New Images of Papyrus 967 (Ezekiel Portion)

Another portion of the 2nd-3d-century Papyrus 967 (LXX, RA 967), discovered in 1931, that contains parts of Ezekiel, Esther and Daniel has now been digitized and is available on-line. It is the National Library of Spain in Madrid that has digitized their pages with Ezekiel (HT: John Cook).

More here and here.

John Meade compiled a list for us in a blogpost from last year to which I have added a link to the new images below. We are now just waiting for images of the portions in Princeton and Montserrat:

1. Chester Beatty IX + X: pp. 10–17 (upper half); 71–83 (upper half); 102–109 (upper half) (images of the pages from Dublin can be viewed at the CSNTM).
2. Princeton, Univ. Libr., P. Scheide 3: pp. 20 + 22, 23–28, 30–32, 34–37, 40–45 (upper half).
3. Kӧln, IfA, P. Colon. theol. 3–40: pp. 10–17, 20, 22, 71–77, 79–83 (lower half); 90, 92–101 (upper half); pp. 18–19, 21, 29, 53–70, 84–89 (whole) (see images at Kölner Papyri of the Institute of Ancient History at the University of Cologne).
4. Madrid, CSIC (Fonds Photiaded), P. Matr. bibl. 1: pp. 10, 33, 38–39, 46–52 (access the new images here).
5. Montserrat, SBO, P.Monts./II Inv. 42. 43: p. 78 (lower half), p. 91 (upper half)

More information and link to the digitized portion in Köln here.

More about the text and paratext of this papyrus from our blog here, here, and here.

Update: An anonymous commenter (and Sofia Torallas Tovar) has informed me that the Monteserrat portion has indeed been digitized (a few years ago as P.Monts Roca IV was published):

Montserrat catalogue and images:
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR42r.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR42v.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR43r.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/foto/472/PMR43v.jpg
http://dvctvs.upf.edu/catalogo/ductus.php?operacion=introduce&ver=1&nume=472 .

Lund on Ezekiel in the Antioch Bible (Peshitta)

In RBL, Jerome Lund reviews Gillian Greenberg and Donald M. Walter, trans. Ezekiel according to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias, 2015).

After two pages of suggested improvements and corrections, he concludes:

Every researcher in Syriac Ezekiel will appreciate this fully vocalized text and translation. It is useful in learning Syriac and in understanding forms that might at first blush be allusive if left unvocalized. However, textual critics of the Hebrew Bible should not use this text independently of the Leiden edition.

I would think the same could be applied to the other OT volumes as well. The best place for TC is the Leiden edition but the Antioch volumes can be helpful.

P.Vindob. G 31289 A Newly Published Fourth/Fifth Century fragment of Ezekiel

A. Papathomas, ‘Ezechiel 12, 16–19 und 23–25 in einem griechischen Pergament aus Ägypten’ Tyche 30 (2015), 91-98 (and taf. 14)

An interesting little parchment fragment (5.4 x 4.8 cm) of Ezekiel, which is (acc. Papathomas) comparatively not very well attested among the papyri and parchment from Egypt. The reconstructed page is c. 17cm (high) and 11-12 cm (wide) with two columns (3.5-4.0 cm wide each) - so unusually small for a two column codex. There is one clear nomen sacrum (see in the photo above in line 2).

Hauspie on Calques in LXX Ezekiel (LXX 3)

For general orientation to this series of posts see here (with forward links).

Katrin Hauspie, 'The Idiolect of the Target Language in the Translation Process: A Study in the Calques in the LXX of Ezekiel' in Die Septuaginta - Texte, Kontexte, Lebenswelten: Internationale Fachtagung veranstaltet von Septuaginta Deutsch (LXX.D), Wuppertal 20.-23. Juli 2006 (ed Martin Karrer & Wolfgang Kraus; WUNT 219; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008), 205-213.

Although Hauspie's English was difficult to follow, her study of calques in LXX Ezekiel questions the stereotypical way of viewing translation technique in a particular LXX book. She manages to demonstrate the independence of the translator, even in places where the Hebrew seems to be determining the Greek phrasing.


She examines three grammatical constructions: (a) the use of the nominative αὐτός for the Hebrew הוא. Hauspie shows that αὐτός is not a stereotypical rendering of הוא but is used to denote emphasis; (b) ἐν with dative rendering -ב instrumenti. LXX Ezekiel uses ἐν only when the verb and the complement denoting instrument are in a loose relationship; (c) objective
clause by τοῦ with infinitive. Hauspie shows that τοῦ never occurs after modal verbs, as in proper Greek style, for the constructed infinitive preceded by -ל in the MT.


Hauspie's study shows that even in apparent "literalistic" translations, there is more freedom and conformity to the norms of the target language than meets the eye.

Μυρτώ Θεοχάρους