DIACHRONY OF THE BIBLICAL HEBREW AND “THE DOCUMENTARY THEORY”

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  D. Tsolin

Abstract

Although the methodology of diachronic analysis of the Biblical Hebrew still needs to be improved, some achievements in this area may be applied to dating of some texts of the Old Testament. Besides the method of dating of the diachronic stratum of language on the base of lexicon and phraseology, the syntactic to the diachrony of Hebrew approach (which has been developed in the last decades) deserves attention. In some cases results of the diachronic analysis contradict some popular among scholars theories of the origin of biblical text. First of all, it concerns the so called source “P” (Priestercodex), which according to the “documentary theory” was written in VI century BC or some later: its language demonstrates all characteristics of the earlier diachronic stratum of Hebrew. This article is concerned with a review of the main achievements in the area of the diachrony of Biblical Hebrew and their influence on the concept of the biblical text origin.

How to Cite

Tsolin, D. (2015). DIACHRONY OF THE BIBLICAL HEBREW AND “THE DOCUMENTARY THEORY”. The World of the Orient, (1 (86), 92-105. https://doi.org/10.15407/orientw2015.01.092
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Keywords

Biblical Hebrew, Diachrony, “the Documentary Theory”

References

Alter Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York, 1981.

Astruc Jean. Conjectures sur les mémoires originaux dont il paroit que Moyse s’est servi pour composer le livre de la Genèse. Bruxelles, 1753.

Campbell A. F., O’Brien M. A. Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations. Minneapolis, 1992.

Eichhorn Johann. Einleitung in das Alte Testament. 5 vols. Leipzig, 1780–1783.

Eissfeldt O. Einleitung in das Alte Testament. Tübingen, 1964.

Friedman R. E. The Exile and the Biblical Narrative. The Formation of Deuteronomistic and Priestly Works. Chicago, 1981.

Friedman R. E. Who Wrote the Bible? London, 1988.

Gesenius W. Geschichte der hebräischen Sprache und Schrift. Leipzig, 1815.

Haran M. Behind the Scenes of History: Determining the Date of the Priestly Source // Journal for the Biblical Literature, 1981, № 100.

Hurvitz A. The Evidence of Language in Dating the Priestly Code // Revue Biblique, 1974, № 81.

Ilgen Carl David. De Iobi antiquissimi carminis hebraici natura et virtutibus. Leipzig, 1789.

Joosten Jan. The Distinction Between Classical and Late Biblical Hebrew as Reflected in Syntax // Hebrew Studies, 2005, № 46.

Joosten Jan. A Remarkable Development in the Biblical Hebrew Verbal System: The Disappearance of Iterative WEQATAL // Biblical Hebrew in Its Northwest Semitic Setting: Typological and Historical Perspectives. Winona Lake, 2006.

Joosten Jan. The Syntax of Volitive Verbal Forms in Qoheleth in Historical Perspective // The Language of Qohelet in Its Context. Essays in Honour of Prof. A. Schoors on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday. Leuven, 2007.

Joosten Jan. The Verbal System of Biblical Hebrew. A New Synthesis Elaborated on the Basis of Classical Prose. Jerusalem, 2012.

Joosten Jan. Wilhelm Gesenius and the History of Hebrew in the Biblical Period // Biblische exegese und hebräische Lexikographie: Das “Hebräisch-deutsche Handwörterbuch” von Wilhelm Gesenius als Spiegel und Quelle alttestamentlischer und hebräischer Forschung, 200 Jahre nach seiner ersten Auflage. Berlin – Boston, 2013.

Joosten Jan. Imperative Clauses Containing a Temporal Phrase and the Study of Diachronic Syntax in Ancient Hebrew // Hebrew in the Second Temple Period. Leiden – Boston, 2013a.

Kaiser O. Grundriss der Einleitung in die kanonischen und deuterokanonischen Schriften des Alten Testaments. Bd. 1. Gütersloh, 1992.

Kutscher E. Y. A History of the Hebrew Language. Jerusalem – Leiden, 1982.

Wellhausen J. Die Komposition des Hexateuch und der historischen Bücher des Alten Testaments. Berlin, 1878.

Wellhausen J. Israelitische und Judische Geschichte. Berlin, 1894. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111517940

קויפמן י. תולדות האמונה הישראלית. כ. א-ח. ירושלים-תל-אביב 1946–1947

הורביץ א. בין לשון ללשון. לתולדות לשון המקרא בימי בית שני. ירושלים 1972

REFERENCES

Alter Robert (1981), The Art of Biblical Narrative, New York.

Astruc Jean (1753), Conjectures sur les mémoires originaux dont il paroit que Moyse s’est servi pour composer le livre de la Genèse, Bruxelles.

Campbell A. F. and O’Brien M. A. (1992), Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations, Minneapolis.

Eichhorn Johann (1780–1783), Einleitung in das Alte Testament, 5 vols., Leipzig.

Eissfeldt O. (1964), Einleitung in das Alte Testament, Tübingen.

Friedman R. E. (1981), The Exile and the Biblical Narrative. The Formation of Deuteronomistic and Priestly Works, Chicago.

Friedman R. E. (1988), Who Wrote the Bible?, London.

Gesenius W. (1815), Geschichte der hebräischen Sprache und Schrift, Leipzig.

Haran M. (1981), “Behind the Scenes of History: Determining the Date of the Priestly Source”, Journal for the Biblical Literature, No. 100.

Hurvitz A. (1974), “The Evidence of Language in Dating the Priestly Code”, Revue Biblique, No. 81.

Ilgen Carl David (1789), De Iobi antiquissimi carminis hebraici natura et virtutibus, Leipzig.

Joosten Jan (2005), “The Distinction Between Classical and Late Biblical Hebrew as Reflected in Syntax”, Hebrew Studies, No. 46.

Joosten Jan (2006), “A Remarkable Development in the Biblical Hebrew Verbal System: The Disappearance of Iterative WEQATAL”, in Biblical Hebrew in Its Northwest Semitic Setting: Typological and Historical Perspectives, Winona Lake.

Joosten Jan (2007), “The Syntax of Volitive Verbal Forms in Qoheleth in Historical Perspective”, in The Language of Qohelet in Its Context. Essays in Honour of Prof. A. Schoors on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday, Leuven.

Joosten Jan (2012), The Verbal System of Biblical Hebrew. A New Synthesis Elaborated on the Basis of Classical Prose, Jerusalem.

Joosten Jan (2013), “Wilhelm Gesenius and the History of Hebrew in the Biblical Period”, in Biblische exegese und hebräische Lexikographie: Das “Hebräisch-deutsche Handwörterbuch” von Wilhelm Gesenius als Spiegel und Quelle alttestamentlischer und hebräischer Forschung, 200 Jahre nach seiner ersten Auflage, Berlin, Boston.

Joosten Jan (2013a), “Imperative Clauses Containing a Temporal Phrase and the Study of Diachronic Syntax in Ancient Hebrew”, in Hebrew in the Second Temple Period, Leiden and Boston.

Kaiser O. (1992), Grundriss der Einleitung in die kanonischen und deuterokanonischen Schriften des Alten Testaments, Bd. 1, Gütersloh.

Kutscher E. Y. (1982), A History of the Hebrew Language, Jerusalem and Leiden.

Wellhausen J. (1878), Die Komposition des Hexateuch und der historischen Bücher des Alten Testaments, Berlin.

Wellhausen J. (1894), Israelitische und Judische Geschichte, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111517940

Qvfmn Y. tvldvt hmvnh hshrlt. kh. ’-ch. yrvshlm-tl-vv 1946–1947. (In Hebrew).

Hvrvtz ’. vn lshvn llshvn. lsvldvs lshvn hmkr vm vs shn. yrvshlm 1972. (In Hebrew).