Karel van der Toorn

ISBN: 978-3-86835-258-0

Pub: 2018

xiv + 334 pp. + 40 Abb.

 

This book offers a transliteration and translation of a text that has long been referred to as a “mystery papyrus.” The scribes of Papyrus Amherst 63 used the Demotic script to put down in writing a compilation of Aramaic texts. This unusual combination of script and language necessitates the collaboration of scholars from different disciplines. Since the papyrus is not a merely linguistic puzzle but a challenge too in terms of its religious and historical background, no scholar is likely to singlehandedly solve the enigmas of the text. If it had not been for the help and advice of many colleagues and friends, I would not have been able to present this edition. Let me simply give their names, in alphabetic order, without going into detail about the specific contribution each of them made. My thanks go to Paul-Alain Beaulieu, John J. Collins, Edward M. Cook, Lucinda Dirven, Koen Donker van Heel, Tawny Holm, Olaf Kaper, Aaron J. Koller, Ingo Kottsieper, Verena Lepper, Herbert Niehr, Dennis G. Pardee, Mark S. Smith, Richard C. Steiner, Marten Stol, and Jan Willem Wesselius. The purpose of this list is neither to enhance the credibility of this edition nor to shift the blame for its shortcomings to others. It is most of all testimony to the importance and the privilege of working within a scholarly community where we feel free to share our thoughts without fear of making errors. In the case of Papyrus Amherst 63 it will still take a lot of errors before we reach a perfect understanding of the text and its background. I am confident this book is a small step toward that goal. It is gratefully dedicated to Richard C. Steiner and Jan Willem Wesselius, pioneers in the decipherment and interpretation of Papyrus Amherst 63.

 

Table of Contents vii

Acknowledgements ix

Abbreviations xi

PART I 1

Papyrus Amherst 63, an Introduction 3

The Textual Community of the Papyrus 6

The Riddle of Rash 13

Palmyra in the Amherst Papyrus 18

Religious Interaction and Transformation in Palmyra 26

The Origins of the Collection 37

PART II 41

Text and Translation 43

Section I: The Babylonians (columns i-v) 45

Column I 45

Column II 46

Column III 48

Column IV 49

Column V 51

Section II: The Syrians (columns vi-xi) 53

Column VI 53

Column VII 54

Column VIII 55

Column IX 57

Column X 59

Column XI 61

Section III: The Samarians (columns xii-xiii) 65

Column XII 65

Column XIII 66

Section IV: Palmyra (columns xiv-xvii) 69

Column XIV 69

Column XV 71

Column XVI 72

Column XVII 75

Section V: Appendix (columns xviii-xxiii) 79

Column XVIII 79

Column XIX 80

Column XX 81

Column XXI 82

Column XXII 84

Column XXIII 85

PART III 87

Commentary 89

Section I: The Babylonians (columns i-v) 91

viii Table of contents

Column I 91

Column II 98

Column III 102

Column IV 106

Column V 110

Section II: The Syrians (columns vi-xi) 115

Column VI 115

Column VII 120

Column VIII 125

Column IX 132

Column X 141

Column XI 152

Section III: The Samarians (columns xii-xiii) 161

Column XII 161

Column XIII 169

Section IV: Palmyra (columns xiv-xvii) 177

Column XIV 177

Column XV 185

Column XVI 189

Column XVII 203

Section V: Appendix (columns xviii-xxiii) 215

Column XVIII 215

Column XIX 221

Column XX 225

Column XXI 228

Column XXII 233

Column XXIII 236

Glossary 241

Bibliography 277

Sign-List 289

Photographs 293