Subject: Re: tc-list Syriac pipi and hehe

From: "Errol Smith & Colleen Loo" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 10:20:13 +1000

Recently there have been some interesting questions relating to abbreviations of the tetragrammaton in Syriac mss. Members
of the list may be interested in an old but classic paper by Jacob Lauterbach which looks at about 80 such abbreviations in
Hebrew texts. 

"Substitutes for the Tetragrammaton", "Proceedings of the American Academy of Jewish Research", vol.2, (1930-31), p.39-67.) 

I am particularly interested in one of his abbreviations which is three "Yod"s in a triangle orientated like a Segol - these
yods are surrounded on the left by a figure resembling a back to front "Beth" (in square script). 

Jacob Lauterbach argues that this figure is derived from the  "He"s of the Tetragrammaton, not from any "Beth". Lauterbach
lists several rabbis of Northern Europe from about 1050-1150 CE who accurately describe this abbreviation, but Lauterbach
did not give any specific manuscript or early printed edition examples. Could any of our TC-list experts in Hebrew or Syriac
mss kindly tell me if they have come across such an abbreviation before and where, or how I may proceed in researching this
other than simply reading through scores of facsimilies.

With thanks, Dr Errol Smith.

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From: James Trimm <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 22:18:47 -0500

all,

On this subject I might add that the Old Syriac and Peshitta text
distinguish between Adonai and YHWH.

In the Peshitta Tanach (OT) "Adonai" = "Mar" and "YHWH"="Marya" for example
in Ps. 110:1:

	Marya said to Mari (My Mar) "come and sit at my right hand"

This same pattern appears in the Old Syriac and Peshitta NT books where
Marya = YHWH and Mar or Maron (our Mar) = Adonai.  

Thus the Aramaic NT gives us a key as to where "Lord" in the NT = YHWH and
where "Lord" in the NT = "Adonai"

William Jennings pointed this out in his LEXICON TO THE SYRIAC NEW
TESTAMENT in his entry under "Mar"

James Trimm
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From: Jack Kilmon <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 22:56:10 -0500

The "Syriac pipi" caught my eye and has me curious.  Since
PIPI was a Greek misunderstanding of the yod-heh-waw-he
resembling pi-iota-pi-iota from left to right, it is
obviously not a substitution by Hebrew speakers.  Am I
to understand that this Greek blooper was transcribed
in Syriac texts?

Jack

-- 
______________________________________________

Min d'LA rokHEM l'maRAN yeSHUa meshyCHA niheYAH. maRAN aTHA

Jack Kilmon
[email-masked]

http://www.historian.net

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From: Rolf Furuli <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 10:12:31 +0200

>to understand that this Greek blooper was transcribed

Dear Jack,

We do not know the origin of the Syriac Bible translation and the role of
Hebrew manuscripts and the LXX in connection with its formation. But Syriac
manuscripts with PIPI in the marigin, evidently had a Greek Vorlage with
the tetragrammaton in Aramaic script. One such manuscript is Cod. Reg.
Paris. Syr V, fol. 4-90 where we find 410 examples of PIPI.

Regards
Rolf

Rolf Furuli
Lecturer in Semitic languages
University of Oslo

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From: Rolf Furuli <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 22:11:10 +0200

>TESTAMENT in his entry under "Mar"

Dear James,

Your observations above are correct, but they do not give all the facts.
After looking at several places where KURIOS in the Greek text is applied
to Jesus, it seems that the translators of the Syriac NT used MARAN (our
Lord) when Jesus was denoted and the emphatic MARYA when YHWH was denoted.
Thus MAR(E) in the NT more often corresponds to the Hebrew ´ADON  or
HA´ADON  than to `ADONAY.

In view of the fact that all the Greek  NT manuscripts from the second
century onwards have KURIOS both where the Syriac text has MARAN and MARYA,
we can ask: "What was the Syriac Vorlage?" and "On which basis did the
translators differentiate between MARYA  and MARAN?"

If they had NT manuscripts with no distinction between Jesus and YHWH it is
strange that they should make such a distinction - difficult as it is in
many instances. The occurrence of MARYA and MARAN in the Syriac NT,
together with the occurrences of PIPI and HEHE in the marigin of the OT,
certainly are arguments i favour of the occurrence of the tetragrammaton in
some form both in the original Syriac bible and in the original Greek NT.

Against this can be adduced that the NT use of MARYA for YHWH is not
consistent. In Acts 4:25 do we find the Greek DESPOTA (Vocative of
DESPOTHS), which occurs 11 times in the LXX, always translating ´ADONAY,
except in Dan 9:11, where it translates ´ ELOHIM. The word DESPOTA is
translated by MARYA,  as is KURIOS in Acts 4:29.

A study of the occurrences of MARYA  and MARAN in the Syriac NT, taking
into account what are quotes from the OT and other factors to try to draw
conclusions regarding the Vorlage could be a fine subject for a MA thesis.
Any takers?  A few probes have convinced me that the subject can give
interesting results. I had expected MARYA in Mark 11:3 but I found MARAN. I
expected MARAN  in Rom 10:9 and MARYA in vv 12 and 13 and found it. But for
many this will be surprising.

Regards
Rolf

Rolf Furuli