Peshitta of the Wisdom of Solomon 9789004509146, 9004509143

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STUDIA POST -BIBLICA VOLUMEN SECUNDUM

STUDJA POST -BIBLICA ADIUVANTIBUS

J. BOWMAN . J. HOFTIJZER . T. JANSMA . H. KOSMALA K. H. RENGSTORF . J. COERT RIJLAARSDAM G. SEVENSTER . D. WINTON THOMAS G. VAJDA . G. VERMES EDIDIT

P. A. H. DE BOER VOLUMEN SECUNDUM

LEIDEN

E.

J.

BRIll

1959

THE PESHITTA OF THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON EDITED BY

J.

A. EMERTON

University Lecturer in Divinity, Cambridge

LEIDEN

E.

J.

BRILL 1959

Copyright 1959 by E. ,. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands. All rights rem·ved. No part of this book may be reprodllced or transl4lea in any form, by print, ph%print, microfilm or any other means witholll written permission ',·om the publisher.

PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

PROFESSOR G. R. DRIVER IN GRATITUDE FOR TEACHING, ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP

CONTENTS Preface . . . . . . . . Table of Abbreviations . List of Books and Articles Cited

ix xi xiii

INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • xv § 1. This Edition and its Predecessors. xv § 2. List of Authorities Cited . . . . xvii I. Editions . . . . . . . . . xvii II. Manuscripts of the whole of Wisdom. xix III. Authorities containing extracts from Wisdom xxvii § 3. List of Authorities Excluded. xxxi § 4. The Present Edition . . . . xxxiii I. The Text . . . . . . . xxxiii II. The Apparatus Criticus . xxxiii III. Variants Excluded from the Apparatus xxxiv § 5. Notes at the Beginning and End of Wisdom. xxxv § 6. The History of the Text . . . . . . . . . . xxxv I. The Ancient Mss. (aAB) . . . . . . . xxxviii II. The Eastern Authorities (EHQSTNmB) . xlv III. The Seventeenth Century Western Mss. (FGIJKLMNO) . . . . . . . Iv IV. The Other Western Mss. (CDR1) . . . lix V. The Massoretic Mss. (1-8, 13) . . . . . lxxv VI. The Other Authorities Containing Extracts from Wisdom (9-12). . . . . . . . . . . lxxxvii VII. Summary of Conclusions . . . . . . . c Additional Note: a Further Massoretic Manuscript ci

TEXT AND

ApPARATUS CRITICUS • • • • • • • . •

1

PREFACE I began work on the present edition of the Peshitta of the Wisdom of Solomon when I was elected to the Kennicott Hebrew Fellowship in the University of Oxford. Now that it is at last ready, several years later than I originally expected, it is a pleasant duty to express my thanks to those whose co-operation has made my work possible. I am grateful to the appropriate authorities in the following libraries for permitting me to have photographs of manuscripts in their possession and to use them in this edition: the Ambrosian Library, Milan, the Biblioteca Casanatense, Rome, the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, the Bodleian Library, Oxford, the British Museum, London, the University Library, Cambridge, the Universitetsbiblioteket, Lund, the John Rylands Library, Manchester, the Selly Oak Colleges Library, Birmingham, the Universitatsbibliothek (Depot der ehemaligen Preussischen Staatsbibliothek), Tiibingen, and the Vatican Library. The considerable expense of purchasing these photographs has been met by generous grants from the Hort Memorial Fund and the Durham Colleges' Research Fund. I am also indebted to the following people for their help in my search for manuscripts or in other ways: the Rev. B. ALBREKTSON, the Rt. Rev. Mgr. J. M. T. BARTON, the Rev. L. H. BROCKINGTON, the late Rev. Prof. H. DANBY, Mr. G. M. LAMSA, Dr. W. NORLIND, the Rev. Prof. C. A. SIMPSON and, through him, the Librarian of the General Theological Seminary, New York, Prof. T. W. THACKER, the Rev. Dr. W. P. M. WALTERS, Dr. P. WERNBERG-M0LLER, and Prof. Dr. H. WILDBERGER. My colleague, the Rev. A. E. GOODMAN, read through much of the typescript and suggested many improvements. I have also received much kind help from the stafts of various libraries, both those whose manuscripts I used and those who answered my enquiries, even though they had no Syriac manuscripts containing Wisdom. In particular, Mr. I. J. C. FOSTER, of the Oriental Section of the Durham University Library, gave me invaluable assistance in my search for manuscripts. lowe an especially great debt of gratitude to two scholars who have spared me much of their valuable time. Prof. D. WINTON THOMAS has allowed me to consult him on several occasions and has read the typescript. His kind but merciless judgement has saved

x

PREFACE

my work from some serious defects. The Rev. Prof. W. D. McHARDY originally suggested to me that I should undertake the preparation of this edition. All the time that I have been engaged upon it, I have been able to draw upon his advice. He has read my manuscript at various stages of its evolution, and is responsible for the introduction of a large number of improvements. My wife typed the English part of my manuscript. Her hard work and also her forbearance have considerably eased my task. Finally, I should like to express my thanks to the Publisher and to Prof. P. A. H. DE BOER for accepting this work for the series S llldia Posl-Bib/ita. Prof. DE BoER, the editor of the series, has also helped me in several other ways. Cambridge, January, 1959.

J. A. E.

TABLE OF ABBREVIA nONS (I) Pri"tea Editions p ", -

Polyglot. Mosul edition.

(II) Mss. oj the whole oj Wistlom a A B C D E

Ambrosianus B. 21. Inf. B.M.Add. 14,443 (fol. 72-98). Paris Syr. 341. U.L.C. 00. 1.1,2. Buchanan Bible. Mingana 279. Rylands Syr. 3. F - Ambrosianus A. 144. Inf. G - Bodleian Poco 391. H - Sachau 90. I - Bib. Cas. 194. J - Vat. Syr. 7. K - Paris Syr. 6. L - Paris Syr. 8. M - Vat. Syr. 461. N - Bodl. Or. 141. (Usserianus) o - Egerton 704. Q - Mingana 486. R - Mingana 63. S - B.M. Or. 4397. T - Borg. Syr. 116. TJ - Jacobite correction of T. TN - Nestorian correction of T. T*, M*, etc. - Original hand of T, M, etc. Jl, Kl, etc. - 1st correction of J, K, etc. Efam. - the family EHQS. Ifam. - the family IJLMO. -

6th century. 6th or 7th century. 7th or 8th century. 12th century. c. 1450. 15th or 16th century. 1612. 1614. 1655. early 17th century. early 17th century. first half of 17th century. 17th century. 17th century. 1627. 17th century. c. 1700. 1821. 1852. 1869.

(I I I) Authorities tontaini"g extra&ts from Wistlom 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

-

B.M. Add. 12,178. Massoretic. B.M. Add. 14,667 (fol. 1-12). Massoretic. Vat. Syr. 152. Massoretic. Barb. Or. 118. Massoretic. B.M. Add. 14,482. Massoretic. B.M. 7183 Rich. Massoretic. Paris Syr. 64. Massoretic. Borg. Syr. 117. Massoretic. c. 1868 U.L.C. Add. 2023. Bar Hebraeus. Paris Syr. 9. B.M. Add. 12,139. Lund. Massoretic.

9th or 10th century.

10th century.

980.

11 th century. 11th or 12th century. 11th or 12th century. 10th or 11th century. (copied from ms. of 1014). 13th century. 13th century. 1000. 1204/5.

xii

ABBREVIATIONS

( / V) MiscellaneollS Abbreviations This list omits most well-known abbreviations. B.M. - British Museum. col(s). - column(s). fol. - folio(s). J.A. - JOllrnal AJiatiqlle. J.B.L. - JOllrnal of Biblical Littratllre. J.T.S. - Journal of Theological StllllitJ. ms(s). - manuscript(s). Syr. - Syriac, syriaque, etc. V.L.e. - University library, Cambridge. Vat. - Vatican. Z.A.lfV. - Zeilschrift fur die alllestaRlentlkhe Wimnschajt. Latin A.Gr. - Anno Graecorum. dub. - lectio dubia. - in margine. mg. - omittit, omittunt. om. praem. - praemittit, praemittunt. prob. - probabiliter. In the apparatus criticus, "dub.", "prob.", "?" and "Iegi nequit" refer to the immediately preceding word, words, or textual authority.

LIST OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES OTED This is not a complete bibliography but a list of most works cited more than once. Some of these works are cited in the Introduction merely by a reference to the writer's name. s. E. and J. S. ASSEMANI, Bibliolhecae Apollolkae Valicflllll' Cot/kllm Scriplorll", Calaloglll, Part I, vols. I-Ill, Rome 1756, 1758, 1759. W. E. BARNES, An Apparallll Criliclls 10 Chronic/el in 1m Pelhilla Verlion, Cambridge 1897. (Cited as Chron.). W. E. BARNES, Tm Pelbilla Plaller according 10 Ihe Wesl Syrian Texl, Cambridge 1904. A. CERIANl, Le Etlizioni, i Alanolcrilli Jelle Versioni Siriache del Vecchio Teslallllnlo, Milan 1869. G. DIETTRICH, Ein ApparalRS criliclll ~lIr Pelchillo Zlim Prophelen fesllia (Beihefl ZlIr Z.A.W., VIII), Giessen 1905. R. DUVAL, Anciennes UIt;ralllres chr;lienlltl. II La lill;ralilre lJ·riatjllt, Paris 1899. J. HOLTZMANN, Die Peschilta z"m Bucbe Jer Weismil, Frciburg 1903. J. P. P. MARTIN, Inlf'fJfJllClion Ii la criliqll' dll NOllveau Teslamenl. Parlie Thioriqut, Paris 1883. (Cited as Cril.). J. P. P. MARTIN, "La Massore chez les Syriens", on pp. 245-378 off.A., sixieme serie, tome XIV (1869). (Cited as Mass.). A. l\hNGANA, Calaloglle of Ihe Mingana Colleclion of MIl., vol. I, Cambridge 1933. R. PAYNE SMITII, CalalogRS Cudiclllli MII1IRScriplorllm Bib/iol!Jtcae Bod/,iana,. ParI lexla, Codices Syriacos, Carshl/nicol, MmtiatDl Comp/KleN, Oxford 1864. N. WISEMAN, Horae Syriacae I, Rome 1828. W. WRIGIIT, Calaloglle of Syriat MIl. in Ihe Brililh MUle1l1l1 acquired lince Ihe .year 1838, Parts I-Ill, London 1870-1872. (Cited as Bril. Mill.). W. WRIGHT and S. A. COOK, CalalolJR of Ihe S)'riac Mil. Preserved in Ihe Ubrary of lhe Uni"".lily of Cambridge, Cambridge 1901. (Cited as Camb.). H. ZOTENBERG, Calalogllts Jel malllutrill syriaqllll el labiens (mantiallel) Je la Bibliolheqll' Nalionale, Paris 1874.

INTRODUCTION § 1. THIS EDITION AND ITS PREDECESSORS The first appamtus criticus to the Peshitta of the Wisdom of Solomon was published in 1657 in the sixth volume of the London Polyglot. In it, HERBERT THORNDIKE collated two seventeenth century mss. - G and N in the present edition. Just over two hundred years later, in 1861, P. A. DE LAGARDE published a critical edition in Libri V,teris T,slalll,,,ti Apo"yphi Syria", Leipzig and London. Lagarde made use of the text of the London Polyglot, together with Thorndike's list of variants, and also collated a seventh century ms. from the British Museum, A in the present edition. In 1903, JOSEPH HOL1'ZMANN's Di, P,schitta ZNfII Bt«h, der Weish,it, Freiburg, included an appamtus, in which he took over the results of his predecessors' work and supplemented them with collations of a, fII, H, and 10. Thus no appamtus hitherto published is based on more than seven mss. (assuming that p and fII each represent a single ms.) and the few readings preserved by BAR HEBRAEUS. It is in an attempt to meet the need for an edition based on a larger number of authorities that the present work is offered. An examination of catalogues soon showed that compamtively few of the Syriac mss. listed contain Wisdom. It was, therefore, thought practicable to attempt to obtain photographs of all such mss. in occidental libraries. In Ori",talia, New Series, ix (1940), pp. 271-288, J. SIMON gave a list of European libraries which he believed to contain Syriac mss. Most of the literature cited in this article was examined. Some books and articles, however, were not accessible, and lists of the contents of some libraries had never been published. Enquiries were, therefore, made of the majority of these libraries. The only exceptions were those for which no address could be found, and those which, for one reason or another, it did not seem worth while to investigate. Enquiries were also made at the British Museum, the Bodleian Library, the Cambridge University Library, and the Vatican Library about accessions since the publication of their catalogues. Thus, although it is not unlikely that some libraries and

xvi

INTRODUCTION

mss. have been overlooked, an attempt has been made to compile as complete a list as possible of relevant Syriac mss. in Europe. Syriac mss. in the U.S.A. are harder to trace. The J.B.L., XLII (1923), pp. 239-250 supplies some useful information, but it is, very likely, incomplete. Enquiries have been made at the following libraries: the Columbia University Library, Dropsie College Library, Harvard Semitic Museum, Jewish Theological Seminary of America Library, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Oriental Institute of Chicago, Princeton University Library, University of Pennsylvania Library, Yale University Library. Unfortunately, none of these has a ms. of the Peshitta of Wisdom. There are certainly a number of Syriac mss. in the Near East 1). The Library of Congress has microfilms of mss. from some of these libraries I), but none containing Wisdom. Nor has the Universite St. Joseph at Beirut anything relevant. The present edition has made no use of citations of Wisdom in the works of Syriac writers, other than BAR HEBRAEUS. According to HOLTzMANN (op. at., pp. 9 f.), the early Syrian Fathers provide little material of any value. A more promising additional source of information is offered by the Syriac lectionaries, but, unfortunately, catalogues do not always list the particular Biblical books cited in mss. of such works. In spite of the careful search which was made, not many mss. of the Peshitta of Wisdom have been found, and most of them are comparatively late in date. But it can fairly be claimed that the collection of photographs of mss. is as complete as was possible in the circumstances. It therefore seemed best to include in this edition collations of all the mss. examined, with the exception of those noted in section § 3. Some of the mss. included are probably of little direct use for the restoration of the original text, but they may, nevertheless, be of value for several reasons. Most editions of books of the Peshitta are likely to print an apparatus of readings from a selection of mss. It will, perhaps, be useful to scholars that there should be an edition of at least one book for which an attempt had been made 1) See, for example, JOSEPH A. DAGHER, Rip.rloirt tits Bibliolhiqllls tltt Proche el du Moyen-Orienl, UNESCO, Paris 1951; J. VOSTE, Calaloglll tit la Bibliolhifjlll S.Jr~haldienne tltt coulltnl dt NOire-Dame tits Stmtnrts, Rome and Paris, 1920, p. 9. I) K. W. CLARK, CheclUisl of MIS. ill SI. Calheri",'s MOIIOslery, MOIIIII Silllli. Microfilmed for Ihe Library of Congress, 1950, Washington, 1952; Checklisl of Mss. in Ihe Librari,s of Iht GreeA: and Armenian Parliarchalts ill Jenualtm. Microfilmed for the Library of Congress, 1949-50, Washington, 1953.

xvii

LIST OF AtrrHORITIES CITED

to collate every available ms. Such an edition also throws light on the history of the text and on the relationships of the mss. used. Nor is the evidence of late mss. necessarily to be regarded as useless. A late ms. may have been copied from one centuries older. This is particularly likely to be the case if the comparative paucity of mss. of Wisdom in western libraries reflects the state of affairs in the east. In the present edition the nineteenth century ms. 8 has been copied directly from a ms. which dates from the eleventh century. In several places the text of the sixth century ms. a is supported only by the nineteenth century mss. R and T 1). This may merely exemplify a chance agreement between relatively late readings and those of a much earlier date. But it is also possible that the late mss. reflect a much older tradition in these places. There are other reasons for thinking that RT preserve a text which represents a different stream of tradition from most late western mss. I). The scope of this edition is restricted to supplying the textual evidence of mss. and printed editions of the Peshitta. No attempt has been made to discuss the relation of the Peshitta to the original Greek or to any other versions 8), except where this is relevant to § 6.

§ 2. LIST OF AUTHORITIES CITED I. EDITIONS p) The PolYglot Text

The first edition of the Peshitta of Wisdom was printed on pp. 308357 of vol. VIII of LE JAY'S Paris Polyglot in 1645. The Syriac text in vol. IV of WALTON'S London Polyglot of 1657 was little more than a reprint of that of its predecessor. It has not, therefore, been considered necessary to differentiate between the two texts in the present edition. In the apparatus, printing errors are ignored, as is also the variant in iv 18. Here the London text reads ~'-'U instead of ~'-'Ua which is in the Paris text and all other authorities. HOLTZMANN (p. 7) suggests that this may represent an assimilation to the Latin or Greek text, but it is doubtful whether such an explanation should be advanced for an isolated phenomenon in this book. I) See p. xl. I) See p. bet ff. lxxxv-Ixxxvii. 3) A discussion of some of these matters is given by Studia Post-Blbllca II

HOLTZMANN. 2

xviii

INTRODUCTION

WALTON corrects two printing errors. He has r