Digital Dictionary of Rare Lexemes in Symmachus’ Psalter: Laying the Foundation for A Comprehensive Lexicon of Jewish Revisions of the Septuagint

Dr. Felix Albrecht, Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schorch, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Numerous Greek lexemes from the early Jewish reception history of the Septuagint have yet to be catalogued and analysed lexicographically. Particular urgency attaches to the study of lexemes attested only once, the so-called hapax legomena, as well as other rare words. Their elucidation requires extensive analysis of both contemporary Greek language and literature and the underlying Hebrew texts, together with their interpretation within Late Antique Judaism. This German–Israeli project addresses this research gap through the creation of a Digital Dictionary of the rare words found in the Psalter version of Symmachus, a reviser of the Septuagint (c. 200 CE). A total of 215 lemmata have been selected for inclusion. For the first time, these lexemes will be comprehensively documented and provided with detailed analyses from both Greek and Hebrew philological perspectives. Since Symmachus is described by the Church Father Epiphanius as a native Samaritan who converted to Judaism, the linguistic and exegetical horizons of the author of this Septuagint revision ought to be taken into account. This German–Israeli cooperation is funded by the DFG–ISF.

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Sample Entry for “ἀνα-τμητικός, ή, όν”

Lemma ἀνα-τμητικός, ή, όν Etymology
Related

ἀνα-τέμνειν

English transl. fit for cutting up
German transl. schneidbar, schneidend
Evidence ἀνατμητικοί
(noun, nom. pl. masc.)
Ps 54:22d σ′
(Eusebius)
פתיחה
Equivalents LXX (ἡ) βολίς, -ίδος
missile, thrown weapon
Ps 54:22d
MT פְתִחוֹת (fem. Pl.)
swords
Ps 55:22d
Hexapla (ἡ) λόγχη, -ης
spear
Ps 54:22d α′ (Thdt)
Bibliography: Busto Saiz (1978: 467); Albrecht / Palla (2024: 205–213); Lust (2000) s.v. ἀνατμητικός: “fit for cutting up, sharp“ פתיחת; Gesenius (2013: 1093).

Lemmata