Method in Unit Delimitation (Pericope)
Contributors: Marjo C. A. Korpel (Editor); Josef M. Oesch (Editor); Stanley E. Porter (Editor)
Publisher: Brill
Published: December 15, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 231
ISBN-13: 9789004165670
Subjects: Judaism - History; Religion; Religion - Judaism; Bible; Congresses; Criticism, Textual; Manuscripts; Numerical division
Description: Since 1999, the Pericope Group of scholars, interested in the way texts were subdivided in antiquity, has met regularly to discuss new findings and projects (see www.pericope.net).  The papers from these regular discussions are published in the Pericope series. In this volume selected papers from the meetings in Goningen (2004),  Edinburgh   (2006) and  Vienna  (2007) have been combined into a thematic volume, dealing with the method of unit delimitation. 

De Moor and Korpel describe a hitherto unnoticed Tibero-Palestinian 
 manuscript from Paris, showing that in many cases
its paragraphing deviates from the Leningrad Codex, but is often supported by other Masoretic and Pre-Masoretic witnesses.

Kristin de Troyer investigates the text divisions in the Leviticus and Joshua Codices  from the Schoyen collection and concludes that these ancient texts do not contain any text division.

Stanley Porter studies a fifth-century  lectionary, showing that at that time the lectionary units had not yet been firmly established, even if they were in use in various forms in early churches. 

Other topics discussed are the graphic devices used by the editors of ancient  and medieval manuscripts (Silviu Tatu), and the chapter divisions of Stephan Langton on which the chapter divisions in modern Bibles are based (Joop van Banning). Wilfred Watson offers a succinct appraisal of  work hitherto done on unit delimitation in the Old Testament.

The volume closes with a proposal for a new polyglot Bible, containing data with regard to unit delimitation from four traditions: Hebrew, Greek, Syriac and Latin. The proposal was presented by Raymond de Hoop at the Vienna meeting in the summer of 2007. Readers are invited to react to this proposal in order to establish its viability.
Table of contents: title: Preface
pagenum: vii; title: J.C. de Moor &  M.C.A. Korpel, Paragraphing in a Tibero-Palestinian  Manuscript of the Prophets and Writings
pagenum: 1; title: K. De Troyer, The Leviticus and Joshua Codex  from the Schoyen  Collection: A Closer Look at the Text Divisions
pagenum: 35; title: S.E. Porter, The Influence of Unit Delimitation on Reading  and Use of Greek Manuscripts
pagenum: 44; title: E.J. Revell, The Accents: Hierarchy and Meaning
pagenum: 61; title: S. Tatu, Graphic Devices Used by the Editors of Ancient  and Mediaeval Manuscripts  to Mark Verse-Lines in Classical Hebrew Poetry
pagenum: 92; title: J. van Banning S.J., Reflections upon the Chapter Divisions of Stephan Langton
pagenum: 141; title: W.G.E. Watson, Unit Delimitation in the Old Testament:An Appraisal
pagenum: 162; title: R. de Hoop, Diverging Traditions: Jeremiah 27--29 (MT, Peshitta, Vulgate): A Proposal  for a New Text Edition
pagenum: 185; title: Abbreviations
pagenum: 215; title: Index of Authors
pagenum: 217; title: Index of Biblical Texts
pagenum: 221