Good morning
There is a very short passage in Whiston's translation of the *Wars* which mystifies me. In Wars 2.12.2 Whiston translates κατέβαλεν as "threw it into the fire". Is there any basis in the Greek for the detail about the fire, or has Whiston added that detail from the (rather obscure) Jewish traditions, or what?
Thanks.
C.
Doubt about small passage in Whiston/Josephus
-
- Posts: 502
- Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 10:59 pm
- Location: Twin Cities, MN
Re: Doubt about small passage in Whiston/Josephus
histon does have a footnote on this:
The verb, Kateballo, means "throw down" all by itself. I can't find the Greek text for *BJ* online. Do you have the complete sentence?
It may be that Whiston is filling in that detail from the Talmud but without seeing the whole Greek sentence, I don't know.
.Reland notes here, that the Talmud in recounting ten sad accidents for which the Jews ought to rend their garments, reckons this for one, "When they hear that the law of God is burnt."
The verb, Kateballo, means "throw down" all by itself. I can't find the Greek text for *BJ* online. Do you have the complete sentence?
It may be that Whiston is filling in that detail from the Talmud but without seeing the whole Greek sentence, I don't know.
Re: Doubt about small passage in Whiston/Josephus
With the sentence before, for the context. It's Niese's text, from Perseus, but I haven't figured out how to copy the URL yet. Maybe this: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... 99.01.0147
Thanks again.
[228]
Μετελάμβανεν δὲ ταύτην τὴν συμφορὰν ἄλλος λῃστρικὸς θόρυβος. κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Βαιθωρὼ δημοσίαν ὁδὸν Στεφάνου τινὸς δούλου Καίσαρος ἀποσκευὴν κομιζομένην διήρπασαν λῃσταὶ προσπεσόντες. [229] Κουμανὸς δὲ περιπέμψας τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πλησίον κωμῶν δεσμώτας ἐκέλευσεν ἀνάγεσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐπικαλῶν ὅτι μὴ διώξαντες τοὺς λῃστὰς συλλάβοιεν. ἔνθα τῶν στρατιωτῶν τις εὑρὼν ἔν τινι κώμῃ τὸν ἱερὸν νόμον διέρρηξέν τε τὸ βιβλίον καὶ εἰς πῦρ κατέβαλεν.
Thanks again.
[228]
Μετελάμβανεν δὲ ταύτην τὴν συμφορὰν ἄλλος λῃστρικὸς θόρυβος. κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Βαιθωρὼ δημοσίαν ὁδὸν Στεφάνου τινὸς δούλου Καίσαρος ἀποσκευὴν κομιζομένην διήρπασαν λῃσταὶ προσπεσόντες. [229] Κουμανὸς δὲ περιπέμψας τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πλησίον κωμῶν δεσμώτας ἐκέλευσεν ἀνάγεσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐπικαλῶν ὅτι μὴ διώξαντες τοὺς λῃστὰς συλλάβοιεν. ἔνθα τῶν στρατιωτῶν τις εὑρὼν ἔν τινι κώμῃ τὸν ἱερὸν νόμον διέρρηξέν τε τὸ βιβλίον καὶ εἰς πῦρ κατέβαλεν.
-
- Posts: 502
- Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 10:59 pm
- Location: Twin Cities, MN
Re: Doubt about small passage in Whiston/Josephus
Ah, here we go.
"And they threw the book down into the fire" is a straight translation of the Greek.
EIS PYR means "into the fire."τὸ βιβλίον καὶ εἰς πῦρ κατέβαλεν.
"And they threw the book down into the fire" is a straight translation of the Greek.
- Peter Kirby
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8619
- Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 2:13 pm
- Location: Santa Clara
- Contact:
Re: Doubt about small passage in Whiston/Josephus
BTW - welcome to the forum!
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown