Radical Jewish Study of the Masoretic Text during the Enlightenment Period: Joshua Heschel Schorr, Abraham Krochmal, and Elimelech Bezredḳi

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-78
Author(s):  
Eran Viezel
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Jewish Study ◽  
Masoretic Text ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Radical Approach

During the Enlightenment period, Jewish scholars began addressing the issue of textual criticism. Few of these took a radical approach to this question, the most prominent being Joshua Heschel Schorr, Abraham Krochmal, and Elimelech Bezredḳi, whose writings are replete with thousands of textual emendations. This article seeks to examine this fascinating but neglected chapter in the history of the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. It discusses the work of these three scholars, analysing their outlook, principles, and methodology and adducing cultural, intellectual, and personality factors as contributing to their special status as a group within a broader phenomenon.

Textual History of the Minor Prophets

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-55
Author(s):  
W. Edward Glenny
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
The Other ◽  
Medieval Period ◽  
Textual Tradition ◽  
Masoretic Text ◽  
Textual History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Translation ◽  
Minor Prophets

This essay discusses the textual history of the Minor Prophets in the Hebrew manuscripts and the Versions, excluding Qumran. The most important textual tradition for the Minor Prophets is the Hebrew Masoretic Text tradition from the medieval period (MT), which continues the earlier proto-masoretic textual tradition that is represented in the Qumran scrolls and is the basis of the translations of the Targums and Peshitta. The Septuagint (LXX) is the most important ancient Version of the Hebrew Bible, because it was the first complete translation and because its Hebrew source differed considerably from the other textual witnesses. Other important Versions of the Hebrew Bible are the Targums, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Latin Vulgate.

The Hebrew Vorlage of Targum Chronicles

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-65
Author(s):  
Leeor Gottlieb
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
Source Text ◽  
Masoretic Text ◽  
Medieval Hebrew

Careful study of the Aramaic text of Targum Chronicles reveals several apparent differences between the Hebrew source text upon which the targumist relied and the Masoretic text of Chronicles. This article is an attempt to identify and document these differences, resulting in four categories: differences in consonantal orthography, differences in vocalization, differences in syntactic division and the degree of conformity with Ketib/Qere. Suspected deviations of TgChron from MT were compared to other textual witnesses (primarily the Septuagint, the Peshitta and medieval Hebrew manuscripts), thus providing a broader context for textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.

The History of Catholic Exegesis, 1600–1800

2014 ◽  
pp. 74-88
Author(s):  
Marius Reiser
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Biblical Hermeneutics ◽  
Sharp Distinction ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of

Modern critical exegesis began with Erasmus of Rotterdam. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it was predominantly Jesuits who emphasized a literal exegesis. The most prominent commentators included Benito Perera (Pererius) (1535–1610) on Genesis, Juan Maldonado (1533–83) on the four Gospels, and Luis de Alcázar (1554–1613) on Revelation. The founder of biblical hermeneutics and the discipline of exegetical introduction, Richard Simon (1638–1712), drew a sharp distinction between textual criticism and theology. The scandal surrounding exegete Johann L. Isenbiehls demonstrated how hard it was to maintain such a separation. During the eighteenth century, Dom Augustin Calmet (1672–1757) was undoubtedly the most distinguished Catholic exegete, although despite his erudition, he falls short of Simon’s achievements. The Catholic hierarchy was very cautious and anxious about exegetes who worked with the philosophical premises of the Enlightenment, and often persecuted even orthodox exegetes or impeded their work.

The History of the Biblical Text in the Light of Discoveries in the Judean Desert

1964 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Moore Cross
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Critical Tradition ◽  
Critical Theories ◽  
History Of ◽  
To Come ◽  
Old Greek

The publication in January, 1953, of fragments of an unknown recension of the Greek Bible gave the first unambiguous warnings of a revolution to come in the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. Earlier the publication of the great Isaiah scroll of Qumrân, Cave I (IQ Isaa), and later of the second fragmentary roll of Isaiah (IQ Isab), created noise and excitement, but none of the major text-critical schools was forced to shift significant ground. Champions of the Hebraica veritas who had increasingly dominated the field, especially in Europe, noted the close affinities of the scrolls with the traditional text. The failure of IQ Isa to produce a significant number of superior readings despite its antiquity embarrassed lingering survivors of the great critical tradition of the nineteenth century, and delighted biblical exegetes and historians who wished to ply their trade without entering the miasmal precincts of text-critical labors. Despite some attention paid to its occasional affinities with the Old Greek, most scholars, whether prompted by traditionalist prejudgment or sheer inertia, were pleased to label the text vulgar or even sectarian, avoiding thereby a serious reexamination of their text-critical theories.

Qumrān and Qur'ān

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-129
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Crowther
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Dead Sea Scrolls ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Original Form ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Critical Model ◽  
The One

Until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the dominant paradigm of the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible was the quest for the original form of each of its books—the source texts (Urtext) from which all subsequent editions were copied. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a number of scholars have proposed significant revisions to this paradigm. These proposals are presented by means of an analogy with David Living-stone's expeditions to find the source of the River Nile, and then evaluated by means of a comparison of the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible with the history of the text of the Qur'ān. According to Ibn Abī Dāwūd (d.928), the widespread oral memorization and recitation of the Qur'ān in the first Muslim generation led to the emergence of a multiplicity of textual and oral versions of its ‘original’ suwar. This, in turn, led to a series of (ultimately successful) attempts to standardize the text of the Qur'ān through the repression of all readings that differed from the one ‘official’ text. Applying a ‘Livingstonian’ text-critical model to the Qur'ān suggests that ongoing research into the earliest forms of the Qur'ān could be revolutionized if it sought to recover the early plurality that was consequent from its popularity. Applying an Ibn Abī Dāwūd text-critical model to ongoing research into the Talmudic and Masoretic periods of the Hebrew Bible suggests that it could be revolutionized if it sought to recover the history of the standardization of the variant texts. Under these paradigms, the purpose of textual criticism must be transformed from the pursuit of an imagined ideal text to become an enquiry into the nature of the texts that have been declared canonical.

Textual Criticism of the Prophetic Corpus

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eberhard Bons
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Masoretic Text ◽  
Specific Category ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Minor Prophets

This chapter provides an introduction to the essential issues, questions, and methods of textual criticism of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Minor Prophets). Particular focus is put on their major textual witnesses, i.e. the Masoretic Text (MT), the Septuagint as the oldest pre-Christian translation of the biblical text (LXX), the Qumran fragments of the prophetic corpus, and the Vulgate. The chapter confines itself to present basic text-critical issues of each of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor prophets. Attention is paid to new methods and procedures using a number of selected examples, each of which illustrates a specific category of problems.

Conclusion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Randall
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Early Modern ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
James Madison ◽  
Modern Conception ◽  
Political World ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Constitutional Thought

The changed conception of conversation that emerged by c.1700 was about to expand its scope enormously – to the broad culture of Enlightenment Europe, to the fine arts, to philosophy and into the broad political world, both via the conception of public opinion and via the constitutional thought of James Madison (1751–1836). In the Enlightenment, the early modern conception of conversation would expand into a whole wing of Enlightenment thought. The intellectual history of the heirs of Cicero and Petrarch would become the practice of millions and the constitutional architecture of a great republic....

A Note on the Publication History of John Polidori's The Vampyre

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-343
Author(s):  
Fabio Camilletti
Keyword(s):  
Textual Criticism ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Publication History ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Opening Up

It is generally assumed that The Vampyre was published against John Polidori's will. This article brings evidence to support that he played, in fact, an active role in the publication of his tale, perhaps as a response to Frankenstein. In particular, by making use of the tools of textual criticism, it demonstrates how the ‘Extract of a Letter from Geneva’ accompanying The Vampyre in The New Monthly Magazine and in volume editions could not be written without having access to Polidori's Diary. Furthermore, it hypothesizes that the composition of The Vampyre, traditionally located in Geneva in the course of summer 1816, can be postdated to 1818, opening up new possibilities for reading the tale in the context of the relationship between Polidori, Byron, and the Shelleys.

Vyshnivetsky Castle Library of Prince Mychailo Servaty Vyshnivetsky – Historical Book Heritage and Object of Bibliological and Historical Reconstruction

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 166-182
Author(s):  
Iryna Tsiborovska-Rymarovych
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Cultural Significance ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Cultural Images ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Printed Books ◽  
History Of ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Definition Of

The article has as its object the elucidation of the history of the Vyshnivetsky Castle Library, definition of the content of its fund, its historical and cultural significance, correlation of the founder of the Library Mychailo Servaty Vyshnivetsky with the Book.The Vyshnivetsky Castle Library was formed in the Ukrainian historical region of Volyn’, in the Vyshnivets town – “family nest” of the old Ukrainian noble family of the Vyshnivetskies under the “Korybut” coat of arm. The founder of the Library was Prince Mychailo Servaty Vyshnivetsky (1680–1744) – Grand Hetman and Grand Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilno Voievoda. He was a politician, an erudite and great bibliophile. In the 30th–40th of the 18th century the main Prince’s residence Vyshnivets became an important centre of magnate’s culture in Rich Pospolyta. M. S. Vyshnivetsky’s contemporaries from the noble class and clergy knew quite well about his library and really appreciated it. According to historical documents 5 periods are defined in the Library’s history. In the historical sources the first place is occupied by old-printed books of Library collection and 7 Library manuscript catalogues dating from 1745 up to the 1835 which give information about quantity and topical structures of Library collection.The Library is a historical and cultural symbol of the Enlightenment epoch. The Enlightenment and those particular concepts and cultural images pertaining to that epoch had their effect on the formation of Library’s fund. Its main features are as follow: comprehensive nature of the stock, predominance of French eighteenth century editions, presence of academic books and editions on orientalistics as well as works of the ideologues of the Enlightenment and new kinds of literature, which generated as a result of this movement – encyclopaedias, encyclopaedian dictionaries, almanacs, etc. Besides the universal nature of its stock books on history, social and political thought, fiction were dominating.The reconstruction of the history of Vyshnivetsky’s Library, the historical analysis of the provenances in its editions give us better understanding of the personality of its owners and in some cases their philanthropic activities, and a better ability to identify the role of this Library in the culture life of society in a certain epoch.

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