Subject: New Peshitta mailing list

From: "James R. Adair" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 03:51:15 -0400 (EDT)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 17:13:37 +0100 (MET)
From: M.F.J. Baasten <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]

        Some time ago, a new mailing list was set up by the Leiden 
        Peshitta Institute in order to discuss topics relating to the 
        Peshitta.
        
        To subscribe send an email to [email-masked] with the 
        message: subscribe peshitta
        
        For further information contact Dr. Konrad Jenner 
        ([email-masked]).
        
        Regards,
	-- Martin Baasten
        
        ==========================================================
        Martin F.J. Baasten  -   Department of Hebrew, Aramaic and
        Ugaritic Languages and Cultures   -   University of Leiden
        P.O.B. 9515 -  NL-2300 RA Leiden  -  Tel.: +31-71.527.2948
        Fax: +31-71.527.2939 - email: [email-masked]
        ==========================================================

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From:	IN%"[email-masked]"    17-JUL-1996 16:52
To:	IN%"[email-masked]"
CC:	
Subj:	report Peshitta workshop December 1995

Workshop on "The Peshitta of the Old Testament": 18-19
December 1995.

On 18 and 19 December 1995, the "Leiden Institute for the
Study of Religions" (LISOR) and the "School for Asian, African
and Amerindian Studies" jointly organized a workshop devoted
to "The Peshitta of the Old Testament. Text, Standardization,
Early Transmission. Methodological Questions".
     Besides dr. M.P. Weitzman (University College, London),
who delivered two main lectures, some Leiden scholars and
Ph.D. candidates presented parts of their research. Other
important participants were dr. M.D. Koster, whose
dissertation of 1977 (on The Peshitta of Exodus) laid the
foundation for all subsequent research on the textual history
of the Old Testament Peshitta, and dr. A. K. Juckel (Institut
f r Neutestamentliche Textforschung, M nster/Westf.), who is
responsible for the Syriac edition of the New Testament.
     In his first lecture ("Between Judaism and Christianity.
The Origin of the Peshitta"), M.P. Weitzman unfolded his
intriguing theory on the origin of the Old Testament Peshitta,
seen by him as the product of a non-rabbinic Jewish community,
which gradually moved away from Judaism and eventually adopted
Christianity. In the course of this process, the Peshitta
translations of the different books of the Hebrew Bible would
have come into existence.
     The question of the earliest accessible text forms of the
Peshitta was dealt with in two papers, by R.B. ter Haar Romeny
and by A.G.P. Janson, devoted to the Syriac Bible quotations
in the Genesis Commentaries of the 4th century authors
Eusebius of Emesa and Ephrem the Syrian. Despite some
noteworthy variants, there can be no doubt that both authors
used a version of the Peshitta which only slightly differed
from the text as it is presently known.
     A. Juckel's illuminating presentation of the methods
adopted for the edition of the Syriac New Testament brought to
light some interesting parallels as well as discrepancies
between the M nster and Leiden Institutes (dealing with the
Peshitta New and Old Testament respectively). Prof. A. van der
Kooij gave a survey of the textual problems in the Peshitta
text of Genesis 6:1-4 and dr. K.D. Jenner, director of the
Peshitta Institute, draw the attention to Jacob of Edessa and
his revision of the Peshitta.
     M.P. Weitzman's second lecture ("Reconstructing the
Peshitta. Methodological Questions"), which concluded the
workshop, was a detailed and well-structured exposition of the
various methodological problems with which Peshitta editors
have to cope. Dr. P.B. Dirksen and Prof. J. Cook
(Stellenbosch), both involved in the Leiden Peshitta edition,
responded to Weitzman's presentation, whereas the other
participants as well actively took part in the following
discussion. The exchange of ideas between scholars and
students who, with different backgrounds and interests, are
all working in the field of Peshitta studies proved to be most
fruitful and stimulating.

Luk Van Rompay

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