michaelaubrey Grammar, Greek, Historical Linguistics, Language, Lexicography, Linguistics, Septuagint, Translation

JSJ: The Septuagint within the History of Greek

The Journal for the Study of Judaism has published a special issue titled “The Septuagint within the History of Greek.” This is one of the last projects James Aitken worked on before passed away this spring (April 7, 2023). We continue to feel the loss of our friend. A reception at SBL has been organized in his memory: 2023 SBL Reception in Memory of James K. Aitken.

Volume 54 (2023): Issue 4-5 (Oct 2023): Special Issue: The Septuagint within the History of Greek

Volume 54, Issues 4-5

The issue is edited by Jim along with Marieke Dhont. Marieke Dhont describes the origins of the papers in her introduction. Most of the papers are published as open access. Many thanks to all the work everyone put into this issue. I know that Jim would be proud.

This collection in part represents the proceedings of a one-day seminar held in Cambridge in April 2018, entitled “The Septuagint within the History of Greek,” organized by James (Jim) Aitken … and supplemented … with contributions by Sofía Torallas Tovar and Benjamin Kantor, in order to cover the various dimensions of the Greek language represented in the Septuagint, from phonology to lexicography, syntax, and translation technique.

I have been slowly working through each of the contributions as I’ve had time and have really enjoyed them. The articles have been published throughout the year and culminated with Tyler Horton, Andrew Keenan, Timothy Lee, Robert Walker, Travis Wright, and Marieke Dhont’s contribution: “Additional evidence of semantic and syntactic sensitivity in the Septuagint” published the 24th of October, 2023.

Special Issue: The Septuagint within the History of Greek

  • Author: Marieke Dhont
  • Pages: 429–431
  • Online Publication Date: 14 Aug 2023

The Septuagint within the History of Greek: An Introduction

Abstract:

The language of the Septuagint is not only a linguistic question: evaluations of the language have been intertwined with presuppositions on the social context of Jews in antiquity, in particular their linguistic competency, educational background, and position within the Graeco-Roman society. Recent work has rehabilitated the position of Jews in ancient society and with it came a renewed quest for understanding the social locus of the language of the Septuagint and related Jewish-Greek writings. In order to appreciate the language of the Septuagint, we need to contextualize it appropriately within the history of Greek, diachronically and synchronically. The dedication of a special issue to the present topic by Journal for the Study of Judaism signals the recognition of the importance of the Septuagint for the wider discipline. In this introduction, the editors lay out recent trends in the field and discuss its challenges.

Some Problems with Talking about ‘Septuagint Greek’

  • Author: William A. Ross
  • Pages: 451–493
  • Online Publication Date: 10 Aug 2022

Abstract:

While all agree that the language of the Septuagint does not represent a Jewish dialect, scholarship has nevertheless struggled to find ways of discussing the language of the Septuagint without implying a similar idea. Just as the notions of “biblical Greek” and “Jewish Greek” have rightly come under scrutiny, so also must scholars carefully reconsider “Septuagint Greek” and similar sobriquets. While admittedly helpful shorthand, such terminology may unintentionally license—or surreptitiously import—prescriptivist approaches to language that are now widely abandoned in linguistic scholarship. This article presents the ancient historical background to such approaches and surveys problematic terminology common within contemporary scholarship to illustrate its links (or lack thereof) with developments in general linguistics. More up-to-date frameworks, particularly from sociolinguistics, provide better concepts and terminology for discussing the language of the Septuagint. Attention is also given to evaluating the absence of external evidence and matters of style.

The LXX and Historical Greek Phonology: Orthography, Phonology, and Transcriptions

  • Author: Benjamin Kantor
  • Pages: 494–526
  • Online Publication Date: 28 Sep 2022

Abstract:

The growing trend to see the language of the LXX as an authentic example of post-Classical Greek may be extended to phonology and orthography. We can situate the phonology of the LXX within its historical Greek phonological context by implementing a restrictive methodology that focuses on transcribed names, the clusters of certain spelling conventions in relation to “early” and “late” books in the LXX, and manuscript-specific phenomena. We find that its language exhibits the same sort of phonological and orthographic features attested in contemporary documentary and epigraphic material. Codex Vaticanus provides the earliest explicit evidence for one of the notable phonological developments in the history of Greek, the fricativization of χ. It is demonstrated that the phonology of the LXX is right at home in its contemporary historical Greek phonological setting, and that it has unique contributions to make to the wider field of historical Greek phonology at large.

How Egyptian is the Greek of Septuagint?: Some Lexical Notes

Abstract:

This article explores the linguistic background of the Septuagint translation into Greek of the Old Testament, produced in Alexandria in the third century BCE, and thus likely to present some Egyptian traits. The main purpose is to examine the vocabulary of Egyptian origin, i.e., terms adopted by the Greek language. Since this is not an easy task, a number of methodologies of analysis and comparison with other text corpora are also discussed.

The Grammarian Cannot Wait: Thackeray, Muraoka, and the Analysis of Septuagint Syntax

  • Author: Trevor Evans
  • Pages: 558–581
  • Online Publication Date: 10 Aug 2022

Abstract:

This article deals with the question of the nature of and scholarly approaches to studying Greek syntax in the Septuagint. The concrete point of departure is the publication of A Syntax of Septuagint Greek by T. Muraoka (Leuven: Peeters, 2016). The author discusses Muraoka’s work, while touching upon general trends in Septuagint scholarship, and reviews the book in a detailed manner. The author’s theoretical considerations are illustrated by two case studies that demonstrate the problems associated with Muraoka’s approach to syntax in the Septuagint. By way of conclusion, the author reflects on future directions in research on the Septuagint and its language usage.

Syntax and Pronominal Competence in Post-Classical Greek and the Septuagint

  • Author: Marieke Dhont
  • Pages: 582–605
  • Online Publication Date: 27 Apr 2023

Abstract:

Scholars are often struck by the frequent use of pronouns in the Septuagint, particularly placed in postposition, linking both these aspects to the translation technique or the competency of the translators. In this article, I argue that pronominal usage in the Septuagint can be linked to developments in post-classical Greek more so than to interference from the source text. I focus particularly on pronominal usage in relation to syntax and word order to show that the traditional approach to translation technique has limited our understanding of linguistic features in the Septuagint, and deal with questions that arise from an approach to the Septuagint as reflective of post-classical Greek, namely, what can pronouns in the Septuagint tell us about the educational background of the translators and their translation methods?

Additional Evidence of Semantic and Syntactic Sensitivity in the Septuagint

Abstract:

In this article, a tribute to James Aitken by his students and postdoctoral collaborator, several case studies are presented that demonstrate how situating the Septuagint within its Post-classical Greek context can add significantly to our understanding of the textual-linguistic character of the Septuagint translations. They include a new approach to understanding parataxis with καί in the Greek Pentateuch, morphology and word formation in relation to presumed neologisms in Greek Jeremiah, lexical choice related to verbs of “pouring” in kaige, verbal periphrasis with ποιέω in Greek Genesis, the expression of motion in Greek Exodus, and the literary expression of “to die” in Greek Genesis. While we do not deny the existence of interference in the translations, we argue that its extent has been overstated. Through examples that showcase semantic and syntactic sensitivity on the part of the translators, we demonstrate various approaches to positioning the Septuagint within the history of Greek.