Hermeneutic Phenomena in the Translation of the Peshitta Wisdom

Abstract

The Syriac literature in Christian tradition1 includes a body of patristic documents and works of ecclesiastical writers, besides many important versions of Old and New Testament2 biblical texts. Among these latter, are worthy of consideration, for the OT, the ‘Vetus Syra’ which includes the Pentateuch, the Psalms, and the Prophets;3 the version in east Aramaic (or ‘Syriac’) called Peshitta,4 of the Hebrew OT and of the deuterocanonical texts, coming from the tradition of the LXX; another Syriac revision-recension, made on the basis of the recension of the Anthiochene text of the LXX and on the basis of Pesh OT;5 the Syro-Hexapla (Syh) of the LXX in the Hexapla by Origen,6 through the monophysite Bishop of Edessa, Paul of Tella (615-617), and the version by Jacob of Edessa.7