Henry Leeming:
Josephus' Jewish War and Its Slavonic Version: A Synoptic Comparison
(2003) "This volume presents in English translation the Slavonic version
of Josephus Flavius' "Jewish War, long inaccessible to Anglophone
readers, according to N.A. Me?erskij's scholarly edition, together with
his erudite and wide-ranging study of literary, historical and
philological aspects of the work, a textological apparatus and
commentary. The synoptic layout of the Slavonic and Greek versions in
parallel columns enables the reader to compare their content in detail.
It will be seen that the divergences are far more extensive than those
indicated hitherto."
THE OLD SLAVONIC VERSION
OF JOSEPHUS' JEWISH WAR
Pearse Translation of
the Russian text of Meshchersky's introduction
Introduction
There is a text in Old Slavonic, preserved in a number of
manuscripts, which is strongly related to the Greek text of
Josephus, "The Jewish War", and the manuscripts give the
author's name as Josephus. Both works are in seven books.
However it is not simply a translation of the Greek text, as
it contains both material not present in the Greek, and
omits material present in the Greek. The text is commonly
known as the Old Slavonic Josephus, or the Old Russian
Josephus. Since little seems to be available in English by
anyone who has actually examined the manuscripts, these
notes have been summarised from the introduction (in
Russian) of N.A.Meshcherskii, and amended against the new
English translation.
The primary interest in this text has derived from the
presence in the text of 8 passages relating to John the
Baptist, Jesus, and the early Christians. These extracts
were published with a German translation by Alexander
Berendts. Berendts and Viktor Istrin contended that the text
is based on the lost Aramaic first edition of Josephus.
N.A.Meshcherskii however believed that the text is a
translation of the text of the standard edition revised for
Russian conditions. Alice Whealey suggests that in reality
the text is a medieval production.
Literacy came to the Slavs with Christianity, and their
earliest literature thus comes from Byzantine sources. While
the text may be derived from a different Greek exemplar, it
seems easier to see it as a cut-down and modified version
used as a history book, and adapted to fill up significant
omissions.
Knowledge of the text in the west began with publications by
A. Berendts in 1906. These focused on those 'additions'
which concerned Christian origins - although there are other
additions, and also omissions - and all of the literature
since, as Meshcherskii drily remarks, has focused on these.
The balance of opinion has generally been against
attributing these to Josephus.
Berendts gave a German translation of 8 such passages, and
worked on a full German translation of the entire text, but
his efforts were cut short by his death and he only
published books 1-4. Using this material, Robert Eisler
published his own theories which, while agreeing with
Berendts that the additions were from the Greek, asserted
that they were Christian interpolations, and further that
the text was riddled with these. A large volume of
literature resulted from discussion of this. Eisler asserted
that Josephus had produced two editions, as the preface to
the Greek says, and that the Slavonic version was based on
the first. G.A.Williamson's Penguin translation of the
"Jewish War" included these passages as an appendix, and
popularised the idea. Meshcherskii describes Eisler's
philological arguments as 'extremely flimsy', 'unscientific
and unreliable.' Istrin objected to the idea that the Old
Russian text was a literal translation of the lost Aramaic
first edition, but was prepared to consider the idea that
some of the additions were Josephan.
The main obstacle to discussion was the absence of a
critical text, and indeed of a complete translation.
V.M.Istrin then intended to produce a 4 volume edition, but
again was hindered by circumstances. Volumes I & II were to
contain the text with French translation, and III the notes
and IV the dictionary. In 1934 volume I appeared, containing
books 1-3 with apparatus and French translation; in 1938
volume II arrived containing books 4-7 in the same manner.
This remained the only complete version in a mainstream
language until Leeming's translation of Meshcherskii in
2003. The research materials were never issued, because of
the second world war, although portions of them exist in
manuscript. Istrin believed the text to be a medieval
production.
According to Meshcherskii, both the German and French
translations are faulty, however. The French translation
made by P.Pascal, which accompanied Istrin's edition, was
far from ideal and sometimes even distorts the meaning of
the Old Russian text, as does Berendts' German version. Part
of the problem was that both translators took words in their
modern Russian meaning, which was sometimes quite different
from the Old Russian meaning ('chips of wood', rather than
'young tree shoots', the latter being correct). Berendts
also in his translation consciously or unconsciously omitted
everything in the Old Russian material which diverged to any
extent from his basic idea: to ascribe every 'addition' to
the pen of Josephus himself. Finally both Istrin and
Berendts based their work on the 'separated' text, using
Volokolam 651. This recension is secondary (see below).
However Istrin did use the Archival chronograph for those
parts of the text missing from the 'separated' recension.
Manuscripts
The Old Russian text of the "Histories of the Jewish wars"
by Flavius Josephus has come to us in many MSS which can be
assigned to the XV-XVIII centuries. They can be divided into
two groups: the 'chronographic' (No. 1 and 2) and the
'separated' texts (the rest). This classification is
discussed below.
This list is taken from Meshcherskii:
1. The Vilnius Chronograph (Century XVI middle). A
chronograph. Formerly Vilnius Public Library No. 109 (147),
now stored in the manuscript department of the library of
the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in Vilnius. This MS was
used as the basis of Meshcherskii's edition. Josephus
occupies the end of the book, folios 500-736. 20x29 cm. 736
sheets. Written in large semi-uncials on paper with 6
different identifiable watermarks, themselves dateable
between 1507-1545. Meshcherskii gives reasons, based on a
gloss, for dating it to 1556.
This chronograph is one of the most valuable monuments of
old Russian writing. It covers world history up to the
capture of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The structure included
bible books, quotations from George Hamartolus' Byzantine
chronicles and John Malalas, Josephus " History of the
Jewish Wars " and a number of other sources. The contents
correspond to the first part of a chronograph, belonging to
the Archives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs No.
279-658, now in the Central State Archive of Ancient
Documents in Moscow. The greatest historical value is
represented by the glosses which illuminate the little
studied mythology of the ancient Lithuanian tribes and the
day-to-day life of their society in s. XIII-XIV.
The MS was described in detail: F. Dobrjansky, The
description of manuscripts of Vilnius Public library, Church
Slavonic and Russian, 1882, page 246-255. This worker also
used it for his studies on the Old Slavonic version of the
Byzantine Chronographer John Malalas. After this the
manuscript was unused, and considered lost. In the first
world war the contents of the library were evacuated, and
did not become available to researchers again until 1945.
Interwar literature, in consequence, refers to the imagined
destruction of this and other MSS. Meshcherskii describes
the MS in more detail, and discusses the evidence for dating
it. It was written by four scribes, all at one time, divided
into quires for speed. There are many marginalia in Polish.
Dobrjansky says that the Vilnius library obtained it from
the Suprasl' monastery, which was founded by emigrants from
Athos in 1498. Inside the front cover of the book, the name
Zikgimont (Sigismund) appears, probably the Polish king and
Grand Prince of Lithuania, Sigismund August II (ruled
1544-1572).
ff.1-95 consist basically of the biblical book of Genesis,
with interpolations from John Malalas, the Hexameron, and
other sources. Written on glossy paper by one scribe. The
text ends at the top of f.95 -- the verso is blank.
ff. 96-126. A separate quire, containing Exodus. Written by
a different scribe in special light inks on matt paper.
ff. 127-242. A separate quire, containing Leviticus and
Numbers. On rough paper. By the same scribe as ff.1-95.
ff. 242-273. A separate quire. Starts with a vignette and a
red ink heading in large script, "Instructive book of the
Divine Old Testament". Contains Deuteronomy. Glossy paper.
ff. 274-458. Two separate quires, two different hands. ff.
459-458, another quire. ff. 459-497, another quire. ff.
497-end. Another quire, this one containing Josephus.
2 The Archival Chronograph (end of Century XV-start of
Century XVI). A chronograph. Formerly in the Archive of the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, No. 279-658 (formerly
902-1468), now stored in the Central State Archive of
Ancient Documents in Moscow. Josephus occupies ff.343-480.
Text is identical in content to that of the Vilnius
chronograph.
3. The Academy Ms. (end of Century XV). A chronograph,
except that the text is really that of the separated
edition, and just appears as the end portion of a book On
the three captures of Jerusalem. Library of the Academy of
Science No. 45.13.4. Josephus occupies ff. 222-300. Kept in
Leningrad, in the manuscript department of the Library of
the Academy of Science of the USSR. Monochrome bitmap of
folio (Meshcherskii p.32 show here and at top)
4. The Uvarov Ms. (end of Century XV). Formerly Count
Uvarov's Collection No. 3 (18). Spelling and structure is
like #3. Josephus is ff.409-552. Kept in the State
Historical Museum in Moscow.
5. Trinity (Troickii) 1. (start of Century XVI). Formerly of
the Troica-Sergijev Monastery, No. 1 (12). A note indicates
it was once owned by Metropolitan Varlaam, in office
1511-1521. Previously in the library of the Trinity
Theological Seminary. Now kept in the manuscript department
of the V.I.Lenin State Library of the USSR in Moscow.
Josephus is ff. 447-595. Identical to #3 and #4.
That 3, 4 and 5 go back to a single exemplar can be shown by
the presence before each of John Eugenius' Lament on the
desolation of the Great City, written between 1453-1461, and
which appeared in a Russian translation not more than 60
years later, and probably in s.XV.
6. Makarius 1. The so-called "imperial" copy of the
Menologion for the month of January of Metropolitan Makarios
(Century XVI). Formerly Synod Library No. 178 (ff.797-917).
Handwritten note on f.929 from which it is possible to infer
that it was copied between s.XIV-XVI. Like #3,4,5, the text
comprises part of On the three captures of Jerusalem. Now
kept in the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
7. Synod 1. (Century XVI) Formerly Synod Library No. 182. A
copy of the menologion for the month of July. Josephus is
ff.856-953, as part of On the three captures of Jerusalem.
Now in the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
8. Makarius 2. (middle of Century XVI) Formerly Synod
Library No 991. A copy of the Uspensky Great Menologion for
December. Josephus is ff.776-890. The text of Josephus is
here separate from On the three captures of Jerusalem. Now
in the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
9. Volokolam Ms. (start of Century XVI, perhaps end of
Century XV). Formerly Volokolam Monastery No. 651 (227),
formerly No. 437, with a crossed out No. 356 also on the
page. 295 pages. The Ms contains only Josephus, and was the
basis of Berendts' and V.M.Istrina's editions. Now in the
manuscript department of the V.I.Lenin State Library of the
USSR where it arrived in 1918 from the library of the Moscow
Theological College.
10. Synod 2. (end of Century XVI, perhaps start of
Century XVII). Formerly Synod Library No. 770. 398 folios.
Contains both Josephus and John Eugenius' Lament. Now in the
State historical museum in Moscow.
11. Barsov 1. (Century XV-XVI) E. V. Barsov's collection No.
633, 277 folios. This manuscript was listed by
E.V.Barsovskii in the Description of the manuscripts of the
Vygolenskii Old Believer monastery ("Описании рукописей
собрания Выголексинского старообрядческого монастыря", St.
Petersburg, 1874). However subsequently the manuscript was
not to be found (Victorov, etc). It seems plain that the
manuscript was abstracted by E.V. Barsov from the
Vygolenskii library and used by him for his work The Lay of
Igor's Campaign ("Слово о полку Игореве"). Now kept in the
State Historical Museum in Moscow.
12. Barsov 2. (Century XVI). E.V.Barsov's collection No 634.
266 folios; probably an early copy of the first. Now kept in
the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
13. Trinity (Troickii) 2. (Century XVI). Formerly
Troica-Sergei Monastery No 720. Josephus only. Now in the
manuscript department of the V.I.Lenin State Library of the
USSR
14. Osterman (Century XVI). A volume of the "imperial"
chronicle. Library of the Academy of sciences of the USSR,
No 17.17.9. Plenty of colourful miniatures in the text.
Josephus is ff.965-1474. Now kept in the manuscripts
department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences of the
USSR in Leningrad. Monochrome bitmap of folio (Meshcherskii
p.33 shown below)
15. Kyrillo-Belozerskii 1 (s. XVI). From the library of the
Kyrillo-Belozerskii monastery, No. 64-1303. ff.1-311. The
manuscript is defective, missing the first folio. p.311ff is
John Eugenius Lament. Now kept in the manuscript department
of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library in
Leningrad (now the
National Library
(Saltykov-Shchedrin) of Russia), having come from the
Petrograd Theological College library in 1918.
16. Kyrillo-Belozerskii 2 (s. XVI). From the library of the
Kyrillo-Belozerskii monastery, No. 63-1302. ff. 1-339. This
manuscript is complete. p.339ff is John Eugenius' Lament.
Now kept in the manuscript department of the M.E.
Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library (Now the National
Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin) of Russia).
17. Kyrillo-Belozerskii 3 (start of s. XVII). From the
library of the Kyrillo-Belozerskii monastery, No. 65-1304.
275 folios, containing Josephus only. This semi-literate
manuscript was copied carelessly from #16. Now kept in the
manuscript department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State
Public Library (now the National Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin)
of Russia).
18. Solovki 1. (s. XVI). From the library of the Solovki
monastery, No 445 (325). In 277 folios. There is an
inscription which speaks of the donation of the MS to the
monastery by the Tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilevitch in
7047 (1539). Now kept in the manuscript department of the
Library of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Leningrad.
19. Solovki 2. (s. XVI). From the library of the Solovki
monastery, No 444 (322). 349 folios. Now kept in the
manuscript department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State
Public Library (now the National Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin)
of Russia), where it arrived from the library of the Kazan
Theological College.
20. Solovki 3. (s. XVII) From the library of the Solovki
monastery, No 446 (323). 400 folios. Now kept in the
manuscript department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State
Public Library (now the National Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin)
of Russia).
21. Solovki 4 (s. XVII). From the library of the Solovki
monastery, No 447 (324). 393 folios. Now kept in the
manuscript department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State
Public Library (now the National Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin)
of Russia).
22. Siiskii 1. (s. XVII). From the Antony Siiskii monastery,
No. 72 (167), No. 124 (as described by Viktorov). 291 folios
with numerous notes in the margins. Now in the manuscript
department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences of the
USSR in Leningrad where it arrived in 1931 from the
collection of the Archeological Commission (собрания
Археографической комиссии). Present inventory No 4516.
23. Siiskii 2. From the Antony Siiskii monastery, No. 79
(168), No. 125 (in Viktorov). In 1930 it was in the
collection of the Archeological Commission of the Academy of
sciences of the USSR; it's current whereabouts are unknown,
as it did not arrive with #22 at the Library of the Academy
of Sciences of the USSR in Leningrad.
24. Pogodin. (s. XVIII). Formerly Pogodin Collection, No.
1701. 196 folios. Marginal notes from the start of s.XVIII
(p. 7, 1716; p.60, 1725). Now kept in the manuscript
department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public
Library (now the National Library(Saltykov-Shchedrin) of
Russia).
25. Tolstoy. (s. XVIII). From the Tolstoy Collection, No.
170.1.411. 247 folios. Inscription on p.1 "History of
Jerusalem of Joseph Iosifa by Ivan Filippov". Obviously the
manuscript was copied at the start of the 18th century by
the well-known Old Believer Ivan Filippov, the chronicler of
the small Vygovskii monastery, perhaps from #11. Now kept in
the manuscript department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin
State Public Library (now the National
Library(Saltykov-Shchedrin) of Russia).
26. Florishchevskii. (s. XVIII). From the library of the
former Florishchevskii Hermitage in the Vladimir region, No.
94 (110). Described in 1890 by A.E. Viktorov in "Description
of manscript collections in severnorusskih (North-Russian)
monasteries" ("Описание рукописных собраний севернорусских
монастырей"), 1890, pp.214-5; its current whereabouts are
unknown.
27. Kilandar. From the Serbian Kilandar Monastery on Mt.
Athos. Dated 1585. A note published by Porphirii Uspensky in
his Xristianskii Vostok (Christian Orient), and mentioned by
E.V.Barsov in work says that it was made from a Russian
original for lack of South Slavic copies. Current
whereabouts unknown.
28. Rumyanchev. (Not later than middle of s.XV) Rumianchev
Public Museum, No 3271, ff. 256-291. The manuscript is very
incomplete, containing only fragments of books V and VI. The
earliest MS by age, but the language reflects extensive
editorial corrections because of the 'Secondary South
Slavonic' influence. It was cited in the apparatus of V.M.
Istrin's edition. Now kept in the manuscript department of
the V.I.Lenin State Library of the USSR in Moscow.
29. Kyrillo-Belozerskii 4. (s. XV) From the
Kyrillo-Belozerskii Monastery Library, No. 53. ff. 426-490.
Incomplete, containing books V and VI and a number of
fragments from other books. The manuscript is especially
valuable since it is the only one which can be precisely
dated. On p.155 there is an inscription giving date and
time, dating it to 1462, July 18th. This florilegium was
mentioned by the monastic cataloger under the name "The
fourth collection of the abbot Ignatius". See Н. К.
Никольский. Описание рукописей Кириллова Белозорского
монастыря, составленное в конце XV в. СПб., 1897, стр. 141 и
279-287. (N. K. Nikolsky. The description of manuscripts of
the Kyrillo-Belozerskii monastery, made at the end of s.XV.
St.Pb., 1897, page 141 and 279-287.) The manuscript is
closely related by type of text and language to #9, the
Volokolam Ms, however it was not copied so carefully.
Probably the copyist had before him a semi-legible exemplar,
and omitted portions he could not read, leaving gaps and
sometimes deforming the sense. Now kept in the manuscript
department of the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public
Library (now the National Library(Saltykov-Shchedrin) of
Russia).
30. Krasnogorskii. (s. XVII). From the former collection of
the Archangel Old Depository, No. 1014. Cursive writing of
the second half of the 17th century. The text of the first
three books of the "separated" edition, ff. 241-388. Now
stored in the Library of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR
in Leningrad, where it arrived in 1931 from the
Archaeological Commission (inventory no. 5081). A collection
of MSS to which it belongs was described as a whole in an
article by B.F.Pokrovskii in 1954 (В. Ф. Покрове к а я.
Неизвестный список «слова» Даниила Заточника. ТОДРЛ, т. X,
стр. 280-290).
From these MSS, Berendts used 17 (i.e #1, 2, 4, 6-10, 15-21,
26 and 27). V.M.Istrin's edition names and uses 8: #2, 3, 6,
9, 15, 18, 28; also Berendts No. 3, 11, 28. The other MSS
were not used for any edition prior to Meshcherskii's. #5,
12-14, 22-25, 29 and 30 were unknown. However these do not
add much, as they are mostly late.
Manuscript Classification
There are two groups:
1. 'Chronographic'. These are the Vilnius and Archival Mss.
They contain the full text of the history, starting with
Book 1, chapter 1, and ending at book 7, chapter 11.
Josephus History is just one component of a composite
Chronograph, compiled from many sources in the 13th century
and labelled by V.M. Istrin the Jewish Chronograph. The text
is closely connected with the chronicles of Malalas and
Hamartolus, and alternates with them, and also with biblical
texts, including the New Testament, particularly in books 1
(up to ch. 21), 2 and 4. The result is a seamless whole. A
set of marginal notes are common to both Mss. and indicate
the source for the material: Iosif ('Josephus'); Xron
(presumably 'Chronograph') etc.
2. 'Separated' version. All other Mss. belong to this group.
The text is given separately, but is incomplete. Omissions
include Book 1, cc1-25, 2 cc.18-end; 3, cc.1-2, cc.3-5; a
chunk in 7 c.8, and the end from 7, c.10. On the other hand,
in book 3, paras 194-5, the text in the separated form is
longer than the abbreviated text in the Chronographic form,
and other abridgements exist. Other insertions, from Malalas
and Hamartolus are also present, abridgements of the
chapters of those writers. This version has a special
preface in place of the omitted opening chapters.
The abridgements in the chronographic form are explained by
the wish to omit material already dealt with, e.g. in
biblical books earlier in the text.
Examination of the differences reveals that the separate
version is derived from the chronographic version, by
omitting or abbreviating it. Overtly Christian elements are
also pruned, since the Old Russian copyists and editors seem
to have regarded Josephus as obviously non-Christian, and
could not be the author of those passages of the
chronograph. The separated version has later Russian
linguistic features also.
Meshcherskii proposes that the translation was made at
Constantinople, and then incorporated into a Chronograph. In
the later middle ages, a need for a separate text was found,
and so one was prepared. It may be suggested that the
exemplar from which it was prepared was in poor condition,
explaining some of the larger omissions. The beginning would
be hard to separate from Malalas, etc, so begins at the
point where Josephus is clearly the author. This separate
text was in turn widely copied, so as to almost extinguish
the tradition of the chronograph.
Differences with the Greek
These are very extensive. These notes are only a sample; for
a proper view, Leeming should be consulted.
By 'omissions' we signify material present in the Greek text
but not in Old Slavonic; by 'additions', the reverse. No
theory should be presumed from these words on how these
differences come about.
Omissions
These are very substantial.
In Book I, Josephus's foreword as not having the direct
relation to the further narration (§§ I-31) is entirely
omitted. Further insignificant misses(passings) in the end
§§ · 33 and 34. § 40, § 41, and also the text §§ 44 and 45,
§ 49, § 94. Further, after insignificant omissions and some
paragraphs being abbreviated, §§ 164-166 are completely
omitted. §§ 177, 180-182 are omitted. Likewise §§ 187-192
which describe the stay of Julius Caesar in Egypt; §§
223-228, §§ 255-260, §§ 304-309, narrating about management
of the Tyrant in Galilee; §§ 363-369 and 374-376. Almost the
whole chapter which tells about war of Herod with arabs. §§
409-414, XXXI (§§ 601-606,) and XXXII (§§ 641-644). The
first paragraph is missed also. XXXIII (§ 647).
In Book II, material that relates to the origins of the war
with Rome is not included:-- §§14-19 (Archelaus journey to
Rome), II, §§40-75 (Sabinus' massacres of Jews), §§178-186,
§§271-283, §§410-411, §§413-416, §§439-450, §§465-480.
In Book III, absent are:-- §§17-19, §§130-131, §§181-188
(lack of water in Jotapata), §§120-129, §§258-270,
§§300-304, §§395-398, §§521-531. Abbreviated §§223-282.
Book IV also contains substantial omissions, and some also
in Book V, although much less. Book VI is perhaps the
closest to the Greek, although various phrases are omitted,
perhaps for stylistic reasons. There are more omissions in
book VII, including the end, §§446-455 which details
Josephus being charged by Catullus. This last is absent in
both #1 and #2, and since both end at the same word, which
is semantically strange, Meshcherskii suggests that the
original for both had lost the final sheet.
Meshcherskii adds that, as the work is entitled, "The
capture of Jerusalem", it is natural to see the omission as
made by the editor, as most of them are not relevant to this
theme. Naturally the changes to book VI are the least,
because in that book there is least material irrelevant to
the theme. The argument of Berendts, that omissions grew in
number as the translator grew weary, is thus the reverse of
the case.
Additions
These are not less important than the omissions. Istrin
sub-divided these into two categories, Christological and
non-Christological, and assigned them different origins, but
Meshcherskii dismisses this. A sample:
I, III: a large section on the theocratic rule of Hyrcanus
I. I, XIV addition on Roman customs. I, XVII, Herod has a
prophetic dream about ears. Then the name of a village is
added - in fact place names are generally somewhat confused
by comparison. XIX, I a lengthy addition where the Jewish
priests discuss Herod, leading into passages about John the
Baptist and Jesus. XX, I a passage on the murder of the
innocents by Herod. XXIX long speech to Herod, dealt with in
the Greek by a single sentence.
The passage similar to the Testimonium Flavianum about Jesus
-- but longer -- is also present in the Old Russian text of
the Chronicle of George Hamartolus.
Issues
The primary reason why most people have heard of the Old
Slavonic Josephus is because of the testimony to Christ
which it contains. The assertions made by Williamson and
others that these reflect a Greek text directly, and a Greek
text by Josephus, have not generally been accepted.
Meshcherskii tells us that religious texts translated into
Old Slavonic are normally handled with word-for-word
accuracy. But history, he says, as a subject, was a secular
topic. His suggestion is that the translator used his text
with 'rare freedom' (start of section 9, p.75). He did not
aspire to literally translate the Greek, but instead chose
to modify the text substantially, in order to address a
different topic, and to fit it into the story of the three
destructions of the city and the chronographies. The subject
was changed from the Jewish War as a whole to simply the
Fall of Jerusalem, large chunks of now irrelevant material
omitted, and additional material added from other sources by
the editor in order to make a pleasing narrative.
The Hebrew Josippon was also composed around the same time,
in the latter half of the 10th century. This too contains
substantial reworking and large-scale inclusion of legendary
material, including the Alexander-legend of pseudo-Callisthenes.
This text enjoyed a wide circulation among Jewish
communities in the East, and was also translated into Old
Russian by the end of the 11th century, and is made use of
in Russian chronicles.
Postscript
I have received an email from 'Ilse' which advises me:
I noticed that you have reviewed Leeming's Josephus volume.
Your review made me wonder whether you are aware of the work
of the German Slavist Prof. Dr Ernst Hansack on the subject,
including his chapter on the transmission history of the
Slavonic Josephus manuscripts and his review of
Meshcherskij's edition. Hansack, who incidentally managed to
obtain a copy of the Vilna manuscript about 15 years ago
(hence his belated review of Meshcherskij's edition), also
reported that a Russian team (or maybe two - to be certain I
would have to look it up) was in the process of preparing a
new critical edition. Some of the contents of the Slavonic
manuscripts of Josephus' Jewish War is sufficiently
controversial that, in my view, anyone seriously interested
in the subject may well want to know about Hansack's
findings and the present state of the Slavonic Josephus
manuscript research.
Bibliography
A. BERENDTS, 'Die Zeugnisse vom Christentum im slavischen
"De bello judaico" des Josephus'--Texte und Untersuchtungen,
N.F. xiv. 4. (1906) Not checked.
A. BERENDTS, Flavius Josephus vom Judischen Kriege. B. I-IV.
Nach der slavischen Ubersetzung deutsch herausgegeben und
mit dem griechischen Text verglichen von A. Berendts u. K.
Grass. (Teil I; Dorpat, 1924-26; Teil II; Dorpat, 1927) Not
checked. Meshcherskii says he intended to do a complete
translation but his efforts were cut short by his death.
Robert EISLER, The Messiah Jesus and John the Baptist,
London, 1931, 217. Not checked. This author assumed that the
text was full of Christian interpolations, according to
Whealey.
N.A. MESHCHERSKII, Istorija Iudejskoj vojny Iosifa Flavija v
drevne-russkom perevode. [History of the Jewish War by
Joseph Flavius in the Old Russian translation].
Moscow--Leningrad: Akademia Nauk SSSR, 1958. 578 pp.
Checked. Critical text in Russian. The source I used for
these notes. There are 130+ pages of preface.
H. LEEMING, K. LEEMING, with L. OSINKINA. Josephus' Jewish
War and its Slavonic Version: A Synoptic Comparison.
Leiden:Brill (2003). Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken
Judentums und das Urchristentums 46. ISBN: 9004114386.
Checked. This is in fact a full translation of Meshcherskii,
including the preface but not the plates, with Thackeray's
English translation of the Greek alongside and two
additional prefaces on Meshcherskii himself. It weighs
almost 5 ilbs (2.2 Kg), which makes it hard to read, though.
Alice WHEALEY,
The
Testimonium Flavianum Controversy from Antiquity to the
Present (PDF) SBS 2000. Reviews the various theories and
gives the current position.
ИОСИФ ФЛАВИЙ
Иосиф Флавий (Josephus Flavius)
(37 — после 100) — еврейский историк. Происходил из
священнического рода. Участвовал в антиримском восстании в
Иудее и сдался римлянам в плен. Отпущенный на свободу
императором Титом, Иосиф ( יוסף בר מתתיהו — Йосэп
бар-Маттитйáhу ) принял
его родовое имя — Флавий. Получив римское гражданство и
переехав столицу Империи, Иосиф написал ряд исторических
произведений.
