The Aramaic Levi Document: Edition, Translation, Commentary

298 Pages·2004·1.46 MB·English

by  Esther Eshel

The Aramaic Levi Document
Studia in Veteris
Testamenti Pseudepigrapha
Series Editors
Michael Knibb, Henk Jan de Jonge,
Jean-Claude Haelewyck, Johannes Tromp
Ediderunt
VOLUME 19
The Aramaic Levi Document
Edition, Translation, Commentary
by
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Jonas C. Green eld, Michael E. Stone
and Esther Eshel
A E GI
B D
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S . .. PP
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UT. .SSAA
BRILL
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2004
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Levi document. Polyglot.
The Aramaic Levi document: edition, translation, commentary / edited by Jonas
C. Greenfield, Michael E. Stone, and Esther Eshel.
p. cm. — (Studia in Veteris Testamenti pseudepigrapha, ISSN 0169–8125 ; v.19)
Text in Aramaic and Greek with English translation; commentary in English.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 90–04–13785–8 (alk. paper)
1. Levi document. 2. Manuscripts, Aramaic. I. Greenfield, Jonas C., 1926– II.Stone,
Michael E. III. Eshel, Esther. IV. Title. V. Series.
BM488.L48A116 2004 2004051984
229'.914—dc22
ISSN 0169–8125
ISBN 9004 137858
© Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
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PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
Dedicated to the Memory of
Jonas C. Greenfield lòòz
Scholar, Colleague and Friend
h[b anwy am [dw y[bw rqb
Examine and seek and know what Jonas sought
4QApocrypon of Levib 24:4

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations and Tables ................................................ ix
Preface ........................................................................................ xi
Acknowledgements ...................................................................... xiii
Introduction ................................................................................ 1
1. The Witnesses .................................................................... 1
2. Principles of Present Work ................................................ 6
The Present Work ............................................................ 7
The Apparatus of Variants .............................................. 9
The Data Block and Versification .................................. 9
Parallels .............................................................................. 10
The Translation ................................................................ 10
3. The Original Order of ALD ............................................ 11
4. The Date and Provenance of ALD .................................. 19
5. Notes on Language of ALD .............................................. 22
6. Testaments and Other Associated Works from
Qumran .............................................................................. 25
Texts Related to the Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs ........................................................................ 26
Other “Testament” Texts ................................................ 28
The Testament of Qahat and the Visions of Amram ............. 29
An Apocryphal Text Apparently Related to ALD .......... 31
7. Some Specific Aspects of ALD ........................................ 32
TPL 4:2 and ALD .............................................................. 32
The Two Spirits ................................................................ 33
Sapiential Characteristics of the Priesthood .................... 34
Levi’s Special Role in ALD .............................................. 35
Levi in TPL 8:14 .............................................................. 39
The Travels of Levi and Jacob in ALD and TPL ........ 39
The Sacrificial Ordinances and Measures ...................... 41
1. The Sacrificial Ordinances ...................................... 41
2. The Metrological List in 9:17–18 .......................... 42
Postscript ............................................................................ 45
viii contents
Critical Signs and Abbreviations ...................................... 46
Journals and Publications .................................................. 46
Citations of Dead Sea Scrolls .......................................... 47
Appendix ............................................................................ 48
Text & Translation .................................................................... 56
Commentary ................................................................................ 110
Unplaced Fragments .................................................................. 216
Aramaic Concordance ................................................................ 235
Greek Concordance .................................................................... 250
Bibliography ................................................................................ 260
Indexes ........................................................................................ 271
ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES
1. Codicological Layout of the Geniza
Manuscript .............................................................................. xiv
2. Cambridge Ms ms T.S. 16, fol. 94 recto .......................... 52
Columns Cambridge a, f and e
3. Cambridge Ms ms T.S. 16, fol. 94 verso .......................... 53
Columns Cambridge d, c and b
4. Bodleian Ms Heb. c. 27 recto ............................................ 54
Columns Bodleian b and a
5. Bodleian Ms Heb. c. 27 verso ............................................ 55
Columns Bodleian d and c
6. Genealogical Table .............................................. opposite p. 181