/Verses 6-7:
nmcnp mp tro nrfrai res'? rwirn '» ' ~nt? prno rrtTi r The first word ('"OW) differs from MT 0~Otf), and the question is how to interpret this variant reading. Kutscher thinks of an Aramaic imperative feminine, but admits that this is uncertain (Isaiah ScroU, pp. 194, 478). In that case one would expect the plene spelling 'TUB.65 The form as it stands in IQa is more easily understood as participle (cf. Wildberger, p. 856): "they who pass over to Tarshish". This reading of 1 Qa raises the question which clause or sentence it may be part of, because syntactically speaking the words "they who pass over to Tarshish" do not make sense as a clause on their own. (It will be clear that the text of MT, "pass over to Tarshish", does not pose such a problem.) Since the preceding words of line 10 belong to the sentence of vs 5, it seems reasonable to consider the phrase ntO'em nai», together with the verbal form that follow (iV^Tl), as a syntactical unit. In translation then IQa reads thus: You who pass over to Tarshish, wail!
65 E. Qjmron, in his TV Htbrae of the Dead Sta Scrolls (Atlanta, 1986), p. 54, regards the form *~mi! as a phonological variant of the VTlOp type, being pronounced 'oban. If so, one would expect the spelling TDB
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This reading fits the context of the oracle of Tyre well because 1 the ships of Tarshish are the ones who are called to wail (for see below). As a consequence of this understanding of the beginning o the question arises as to how the words that follow next (T* '3BT to be interpreted syntactically. A small spacing between HDID nrtPün leaves one with the words nDD1? nKlTH 'K '32)1* as form syntactical unit which may be translated this way: you inhabitants of the isle, is this one yours/does this one belong to you?.
"This" (nsil), then, is explained by the rest of vs 7 (from ntl^OT and including TU1?), which can be seen as a long apposition or clause on its own. The form nrftu (MT: nr^i!) is regarde Kutscher as an Aramaic element in the dialect of the scribe, noun of the qatol-type (a nomen agenäs, such as FTO in Dan. 3:4) ( Scroll, p. 205). This makes good sense, though it is to be noted this spelling is not the regular one for this word in IQa (at places vnûiyod, as in MT).66 Its meaning is, "exultant" (cf. MT). the plus of the article, see Kutscher, Isaiah Scroll, pp. 411 f. The variant reading nnimp can be seen, with Kutscher ( Scroll, p. 383), as a form with an ending -ill (indicating an abs noun), but it is also possible, in the light of Ezek. 36:11, to take form as the plural of noip (cf. Wildberger, p. 856). The last part of vs 7 offers two variants, the most significa which is rr^ai (MT rrta'). Kutscher suggests that the scribe brought the reading irta1" into agreement with the next word, iT but, he then remarks, "what does it mean?" (Isaiah Scroll, p. 22 seems clear that the form as attested by 1 Qa is not related to the *73' (so MT). Although the form of 1 Qa remains difficult to ex the word as it stands can be understood as related to the root !"ta be worn out, grown old" (for the adjective rf73, see e.g. Josh. 9:4 So the passage in IQa (from ntl^OT up to the end of the verse) s to convey the following meaning: the exultant one is a city w origins are from time immemorial, but her feet have become weak to sojourn as a foreigner far away. The passage of IQa pres itself as a taunting remark to the inhabitants of the isle (that i Tyre). The intriguing question, however, is to which city this rem may allude (see further below).
66 Kutscher states that forms of the root r^JI spelled with wau> are also fou IQa at 13:3 and 32:13 (Ismah Scroll, p. 205). It seems to me, however, that in places the readings of IQa are spelled withjwrf (as in MT); see also 22:3 and 67 For this root see TkWATl, cols. 650-653 (Gamberoni).
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Col. XVIII, 12f./Verse 8: moron -a •» ruit 2ar T> ntei "-aD: men CTTE TBR
lQ_a corresponds closely to MT, the only difference being the word moJOT (MT rrTBSOn). Instead of participle Hifil as in MT the text o IQa may be considered participle Puai (cf. Kutscher, Isaiah Scroll, p 363), "the crowned (city)". Col. XVIII, 13f./Verse9: mur rraox mrr x~» nasi 'TO tyrt? 'as ]uo ^o Trr?
Part of the second line has a word order that differs from MT: '3S fit« "TO (MT 'as ta ]HO). For the correspondence in this instance between IQa and LXX, see Section B. Col. XVIII, 14f./Verse 10: TIRO fDK 'TOB
Tis nro ]'« OTDTH ra
This verse contains the well-known variant reading '"131) (MT '"13J)). It is the only significant reading in the text of Isa. 23 according to IQa which corresponds with LXX. For a discussion of the text-critical value of this reading see above, section B. (As this reading turned out to be secondary to the reading of MT, it may have been introduced in order to elucidate the meaning of the more poetic expression -»t'D p« nar.) The text of 1 Qa as it stands can be interpreted as follows: Till your land like the river, daughter Tarshish; there is no girdle anymore.
Read this way, "daughter Tarshish", is considered a vocative. It is, however, also possible to translate the text thus: Till your land like the river; the daughter Tarshish is no longer a girdle.
Here "the daughter Tarshish" is taken as subject of the second clause: Tarshish is no longer a girdle, i.e. a place of strength. (For this option as lying behind the LXX, see section B.) These two possibilities do effect, of course, the interpretation of the suffix "your" of "your land". If "the daughter Tarshish" is considered a vocative, "your" refers to Tarshish, but it refers to the land of
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another city, if "the daughter Tarshish" is taken as subject. We return to this question below. Col. XVIII, ISf./Verse 11:
ITD'TQD rnn on *7S rim IT rrriBD TDDTI^ ro "» mx mrr
1 Qa contains no significant variant readings in comparison with As to the variant rrruro, "her fortresses", see Dan. 11:19, 38f only places in the Hebrew Bible where the plural of HUD occurs) Col. XVni, 16-18/Verse 12:
Trom Kb -ORV1 ~ai? 'Dip o'TD TITS ra rfara npocn rfjs1? TU? •p mr ni1? an ca
IQa offers the variant npODD for MT npOilDH. The form of IQa be regarded, with Kutscher (Isaiah Scroll, p. 1 39), as participle Pua MT), spelled defectively as in MT. The only difference then is article which is not found in IQa (for the vocative without the art see e.g. Isa. 1:2; 23:16 [below]; 49:13).M It is, however, also pos to read the form nplZOT as a participle Piel, in line with the ac interpretation as reflected in LXX, Targum, and Vulgate: "you are/were oppressing" (see above, section B). The words, "vir daughter Sidon", then, may have been taken as object (as in Targum, see section B), but one can also consider this phrase to vocative: 'You who were oppressing, (you) virgin, daughter Sid leaving open the question who were the victims. Col. XVni, 19f./Verse 13:
]~^7 mo' TEW rrn vf? ncn nt a™Tto sn« nn s im» rrrrn
It is interesting to see that this verse, being one of the most diff passages in Isa. 23, is attested by IQa in a wording remarkably s lar to MT. There are only some minor variants to be noted: nn ( ]n); T'^7 (MT D"S"7; in Isa. 13:21 and 34:14 IQa has the same sp ing as MT [D"^]), and rrrra mD'pn (MT vrrn lirpn). The read
68 On the interchange of the article between IQa and MT, see Kutscher, I Scroll, pp. 411f.
THE SEFTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
155
TOTO (with feminine suffix) constitutes a harmonization with rTTPBTH, but the reading mo'pn is difficult to explain (scribal error, anticipating the suffix of the next word?69 But see vs 7 for a similar
case [rr'm rrtoi]}.
Yet it is to be noticed that there is also a remarkable difference between 1 Qa and MT. In contrast with the latter, 1 Qa presents vs 13 as the beginning of a new pericope, by leaving blank the second half of the preceding line. This difference on the level of text division becomes even more interesting in comparison with LXX where, as we have seen, vs 13 is treated syntactically as the continuation of vs 12b! It is not quite clear why the text of IQa displays this division between vs 12 and vs 13, a type of marking off which is similar to the pelucha of the Masoretic tradition. It might be that it has to do, in this instance, with the Hebrew POP!, taken here as introducing a new subject ("the land of the Chaldeans"). For a similar case see col. XI, 25 (Isa. 13:17). Though the text of 1 Qa shows only minor variants in comparison with MT, this does not necessarily mean that the text of IQa was read, linguistically speaking, in the same way as MT. However, because of the fact that IQa vs 13 contains no significant variant(s) which might give a clue for the way it was understood syntactically, it is difficult to say how this verse was "read". There is nevertheless some reason to believe that the following interpretation is implied: See the land of Chaldeans. This is the people that is not (there anymore), the Assyrians. He (i.e. God) has destined it to dry places. They (i.e. the Assyrians) set up her watch-towers, they erected her fortresses, (but) he (i.e. God) put it to ruins.
The main point is the question concerning the syntactical position of "Ashur": is it to be taken as subject of the verb IT!D' (so MT), or is it to be regarded as an explicative apposition of the preceding clause? The reason why one may opt for the second view lies with the variant 1«X in IQa (MT IT'S). The reading of MT denotes the beasts of the desert (see also Isa. 13:21 and 34:14), but IQa seems to point to a different meaning here. Whereas in Isa. 13:21 and 34:14 IQa offers the same reading as in MT, this is not the case in our text. The variant of our text might be considered an orthographical variant, but 69 Kutscher points to the same suffix in mO' and in HDO within the same verse (Isaiah Scroll, p. 558).
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in the light of its occurrence in IQa col. XXVI,10(Isa. 32:2) pa D'D [MT JVC D'D ^3]) it is also possible to take the var a plural of ITS, and thus to translate it as "dry places".70 This pretation favours the idea that God is the implied subject of th mo1 (for a similar case, compare Isa. 14:23), and not the Assy Col. XVm, 20f./ Verse 14: TTE '3 crenn nv*
1 Qa has two striking variants ("Vm and "jriBD) here. Both are singular, whereas the addressee is in the plural {"ships"). One expect the plural form of the imperative (iVm) and of the (pnj)D) as is the case in MT. This is the more remarkable since parallel verse (vs 1) IQa reads, ETOTTl [TP3K 'fr'Til, as in MT. Ku states that the singular suffix is one of the inexplicable instan changes in number in IQa (Isaiah Scroll, p. 398). According Martin the singular suffix is due to "the proximity of the si noun, Tarshish".71 This indeed may be the case, for the altern to regard the suffix as a scribal error, is less probable in view second striking form in the same verse f'TT'n). The only no which both readings seem to refer in the verse, is "Tarshish". In of the unusual situation both readings are not of a purely ling nature. Maybe they are meant to draw the attention of the rea Tarshish itself, and not so much to the ships of Tarshish. The interesting thing is that vs 14 is not the only instan striking singular feminine variants within the whole of the ora Tyre (Isa. 23). As we have seen, also IQa vs 4 offers such a re (moR, perfect feminine related to a subject masculine, D'il FI.UD) wonders whether these striking readings of both verses are rela each other. We will return to this question below. Col. XVIII, 21f./Verse 15: -rub «in DTD rrm
njifn ITTBD
The fact that vs 15 is the beginning of a new passage withi oracle of Tyre is marked in 1 Qa by a blank space between th word of vs 14 and the first one of vs 15 (cf. setuma in the codices andC). 70
See also Kutscher, Isaiah Scroll, p. 278. " M. Martin, The Smbal CkaraOa afthe Dead Sea Scrolh. Vol. II (Louvain, 1 602.
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The remarkable thing about IQa vs 15 is the fact that it is very short. MT (cf. LXX, 4Qc) has a long plus between Hin (MT Kim) and -££"?, namely:
mrr ran D'jno fpn TITO ifo 'no n» D'JQB is rroön It has been suggested that this long minus in IQa is due to homoioteleuton (so Kutscher, Isaiah Scroll, p, 549) or to aberratie oculi in view of the two occurrences of the word "IS (Wildberger, p. 859). A mechanical error because of this textual datum is not convincing; in that case one would expect also the word m3DH in 1 Qa. If the long minus was caused by a mechanical error, it seems more likely that this was due to the similarity between Kin and iTiT (last word of the missing text). It is, however, also possible diat the short text of 1 Qa goes back to its Vorlage, or that the text was shortened by the scribe of 1 Qa. Be that as it may, it is important to note that the text of IQa as it stands makes sense: "On that (one would expect here Kim [with article]) day it shall be to Tyre as (in) the song of the harlot".72 Col. XVni, 22f./Verse 16: •TDTI nnso: rait TB -no -no 'np '•om IMS'? TB 'Din p
IQa = MT. Col. XVIII, 23-25X Verse 17:
ran ]'joo spa rrm r» nran ran*1? raim is rx mrr ntrmn 'AI ^a Two minor variants are attested here: j'IOB (MT O'iOtD), and the minus of "?3 before rvo'TQQ. Col. XVm, 25-27/Verse 18: ump nantti nino rrm *D prr «•fri T«' •7 'TDK'? mno mrr 72 Intcrcsdngly, Wildbergcr is of the opinion that from a literary critical point of view the minus involved should be considered a later addition. MT is to be seen as "unmöglich": "An einem Tag kann, auch wenn man "Tag" sehr grosszugig interpretiert, sich nicht wohl ereignen, was einen Zeitraum von 70 Jahren in Anspruch nimmt" (p. 880).
No particular variants to be noted.
Having discussed the text of Isa. 23 according to IQa verse by the question now to be asked is whether readings and passag IQa, particularly the significant ones, may be related to each within the oracle as a whole. Or to put it another way: Do the sp readings in the text of IQa make sense as parts of a particular u standing of the oracle as a whole? Since the number of specific ings is small, the attempt to read them this way can only be tenta The first passage that calls for attention is vs 2: Be silent you inhabitants of the isie, merchants of Sidon: your messengers have crossed the sea.
As we have argued, the second part of vs 2 is not about merch but about messengers, that is, persons who are expected to tidings. In view of the beginning of the verse, "Be silent you inh ants of the isle ...", the messengers of the isle, i.e. Tyre, have cro the sea, and the inhabitants of Tyre, "the merchants of Sidon" anxious to hear what tidings they will bring. Apparently, the text stands implies tidings about something outside Tyre. The next passage of interest is that of vs 6-7: You who pass over to Tarshish, wail! You inhabitants of the isle, Does this belong to you— the exultant one, whose origins are from time immemorial? Her feet are too weak to sojourn as a foreigner far away.
Read in conjunction with vs 2 the following interpretation seem suit the textual data very well; they who are going to pass to Tars are called to wail because Tarshish has been destroyed. This may be the contents of the tidings brought by the messengers of vs 2. text of vs 7 fits in with this idea as it is said to the inhabitants o isle fTyre), "Does this belong to you?" This remark, then, refe Tarshish as a city belonging to Tyre. This city is called "the exu one, whose origins are from time immemorial", the meaning of w is very clear to the reader of antiquity; a famous and old city like would it ever be destroyed? However, the inconceivable did hap for her feet have become too weak to sojourn as a foreigner far a Different from MT, where it is said, "her feet (i.e. of Tyre) carried to settle far away", the text of IQa does not convey the idea of g to some other place; rather, it carries the meaning that the city
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
159
volved will not be able to dwell any longer as a foreigner somewhere far away. This element refers to a situation of a city, the inhabitants of which were foreigners, that is to say, to a city as a colony. Contextually speaking, this too points to Tarshish, and not to Tyre. As a result of what did happen to Tarshish, Tyre will no longer be "the crowned (city)" (vs 8).
Another verse that calls for some attention is vs 10. As has been stated above, this verse can be translated in two ways: Till your land like the river, daughter Tarshish; there is no girdle anymore, or: Till your land like the river; the daughter Tarshish is no longer a girdle.
According to the first rendering, it is Tarshish that is called to till her land, because she has no strength anymore to do her former (trading) activities. In the second rendering, on the other hand, the clause, "Till your land like the river", is best understood as directed to Tyre. This isle, the inhabitants of which are "the merchants of Sidon" (vs 2), is called here to change to agriculture because Tarshish is no longer a place of strength. Contextually speaking, both interpretations make sense, but the second seems to be preferable because in it the fact that Tarshish is destroyed is made more explicit.
As we have seen, two verses in the text of Isa. 23 according to 1 Qa, vs 4 and vs 14, display feminine singular readings which from a linguistic point of view are strange. Vs 14 has the two (related) feminine forms in the singular, the second of which is found in the clause, "for your fortress is destroyed". "Your" (feminine singular) refers here to "Tarshish", the implication being, so it seems, that Tarshish as "fortress" (ruin) has been destroyed. The interesting thing is that the other verse, vs 4, not only shares with vs 14 the phenomenon of an unusual form (feminine verbal form with masculine noun as subject), but also the word "fortress" (ni>Q). Vs 4b reads, for the sea,1 the fortress of the sea, says [...] (DTI rwo a moR o). The combination of both elements in this verse (the feminine form and the word "fortress"), which also occur in vs 14, might be an indication that "the fortress of the sea" in vs 4 was understood as referring to Tarshish (as in vs 14). Also the rest of the verse would fit that idea; having been destroyed, Tarshish is as someone who did not bear and raise children.
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CHAPTER FIVE
Thus a close reading with due attention paid to the aspect text's coherence seems to indicate that the oracle of Tyre wa and understood in Qumran circles as follows: Tyre will no lon able to keep up her impressive position as a trading center beca the destruction of Tarshish. It has to change to agriculture period of time; see vs 15-18). Although the textual data of some significance are limi number, it is at least interesting to see that they can be rea understood as reflecting a particular interpretation of our chap Since, in my view, 1 Qa shows traces of an actualizing inte tion of prophecies, it may be that the oracle of Tyre according t was also understood from that perspective. If so, then "Tar could have been taken as a cipher for Carthage, as indeed w case in the contemporary interpretation of LXX Isa. 23, whic took the further step of substituting the name Carthage for Ta in its translation. D Concluding remarks
Our discussion about the Vorlage of LXX Isa. 23 has led to the fold conclusion that (a) the parent text, the Hebrew text unde LXX Isa. 23, is very close to MT as far as the written text (k concerned, but that (b), on the level of syntax and semantic Vorlage was "read" and interpreted very differently from MT. factors are of principal importance here: (!) MT(-irfii) of Isa. supported, to a large extent, by the texts of Isaiah found at Qu (2) LXX Isa. 23 as a translation is best understood as the resul free and creative approach to its parent text. This is not to be denied that uncertainties concerning the und ing Hebrew text of LXX Isa. 23 remain, the more so since w dealing with a free translation. However, in applying the mod Arti«-translator by analyzing the relationship between LXX an Hebrew text on clause- and sentence-level, the differences bet both can be accounted for in a reasonable way. Particularly in p where LXX Isa. 23 offers a free, paraphrastic rendering, it turn to be useful to try to reconstruct the way the Hebrew text was "r This study of chapter 23 confirms the idea, well known previous studies on LXX Isaiah, that LXX Isaiah, at least for ch 23, is characterized by free and at times paraphrastic renderings. free approach is not only aimed at producing good Koine usage more particularly at creating a new and coherent version of the cle of Tyre, serving in this way a specific, actualizing interpreta All this points to a translator who can be described as a le
THE SEFTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23 AND ITS HEBREW VORLAGE
l6l
scribe, very much comparable to the learned translator of the Targum to Isaiah, or to Jerome, the scholar responsible for the Vulgate of Isaiah. Or to put it in line with our discussion in chapter rV.C, like his colleagues in ancient Mesopotamia, our translator, a Jewish scholar, tried to interpret certain events ("signs") of his time by reading and interpreting, creatively in a way, an ancient oracle. Further, because of its interesting variant readings, special attention was given to the passage of Isa. 23 in IQa (col. XVIII, 5-27). A contextual reading of its variants, both on the clause-level and on the level of the passage as a whole, turned out to make sense. There is some reason to believe that this text, although presenting readings different from LXX, reflects an interpretation which basically is the same as the overall exegesis in LXX Isa. 23. It means that as to the reconstruction of the Hebrew text underlying LXX Isaiah IQa should be used with much caution.
CHAPTER SOC
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23: REVISION AND RECEPTION
In this chapter we no longer concentrate on the Old Greek of 23 as text (chapter III), as prophecy (chapter IV), or as trans (chapter V), but we now widen the horizon by opening up a hist perspective in terms of the revision and the reception of LXX Is The most important revisions, or recensions, of LXX Isaiah are the so-called Aaige-recension, to be equated, in the case of Isaiah, with the readings of Theodorion (Th); next the Hexa text (Hex); and thirdly, the Antiochene (or Lucianic) version ( The variant readings, in particular the significant ones, of these sions will be listed and discussed where appropriate. As for the reception of our text, we will limit ourselves t commentaries on LXX Isa. 23 which have been written, ro speaking, in the period of the revisions.2 They are: the commen by Eusebius of Caesarea, Jerome, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and Cy Alexandria.3 A point of interest is the question whether there is relationship between revision and reception: do significant readin a revision have a bearing on the exegesis of the text? Since the mentaries involved are related to a particular textform of LXX I (Eusebius and Jerome are commenting on the Hexaplaric Theodoret on the Antiochene text, whereas Cyril's comment based on the Alexandrinian text of LXX Isaiah), this question w dealt with by comparing the textual data with the interpretatio the various textforms of LXX Isa. 23. The history of exegesis of our text is, of course, interesting fo question of how LXX Isa. 23 has been read and interpreted by C tian scholars of the Early Church. The main purpose of this ch is to show how LXX Isa. 23 was interpreted by these scholars a
1 Not included are the the versions of Aquila and Symmachus (often also t as "revisions"), because they do not belong to the textual history of the Septu 2 Quotations of single verses in patristic writings (in Greek or in Latin) are le of consideration because of their fragmentary nature. 1 Because the commentary on Isaiah by Procopius of Gaza does not offe thing new (it is repeating mainly the comments given by Cyril), it does not play in this chapter.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23: REVISION AND RECEPTION
centuries see from read and with that
16
after the translation was made, and more in particular to which hermeneutical perspective the oracle of Isa. 23 wa understood in order to compare this hermeneutical stance which arose from our analysis of LXX Isa. 23 (chapter IV) A
Theodotjan
The readings ascribed to Theodotion of Isaiah (Th) do actually wit ness, albeit in a very fragmentary way, the kaige-recension of the Old Greek of Isaiah. This recension or revision of LXX Isaiah was carried out in scribal circles in Palestine around the turn of the Christian era in order to establish a Greek version of Isaiah which should be in agreement, as far as possible, with the Hebrew text of the time (protoMT, i.e. almost identical with MT) and milieu involved.4 The readings of this revision, as far as they have been transmitted to us, are the following. Verse 1
LXX TO opoH TO Wiuua Q.(o€f) 88 (8f); MT RBQ.
This rendering is also found in Th Isa. 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:13; 22:1; 30:6. It is not characteristic of Th, because this equivalent is also attested in LXX Jeremiah and LXX Twelve-Prophets.
LXX KopCTSovoc 1 Sopoetc Q. (01 y') Hi. ("omnes"); MT ZTSnn See also vss 6 and 14. LXX ÈK ffK KiTiéov ] ÈK ynç Xemeiu Eus. (01X') Tht. (eßp icm 01X' XETUM) MT DTD PRO.
The spelling yemeiu reflects Hebrew O'TD; cf. 1 Qa. This spelling in Hebrew is also found in vs 12, both MT (ketib] and IQa; see further MTJer. 2:10, and documents of Qurnran (esp. 1QM).5 For the Greek form see also LXX Ezek. 27:6 (xeTnei(i, so the majority of MSS; ed. Ziegler = Rahlfs: xettuv), and I Mace. 1:1 (EK yiîç XETTIIJI). Th Dan. 11:30 reads Kitioi.
For Theodotion/Au^gfrreccnsion of Isaiah, see Van der Kooij, Du ahm Texti, pp. 125-156. For the idea of the iag«-recension (the 4a^*-group) in general, see basically D. Barthélémy, Les devanciers d'Aqwla (Leiden, 1963). For a more recent discussion of issues concerning the faH£#-recension see PJ. Gentry, The Asterisked Materials in the Greek Job (Atlanta, 1995), pp. 389ff. 5 For IQa see Kutscher, Ismah Scroll, p. 512. The spelling used in IQpHab is
mmsiT.
Verse 2 LXX rivi önoioi YEyovaow ] Th = LXX?
According to Eusebius Aquila reads auainiaaTE, and Symma myriaaTE. Both translations attest the interpretation of Hebrew 1D derived from the root QD~I, "to be silent". Since Eusebius does mention the reading of TheodorJon it might be that Th did not re LXX here. Verse 3 LXX iiETaßoXcov ] negotiatorum Hi. (LXX et 6f); MT Tltf (inr).
Th has retained here the reading of LXX. In his commentary Jer states: "Pro Nilo, quod apud Hebraeos legimus Sior, LXX Theodotio negotiatores interpretati sunt". Verse 6 LXX Kopxiioova 1 eapoeic Q_ (01 i); MT tTBTin. Sec vs 1. Verse? LXX fin.l + cntoCo'vxn.v aunjv oi noSeç avriiç itoppo>6ev eiç napoiKiav Q.Syh (anon.); MT ITr? pHTO rrt>n m'TD'.
The Greek dotoyto as equivalent for the Hifi] of the verb "7D11 is found in LXX Ps. 59 (60}:11, and 107 (108): 11. For nctpoiicia rendering forms of the rootnu see also LXX Ps. 33 (34):5; 54 (55 118 (119):54, and 119 (120):5. Its meaning is "sojourning/stay foreign country". The Hebrew construction of a preposition with infinitive has been rendered by a preposition with a substantive. Verse 3 LXX opxovtecl + xovoav Q.Syh (uterque anon.) Hi.; MT mUD.
As to this verse Jerome remarks: "Verbum Chanaan de Theodon'o editione additum est, pro quo Aquila negotiatores transtulit". Latin rendering of LXX vs 8b as given by Jerome reads: negotiatores eius principes Chanaan, incluti terrae. It reflects the following text in Greek: oi éjiJtopoi avtfjç apxovœç xovorav, ëvSo^oi tiiç YUÇ.
which is attested by a subgroup of the Hexaplaric tradition (o//X the Hexaplaric readings, see below). It may be that this version o 8b goes back to Th, because die word xavaav added after opxoviE
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23: REVISION AND RECEPTION
16
the Old Greek (oi ëjutopoi aùrfjç ëvSoÇoi, apxovœç Tfjç ynç) would no make sense. The fact that the word order of the Hexaplaric tex agrees with that of MT favours also the idea that this text can b ascribed to Th. It is to be noticed, however, that the rendering Xavaav does not correspond precisely with the reading ITIMD of MT Verse 12 LXX euyatepa 1 pr. itap9evov Q.Syh (a'o'tf); MT FD rfTTD. LXX luov 1 moiûvoç. Q. (oi y ); MT ]TTS. Verse 13 LXX Aatf|v eiç criein ëoTtioav èîiàX^eiç avtoO èÇineipav ßapeic avrcfjç, Q (anon.) Hi.lat (as for Syh, see ed. Zieglcr); MT Q'Trt mo*
Tana urprt rrrraoiK rmc
In his commentary Jerome tells us the following: "Quodque sequitur de Theodotione edidone sub asteriscis additum est: Fundavit earn Sum, statuerunt propugnacula eius; suscitaverunt turrem cius".
The difference between this Latin text and the text quoted above concerns the first part; Jerome has "sum", but our text quoted reads etc o-n,ein.6 This reading corresponds with MT, particularly as far as the preposition is concerned (D"Sb). Like Jerome, the Hexaplaric and Antiochene MSS read oiein (without eiç). Jerome remarks that Hebrew "sum" is to be taken in the sense of "bad demons". The word occurs at two other places in the book of Isaiah (13:21, and 34:14) where it has been rendered by Jerome as "bestiae", and as "daemonia" respectively, fully in une with LXX at both places. In his comments on Isa. 13:21 he states: "sum, quod soli LXX bestias transtulerunt. Alii ipso nomine quod apud Hebraeos scriptum est, volentes genera daemonum intellegi vel phantasmata". This seems to be based on the commentary on Isaiah by Eusebius where (on Isa. 13:21) the same view is found.
6 Another difference concerns the singular "turrem" for the plural ßapeic in Greek.
.
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CHAPTER SIX
However, the reading of Th is not aieui, but eiçCTpeiji.The ing O-TIEIH is interesting, because it differs from the transcription or mm commonly found for Hebrew D^u. At the other plac Isaiah the reading
that is to say, to armies from elsewhere (like in Dan. 11:30). It m well be that the plural involved was regarded as the subject of verbal forms of the two following clauses (Ecrrncjav and e^fEipa Verse 14
LXX KapxnSovoç]9apovç Hi. (oiX [com. ad Ez. 27:12]}; MT BTÖT Seevs 1. Verse 15 LXX ßamAeioc 1 + evoc Q(oir); MT in*. Verse 17 LXX toftc pamXeieac ] + em Tiporowov tnc TO QÇ*) Syh (6f); MT nOTRl '33 'IS.
THE SEPTUAG1NT OF ISAIAH 23: REVISION AND RECEPTION
167
Verse 18 LXX
MT
etc en>(ifioXf|v HVTUMXJUVOV ËVOVTI icupiou } KCtl irepißaXeoOat eiç naXaicixnv Pr. (&), tic TO JtepißaXeoOai Tht. (a 0);
'nu naxhn.
In this case the question arises as to which reading can be ascribed to Th. A comparison with the reading of Symmachus may help us further: KOI JtepißaXeoOm eiç TO rcaXaiöxrai (Eus.). This text is very similar to the reading given by Procopius for Th ("and" + inf. + prep.). Both versions have in common here a rather free rendering of MT, and since this is typical of Symmachus, but not of Th, it stands to reason to regard the text attested by Theodoret {eiçTOjtepißaXeoOai) as the one of Th, and not also of Sym. The object of this verb probably then is: jtaXauaoiv (without eiç, cf. MT). Thus, Th may be reconstructed as follows: KOI eiç TO nepißaXeoOai jiaXaiaxnv, meaning "and for being clothed in old age".
The small bits of evidence for Th make it impossible to describe the agreements and differences between LXX and Th Isa. 23 in full, but the words, phrases and clauses that have been transmitted fit in with the idea of a revision: in a few specific cases LXX has been retained (vs 2 [beginning]?, vs 3 [TTE]), in other cases LXX has been substituted (vss 1, 6, 12, 14, 18), whereas in still other cases words, and clauses which have no equivalent in LXX have been added (see esp. vs 7, and vs 13, but see also vss 8, 12, 15, 17). In all cases Th is in agreement with MT, except one: the reading jfotvaav does not correspond precisely widi MT ( B The Hexaplaric text and its interpretation by Eusebius of Caesarea, and by Jerome Text
The Hexaplaric readings of LXX Isa. 23 which will be listed here, are the ones attested by the MSS of the main group, or part of it, of the Hexaplaric recension; for the details see Ziegler, Isaias. Furthermore, we limit ourselves to readings of a textual, and not of a purely grammatical nature (for an example of the latter category, see e.g. die reading oXoAuCa-ce for oXoXuCeie in vss 1,6,14).
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CHAPTER SIX
Vs 1: öpoualpr|ia Vs 7: fin.) + œtaÇownv annr\v 01 itoSeç aucnç noppcoBev etc jtapoiKiav Vs 8: êvSoÇot, âpxovœç ] apxovœç xavaav evooCoi Vs 1 1 : T| 8è xetp i ouôe n xeip avrTJç Ttrv iox«v ] tnv loxw crurnc, Vs 12: OuYdtepa] pr. itapoevov luov | IiSwvoc ooi àvàjiawnç ëcrcai ] avaitcnxnç écran ooi Vs 1 3: àitôTCÖVAoaupiojv ] into Aamipuov on] > eteneXuixjev axmiv ainn eornoav enaX^f is avrou Vs 15: êït) eß8oMT|Kovra ] eßSoniKovra Etti ßaoxXeeac l + evoç óvöptóiioD ] + evoç (leiâ ] + Ta Vs 1 7: Jtàomç TOÎÇ pamXeiaiç ] iraoaiç paoïXet fin.] + EJCI npocKanov Tnç ynç Vs 18: orim)ç TI ènnopia ] r\ £\ua>pia ayiov ] cryioç owoxônoETai ] + ouSe eoiateOnoETai eiç evftiiicnv eiç cmjißoXfiv ] KOI
The most significant readings, the plusses of vss 7, 8, 12, 13, 15 after ßaaiXecoc) and 17, are clearly based on the version of Th same applies to the variant reading "Sidon" instead of "Sion" 12. The reading "Carthage", on the other hand, has been retain may well be that the cases of a different word order (see vss 8, 1 15, 18) are also due to the influence of Th (as for vs 8 se discussion above [section A]). Interpretation by Eusebius of Caesarca
The commentary on the book of Isaiah by Eusebius of Caes dating to some time after 325, is the most ancient complete com tary on this biblical book that has been preserved. The comme
1 Edition: J. Ziegier (ed.), Eusdmu Werkt, Bd. K: Da Jagaharmailar (Berlin pp. 149-153. On Eusebius as interpreter of the Bible, see MJ. Hollerich, "Eu as a Polemical Interpreter of Scripture", in H.W. Attridge and G. Hâta Easebva, Ckrutiamiy, md Judaism (Leiden, 1992), pp. 585-615.
THE SEPTUAGINT OF ISAIAH 23: REVISION AND RECEPTION
log
on Isaiah written by Origen, which has been used by Eusebius to a large extent though, did not survive. The main points of the exegesis of Isa. 23 as presented by Eusebius may be summarized as follows: On vs 1 : the oracle ("word", pflna) about Tyre announces the destruction of the city by the king of the Babylonians at the time when Jerusalem and other cities of Syria-Palestine were captured and destroyed. Tyre will be laid waste for 70 years, the same number of years the destruction of Jerusalem will last. It will be a period without sea trade and commercial activities. Hence the call for complaints. - "they no longer come": i.e. those who brought merchandise from Tyre to Carthage and those who were accustomed to sail from Carthage to Tyre. - "from the land of Kittim": this refers to Cyprus (cf. the city of Kition), which was the place along which the seafaring merchants from Tyre used to sail. All this will no longer happen, since "it has been led captive", i.e. Tyre. On vs 2-3: Instead of the reading of LXX (tivi öjioioi teyóvaaiv) the translation of Aquila (<juami<jaTe), or that of Symmachus (oiyricraTe) is to be preferred, because after a time of much boasting and grandiloquence the people of Tyre, having been humiliated, are now said to be silent. In the past "the merchants of Phoenicia" were heaping up much wealth; the vast quantity of goods they were gathering is compared with "a harvest". On vs 4: But now, having been killed and deprived of their goods, "shame" will be brought not only on them, but also on the inhabitants of the neighbouring city of Sidon. Also "the sea and the strength" (T| BcAaaoa Kai r\ ioxüc) will mourn for them as someone who lost her children. On vs 5: Egypt too will be in distress, worrying about the idea that a similar fate might meet her. On vs 6-7: Those of Tyre who are still alive are called on to pass over and to take refuge in Carthage, the city where the colonists (from Tyre) live. While staying there (cf. vs 6b) they are said to bewail their own country, blaming not those on whom they relied, but blaming themselves for their arrogance and "pride" (üßpic), by which they tried to bring all peoples into their power.
On vs 8-9: The Tynans should not ascribe the things that ha to them to the necessity of fate, but they should look for an an the question, "who decided these things". The answer they w is that the disaster which befell them is the result of a just d taken by God. The decision taken by God was not only d against the pride of the Tynans, but also concerned other nations {i.e. Babylon, Moab, Damascus, and the other ones previous chapters in the book of Isaiah).
On vs 10-12a: There will be no longer any profit "from the s vs lOb), but, having been humiliated, Tyre is said to occupy with her own land by tilling the ground in order to be nouris the fruits of the land. In the glorious past she was committing v against neighbouring kings, but now she is not able to do longer, whether against others, or against Sidon (cf. 12a).
On vs 12b-13: And even when Tyre would like to go to Kition cméXOotç eiç Kitiov), the city of the Cypriotes, there will be n because one will persecute her and shut her up. But also the l Chaldeans is not a place to go for rest; its royal city, Babylon, laid waste (êptmoç Êcrrai) because of the wicked and arrogant that live in her. As to "its wall (is fallen)", this refers to the power (f| Sijvajuc r\ ßaaiXixri) of the land (and thus the passage is Babylon).
On vs 14-15a: Since there is no place for Tyre to go for refug colonists, the Carthaginians, have good reason to lament abou The things that were predicted about Tyre will be fulfilled duri period in which also the city of Jerusalem will be a ruin. Fo decided to make the period of destruction of Tyre as long lifetime of one human being (avopwnou évoç), i.e. 70 years, or a of the reign of a long-living king (ßacuXecoc évôç itoX-uetovx; àpxi
On vs 15b-16: - (vs 15b:) During that period of 70 years all people that knew so well before will sing a song ((p8r\v Kal çtaua) about her desol — (vs 16a:) Tyre itself is called on to spend the time by going a as a harlot (peußonevri), as someone "forgotten" (émXeXT|<jué God. — (vs 16b-17:) It would be better, however, if Tyre could use it cithara not as a harlot (jcopvucujc), but skilfully (èirurrnnoviKé "playing much and singing much" through votive offerings and plications to God. Then Tyre will be remembered by God. I
way God will restore her to her ancient state so that she will be a port of merchandise again.
On vs 18: The Greek text, KOI ËCTTOI f| è(uiopia aürrjc Kal ó (itaOcx; cryioc TCO KMpiqi, does not constitute an accurate rendering of the Hebrew text, because Aquila reads thus: KOI ËCTTOI è(utopiov CTÙTÎÎÇ KOI (uo6ta(ia Tiyiaojiévov va trupiox So both words, è(«tópiov and (1106(0(10, are without article in the Hebrew; LXX (T| è(uiopict icai ó (iioflóc) therefore is not correct. The text of LXX would mean that all her merchandise and all her gain will be dedicated to the Lord, whereas in line with Aquila only a part ((lépoç ti) of all this will be given to the Lord. This has been fulfilled in our days; as is the case with other peoples much of the gain of business is given to the church of God that has been established in the city of Tyre. It is given in piety, because it is not for themselves, nor to use themselves the gifts of God, but it is given to them "who dwell before the Lord", i.e. those who serve at the altar (toîç jtapéSpoiçTOÛoucnoCTrnpiou). It would be strange if this prophecy would mean that the Tyrians, once idol-worshippers and also enemies of Israel, were destined to give gifts and portions (firstoflerings) of their merchandise to the God of Israel. It therefore is better to regard this prophecy as being fulfilled in our days. The text continues as follows: itâaa r\ É(utopia aùrfjç 0<*ÏEW icai itieîv ical E(iitXT|aOrjvai eic jtXtionovfiv HVTKIÓOT>VT)V ëvavn. icupiou. However, Symmachus offers a better translation of this passage: TOÎÇ yap KatoiKoOoiv evanciov Kupiou earm r) è(Uiopia cnJTfjc <|)ayeîv eiç JiXTio(iovfiv Kai icepißaXeaOat eiç TO naXaiuXjai. The Hebrew, nor the other translators, support the idea of all her merchandise; that is to say, only a part (népoç) will be dedicated to the Lord by the faithful people of Tyre.
Some comments and observations on the exegesis of Eusebius are in order here. His interpretation of Isa. 23 is of a historical nature: the word of doom (verses 1-15) has been read as a prediction of the destruction of Tyre by the Babylonians (compare Ezek. 26, and see alsojosephus, Antiquities X, 228; Against Apian I, 156), and the word of restoration (vs 17f.) is considered to be fulfilled in the days of Eusebius himself, that is to say, since the time Tyre (and other nations as well) converted to Christianity. The same pattern of interpretation—the prophecy of doom as fulfilled in the distant past, and the perspective of salvation as come out in the days of Christianity—is found in
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Eusebius's exegesis of the oracles about Egypt, Moab, and Dam (Isa. 19; I5f; 17). As is usually the case in the early commentaries (and quite o modern ones as well), the interpretation of Isa. 23 is not detaile global and selective; not every passage is commented upon regards also the readings which are specific to the Hexaplaric would be interesting to know in which way Eusebius explain long pluses of vs 7 (ending) and of vs 13, but there is no comm be found on these passages. On the other hand, a Hexaplaric r which has a bearing on Eusebius's interpretation is the r "Sidon" in vs 12 (instead of "Sion" in the Old Greek), but for th Hexaplaric readings, which in most cases are of minor impo do not play any significant role in his interpretation. In some cases Eusebius provides an explanation which de some attention: (a) Apart from their beginning (see also below), verses 2-3 are u stood as referring to the glorious past of Tyre, whereas v taken as referring to the situation of the city when destroy vOv Se in the commentary). (b)The passage in which the merchants are compared with " vest" (vs 3 [ending]) is explained by Eusebius in a positive w is understood as denoting the great number of goods the chants were heaping up. It may well be that this exegesis is on a different syntactical reading of the text, by taking the w cntepfia (letctßoXaiv
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is called on to spend the time by going around as a harlot (peußonevn), as someone "forgotten" (aitXEX.T|a|ievn) by God. All this is to be taken ironically, because the passage that follows (vs 16b-17) is understood to say that it would be better if Tyre could use its own cithara not as a harlot (jtopvucoic), but skilfully (éiruTTT|noviKu>ç), by "playing much and singing much" through votive offerings and supplications to God. Only then Tyre will be remembered by God, and in this way God will restore her to her ancient state so that she will be again a port of merchandise. In other words, the expression of vs 16a (Xdße KiOdpav, pEjißeixrov) and that of vs 16b (icaXâi; Ki8opioov; KoXmc, cf. èjutorrinoviicûx;!) have been taken in a contrastive sense. Finally, it is to be noted that in a few cases Eusebius deals with the text of the LXX in a critical way. In his exegesis ofvs 2 (the beginning) and of vs 18 the reading of LXX is replaced and criticized respectivily in the light of the translations of Aquila and/or Symmachus which are considered to provide a faithful rendering of the Hebrew text.8 Interpretation by Jerome
The commentary on the book of Isaiah which was composed by Jerome at the beginning of the fifth century,9 has two sections on Isa. 23, one in Book V which was produced by him some ten years earlier (397), and one in Book VII. Since the latter offers an exegesis of the Greek text of this chapter10 (and of those of Isa. 13-22 as well), we will present here the main points of his interpretation of Isa. 23 as found in Book VII, limiting ourselves for the purpose of comparison to aspects of syntactical understanding, and to remarks concerning the literal meaning of the text. On vs 1: The verse refers to the situation that all trade settlements will be destroyed; the colonies of the Tynans will be taken captive. {The Latin version ofjerome is remarkable for its plural verbal forms: "[...] quia perienmt et ultra non venient". Another point of interest is the fact that the following words are taken as one clause: "De terra Citiorum ducta captiva est".) " On this aspect sec Hollcrich, "Polemical Interpreter", p. 593. 9 See J.N.D. Kelly, Jerome. His Lift, Wntatfi, and Omtraxrnu (London, 1975), p. 299: between 408 and 410 {"the most voluminous of all his commentaries"). 10 Editions: 5. ffiemnjmu Presbyteri Opera. Pars 1,2: Commentanontm m Exilant, Libri IDC (Turnholti, 1963), pp. 307-315; Commentaires de Jérôme ntr le pro/mite Isme. Livres VVm: Texte établi par R. Gryson (Freiburg, 1994), pp. 854-S69.
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On vs 2: The phrase, "Oui similes facti sunt [...]", means that else is like the people that live in that isle (Tyre).
On vs 3: "quasi messium illatarum, negodatores gentium": Th chants of the nations are compared here with crops that w suddenly, or with harvests of the river (the Nile) that have from heaven, but (water) from the earth; therefore they will with the nations.
On vs 5: Even Egypt shall be terrified, because it understan what happened to Tyre, will also happen to her. On vs 6-7: The phrase, Itc Carthaginem, ululate qui habiiatis in insula hac,
is directed to the inhabitants of Tyre; they are called upon to Carthage.
On vs 10: With the words, "Operare terram tuam", Tyre is sai the ground. This text is different from vs 6, according to wh inhabitants of the city should go to Carthage.
On vs 1 la: Et manus tua nequaquam praevalet, quae in mari provocat reges
Tyre no longer has the power to provoke kings "on sea". (No "in mari" is part of the relative clause.)
On vs 12a: The expression, "et dicent", refers to people th speak to the inhabitants of Tyre.
On vs 13: Et si ad terram Chaldaeorum, et ipsa vastata est ab Assyriis:
Also the land of the Chaldeans will be made desolate by the As (cf. the Antiochene text, see below). Fundavit cam siim:
"Siim", i.e. bad demons, have laid the foundations of the Chal Statuerunt propugnacula eius, suscitaverunt turrem eius: This refers to the building of the Chaldean city (Babylon).
On vs 14: The ships of Carthage are summoned to cry aloud because "periit fortitudo earum", i.e. Tharsis. On vs 16: After 70 years of "solitudo" the song that was a song of the harlot may change "in laudes Dei", and when Tyre will play well and sing much, "fiat eius apud Deum memoria, quae propter fornicationem oblivioni tradita erat". Then Tyre will be restored to the former situation. (Cf. Eusebius, above.) C The Antiochene text and its interpretation by Theodoret of Cyrrhus Text The readings of the Antiochene text which will be noted here are those which are characteristic of this text; for the manuscript references see Ziegler, haias. Readings which are also found in the Hexaplaric tradition will not be listed. Vs 1 : cmmXEto ] ajtoiXovto TjKTCti ai Vs 2: EV Tfj vr|(HB ] + raimi; cf. vs 6. 8icmepei ) IOXIKJEI; cf. vs 8. Vs 1 3: ana (-HÔV Aocrupicov) ] wio («ov Aoovpuov) Aoo-upiiûv ] + ouSe EKEL avcmcnxJiç E
This plus is followed then by the long plus from Th, continued by the Old Greek clause (o TOÎXOÇ aùrfji; iréimoicev), as in the Hexaplaric tradition.
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Vs 15: Tiipoç 2nd ] Tupoi; cf. MT. Vs 17: fin.] + em itpoaconov ïtaoriç TTIÇ ynç (= Hexaplaric tradition except the plus of iraoiv;) Vs 18: oya
i ] + ov&e. aitorEftTOEtai etc partly = MT QOTT tm). evovn Kupioi) 1st] > ; + emai; cf. MT, a', a'. (etc OTj(i|}oXr|v) uvriuoawov ] (eic oiiußoXiTv) uvimomivoi)
Most of the Antiochene (Lucianic) readings are of a context ture: vs 1 (the plurals), vs 2, vs 13 {< vs 12), and vs 18 (ayia). seem to have been introduced for clarification's sake, such pluses of oi and <àç in vs 2, the reading of eutoiicia (inst itapoiKia) in vs 7, and the plus of jioonc in vs 17. A special case change from cmó into limo in vs 13, implying a shift of mean three cases Ant readings are in line with MT: vs 15 (Tiipco), (oùoè OjroteOriaerai), and vs 18 (+ eotcti).11 Interpretation by Theodoret
The commentary on Isaiah by Theodoret of Cyrrhus may be some time before 449.'2 The main points of his exegesis of Isa. the following:
On vs 1 : Some copies of the text read the singular form (cn instead of the plural (awaXovto = lemma). The singular make sense with Tyre as subject; Tyre has been destroyed "b Assyrians" (i.e. the Babylonians). Inhabitants of the isles (Kittim refers to the isle of Cypru inhabitants of coastal regions (cf. Carthage that refers to the reg Africa) are called upon to cry aloud because of the disaster th Tyre, for their commercial activities were dependent on her. "They were led captive" (tfoötioav aiyjuüjaioi), i.e., the inhab of Tyre.
11 For the question of Antiochene ("Lucianic") readings going with M Ziegler, Istnas, pp. 83f. In most cases these readings go back to Th, or Aq, o and this may apply also for the cases of vs 15 and vs 18. 12 Edition: Theodoret de Gyr, Commentaire suf Isau, Tome II. Texte critiq duction et notes, par J.N. Guinot (Paris, 1982), pp. 170-183. For the dating se Ashby, Theodora ofCfrrlms as ExegcU of At Old Testament (Grahamstown, 1972)
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On vs 2-3: — TÎVI onoioi yeyovaoiv... èv Tfj vrjatp w\rtr\: Because of its position the city of Tyre resembles an isle, but in fact it is not. (This interpretation implies that tivt has been taken as "to what", and not as "to whom" [cf. Guinot].) — lieTCtßoXoi <J>oiviioiç: The merchants are called this way because they bring goods and they take other goods in exchange for them. - "the seed of retailers": their forbears did the same job. — côç a(iT|TOU... eOvaJv: The ships of the merchants which put in at the ports resemble those who at the time of the harvest bring the sheaves of grain to the threshing floors.
On vs 4: - Aioxw&nte EiScov eutev f| edXaooa: Sidon that was already for a long time subjected to Tyre, is speaking here to Tyre ("the sea" — "Tyre" because of the multitude of its inhabitants), "Be ashamed, Sidon said, you the sea". "Be ashamed", that is to say, traueren TOÛ Spoaouç, yvœSi acruTiiv. - T| ioxùç Ttiç öaXóacrtic elnev ... : Here Tyre is speaking. It confesses that it did not raise the multitude (of its inhabitants), dial resemble the waves of the sea, by its own strength.
On vs 5: The Egyptians are worried about their own fate. On vs 6: — oXoXiJ^otie oi KcrtoiKoûvreç èv tfj vrjoco lonlrri: Also the inhabitants of Carthage are called on to cry aloud.
On vs 7: This text teaches that the punishment of Tyre was justified (because of her "pride" [vßpic]). - aróCo\xnv atnfjv o\ noSeç a-ùrrjç itoppajOev etc dreoiKiav: the expression "her feet" refers to her way of life. Because of her way of life she (Tyre) was taken captive (i.e., her way of life led her to a situation of becoming a "colony" [àreoiKÎa]). On vs 8: This verse raises the question, who has decided to bring this punishment to Tyre. - ur| iï
_
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On vs 9: It is the Lord who decided "to undo all the pride glorious ones". On vs 10-11 a: Tyre is called on to till the ground instead of on sea.
On vs 1 lb-12a: Although the two cities, Tyre and Sidon, bot places of wickedness, God here accuses the one (Tyre) and i cerned about the other (Sidon, having suffered injustice).
On vs 12b-13: During the siege of the city the question was where to go. To Cyprus? There will be no rest, because one take her captive. Or to Babylon? The wicked and violent beha of her inhabitants has led to her desolation; "she was laid wa the Assyrians". - e9E(ieXioxjEv autfiv aii(i: The word "sum" has been render èÇepxoiiévoTx; by Aquila, so from the outset the city was w that she would be taken captive some time. However, "the S has translated "sum" as "demons" (Scunovia).13 This in fact right interpretation, because this one is also found at another (LXX Isa. 34:14). It is clear that this rendering was not cho our text in order that one should not think that the city of Ba had been build by demons. But it is fully clear that the prop word ascribes the construction of the evil city to demons, w explains that this city was given to destruction.
On vs 15a: "70 years, as the time of one king, as the time of a Although Tyre has sinned during many generations, the city w punished, due to the goodness of God, for the period of reign o long-living king only, or that of the lifespan of one human bein
On vs 15b-16: This passage is meant ironically, in order to teac harmful nature of the style of life as was conducted by Tyre harlot.
On vs 17: This verse makes clear that God is not only God o Jews, but also of the nations.
11 This reading corresponds with that of the Peshitta. On the relationship be readings attributed to "the Syrian" and the Peshitta see now R.B. ter Haar Ro A Synm m Greek Dress (Leuven, 1997), pp. 71-82.
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On vs 1 8: As to the words, eiç nßoM|v {last part of the verse), Symmachus and Theodotion read eic TO reepißc&eoöm, and Aquila ec&nTa. It is clear that the passage as a whole is about the new future of Tyre. This will be better than in the past, because the profit of its commercial activities will be given to them who have dedicated their life to the service of God, so that they need not to be concerned about food and clothing. And what about the fulfilment of this prophecy? Some hold that this verse came true after the return from exile when the people of Tyre offered gifts to the priests of Jerusalem. Others have said that Gog and Magog will plunder Tyre before their assault on Jerusalem; there, however, they will be slain by God, and so the treasuries of Tyre will be dedicated to God. I myself (Theodoret), however, have a different opinion on the fulfilment of the prophecy, because our eyes are witnessing the truth. In Tyre the faithful priests have used the remnants of the ancient temples for the construction of holy places (churches) for God. And still today we are witnessing the fact that all over the world gifts are brought to God, be it by people who have dedicated their life to God, be it by people after their death. These gifts enable the priests of God to nourish themselves and to clothe themselves. D The Alexandrinian text and its interpretation by Cyril of Alexandria
Unlike the former versions, the Alexandrinian text of LXX Isaiah does not constitute a revision of the Old Greek for the simple reason that this text type is almost identical with the Old Greek of Isaiah. The variant readings in Isa. 23 are very few in number indeed. One could argue that this part of chapter VI should come before the paragraphs which are dealing with some revision or recension of the Old Greek. The reason of placing this part after these paragraphs lies in the date of the commentary of Cyril of Alexandria (beginning of the fifth century). Text The main witnesses of the Alexandrinian textform are: A-O_-26-86106-710, and also the commentary by Cyril; for the details see Ziegler, Isaias. Vs 1 : &pa\ia ] KiTiécov ) Kmaicav or KTTtiauov Vs 10: EpXETat I Epxovtat
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Vs 13: OHIO 1 wto (attested only by one MS) AomipUuv ] + ov&e eicei ooi ovcmoumc ecnai; cf. vs 12. Interpretation by Cyril
Cyril of Alexandria wrote an extensive commentary on th Isaiah, dating to about 4-20.'4 The main points of his e chapter 23 are the following ones:
On vs 1 : The oracle of Tyre is about the destruction of t Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Cf. Ezek. 24:18f, For the Tyre deserves punishment, see Joel 4:4. — "they will no longer come from the land of Kittirn": Som "Kittim" refers to the Greek isles; others are of the opini refers to Cyprus because of "Kition", the name of one of The merchants, or ships of Carthage, are called on to c because Tyre has been destroyed. The people of Carthage nists from Tyre; so Tyre is their mother-city of which they w proud because of her famous and powerful position among Also Tyre itself is called on to cry aloud, because the m and ships, no longer come from the land of the Kittim, due t that she (Tyre) has been led captive.
On vs 2-3: The first part of vs 2 (TÎVI apmoi yEyóvamv...) mea of the nations have suffered a disaster like that of Tyre? — "passing over the sea in great waters": Sea trade was the cial activity of Tyre; they crossed the sea, making haste b profit and income. - "a seed of retailers": Their forbears also were merchants, profit making. - (bç ànTvtoû... : Those who live that shameful life (of profit are innumerable; they are like the great number of sh grain that are gathered at the time of the harvest.
On vs 4: Sidon was the mother-city of Tyre, and she was pro daughter. However, Tyre has been led captive, and theref sea", i.e. all isles of the sea, is saying to Sidon, "Be ashamed most beautiful subject matter of your boasting has been lost - "the power of the sea": i.e. Tyre, T| Kcmoxoovxro tóiv vfiac
14 Edition: Mignc PG 70, cols. 519-534. For the dating see A. Kerrigan Alaamdrw. Interpréta af the Old Tournait (Roma, 1952), p. 13.
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- "I travailed not" etc.: This refers to the situation that Tyre is without inhabitants. On vs 5: The report about Tyre will cause distress to Egypt, because "the Assyrian", having conquered the city of Tyre, intended to march against the land of Egypt (cf. Ezek. 29:18f). On vs 6: This verse contains a call to the inhabitants of Tyre, to go to Carthage. The imperative, "cry aloud", is meant as a mocking and scoffing remark: the Tynans should complain about themselves because of their cowardice. Under the threat of war they were thinking of taking refuge elsewhere. This lack of courage made God smile. On vs 7-8a: This passage is an argument against the Tynans (and other neighboring peoples) who maintained that the city of Jerusalem was not destroyed because of her sins, but due to the power of her enemies, thus claiming that God was weaker than the conquerors of the city. The argument runs thus: Tyre has been delivered "before her", i.e. before the fall of Jerusalem; this was done because of her pride which she exposed against God. However, God is not weak, or without power (the phrase, "Is she inferior, or has she no strength?", is read by Cyril with "He" [God] as subject); He is the one who decided to bring the disaster on Tyre. On vs 8b-9: The Lord of hosts decided to undo the pride of the merchants of Tyre who considered themselves rulers of the earth. Who else can do so except the One who is the most powerful of all? On vs 10-11 a: Tyre has to turn to agriculture, because they who gathered the vast quantity of goods will no longer come to Tyre. She will no longer be powerful "by sea", i.e. acting with power against every isle and every city on the coast of the sea. On vs lib: The Lord of Hosts commanded concerning Canaan in order to destroy its strength. "Canaan" refers to peoples who are serving idols and who do not descend from the people of Israel. When not only Tyre, but also other peoples, Moabites and Edomites, were overtaken by disaster (due to the brutal actions of the Assyrian armies), some who had understanding of the causes of the calamities will say, "No longer shall you insult and injure the daughter of Sion". This refers to those who were mocking Judah and Jerusalem at the time of their being taken captive. They (Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites) deemed Jerusalem, or Sion, unhappy, considering her as
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someone who had to suffer because the God, whom she w according to the Law, was weak.
On vs 12b-13a: When the right hand of God is waging wa can escape the calamities. There is no place of rest to be fou with the Kittim, or in the land of the Chaldeans. As to the expression "to the Kittim", it is often said that o cities of Cyprus is meant, but the Kittim themselves are fully the city of Carthage is meant. As to the land of Chaldeans, there will be no rest when sians and the Assyrians ravage this land, i.e. at the time wh makes war upon that country. "Her wall is fallen": This wall of the land of the Chaldea taken either symbolically, as the one who rules her as a literally, as the thick wall of the city of Babylon (seejer. 51: 28:58]). On vs 14: The stronghold that is destroyed is Tyre.
On vs 15: Tyre will be left, desolated, for 70 years, during period in which Jerusalem will be destroyed. For the numb years as referring to a lifetime, see Ps. 90 (91): 10.
On vs 16: Tyre, having become old (cf. "after 70 years"), the cithara and play and sing as a city which has becom forgotten harlot. In this way she can think back to her glori
On vs 17-18: Like Jerusalem, after 70 years Tyre will no l exposed to the wrath of God. As before, she shall be a por chandise for all the kingdoms of the earth. There is only on ence between the past and the new future. Since Tyre, and peoples as well, have been called "to the grace through belie 5ia niarecûç jyapiv) the profit of sea trade will be no longer f selves (as in the past), but it will be a sacred gift to the Lord, t being that they will eat and drink as a memorial before t presenting to God thank-offerings for all the good He did to E Concluding remarks
Regarding the revisions of the Old Greek of Isa. 23, the mos tant one is attested by (the readings of) Th, which in its tur tutes the source of the most significant readings of the su
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recensions, Hex and Ant (see esp. vs 7 and vs 13). It may well be that these later recensions reflect also readings of Th which are not known otherwise (see e.g. cases of a different word order in Hex). As to the question whether there is some relationship between revision and reception (interpretation), the only thing that can be said is that, as far as the Greek texts and interpretations of Isa. 23 are concerned, no specific relationship has been found; diis is partly due to the fact that not every passage of Isa. 23 is commented upon in the (four) commentaries. So, for instance, the long pluses of vs 7 and vs 13 do not play any role in the exegesis of Eusebius. To some extent, however, a few readings might have had a bearing on the interpretation, such as the reading "Sidon" instead of "Sion" in vs 12 and the preposition into instead of OHIO in vs 13. It is further to be noted, that Eusebius, and also Theodoret, discarded the reading of LXX in a few cases in preference to readings of Aquila, Symmachus, or "the Syrian" (for the last one, see Theodoret, on vs 13). It has become clear that the interpretations given by Eusebius, Jerome, Theodoret and Cyril do vary quite a lot as far as certain passages are concerned. An interesting example concerns vs 2-3. For the beginning of vs 2 (rivi öuoioi Yeyovamv ...) the following explanations can be noted: — Eusebius: instead of the reading of LXX he prefers the exegesis of "to be silent" on the basis of Aquila and Symmachus; - Jerome: its meaning is that nobody else is like the people that live in Tyre; - Theodoret: by taking tivt not as "to whom" (as Jerome does; see also Cyril), but as "to what", he views the text as about whether the city of Tyre resembles an isle; — Cyril: his idea is dial the text asks who of the nations have suffered a disaster like Tyre. For vs 3 (tàç à(iT|ToO eiwteponevou...) the picture is as follows: - Eusebius: the image of the harvest denotes the great number of goods the merchants were heaping up (in the glorious past of Tyre); - Jerome: the merchants are being compared with crops that have withered suddenly, and this means that they will perish; - Theodoret: the ships of the merchants are compared here with those who at the time of the harvest bring the sheaves of grain to the threshing floor;
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- Cyril: the merchants (who are doing the shameful work making) are said to be innumerable, because they are with the great number of sheaves of grain gathered at th the harvest
So vs 2-3 have been interpreted in different ways. In the ca Eusebius (by implication, see above) did so on the basis of a cal reading, according to which the words oiœpiia ueTaßof taken with the passage of coç àunTOÛ EioifiEponévou .... None o commentators have read the whole passage of vs 2-3 as cons question (im öpunot yeYÓvacnv ...) followed by an answer (<
On the other hand, however, it is also clear that the interp of LXX Isa. 23 by the four scholars mentioned do agree in th aspects: the first part of the oracle of Tyre (vs 1-14) has been a prediction of the fall of the city to the Babylonians, fully in Ezek. 27, whereas the prophecy of salvation, in particular v profits of the sea trade will be a sacred gift to the Lord priests), is regarded as being fulfilled since Christianity spr the ancient world, the city of Tyre included. So, although from each odier in their exegesis on details of the text, hermeneutical point of view all our commentaries have a p concept in common. Comparing the interpretation given by the Christian scho the exegesis in LXX Isa. 23 as reconstructed in chapters III concerning the meaning of words, expressions and verses, t correspondences and différences.15 Most telling, however, is ference between both interpretations as far as the herme stance is concerned. As we have seen, the patristic exegesis o is characterized by a twofold perspective: it divides the oracle into two parts by applying the first one (verses 1-14) to the tim 6th century B.C. (cf. Ezek. 27), and the second one, partic 18, to a much later period, namely their own, Christian er Isa. 23 itself, however, represents another type of interp namely an application of the oracle as a whole to the time of lator. Both have basically the same type of interpretation in c
15 On the value of patristic commentaries for Septuagint lexicograph Muraoka, "On Septuagint Lexicography and Patristics", JTTiS 35 (1984) 448.
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namely that of the fulfilment-interpretation, but the application of this principle is different.16 The idea of the Christian scholars to relate the passage of vs 1-14 to the siege of Tyre by the Babylonians, and their king Nebuchadnezzar, is explicitly based on the oracle of Tyre in Ezek. 27. As far as die exegesis in LXX Isa. 23 is concerned there are no specific interpretive links between this text and the prophecy in Ezek. 27.
16 Another difference to be noted is that in the patristic interprétation both parts of Isa. 23 are regarded as being fulfilled in the strict sense of the word, albeit in different periods of time; according to the exegesis as reflected in LXX Isa. 23, however, only the first part, vs 1-14, can be seen as fulfilled, whereas the verses 15-18 actually were taken as events that were expected to happen in the near future.
CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of our analysis of the Masoretic text of Isa. 23 in II and of the Septuagint version of the Oracle of Tyre in chap V, carried out in line with the method as presented in chapt findings and conclusions may be summarized as follows:
(a) The Masoretic text of Isa. 23, though not easy to interpret places (esp. vs 13), displays a coherence of its own. Notable features are the many instances of repetition, and more spe the making explicit of information in the second instance. (Ch
(b)The Old Greek version of Isa. 23, though differing marke MT, particularly in verses 1-14, represents, if read in its own coherent text. On the basis of a contextual approach to this text i said that significant renderings and passages are related to eac Thus, the translator was someone who aimed at producing ingful text. The main difference between MT and LXX, on of content, has to do with the presence and contextual fun "Carthage" in the Greek text. In contrast to MT which is destruction of Tyre, LXX refers to a destruction of Carthage serious consequences for Tyre. Instead of being powerful thanks to the merchants of Carthage, the only thing left for T till her land for the time being. (Chapter III)
(c) LXX Isa. 23, if read in line with the hermeneutics of th makes good sense as a "vision". This text can be characteriz translation which was made on the basis of a fulfilment-interp of the underlying oracular text in Hebrew, the result being a cation of an ancient prophecy. This type of interpretation was time the competence of scholars, "sages" (like Daniel, a Teacher of Righteousness), both within Judaism and outside Mesopotamia). In the light of data from Mesopotamia, LXX can be seen as reflecting a type of interpretation according to "signs of die time" were interpreted on the basis of ancestr phetic texts, such as the oracle of Isa. 23 (in Hebrew). The events that have been interpreted as "signs of the time" on th of Isa. 23 are the following:
CONCLUSIONS
187
- the complete destruction of Carthage by the Romans in the year 146 B.C., seen as having serious consequences to the position of Tyre, the mother-city of Carthage; - the Parthian invasion in Babylonia, presumably understood as a sign of the imminent breakdown of the Seleucid Empire; — the involvement of Tyre, in some way or another, in the Hellenization of the city and temple of Jerusalem. (Chapter IV)
(d) The Hebrew text underlying LXX Isa. 23 is very close to MT as far as the written text (ketib) is concerned. However, on the syntactical and semantical level, the Hebrew original was interpreted, at many places, in a way different from MT. Two factors are of main importance here: (1) MT(fetib) of Isa. 23 is supported, to a large extent, by texts of Isaiah found at Qumran; (2) LXX Isa. 23 as a translation is the result of a free, creative approach to its Vorlage so that a coherent, new version of the oracle of Tyre was produced which served a specific actualizing interpretation. The idea of a jcrifo-translator proved to be useful for the analysis of the differences between LXX and MT/Qumran witnesses. As to the passage of Isa. 23 in IQIsa" there is some reason to believe that this text, containing some interesting variant readings, reflects an interpretation which is basically the same as that of LXX. It means that this Qumran witness is to be used in text-critical research with much caution. (Chapter V) Finally, in chapter VI the horizon is widened by paying attention to the history of revision and of reception of LXX Isa. 23. As to the revisions (Theodotion/fo^e-recension; Hexaplaric text, and Antiochene [or Lucianic] text), the variant readings, mainly the significant ones, were listed, and discussed where appropriate. As for the reception of LXX Isa. 23, the commentaries written by Eusebius of Caesarea, Jerome, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and Cyril of Alexandria were examined. Although differing from each other in their exegesis on details of the text, from the hermeneutical point of view all these commentaries have a particular concept in common: the first part of the oracle of Tyre (verses 1-14) is taken as a prediction of the downfall of the city to the Babylonians (in line with Ezek. 27), whereas the prophecy of salvation (verses 15-18, particularly vs 18) is regarded as being fulfilled since Christianity spread over the ancient world, the city of Tyre included. Comparing the exegesis in LXX Isa. 23 on the one hand, and the interpretation given by the Christian scholars just mentioned on the other, it is clear that both are different, not only because the former one is Jewish, and the second one is Christian, but also because of a
188
CHAPTER SEVEN
difference in hermeneutics. Whereas the patristic exegesis div oracle into two parts by applying the first one (verses 1-14) to of the 6th century B.C., and the second one to a much later LXX Isa. 23 represents another type of interpretation, nam (re)application of the oracle as a whole to the time of its trans both cases the hermeneutical stance is in line with the idea different settings and periods involved; the application of a p in its entirety to events of the time of its interpreter, or trans well attested in Jewish circles (e.g. Qumran) in the Hellenist In the "historical" explanation of the patristic commenta idea to relate the passage of verses 1-14 to the siege of Tyre Babylonians (Nebuchadnezzar) is explicitly based on Ezek. 27 ever, as far as the Old Greek of Isa. 23 is concerned there specific, interpretive links between this text and the prophecy in Ezek. 27.1
If one raises the question whether LXX Isa. 23 can be see "adequate", or a "faithfiil" translation, the answer must be negative if this translation is measured with the standards of philology. However, from the point of view of the translator milieu it may well be argued that LXX Isa. 23 represents equate" version just in being an updated prophecy, or a "f rendering in so far it expresses faithfully the meaning of the u ing Hebrew text as this text was understood and interpreted translator and his milieu. It may seem strange that a translator dealt freely with a p book (Isaiah) that was regarded as an authoritative, or "canoni the loose sense of the word) writing at that time. It is to be however, that canonicity does not necessarily mean a literal tion, or as far as the original Hebrew text is concerned, a sta ized text.2 LXX Isa. 23 provides an interesting example. The responsible for our translation, presumably that of the Oniad (Onias FV and his followers) in Egypt, preferred apparendy a way to go, namely diät of a free and actualizing rendering oracle of Tyre. This was not meant, of course, to diminish the of this text, but rather to enhance the authority of the ancient prophecy.
1 The situation is different for the Targum of Isa. 23. See Van der Kooi Remarks on the Analysis of the Interpretative Character of Targum Jonatha Prophets, with particular attention to Targum Isaiah XXHI", in Dulch Stu Targum, pp. 78-88. * See Van der Kooij, "The Canonization of Ancient Books Kept in the of Jerusalem" (forthcoming).
CONCLUSIONS
189
way, the author of LXX Isaiah, a scribe-translator who also had the competence of a "sage", created his own version and vision of ch. 23, realizing thus his contribution to the "pluriformity" of biblical texts in the Hellenistic era. The same may apply to the corresponding passage in IQIsa*. A few centuries later {in the second century C.E.) again another new version of the oracle of Tyre was produced, this time in Aramaic (Targum Isaiah). It would be interesting to compare this interpretative version with that of LXX Isa. 23, but this would require, of course, a detailed analysis of Targum Isa. 23, which is another story, albeit also an exciting one.
APPENDIX TEXT CRITICAL NOTES ON MT ISAIAH 23 ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BIBIM HEBRAICA QUINTA
This Appendix is meant to provide an example of the critical apparatus as this will be part of the new edition, Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ] which is now in preparation and will be the successor to the present Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS). The work of this project is being done on the initiative of the United Bible Societies and is sponsored by one of its members, the German Bible Society. ' An editorial committee was formed in 1990.2 Since then rules were discussed and formulated for the work to be done, and editors were invited to join the project and to prepare individual books, together with the members of the Editorial Committee. In line with BHK3, BHS and also HUB, the new edition will not be a critical edition in the strict sense of the word (by offering a reconstruction of the original text), but it will be a diplomatic edition. One particular Tiberian MS, namely codex L, will be printed as a base text, including its Masora* together with a critical apparatus. It is to be noted that the new edition will contain a short introduction to each book, or group of books (e.g. Twelve Prophets) for the purpose of characterizing the various witnesses for that book. Further, the edition will be accompanied by a one-volume commentary; its purpose is, inter alia, to supply necessary information and arguments that cannot be clearly and compactly signaled in the apparatus; to give the arguments in cases where another reading is preferred; to report and engage other discussion of the case.4
1 For more information sec A. van der Kooij, "A United Bible Societies Policy For The New Edition of the Hebrew Bible", JNSL 19 (1993), pp. 1-11, and A. Schenker, "Ene Neuausgabe der Biblia Hebraica", £AH 9 (1996), pp. 58-61. See also G J. Norton, "Changing Paradigms in the Study of the History of the Biblical Text", Hmrnthaia 154 (1993), pp. 19-37. 2 The members of this committee are: Y. Goldman, A. van der Kooi], GJ. Norton, S. Pisano, A. Schenker, J. de Waard, R.D. Weis. 3 The Masora will be printed according to the MS, i.e. the Mm (Masora magna) at the top of the page, and the Mp (Masora parva) in the margin. A translation of the Mm will be given in the commentary section. 4 See Gtodttaus for Contributors. Version Effective August 14, 1994 (Distributed January, 1995). Formulated by R.D. Weis and GJ. Norton, O.P., on the basis of the decisions of the General Editorial Committee (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft), pp. 5f.
192
APPENDIX
Since the edition cannot present, in its printed version potential text critical cases, a selection has to be made by e editor.5 Cases for inclusion in the apparatus should be selecte list generated from three sources: (a) the collation widi L of the following sources: - three major Tiberian manuscripts in the case of the T two major Tiberian manuscripts in the case of the Prop Writings (among them codex A); - all available pre-Tiberian Hebrew textual witnesses; - all ancient versions that give evidence of independent knowledge of a Hebrew text. (b) the collation of major editions and translations of the Heb to identify cases given wide notice therein. (c) a review of the principal modern commentaries for a given identify textual cases given wide attention therein.6 In order to provide as much uniformity in the project as poss of inclusion (and exclusion) of cases have been established. T important ones are: - All cases stemming from consonantal variants in the witnesses, other than plene/defective, are to be includ — All cases stemming from corrections of obvious errors to be included; - All cases stemming from variants found in the witnes Qumran, Masada and Murabba'at, where the varian purely orthographic, are to be included; - All cases stemming from consonantal variants found in maritan Pentateuch, where the variant is not purely graphic, or linguistic in character, are to be included. The basic principles for inclusion are, first of all, that one variants of a case must be text-critically significant, that is, the arguably witnesses a Hebrew text that differs from the lemma ing the aspect of vocalization); secondly, a case must also b tially of significance for translation and/or interpretation, and even when these first two criteria do not indicate inclusion, to be included when it has received extensive discussion, e.g. mentaries.7
5
The edition is meant to be a aft» cntua minor. See Gtadtlaiaßr Gmtntutors, p. 17. ' See Gmdcboajar Cmtnbalars, pp. 17-20. 6
L
BIBLIOGRAPHY Aejmelaeus, A., Parataxis in the Septuagint. A Study of the Rendering of the Hebrew Coordinate Clauses in the Greek Pentateuch, AASF.DHL 31 (Helsinki, 1982) Ahlström, G.W., "The Nora Inscription and Tarshish", Maman 7 [1991), pp. 41-49 Alexander, P.S., "Notes on the 'Imago Mundi' of the Book of Jubilees", TJS 33 (1982), pp. 197-213 Aptowitzer, V., "Rabbinische Parallelen und Aufschlüsse zu LXX und Vg: I, Die Bücher Samuelis", ZAW& (1909), pp. 241-252 Ashby, G.W., Theodore! ofCyrrhus äs Exegeie of the Old Testament (Grahamstown, 1972) Barr,J., The Semantics of Biblical Language (Oxford, 1961) —, The Typology of Literalism in Ancient Biblical Translations, MSU 15 (Göttingen, 1979) —, ""Guessing" in the Septuagint", in D. Fraenkel, U. Quast und J.W. Wevers (Hrsg.), Studien für Septiiaginta—Robert Hanhart tu Ehren, MSU 20 (Gottingen, 1990), pp. 19-34 Barthélémy, D., Les devanciers d'Aquila, VT.S 10 (Leiden, 1963) Barthélémy, D., D.W. Gooding.J. Lust, E. Tov, The Story of David and Goliath. Textual and Literary Criticism, OBO 73 (Fribourg/Göttingen, 1986) Barthélémy, D., Critique textuelle de l'Ancien Testament. Tome 2. heut, Jèrémie, Lamentations, OBO 50/2 (Fribourg/Göttingen, 1986) —, Critique textuelle de l'Ancient Testament. Tome 3. Ézéchiel, Daniel et les 12 Prophètes, OBO 50/3 (Fribourg/Göttingen, 1992) Barton, J., Oracles of God (London, 1986) Berger, P.R., "Ellasar, Tarschisch und Jawan, Gn 14 und 10", WO 13 (1982), pp. 50-78 Bertram, G., "Praeparatio Evangelica in der Septuaginta", VT1 (1957), pp. 225-249 —, "Septuaginta-Frömmigkeit", KGG3, Bd. 5 (1961), col. 1707-I709 Bickermann, E., Studies in Jewish and Christian History. Vol. I, AGAJU 11,1 (Leiden, 1976) Bingen, J. (ed.), Papyrus Revenue Laws. Nouvelle édition du texte, SGUÄ Beiheft l (Göttingen, 1952) Blâzquez, J.M., Tartessosy lus origines de la colonisation fenicia en Occidente (Salamanca, 1975) Bordreuil, P., F. Israel, D. Pardee, "Deux ostraca paléo-hébreux de la collection Sh. Moussaïeff", Semitica 46 (1996), pp. 49-76 Borger, R., Die Inschriften Asarkaddons (Graz, 1956) Bousset, W., DK Religion des Judentums im Späthellenistuchen Zeitalter (Dritte, verbesserte Auflage, hrsg. von H. Gressmann, Tübingen, 1925) Briant, P., Histoire de l'empire perse de Cyrus à Alexandre (Paris, 1996) Brock, S.P., "The Phenomenon of the Septuagint", in Witness of Tradition, OTS 17 (Leiden, 1972), pp. 11-36 —, "Aspects of Translation Technique in Antiquity", GRBS2Q (1979), pp. 69-87
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(Eusebius:) Eitirbius Werke, Bd. DC: Der Jesajakommentar. Hrsg. von J. Ziegler (Berlin, 1975) Finkelstein, M.I., "Euiiopoc, NaùicXiipoç, and KoirnXoç. A Prolegomena to the Study of Athenian Trade", CP 30 (1935), pp. 320-336 Fischer, J., In welcher Schrift lag das Buch Isatas den LXX vor? Erne texthidscke Studie, BZAW 56 (Giessen, 1930) Fischer, T., und U. Rüterswörden, "Aufruf zur Volksklage in Kanaan (Jesaja 23)", WO 13 (1982), pp. 36-49 Fishbane, M., Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Oxford, 1985) —, "Use, Authority and Interpretation of Mikra at Qumran", in MJ. Mulder (ed.), Mikra. Text, Translation, Reading and Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism and Early Chmtuanty, CRI u,] (Assen/Maastricht/ Philadelphia, 1988), pp. 339-377 Flashar, M., "Exegetische Studien zum Septuagintapsalter", <S4W32 (1912), pp. 81-116, 161-189, 241-268 Flint, P.W., "The Septuagint Version of Isaiah 23:1-14 and the Massoretic Text", BIOSCS 21 (1988), pp. 35-54 Folmer, M.L., The Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Period, OLA 68 (Leiden, 1995) Frankel, Z., Historisch-kritische Studien ^u der Septuaginta, Bd. I, Erste Abteilung: Vorstudien f u der Septuaginta (Leipzig, 1841) —, Ueber den Einßuss der paJastinischen Exegese auf die alexandratische Hermeneutik (Leipzig, 1851) Fräser, P.M., Ptolemaic Alexandria. Vol. I: Text, Vol. H: Mtes (Oxford, 1972) Freyne, S., Galilee from Alexander the Great to Hadrian 323 B.C.E. to 135 C.E. (Wilmington and Notre Dame, 1980) Fürst, J., "Spuren der palastinisch-jüdischen Schriftdeutung und Sagen in der Übersetzung der LXX", in Semitic Studies m Memory of A. Kohat (Berlin, 1897), pp. 152-166 Galling, K., Studien zur Geschichte Israels an Persischen Zeitalter (Tübingen, 1964) —, "Tarsis", BRL2, pp. 332-333 Garbini, G., / Femci, storia e religione (Napoli, 1980) Garcia Martinez, F., The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated (Leiden, 1994) —, "4QMMT in a Qumran Context", in J. Kampen and MJ. Bernstein (eds.), Reading 4QMMT. New Perspectioes on Qymran Law and History, SBL.SS 2 (Atlanta, 1996), pp. 18-23 Gard, D.H., The Exegetical Method of the Greek Translator of the Book of Job, JBL.MS 8 (Philadelphia, 1952) Garstang, J., and O.R. Gurney, The Geography of the Hittite Empire (London, 1959) Gehman, H.S., "Biuncéitouai, ÈHVOTCEVIÇ, éjrUnconoç and èitinxoitri", VT 22 (1972), pp. 197-207 Gentry, P.J., The Asterisked Materials in the Greek Job, SCSt 38 (Adanta, 1995) Gerleman, G., Studies in the LXX. I: The Book of Job, LUÂ 43,2 (Lund, 1946) Gcscnuis' Hebrew Grammar as edited and enlarged by the late E. Kautzsch. Second English edition, revised in accordance with the twenty-eighth German edition (1909) by A.E. Cowley (Oxford, 1910) Gilbert, M., "Siracide", DAS Xu/71 (Paris, 1996), cols. 1389-1437 Ginsberg, H.L., "The Oldest Interpretation of the Suffering Servant", VT 3 (1953), pp. 400-404
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Mason, S., Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees. A Composition-Critical Study, StPB 39 {Leiden, 1991) Mayser, E., Grammatik der griechischen Papyri aus der Ptolemäerzeit. Bd. 11,3 (Berlin, 1926-1934) McCiystaU, A.PJ., Studies in the Old Greek Translation of Daniel (Unpubl. thesis, Oxford, 1980) Meadowcroft, T.J., Aramaic Daniel and Greek Darnel. A Literary Comparison, JSOT.S 198 (Sheffield, 1995) Meisner, N., "Aristeasbrief, JSHR^Ed. 11,1 (Gütersloh, 1973), pp. 35-87 Mendels, D., The Land of Israel as a Political Concept in Hasmonean Literature (Tübingen, 1987) Michel, D., Qohelet, EdF 258 (Darmstadt, 1988) Muraoka, T., "On Septuagint Lexicography and Patristics", JThS 35 (1984), pp. 441-448 — (ed.), Melbourne Symposium on Septuagint Lexicography, SCSt 28 (Adanta, 1990) Naveh.J., The Development of the Aramaic Script (Jerusalem, 1970) Neves, J.C.M. das, A Teologia da Traducao Grega dos Setenta ne Lioro de Isaias (Cap. 24 de Isaias) (Lisboa, 1973) Norton, GJ., "Changing Paradigms in die Study of the History of die Biblical Text", Hermathena 154 (1993), pp. 19-37 Oesch, J.M., Pelucha und Setuma. Untersuchungen zu einer überlieferten Gliederung im hebräischen Text des Alten Testaments, OBO 27 (Freiburg/Göttingen, 1979) Olmstead, A.T., History of the Persian Empire (Chicago and London, 1966) Olofsson, S., God is my Rock. A Study of Translation Technique and Theological Exegesis in the Septuagint, CB.OT 31 (Stockholm, 1990) Orlinsky, H.M., "Studies in the Septuagint of die Book of Job I", HUCA 28 (1957), pp. 53-74; "II", HUCA 29 (1958), pp. 229-271; "HI", HUCA 30 (1959), pp. 153-167; 32 (1961), pp. 239-268 Ottley, R.R., The Book of Isaiah according to the Septuagint (Codex Alexandrians). Vol. I: Introduction and Translation (Cambridge, 1904; 2nd edition, 1909); Vol. II: Tat and Notes (Cambridge, 1906) Parpola, S., Jfa>-Assjman Toponyms, AOAT 6 (Neukirchen-Vluyn, 1970) —, Letters fiom Assyrian and Babylonian Scholars, SAA 10 (Helsinki, 1993) Pelletier, A., Lettre d'Aristée à Phtiocraie, SC 89 (Paris, 1962) Perles, F., Anale/Oen fur Textkritik des Alten Testaments (Leipzig, 1922) Peursen, W.Th., "Guarded, Besieged or Devastated? Some remarks on Isaiah 1:7-8, with special reference to IQIsa-a", DS-NELL 2 (1996), pp. 101-110 Prijs, L., Jüdische Tradition in der Septuagmta (Leiden, 1948) Qimron, E., The Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls, HSM 29 (Atlanta, 1986) Rabenau, M., Studien zum Buch Tobit, BZAW 220 (Berlin, 1994) Rabin, C., "The Translation Process and the Character of the Septuagint", r«ftu6(1968), pp. 1-26 Reveil, E.J., "LXX and MT: Aspects of Relationship", in A. Pietersma and C. Cox (eds.), De Septuaginta (Mississauga, 1984), pp. 44-51 Rósel, M., Übersetzung als Vollendung der Auslegung. Studien zur Genesis-Septuaginta, BZAW 221 (Berlin/New York, 1994) Rosenmüller, E.F.C., Scholia in Vetus Testamentum. Partis tertiae Jesajae Vaticmia complectenüs Volumen secundum (Leipzig, 1818)
2O6
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Rostovzeff, M., The Social and Economic History of the Hellenistic W (Oxford, 1941) Rudolph, W., "jesaja 23,1-14", in FS F. Baumgartel &an 70 (Erlangen, 1959), pp. 166-174 Rutherford, W.G., A Chapter in the History of Annotations, b Aristopkanica, Vol. in (London, 1905) Schaper, ].,.Esc/iatology in the Greek Psalter, WUNT 2. Reihe 76 1995) Schenker, A., "Eine Neuausgabe der Biblia Hebraica", £AH 9 58-61 Schippmann, K., Grundzuge der Parthischen Geschichte (Darmstadt, 1 Schleusner, J.F., Novus Thésaurus Ptalolagico-Cnticus, sise Lexikon m L umes (Londen, 1829) Schnabel, P., Berossos (Hildesheim, 1968 [= Leipzig/Berlin, 1923 Scholz, A., Die alexandrinische Uebersetfung des Buches Jesaias (Würzb Schreiner, J., "Hermeneutische Leitlinien in der Septuaginta", in und W. Strolz (Hrsg.), Die hermeneutische Frage in der Theologie, Sc Weltgespräch 3 (Freiburg, 1968), pp. 356-394 Schwarz, E., "Einiges über Assyrien, Syrien, Koilesyrien", Ph (1931), pp. 373-399 Seeligmann, I.L., "Problemen en perspectieven in het moderne Se onderzoek", JEOL 7 (1940), pp. 359-390e = "Problems and P in Modern Septuagint Research", Textus 15 (1990), pp. 169-2 —, The Septuagint Version of Isaiah. A Discussion of Its Problems, (Leiden, 1948) —, "Voraussetzungen der Midraschexegese", in Congress Volume 1953, VT.S l (Leiden, 1953), pp. 150-181 Simons, J., "The "Table of Nations" (Gen. X): Its general stru meaning", OTS 10 (1954), pp. 155-184 Skehan, P.W., and A.A. di Leila, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, The An (New York, 1987) Smolar, L., and M. Aberbach, Studies m Targum Jonathan to the Pro York and Baltimore, 1983) Soisalon-Soininen, I., Die Inßnitwe in der Septuaginta (Helsinki, 1965 —, "Gebrauch des genetivus absolute in der Septuaginta", in World Congress of Jewish Studies, Vol. IV (Jerusalem, 1973), pp. I. Soisalon-Soininen, Studien nur Septuaginta-Syntax. Zu se Geburtstag am 4. Juni 1987 herausgegeben vom A.Aejmelae SoUamo, AASF B 237 (Helsinki, 1987), pp. 175-180 —, "Zurück zur Hebraismenfrage", in D. Fraenkel, U. Quast, J.W (eds.), Studien zur Septuaginta—Robert Hanhart zu Ehren, MSU 20 ( 1990), pp. 35-51 Sollamo, R., Renderings of Hebrew Sermprepositions in the Septuagint, A 19 (Helsinki, 1979) Stadelmann, H., Ben Sira als Schnfeelchrter (Tübingen, 1980) Stern, E., "The Persian empire and the political and social history tine in the Persian period", in W.D. Davies and L. Finkelstein Cambridge History of Judaism. Vol. I: Introduction; the Persian Per bridge, 1984), pp. 70-87
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208
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INDEXES I General Index actualization 10, 11, 17, 90, 149, 187 Africa 49, 50 Alexandrinian tcxc 162,179 Antiochene text 19, 162, 175 Babylon 62, 67, 82, 98-100, 109 Babylonia 67, 68, 85, 98-100 Bit lia Hcbnaca Quaita 19, 191 Carthage 49, 50, 57, 58, 76-87, 96-98, 187 coherence, aspect of 1, 11, 17, 75, 87, 110, 186 comparison, MT and LXX 15, 16, 48, 110 context-level 8, 111 contextual (approach) 15, 17, 76, 148, 186 dragoman, translator as 6, 8, 112, 120 exegesis in LXX, history research 2-7 types of 1, 2 fulfilment(-interpretation) 9, 10, 89, 90, 92-95, 103, 104, 109, 185, 186 genre, issue of 11, 17, 88, 106 "interpretation" 117-119 Hexaplaric text 19, 162, 167
Oniad party/Oniads 103, 107, 188 Parthians 100, 109, 187 Phoenicia 52, 53, 78, 79, 81 prediction, prophecy as 88-94, 106 "reading (aloud)" 19,112-119,123, 149 reception 19, 162 reapplication 107, 108, 186 reinterpretation 90, 91, 107 revision 19, 162 Romans, Rome 77, 97, 98, 109, 187 scholar/sage 91, 107, 108, 122, 186, 189 scribe, translator as 8, 19, 112-123, 160, 187, 189 Seleucid (rulers, etc) 99-101,187 Sion/Jerusalem 65, 85, 101-106, 187 Tarshish 20, 21, 40-47, 49, 50, 76, 158-160 Tarsus 40-47, 50 Tartessos 40-47 textual criticism 5, 6 Tyre passim Tyre and Carthage 81, 96-98, 187 Tyre and Jerusalem 102-106, 187 updated prophecy 95 vision (oracle) 1, 88, 91, 95, 96, 107, 186 Vorlagt, question of 12, 18, 19, 110, 111, 123(ff), 160, 187 word-level 8, 111
II Index of Biblical References Masoretic Text Genesis 10:2 10:2-4 Numbers 24:24 3I:25ff.
40 41
Deuteronomy 31:29 I Samuel 17
11 74,148
94
INDEXES
Isaiah 7:8 8:8 8:11-18 13:19 13:21 14:16 17:1 23: 1,2 etc.
21 26 14 26 29 27 21 20-39, 123-148, 193-
195 24:10 25:2 26:9 28:1 34:14 66:19
Jeremiah 5:15 Ezekiel 27:3
21 30 24 26 29 42 5 147
27:12 27:12-14 27:25
40 42 22, 128
Daniel 1:17 5:1 If. 7:9 9:2 11-12 11:30
91, 122 91 74 90, 91 93 77
Habakkuk 1:12
29, 30
Psalms 107:23
127, 128
Nehemiah 8:8
113, 116
149
Septuagint Numbers 24:7
118-120
Deuteronomy 3:9
52
I Samuel 17
5
Isaiah 1:7 1:22 2:16 5:13 7:8 8:8 8:11-18 8:18 9:6 9:7 10:24 11:10 13:19 14:14 14:16 14:21 14:23 15:1 16:14
67 52 49 50 124 59, 135 13 74 105 105 73 105, 106 61, 62, 82 51 64, 100 100 99, 100 68 86
23:1,2, etc. 23:2-3 23:4 23:8 23:10 23:11 23:12 23:13 23:18 24 24:10 25:1-2 25:1-5 25:12 33:18 60:5-7 60:9 66:19
48-87, 123 183, 184 97
97, 98 96 97
101, 103 98-100 104 10 49, 124 82 10, 11, 13 67, 68 115 104 49 42,49
Jeremiah 33:9 (26:9)
67
Ezeldel 16:55 27 27:12 27:25 38:13
72 184 49 49 49
Daniel 1:4 1:17 3:1 11:30
115 115 68 77
I Esdras 3:3 5:70
74 70
Qutnran IQIsa* 23: 1,2, etc.
111 123-147, 148-160
IQIsab 23:1 23:2-3 23:4
111 123 125, 127-129 131
4QIsa' 23:1 23:2-3 23:4 23:5 23:6 23:7 23:8 23:9
111 123 125, 127-129 131 131, 132 132 133 134 136
23:10 23:11 23:12
137 140, 141 142
4QIsac 23:8 23:9 23:10 23:11 23:12 23:13 23:14 23:15 23:16 23:17 23:18
111 134 136 137 140, 141 142 143 145 145 146 146 147
23:15 23:17 23:18
166 166 167
Jeremiah 5:15
147
Daniel 2:39
60
Isaiah 2:16 8:2
49 94
Theodotion Isaiah 23:1 23:2 23:3 23:6 23:7 23:8 23:12 23:13 23:14
163 164 164 164 57, 134, 164 164 165 67, 143, 165, 166 166
Targum (Onkelos) Numbers 24:24
77
Targum (Jonathan Prophets) I Kings 10:22 22:49
49 49
23:1
49
23:6
49 49 49 49 49
23:10 23:14 60:19 66:19
Jeremiah 10:9
Ezefcel 27:12 27:25 38:13
49 49 49
Jonah 1:3 4:2
49 49
49
III Other Sources Jewish sources Ben Sira Prologue 7-11 113 Prologue 10 113 36:13-20 88,89 113, 115 38:24 95 48:24-25 75 50:16 I Maccabees 1:1 5:15 6:1 8:5 15:3
77 101 62 77 72
II Maccabees 3:2 4:18-19 4:32
104 102 102
Tobit 14:3-5
89,90
Jubilees 9:3
67 n
Eupolemus
103, 106
Letter of Aristeas §32 § 121f. § 301 §305
IQpHab Col. 11:6-10 Col. VII: 1-2 Col. Vn:4-5 Col. W: 7-8
91, 92 92 92 92 92
4QJ96
89 n
4QMMT C, 20-22
94
Josephus, Antigmtus I, 122-147 46 n I, 128 77 I, 127 44 IV, 125 94 n DC, 208 44 X,228 171 Josephus, War 3, 352 4, 609-610
107 68
Josephus, Against Apwn I, 156 171 114 114 79 n 114,117
Pscudo-Eupolemus
.
Sibylline Oracles ffl, 303-313 99, 100 m, 314-318 99
84
Babylonian Talmud Meg. 3a 116 Lam. Rabbah V 18
94
213
Early Christian sources Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isaiah 162 On Isa. 23 180-182 Eusebius of Caesarea, Comm. Isaiah 162 On Isa. 23 168-173
Jerome, Comm. Isaiah
162 On Isa. 13:21 165 On Isa. 23 173-175 Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Canon. Isaiah 162 On Isa. 23 176-179
Other ancient authors and sources Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica I, 1120 79 n Berossus, Babylomafa 45 Dionysius Thrax 115
Polybius, Histories I 16,7 97 n I 73,3-4 79 ID 24,1.4 46 ID 33,9f. 46 XXXVm 7f.l9-22 97 n
xxxvra 22,1-2
97 n
Herodotus, Mutants I, 163 40 I, 178 67 n H, 14 139 H, 44 25 HI, 92 67 n, 98
Strabo, Geography XVI 1,1 67 n XVI 2,19 68 Xenophon, Anabasis I 7,15 68 H 4,12 68
IV Hebrew Words •R
ran« «13(0)
I'm
p (Hifil)
n-3(D) rrta TU
T(X •Vrn mao nra
HD30 K1»
-[»"TQ (subst.) "JR^D (verb) TW^D ~l'2VÖO vnfiïc
22, 35, 132 33 21, 124, 149, 195 31 90,91 21, 124, 195 152 134 49, 50, 125 156 26 26, 27, 197 74 22, 128 128 127-129 21, 126-129, 195, 196 126, 127, 129, 150 127, 128
rroiVTa rrroo rfPBQ
EHBO K-po
Ma
m™ nnon] -BIO 135) (+ HOT«) T3U (+ p«) 131) T3J) T3D (+ pK) •131JJ TTTDIID
moi?o nrftc r1?» nprào
127, 128 27, 28 30 116 112 48, 107, 123 95 95 113, 115 138 138 62, 137, 138,153 21, 26, 35, 195 138, 197 151 25, 196 135, 153, 196 152 25 28, 154
214 pTUJ
prui rtmoip
34, 74, 148 148 152
Dip (Hifil) D"S p,
89 29, 165 154-156
V Greek Words ABucto
65, 101 50 aixiióXüKOC ÙKODOTOV YÎyvonai 56 56 ÓKOIXTIÓV 7KUÉÛ) ovoyvuxjic 112, 114, 115, 119, 149 avdnauoic 66,85 ÔTtOVÛ) 164 57, 66, 76, 79, 80 dxépxofun 67 ÓKÓ àicoicputa, TQ 95 àpxotîov, eiç/ÉAi rô 72 62 ànftû^B 82 fkraM 17, 113, 115 Ypau^a-œûç Ypawicmicf] texvii 115 YpatinaTiKOi; 17, 115, 117, 122 53,57 ÔiaiœpCKu 114, 117 5i o o<34rK**-ç 108 \£f) oYpŒUU QTE.ÙC éptopia 52, êjiïtopiov 72, 86 ëjiïtopoç 17, 52, 60, 76, 81, 97 60-62, 75, 76, 81, ëvôo^oç 82 51 ÉVOLKCCt) 117 èMyntnc 117 È%f\yTftTfc enioKorniv xotcca 72 95 éoó|ieva, TO TÏOOCOV 59, 60 55, 64, 65, 69, 75, ioïijç 76, 82-85 59, 61, 64, 65, 75, iax«.
76, 82-8 52 70, 86 tcaTaXeiicci) KOTOIKÉCO 52, 73, 7 Aa|ißovETCii ófiw T 56, 76 Xivifia 163 neTOßoilcx; 17, 52-5 76, 81, 9 liveia yvyvojiai 71 Uvruioffuvov 74,86 vfjooç 57, 76, 7 ollCOVflEVT) 72 OflOlOÇ EÎMt 51 opapa 48, 107 48, 107 opaati; OplOV 105 ôxûpûifia 55, 69, 7 naJ.avaxn; 167 nnputSuV'iiai 58 61 •qpcftte 164 itapoïKia Tiapo^ijvoj 63, 64 113 itärpia ßißXia 167 jcepißaXXojiai KEpißoXoc 68 71 pe^ßeixd KamnXoc
(n^ißoXfi
165, 166 165, 166 74, 86
TEÎXOÇ
67,68
TOIX
58, 61, 7
OT>-.m mElMlOU|l
«to
67, 68, 7 58, 66, 7
81 07
VI Akka dian Words ^aii. ûjï^ mahar NN <&re
34 n 34 68
Tarsisi Tarzu/Tarzi
40, 43, 4 40, 44, 4