Output details

gbbj.net

This online resource arises out of the perception that Greek Bible scholarship has been focused on the Christian reception and transmission of Greek Bible versions, to the virtual exclusion of the Jewish tradition. It is the fruit of a 3-year AHRC project (2006-2009). The originator and PI was Nicholas de Lange, assisted by Cameron Boyd-Taylor and Julia Krivoruchko. In addition to the digital corpus, described below, a volume of articles was published (Tübingen, 2009), based on papers read at colloquia and a conference.

The online corpus includes all known witnesses to Greek Bible translations used by Jews in the Middle Ages, with the exception of a substantial glossary to the Former Prophets now in the Russian National Library (discovered too late for inclusion). The corpus is searchable in various ways: by type of text (continuous translation or glosses); by book, chapter and verse; by Greek or Hebrew word; by part of speech. Text may be viewed as diplomatic edition (generally the Greek is written in Hebrew characters), as normalised text (Greek in Greek characters), or in parallel alignment with the Masoretic Hebrew text, Septuagint, and Hexaplaric variants.

The project sheds new light on a hitherto neglected aspect of Medieval Judaism, revealing the continuity of Greek Jewish culture from antiquity through the Middle Ages. It makes it possible for the first time to study the history and character of the Jewish tradition of Greek Bible translations, and to situate it within the study of Greek versions based mainly on Christian witnesses. It can also be used to explore lost or partially-preserved Hexaplaric variants. Two general features stand out: the strong influence of Aquila (although other ancient versions, including LXX, are represented), and the relative freedom of the renderings, which often present features of the spoken language (of great interest to linguists).