Translation technique in the Greek Lamentations
Description
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Abstract
On the basis of an analysis of the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from Nah[dotbelow]al Hever (8Hev gkXII), Dominique Barthélemy theorized that a pre-Christian recension of OG exists and that it bears a close relationship to certain OG books, including Lamentations. These translations/revisions share a strikingly similar translation technique that Barthélemy attributed to the influence of rabbinic exegesis. He called them the "[kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group" after a shared stereotype ([kaige ; Special characters omitted.] for gam/vgam
[Special characters omitted.]).
This dissertation examines Barthélemy's claims regarding the Greek Lamentations' relationship to the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group. By carefully delineating the patterns and methods of the translator responsible for the Greek Lamentations, one can determine where the translation fits in OG's text history.
Chapter 1 establishes the original text of the Greek Lamentations by evaluating Joseph Ziegler's critical edition. Ziegler's text is adopted as the basis for the analysis with a few modifications.
Chapter 2 presents the data resulting from a comprehensive analysis of the translator's technique. His equivalent for every part of speech and every linguistic phenomenon is scrutinized in both its structural and lexical aspects.
Chapter 3 compares the data of chapter 2 with similar studies performed on other members of the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group as well as with studies of the Greek Psalter and Aquila. The comparison reveals that Greek Lamentations and the other members of the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group do share a very similar translation technique. The translation, however, also exhibits considerable independence.
Chapter 4 establishes that Barthélemy's characterization of the Greek Lamentations is basically accurate. It does indeed fit in the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group though it does not betray the influence of rabbinic exegesis. The translation was likely produced in the first half of the first century A.D. though Palestinian provenance is impossible to prove. Dissimilarities, however, also exist between the Greek Lamentations and other members of the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] group that argue against a single translator or even, in a strict sense, a school of translators as the single source of the [kaige ; Special characters omitted.] phenomenon.