There is a helpful review at
BMCR of a newly published Byzantine Greek lexicon:
Eva Villani,
Il lessico Ambrosiano inedito ΑΝΤΙΧΕΙΡ (C 222 inf., ff. 207r-208v). Milano:
EDUCatt,
2014. Pp.
248. ISBN
9788867800865. €15.00 (pb).
The review (by Eleanor Dickey), includes translations of some entries which offer unparalleled new definitions, and this includes a couple of biblical words (here I am selecting from and quoting the review):
Φ 5:
φαρὲς τὸ καθαρὸν ἑβραϊκὴ λέξις, ἤγουν τὸ ἀφωρισμένον τῷ θεῷ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ φαρισαῖος ἓν σίγμα· ‘
Φαρές (means) ‘pure’ (and is) a Hebrew word, or rather (it means) something set apart for God, whence (comes)
φαρισαῖος (‘Pharisee’) with one sigma.’ [The point about Hebrew is correct, for the root of ‘Pharisee’ is פרש ‘set apart’.]
...
Σ 22:
σμίλαξ εἶδος δένδρου καὶ κλί(νεται) τῆς σμίλακος· ‘
Σμίλαξ (is) a kind of tree, and it is declined in the genitive
σμίλακος, feminine.’ [The scribe originally wrote
εἶδος βοτάνης ‘a kind of plant’ and then corrected it to ‘tree’. The correction is interesting because LSJ gives four meanings for
σμῖλαξ
(accented thus in LSJ; Villani’s accent probably goes back to the
manuscript, which has accents), of which two are trees and two other
kinds of plant: holm-oak, yew tree, kidney bean, and bindweed.]
...
Τ 7:
τύχην τινὲς ἐπὶ τῶν εὐτελῶν πραγμάτων λέγουσιν, ἐξ οὗ εὐτυχῆ καὶ δυστυχῆ σκυτοτόμον καλοῦσι, καὶ οἰκοδόμον, τινὲς δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἀξιωμάτων τάσσουσι ταύτην· πανευτυχεστάτους καλοῦντες καίσαρας καὶ σεβαστοκράτορας, δοξάζουσι δὲ πάλιν ἄλλως ἕτεροι τὴν τύχην,
τύχην καλοῦντες καὶ αὐτόματον περὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα, εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι
τῶν παλαιῶν φιλοσόφων· ‘Some people use
τύχη
(‘fortune’) for cheap things, whence they call a cobbler or a builder
‘fortunate’ or ‘unfortunate’, but others apply this word to great
honours, calling emperors ‘most all-fortunate’. And others again think
differently about ‘fortune’, calling ‘fortune’ (something that happens
by) chance in human affairs, and these people are among the old
philosophers.’
...
Σ 51:
στέλεχος ὁ φλοιός, κυρίως δὲ ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ δένδρου· ‘
Στέλεχος (is) the bark, but properly the root of a tree.’ [LSJ defines
στέλεχος as ‘
crown of the root, whence the stem or trunk springs’.]
...
Σ 39:
σπεκουλάτωρ ὁ στρατιώτης ὁ βαστάζων ξίφος καὶ ἀποκεφαλίζων· ‘
Σπεκουλάτωρ (is) the soldier who bears a sword and beheads.’ [LSJ gives among other meanings of
σπεκουλάτωρ ‘one of the
principales
or head-quarters’ staff of a legionary commander or provincial governor
(whose duties included the carrying out of executions).’]
NB Dickey's closing comment: "In short, this work is good and useful and provides scholars with the
rare opportunity to explore a previously unknown text containing a
significant amount of ancient material; it would be lovely if there were
more dissertations of this type."
The methodology of New Testament textual criticism, the critical evaluation of readings, and the history and texts of early Christianity is the focus of the influential work of J. K. Elliott. Readings in Early Christianity: Texts and Traditions offers eighteen essays in his honour. The essays, by colleagues and students from his long career, reflect Elliott's wide interest and impact. From questions of the purpose and practice of textual criticism, to detailed assessment of New Testament literature and the readings of its manuscripts, to provocative studies of the reception of Jesus and the New Testament in the second century, this volume will be of value to those studying the New Testament and Early Christianity.
