Textual Traditions
The last stage of the formation of
the Hist.B. was their translation into other ancient languages. The numerous
Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and Greek manuscripts of the Hist.B were not fossilized.
Changes are of various kinds. In the book of Joshua and Judges there are only
some minor theological changes. For example the LXX (the Septuagint, or Greek
translation) lacks references to the priests in the description of the conquest
of Jericho (Josh 6:3b.4.6.b.9a) and references to sanctuaries in 6:24; 9:23;
24:2. However, the changes between the Greek and Hebrew texts are more
substantial in 1 Samuel-2 Kings, Esther, and Tobit.
New textual studies of 1 Samuel-2
Kings showed that the Masoretic text is much younger than the Greek text called
the Old Greek. The Old Greek preserved mainly in the Antiochian version (a
version used in Antioch) and partially also in the Vetus Latina, or Old
Latin, represents a Greek translation of a Hebrew text that has not been
preserved, but that existed before the Masoretic text, in the third or second
century BCE. Thus the Old Greek of 1 Samuel-2 Kings presents the oldest text we
have now at our disposal. This text was then modified and edited many times
until it reached the final shape as preserved in the Codex Vaticanus, Codex
Alexandrinus, Codex Leningrandensis, etc. For example, there are
some important changes in the narrative on David and Goliath (1 Sam 17), the
Son of Hannah (1 Sam 2), etc. In 1-2 Kings there are several changes with theological
implications such as interpretation of the temple and God’s presence in it (1
Kgs 6:11-13 are omitted in LXX; 1 Kgs 8:12-13 is fully revised in the LXX).
Obviously, the existence of
different manuscripts and editions has an impact upon historical and
theological implications drawn from the text. As for historical implications,
the Old Greek of 1 Kings 5:1 narrates that Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent his
servants to greet Solomon when he heard that Solomon was anointed king. 3 Regn
5:1 says that Hiram sent his servants to anoint Solomon. This means that
according to the Old Greek Solomon was Hiram’s subject, whereas according to
the MT Solomon was Hiram’s partner. As for theological implications, let us present
1 Kgs 17-19. The MT version of 1 Kgs 17-19 ends with the rain and Elijah
running in front of King Ahab. The prophet is depicted as the one who directly
communicates with God and punishes the idolatrous king. But there is no real
interest in Ahab. The Antiochian text changes the order of chapters and the
Elijah cycle does not end in 2 Kgs 19 but with chapter 12 (the Naboth vineyard
episode) that in the Antiochian text is attached to chapter 19. Thus, the story
continues in Jezraeel and Ahab finally acknowledges his guilt and repents after
a long confrontation (3 Regn 20). So the Greek version offers a different theological
view: Elijah’s interventions were primarily aimed at conversion, not at
punishment. Such an organization of chapters changed the theology of the Elijah
cycle and is more appropriate for the Jewish diaspora.
Similar differences can be
observed in a longer version Greek version of the Book of Esther composed after
the Hebrew text. The new prayers and additions to the shorter Hebrew version
changed not only the narrative dynamic of the book, but also its theology. (Peter
Dubovský, “Introduction to the Historical Books,” in The Jerome Biblical
Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, ed. John J. Collins, Gina
Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior [3d ed.; London: T&T
Clark, 2022], 367-68)
