A critical edition of the hexaplaric fragments of Numbers 1-18

Abstract

This dissertation consists of the first complete critical edition of the hexaplaric fragments of Numbers 1-18 from all known Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, and Latin sources since the publication of Frederick Field's Origenis Hexaplorum quae supersunt sive veterum interpretum graecorum in totum Vetus Testamentum fragmenta in 1875. Chapter 1 first details the history of the hexapla and hexaplaric research, giving a broad overview of how the Hexapla came to be, the most important discoveries of hexaplaric material, and the critical research done on the Hexapla. The chapter also provides the reader with an introduction to how to interpret the edition, explaining the process involved in producing the work and providing an example of how to read the critical apparatus.

Chapter 2 provides a brief introduction to the most important hexaplaric sources used for the project. This includes the Origenic group which follows the fifth column of Origen's Hexapla closely, the s -group which contains many important hexaplaric marginal notes, other important Greek manuscripts with hexaplaric readings, the Syro-hexapla manuscripts, and the relevant Church Fathers from which readings were taken.

Chapter 3 is the main body of the work, containing the critical apparatus of the first 18 chapters of Numbers. Each entry first presents the relevant Hebrew and Greek Septuagint text. Next, the lemma is given with attribution. Six critical apparatuses follow: The first gives the primary witnesses to the lemma; these consist mainly of the marginal readings and church fathers, the material found in Wevers' second apparatus. Next, the secondary witnesses are given; these consist mainly of the text readings that are found in Wevers' first apparatus. After this, all the variants in attribution are presented. Next, all variants to the lemma are presented. Following this, all non-Greek sources are provided for the reader. Finally, notes are given on the lemma. This final section provides discussion of the lemma, attributions, variants, and text history in general.

Chapter 4, "Reading of Doubtful Hexaplaric Significance," contains those readings that are probably not related to the original Hexapla but must be considered because of the value of the witnesses that contain them or the fact that Wevers has included them in his second apparatus.

Chapter 5 contains a summary of the results of this study. The summary is given in terms of the number and nature of the readings and in terms of a comparison of this study with Wevers' Edition.