Unit Delimitation In Biblical Hebrew

Series: Pericope 4 - Scripture as written and read in antiquity Bible scholars and translators are often confronted with the problem of sectioning biblical texts. Until recently sentence division and paragraphing were largely left to the imagination of the individual scholar. This resulted in a wide range of different divisions of one and the same text. There is, however, a lot of long neglected evidence on how the ancient scribes themselves understood the structure of the texts they were transmitting. Research in ancient scribal traditions shows that in the entire ancient Near East scribes provided their texts with special, structuring markers. For example, rulings, lines left open, extra large capitals, different colouring at the beginning of new passages, and for the division into smaller units, strokes, dots and spaces. Actually many markers lending structure to our modern texts appear to be derived from very ancient customs. This volume contains the papers read during the Third Pericope Meeting held in connection with the SBL International Meeting at Berlin, 2002. Topics discussed are the unit delimitation in parts of Genesis, Numbers, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Psalms, and Song of Songs. Furthermore general studies on Masoretic accentuation, the importance of pausal forms for unit delimitation, description of scribal practices in the Jewish tradition, as well as unit division in Northwest Semitic texts are included. Pericope is a new successful series that aims at making available data on unit delimitation found in biblical and related manuscripts to the scholarly world and to evaluate these data for the benefit of biblical interpretation. From the Contents R. de Hoop, Genesis 49 Revisited: The Poetic Structure of Jacob's Testament and the Ancient Versions R. de Hoop, `Trichotomy' in Masoretic Accentuation in Comparison with the Delimitation of Units in the Versions: With Special Attention to the Introduction to Direct Speech M.C.A. Korpel, The Priestly Blessing Revisited (Num. 6:22-27) M.C.A. Korpel, WhoIs Who? The Structure of Canticles 8:1-7 I. Kottsieper, Zu graphischen Abschnittsmarkierungen in nordwestsemitischen Texten J.M. Oesch, Skizze einer formalen Gliederungshermeneutik der Sifre Tora J.W. Olley, Trajectories in Paragraphing of the Book of Ezekiel G.T.M. Prinsloo, Unit Delimitation in the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113{118) P. Sanders, Pausal Forms and the Delimitation of Cola in Biblical Hebrew Poetry E. Ulrich, Impressions and Intuition: Sense Divisions in Ancient Manuscripts of Isaiah

This volume contains papers dealing with the impact of unit delimitation on exegesis. Pargraph markers play an important role in literature, this is illustrated by means of the examples of Mark 12:13-27 and Romans 1:21-25. The setumah after Isaiah 8:16 is significant for understanding the making of the Hebrew Bible. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the text divisions in the Book of Daniel guide the reading of the text. The demarcation of hymns and prayers in the prophets is illustrated by the examples of Hosea 6:1-3 and Isaiah 42:10-12. Unit delimitation is taken up for the theory of an acrostichon in Nahum 1. Also discussed is the delimitation of units in Genesis, Isaiah 56:1-9, and Jeremiah and Habakkuk.

In this volume selected papers from several Pericope meetings have been combined into a thematic volume, dealing with the method of unit delimitation. A hitherto unnoticed Tibero-Palestinian manuscript from Paris is discussed, as well as the text divisions in the Leviticus and Joshua Codices from the Schoyen collection and a fifth-century lectionary. The volume closes with a proposal for a new polyglot Bible, containing data with regard to unit delimitation from our traditions, Hebrew, Greek, Syriac and Latin. The Pericope Series aims at making available data on unit delimitation found in biblical and related manuscripts to the scholarly world and provides a platform for evaluating this hitherto largely neglected evidence for the benefit of biblical interpretation.

The first volume of the new Pericope series, Delimitation Criticism contains the papers read at a workshop of the Pericope Group during the First Meeting of the European Association for Biblical Studies, held at Utrecht, The Netherlands, 6-9 August 2000. The volume highlights the importance of the long-ignored unit delimitation markers in ancient manuscripts for the interpretation of Scripture. Much of the data presented here has never been published before and opens up fresh vistas for biblical scholarship. The new series Pericope aims at providing Bible translators and exegetes with the raw data concerning unit delimitation in the ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the Peshitta and the Vulgate. It will contribute significantly to our understanding of the meaning of Scripture as it was written and understood in Antiquity. Pericope is directed by an international editorial board of distinguished specialists. The series will comprise monographs and collaborative volumes on unit delimitation in Antiquity, primarily in biblical manuscripts and lectionaries, but also in other texts relevant to biblical studies. The series will also incorporate exegetical studies which seek to demonstrate the impact of delimitation criticism on various branches of biblical scholarship. From the Contents M.C.A. Korpel - Introduction to the Series M. van Amerongen - Structuring Division Markers in Haggai R. de Hoop - Lamentations: The Qinah-Metre Questioned K.D. Jenner - The Unit Delimitation in the Syriac Text of Daniel and their Consequences for the Interpretation M.C.A. Korpel - Pericope Division in the Book of Ruth J.C. de Moor - Micah 7:1-13: The Lament of a Disillusioned Prophet J.M. Oesch - Skizze einer synchronen und diachronen Gliederungskritik im Rahmen der alttestamentlichen Textkritik J. Renkema - The Literary Structure of Obadiah P. Sanders - Ancient Colon Delimitations: 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 E. Tov - The Background of the Sense Divisions in the Biblical Texts

Series: Pericope, 3 Along with other contrbutions this volume brings together the papers read during the Second Pericope Meeting at the Rome, 2001 SBL conference. The Pericope series aims at making available the data on unit delimitation found in the ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the Peshitta and the Vulgate to Bible translators and exegetes and to evaluate these data for the benefit of biblical interpretation. It will contribute significantly to our understanding of the meaning of Scripture as it was written and understood in Antiquity. Contents M.C.A. Korpel, J.M. Oesch - Preface B. Becking - Petuhah and Setumah in Jeremiah 30-31 J. Cook - Unit Delimitation in the Book of Proverbs: In the Light of the Septuagint of Proverbs W.M. de Bruin - Interpreting Delimiters: The Complexity of Text Delimitation J.C. de Moor - The Structure of Micah 2:1-13: The Contribution of the Ancient Witnesses Th. Janz - A System of Unit Division from Byzantine Manuscripts of Ezra-Nehemiah K.D. Jenner, W.Th. van Peursen - Unit Delimitation and the Text of Ben Sira J.W. Olley - Paragraphing in the Greek Text of Ezekiel in P967: With Particular Reference to the Cologne Portion P. Sanders - The Colometric Layout of Psalms 1 to 14 in the Aleppo Codex J.C. de Moor - Workshop on Unit Delimitation: Micah 4:14-5:8

"Numerous Greek and Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Psalms combine and split several psalms in ways that are not found in a modern bible. Paul J. Sander explores the literary and theological interpretative possibilities created by these alternate delimitations of the biblical text." -- Provided by publisher

The first volume of the new Pericope series, Delimitation Criticism contains the papers read at a workshop of the Pericope Group during the First Meeting of the European Association for Biblical Studies, held at Utrecht, The Netherlands, 6-9 August 2000. The volume highlights the importance of the long-ignored unit delimitation markers in ancient manuscripts for the interpretation of Scripture. Much of the data presented here has never been published before and opens up fresh vistas for biblical scholarship. The new series Pericope aims at providing Bible translators and exegetes with the raw data concerning unit delimitation in the ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the Peshitta and the Vulgate. It will contribute significantly to our understanding of the meaning of Scripture as it was written and understood in Antiquity. Pericope is directed by an international editorial board of distinguished specialists. The series will comprise monographs and collaborative volumes on unit delimitation in Antiquity, primarily in biblical manuscripts and lectionaries, but also in other texts relevant to biblical studies. The series will also incorporate exegetical studies which seek to demonstrate the impact of delimitation criticism on various branches of biblical scholarship. From the Contents M.C.A. Korpel - Introduction to the Series M. van Amerongen - Structuring Division Markers in Haggai R. de Hoop - Lamentations: The Qinah-Metre Questioned K.D. Jenner - The Unit Delimitation in the Syriac Text of Daniel and their Consequences for the Interpretation M.C.A. Korpel - Pericope Division in the Book of Ruth J.C. de Moor - Micah 7:1-13: The Lament of a Disillusioned Prophet J.M. Oesch - Skizze einer synchronen und diachronen Gliederungskritik im Rahmen der alttestamentlichen Textkritik J. Renkema - The Literary Structure of Obadiah P. Sanders - Ancient Colon Delimitations: 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 E. Tov - The Background of the Sense Divisions in the Biblical Texts

Series: Pericope 5 - Scripture as written and read in antiquity A lucid delimitation of textual units appears to have been a serious concern of ancient scribes. In this fifth volume of the Pericope series this is demonstrated in the papers read at the Fourth Pericope Meeting held in connection with the SBL International Meeting at Cambridge, 2003. For the first time articles on text division in New Testament manuscripts are included: one on the pericope markers in some relatively early manuscripts, especially papyri, as well as in the four major codices, and another article on Codex Boernerianus and papyrus 46 of the letters of Paul. Other topics discussed are the setumot and petuchot in Numbers and Amos, and the special phrases preceding or following them. Is it possible to get more insight in the way the ancient scribes put in the spaces and blank lines in their manuscripts? Furthermore, the divisions made by Jerome in his commentary on the Book of Isaiah are investigated, and the question about the frame story of the Book of Job - is it prose or poetry? The structural unity of Micah 6 is discussed, resulting in some challenging proposals to resolve old exegetical problems. The structure of Zechariah 4 is illuminated by data from ancient manuscripts and compared to modern divisions of the chapter. Finally a study on physical division markers in ritual texts from Ugarit, Babylonia and Israel reveals a long-standing tradition of fixed liturgical sequences in the cult. The Pericope series aims at making available data on unit delimitation found in biblical and related manuscripts to the scholarly world and provides a platform for evaluating this hitherto largely neglected evidence for the benefit of biblical interpretation. Layout Markers in Biblical Manuscripts and Ugaritic Tablets M.C.A. Korpel & J.M. Oesch, Preface D.J. Clark, Delimitation Markers in the Book of Numbers W.M. de Bruin, Traces of a Hebrew Text Division in the Bible Commentaries of Jerome R. de Hoop, The Frame Story of the Book of Job: Prose or Verse? Job 1:1-5 as a Test Case J.C. de Moor, The Structure of Micah 6 in the Light of Ancient Delimitations M. Dijkstra, Unit Delimitation and Interpretation in the Book of Amos M.C.A. Korpel, Unit Delimitation in Ugaritic Cultic Texts and Some Babylonian and Hebrew Parallels S.E. Porter, Pericope Markers in Some Early Greek New Testament Manuscripts D. Trobisch, Structural Markers in New Testament Manuscripts with Special Attention to Observations in Codex Boernerianus (G 012) and Papyrus 46 of the Letters of Paul M. van Amerongen, The Structure of Zechariah 4: A Comparison Between the Divisions in the Masoretic Text, Ancient Translations, and Modern Commentaries Abbreviations Index of Authors Index of Texts

The Dead Sea Scrolls, which have long captured the public imagination, are now all available in principal editions and accessible translations. This book addresses the next stage in their analysis by raising questions about how they should be read and studied. The essays collected here illustrate two approaches. First, some essays argue that traditional methods of studying ancient texts need to be refined and broadened in the light of the Scrolls. The volume thus contains studies on text criticism, literary traditions, lexicography, historiography, and theology. Second, the book also argues that innovative methods of study, applied fruitfully in other areas, now also need to be applied to the Scrolls, such as studies that consider the relevance for the Scrolls of deviance theory, cultural memory, hypertextuality, intertextuality, genre theory, spatial analysis, and psychology. Many of the examples in these studies relate to how authoritative scripture was handled and appropriated by the groups that gathered the Scrolls together in the caves at and near Qumran, so some of the same texts are analyzed from several different perspectives.

Die Reihe Manuscripta Biblica befasst sich mit Handschriften der jüdischen oder christlichen Bibel. Sie ist offen für alle Fächer und Methoden, die das historische Objekt in seiner Vielfalt in den Blick nehmen: Text und Paratext, die Art der Präsentation und Organisation des "heiligen Textes" sowie die Struktur des Artefakts, seine künstlerische Ausgestaltung, Produktion, Verbreitung, Benutzung und Rezeption.