Classifying the Aramaic texts from Qumran: a statistical analysis of linguistic features
Analysis of the scroll fragments of the Qumran Aramaic scrolls has been plentiful to date. Their shared characteristics of being written in Aramaic, the common language of the region, not focused on the Qumran Community, and dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE have enabled the crea...
| Summary: | Analysis of the scroll fragments of the Qumran Aramaic scrolls has been plentiful to date. Their shared characteristics of being written in Aramaic, the common language of the region, not focused on the Qumran Community, and dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE have enabled the creation of a shared identity, distinguishing them from other fragments found in the same place at the same time. This classification, however, could yet be too simplistic as here, for the first time, John Starr applies sophisticated statistical analyses to newly available electronic versions of these fragments. In so doing, Starr presents a potential new classification which comprises six different text types which bear distinctive textual features, and thus is able to narrow down the classification both temporally and geographically. Starr's re-visited classification presents fresh insights into the Aramaic texts at Qumran, with important implications for our understanding of the many strands that made up Judaism in the period leading to the writing of the New Testament--Back cover Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Preface -- Chapter 1 Classification of Qumran Texts -- Background to this Book -- The Development of Aramaic -- Present State of Classification of Qumran Texts -- Qumran Texts and Scripture: A Basis for Classification? -- Can the Qumran Texts Be Considered as a Corpus? -- Present State of Classification of the Qumran Aramaic Corpus -- Chapter 2 Statistical Approaches Relevant to Qumran Aramaic Texts -- A Background to Statistical Methods -- Emanuel Tov and the Conventional Text-Critical Approach Andrew Morton: Quantitative Approaches to New Testament Texts and Implications for Qumran -- Frank Moore Cross and the Quantification of Variant Readings -- Qumran Texts Considered as a Corpus -- Yehuda Radday and Statistical Analysis of Selected Hebrew Bible Texts -- Summary -- Chapter 3 Textual Classification Criteria -- Stylistic Criteria -- Criteria for Comparison with Non-Qumran Texts -- Summary -- Chapter 4 Aramaic Textual Criteria -- Lexical Criteria -- Morphological Criteria -- Syntactic Criteria -- Summary -- Chapter 5 Materials Examined -- Accordance Computerized Texts BibleWorks Computerized Texts -- Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Computerized Texts -- Chapter 6 Statistical Methods -- Power Calculations - General Background -- Effect Sizes in the Hebrew Bible -- Implications for Combined Approaches -- An Exploratory Principal Components Analysis of the Hebrew Bible -- Cluster Analysis -- Multidimensional Scaling -- Latent Class Analysis -- Vocabulary Richness and Translated Texts -- Summary -- Chapter 7 An Initial Description and Classification -- Description of Aramaic Scrolls -- Hierarchical Cluster Classification Using Raw Rates of Textual Criteria Hierarchical Cluster Classification Using Standardized Rates of Textual Criteria -- Comparison of Raw and Standardized Classifications -- Characterization of Typical Text Groups -- Realigning the Qumran Aramaic Texts -- Internally Situating Other Major Qumran Aramaic Texts -- Summary -- Chapter 8 External Textual Correlates -- Targum Onkelos -- Targum Jonathan -- Targum Neofiti -- Targum Pseudo-Jonathan -- Qumran Biblical and Targumic Aramaic -- Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt -- Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt and Their Relationship to Qumran Aramaic Scrolls Non-Qumran Judaean Desert Aramaic Texts -- Non-Qumran Judaean Desert Aramaic Texts and Their Relationship to Qumran Aramaic Scrolls -- Babatha Archive Aramaic Texts -- Summary of Exploratory Analyses of Internal and External Aramaic Text Types -- Afels and Hafels -- Relative Particles and dy -- Evidence for Local Dialects? -- Summary -- Chapter 9 Description of Syntactic Features of Aramaic Scrolls -- Correlations between Syntactic Features -- Hierarchical Clustering by Syntactic Features of the Qumran Aramaic Scrolls Analysis of Variance by Syntactic Features between Qumran Aramaic Scrolls Clusters |
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| ISBN: | 0567667820 |