Stefan Schorch - 'Written and Oral Transmission of the Samaritan Torah'

Prof. Stefan Schorch (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenburg will deliver a lecture entitled 'Written and Oral Transmission of the Samaritan Torah, and the Challenges of a Critical Edition.' In a synopsis of his presentation, Prof. Schorch states, 'The Samaritan Pentateuch differs from the Masoretic text of the Torah in multiple and multifarious textual details. Although many of these differences seem to originate in the textual and dialectal diversity prevailing in 4th-2nd century BCE Palestine, their earliest attestation in Samaritan manuscripts and in the Samaritan oral reading of the Torah is mostly much younger (the earliest dated manuscripts of SP come from the 12th century, the earliest recordings of Samaritan Hebrew dates to the late 19th century). Moreover, the peculiarities of Samaritan manuscript culture and the Samaritan Hebrew dialect influenced the written and oral transmission of the Samaritan Torah, and the analysis and assessment of the Samaritan Pentateuch therefore require close attention to these characteristic contexts. Proceeding from an introduction into the Samaritan Torah, Samaritan manuscript culture, and Samaritan Hebrew, the presentation will demonstrate, with the help of samples from a forthcoming critical edition, how these challenges can be be resolved in order to make the Samaritan Torah accessible and to create a reliable basis for its further research.' Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to jjcross@uchicago.edu if you plan on attending. Sponsored by the Hebrew Bible Workshop.