The Text of Genesis 1-11 Textual Studies and Critical Edition

by Hendel, Ronald S.

• ISBN13: 9780195119619
• ISBN10: 0195119614
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-07-02
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Ronald S. Hendel offers a careful and thorough re examination of the text of Genesis 1 11. He takes a strongly positive position on the value of the Septuagint as a reliable translation of its Hebrew parent text. This position is contrary to that taken in most existing studies of the text of Genesis, including some in standard editions and reference works. Nevertheless, Hendel shows, there is an accumulating mass of evidence indicating that his position is correct. Hendel begins with a discussion of theory and method, and points out the lessons to be learned from the new biblical manuscripts discovered at Qumran. He goes on to argue for the preparation of eclectic critical editions of books of the Hebrew Bible a task long pursued in Classical, New Testament, and Septuagint studies, but still highly controversial with respect to the Hebrew scriptures. The critical edition of Genesis 1 11 which follows is Hendel's first step toward such a comprehensive task.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations and Symbols	xi
Part I. Textual Studies	3	(106)
1. Theory, Method, Tools	3	(13)
1.1 The Necessity of Textual Criticism	3	(3)
1.2 Types of Text-Critical Decisions	6	(4)
1.3 Major and Minor Versions	10	(1)
1.4 Terms for the Prehistory of M, S, and G	11	(2)
1.5 Tools for the Textual Criticism of Genesis	13	(3)
2. M and G in Genesis 1:1-2:4	16	(24)
2.1 The Value of G in Genesis	16	(4)
2.2 Significant Textual Variants	20	(15)
2.3 Excursus: Divine Names in G	35	(5)
3. Textual Problems in M of Genesis 1-11	40	(21)
3.1 The Law of Scribes: Textual Change	40	(1)
3.2 Textual Change in M	41	(20)
4. The Chronologies of Genesis 5 and 11	61	(20)
4.1 The Problem	61	(3)
4.2 Genesis 5:3-32	64	(7)
4.3 Genesis 11:10-32	71	(7)
4.4 Recensions of Genesis	78	(3)
5. Harmonizing Tendencies in S and G	81	(12)
5.1 Harmonizing the Torah	81	(4)
5.2 Harmonizations Shared by S and G ((Not equal to) M)	85	(1)
5.3 Harmonizations Shared by S and M ((Not equal to) G)	86	(1)
5.4 Harmonizations in S Alone ((Not equal to) M G)	86	(2)
5.5 Harmonizations in G Alone ((Not equal to) M S)	88	(5)
6. Toward the Textual History of Genesis	93	(16)
6.1 Problems of Method	93	(4)
6.2 Stemmatic Relationships	97	(4)
6.3 After 70: Rabbinic-M and the Minor Versions	101	(2)
6.4 Excursus: The Vocalization of XXX	103	(6)
Part II. Critical Edition	109	(42)
7. Introduction to the Critical Edition	109	(10)
7.1 Rationale for a Critical (Eclectic) Edition	109	(3)
7.2 The Critical Text	112	(3)
7.3 Apparatus I: Significant Textual Variants	115	(1)
7.4 Apparatus II: Masoretic Variants	116	(3)
8. Critical Text and Apparatuses	119	(32)
Bibliography	151	(10)
Author Index	161	(3)
Subject Index	164	(2)
Index of Biblical Citations	166