Talk like an Egyptian : Egyptian influences in the Greek (LXX) of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus
(2024)
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- Authors
- Supervisors
- Ausloos, Hans
- Abstract
- It is generally agreed upon that the Greek translation of the Pentateuch was undertaken in Egypt around the 3rd century BCE for the peruse of the Jewish community of Egypt. Scholars, recognizing the potential influence of the translation environment, have diligently sought to discern traces of this environment within the language of the Septuagint. The Septuagint language exhibits discernible influences from the linguistic milieu in which the translation occurred, now referred to as Egyptian influences. My doctoral dissertation investigated those linguistic elements in the Greek of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus that are influenced by the Egyptian language (both indigenous and Ptolemaic) and environment. In this dissertation, peculiar lexical items in the Greek of the first three books of the Pentateuch, is analyzed in light of contemporary documentary sources (papyri and inscriptions) from Egypt, the Ptolemaic institutions, and the Greaco-Egyptian environment and culture in a broader sense. The study shed light on the translators’ approach to the text, unveiling specific characteristics of their translation techniques, particularly in relation to content and context. The examination revealed seven prominent categories wherein Egyptian influences on the lexical items of the Greek Bible are frequently observed: proper names, toponyms and geographical references, occupational titles, weights and measures, animal names, realia, and theological nuances. These categories were used as an aid to discover the different aspects of translation techniques that were not explored before: how the translator interacted with the context not only of the biblical passages, but also of his every-day life. Egyptian influences have been a long-neglected topic in Septuagint studies because the phenomenon has been regarded as too marginal. My study, the first systematic research of this kind, demonstrated that, although marginal, Egyptian influences in the language of the Septuagint gain particular importance as they offer insights on the impact of the environment on the translation of the Hebrew Bible, and on the background of the Jewish translator.
- Affiliations
Citations
Recalcati, C. (2024). Talk like an Egyptian : Egyptian influences in the Greek (LXX) of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/232483