Contours in the Text: Textual Variation in the Writings of Paul, Josephus and the Yahad

Full title
Contours in the Text: Textual Variation in the Writings of Paul, Josephus and the Yahad
Research notes

not checked|OA 05/02/2013|reader checked|29/08/2013 SE/|||Updated by USK / 18 / 05 / 2016 / to add online link for CD A

Reference type
Author(s)
Norton, Jonathan D. H.
Year
2011
Journal / Book Title || Series Title
The Library of New Testament Studies
Issue / Series Volume
430
Publisher
T&T Clark
Place of Publication
London
Pages
210
Label
04/03/2013
Abstract

This is an examination of Paul's possible awareness of the plurality of Ancient Jewish Scripture. Norton-Piliavsky places Paul's work within the context of ancient Jewish literary practice, bridging the gap between textual criticism and social history in contemporary discussions. The author argues that studies of ancient Jewish exegesis draw on two distinct analytical modes: the text-critical and the socio-historical. He then shows that the two are usually joined together in discussions of ancient Jewish literature arguing that as a result of this commentators often allow the text-critical approach to guide their efforts to understand historical questions. Norton argues that text-critical and historical data must be combined, but not conflated and in this volume sets out a new approach, showing that exegesis was part of an ongoing discussion, which included mutually supporting written and oral practices. Norton shows that Josephus' and Dead Sea sectarians' use of textual variation, like Paul's, belongs to this discussion demonstrating that neither Paul nor his contemporaries viewed Jewish scripture as a fixed literary monolith. Rather, they took part in a dynamic exegetical dialogue, constituted by oral as much as textual modes.

Primary Texts: Judean Desert Documents
Scroll / Document
Passage
5
Section type
Column
Scroll / Document
Passage
11
Section type
Column
Scroll / Document
Passage
7