Tobit: The Book of Tobit in Codex Sinaiticus (Septuagint Commentary)

260 Pages·2008·2.83 MB·English

by  Robert J. Littman

Tobit
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Septuagint Commentary Series
Editors
Stanley E. Porter
Richard S. Hess
John Jarick
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Tobit
The Book of Tobit in Codex Sinaiticus
By
Robert J. Littman
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2008
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit. Greek. Codex Sinaiticus. 2008.
 Tobit : the Book of Tobit in Codex Sinaiticus / by Robert J. Littman.
  p. cm. — (Septuagint commentary series)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978-90-04-17107-7 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit—
Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit—Greek—Versions—
Codex Sinaiticus. 3. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit—Greek—Versions—Codex
Vaticanus. I. Littman, Robert J., 1943– II. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit. English.
Codex Sinaiticus. 2008. III. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit. Greek. Codex Vaticanus.
2008. IV. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit. English. Codex Vaticanus. 2008. V. Title.
VI. Series.
 BS1724.G8L58 2008
 229’.22077—dc22
2008033149
ISSN 1572–3755
ISBN 978 90 04 17107 7
Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints BRILL, Hotei Publishing,
IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP.
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PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
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CONTENTS
Preface  ...................................................................................................... vii
Abbreviations  .......................................................................................... ix
List of Major Manuscripts  ...................................................................... xv
Map  ............................................................................................................ xvii
Introduction  ............................................................................................. xix
The Book of Tobit in Codex Sinaiticus
Text and Translation  ....................................................................... 1
Commentary  .................................................................................... 43
The Book of Tobit in Codex Vaticanus
Text and Translation  ....................................................................... 161
Illustration: A Fish from the Tigris River  .......................................... 193
Bibliography  ........................................................................................ 195
General Index  ....................................................................................... 205
Index of Biblical References  .................................................................. 207
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PREFACE
When asked by the general editor, Dr. Stanley Porter, to write this pres-
ent work and to choose a single manuscript tradition, I immediately opt-
ed for the Codex Sinaiticus, a manuscript of profound importance to the
tradition of the Greek Bible. My study of the Codex Sinaiticus for this vol-
ume led to my involvement in a digitization project of the entire manu-
script with the British Library, the University of Leipzig, St. Catherine’s
Monastery and the National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg. Because of
the great differences of the long and short versions of the book of Tobit, I
have decided not only to include the Greek text of Codex Sinaiticus (long
version), but also to include the text of Codex Vaticanus (short version)
and a translation of it.
In the preparation of this volume I am particularly grateful for those
who aided me with access to manuscripts, advice and financial support. I
want to thank particularly Dr. Scot McKendrick, Head of Western Manu-
scripts at the British Library, who gave me access to the manuscript of
the Codex Sinaiticus in the British Library and shared his expertise on the
manuscript with me. My thanks to Dr. Luciano Bossina, of the Akademie
der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen Septuaginta-Unternehmen who on his
own volition prepared for me a transcription of MS 319, based on pho-
tographs. My thanks also to Father Justin Sinaites, Librarian of St. Cath-
erine’s Monastery for his encouragement and advice, and my particular
thanks, in addition, to the monks of the Monastery who over the last 1500
years have preserved our biblical heritage.
Various colleagues have read and have given me valuable comments
on the manuscript, including Professors Saundra Schwartz, Kathryn
Hoffmann, and Andrew Crislip. I benefited greatly from perceptive dis-
cussions and advice from Dr. Naomi Jacobs of Durham University, and
from Dr. Diana Lipton of Cambridge University. Brook Ellis kindly com-
posed the maps. The University of Hawaii at Manoa University Research
Council, under the direction of Dr. Harold McArthur, has provided me
with travel and research funds to do much of this research. The editors
of this series Dr. Stanley Porter and particularly Dr. John Jarick have read
the work and provided guidance and useful criticism. Any faults or omis-
sions remain my own. My thanks also to my wife Bernice for her constant
support and encouragement.
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viii PREFACE
This book is dedicated to Michael Crosby, who first taught me Greek
and to my mother, Mildred Geist Littman, who like Tobit, gave me wise
advice to marry within the tribe, which I followed.
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ABBREVIATIONS
א Codex Sinaiticus, 4th century CE = S
A Codex Alexandrinus, 5th century CE
ABD The Anchor Bible Dictionary, gen. ed. David N. Freedman.
New York: Doubleday, 1992.
AEL Ancient Egyptian Litertature, 2 vols. Miriam Lichtheim, 1973,
1976.
AfO Archiv für Orientforschung, Graz
ANET3 Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, ed.
J.B. Pritchard, 3rd ed., 1969.
Ant Josephus Antiquities of the Jews
Apoc. Baruch Apocryphal Book of Baruch
APOT The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, ed.
R.H. Charles, 1913
B Codex Vaticanus 4th century CE
Arm Aramaic
B. Bat. Baba Batra
B. Shabb. Baba Shabbat
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
Ben Sirach The Wisdom of Ben Sirach (Ecclesiaticus)
Ber Berakot
BIB Biblica, Rome.
BO Bibliotheca Orientalis
BS Bibliotheca Sacra
BVC Bible et Vie Chrétienne
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
C or VLC Codex Reginensis 7 Paris 9th century CE
ca. circa (about, approximately)
CBQ Cambridge Bible Commentary
CHB Cambridge History of the Bible ed. Peter Ackroyd Cambridge
1970.
CHJ W.D. Davies, Louis Finkelstein (eds.) The Cambridge History
of Judaism vol. II, Cambridge 1989.
Chron First/Second Book of Chronicles
CPJ Corpus Papyrorum Judaicarum Victor Tcherikover and Al-
exander Fuks Cambridge, Mass 1957.
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