Aramaic II (
http://palimpsest.lss.wisc.edu/~mfox/Aramaic/Syllabus-Aramaic_II-2009.html
Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, UW–Madison
Prof. Michael V. Fox,
Office: 1338 Van Hise Hall — mvfox@wisc.edu
-- Web site for course: http://palimpsest.lss.wisc.edu/~mfox/Aramaic/
-- Web site for texts: http://palimpsest.lss.wisc.edu/~mfox/Aramaic/texts/
username: Grad
password: same as in 1334
Office Hours: You
are always welcome to knock on my door (except before and between classes), and
chances are we can talk then (but not before classes and preferably before
Goals of the course
To develop a broad acquaintance with the main ancient dialects of Aramaic
Readings for Course [Purchase what you are able; many are in the Mansoor Reading Room as indicated below] * = purchase recommended
Note: some of the following are available as pdf files in the above mentioned location. Others are in the files prepared by Prof. Miller. Some materials in her files may not be mentioned below. I have not collated them.
Be sure to use the resources in the files.
Alexander, P. S.
“Jewish Aramaic Translations of Hebrew Scriptures,” in Mikra: Text,
Translation,
Athas, George. The
Tel Dan Inscrption: A Reappraisal and a New Interpretation. Journal for the
Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series. 12
Beyer, Klaus. The Aramaic Language: Its Distribution and Subdivisions. Translated by John F. Healey. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1986. [UW: PJ5201.B49 1986].
_______.
Die aramäischen Texte vom Toten Meer. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck &
Ruprecht, 1984.
Cooke, G. A. A Textbook of North-Semitic Inscriptions: Moabite,
Hebrew, Phoenician, Aramaic, Nabataean, Palmyrene, Jewish.
Cowley, A. Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C.. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1967. ($64.50) [PJ5208.E4 1967]
Dalman, Gustaf. Grammatik
des jüdisch-palästinischen Aramäisch.
Degen, R. Altaramäische Grammatik der Inschriften des 10.-8. Jh. v. Chr. Steiner, 1969. ($51.00). [PJ5203.D4 1969].
**Donner, H. and
W. Röllig. Kanaanäische und Aramäische Inschriften. 3 vols.
Fassberg, Steven
E. A Grammar of the Palestinian Targum Fragments from the
Fitzmyer, Joseph
A. The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire. Rev. ed. BibOr 19/A.
_______ and
Daniel J. Harrington. A Manual of Palestinian Aramaic Texts.
Folmer, M. L. The
Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Period: A Study of Linguistic Variation.
Folmer, M. L and H. Gzella, eds., Aramaic in its Historical and Linguistic Setting. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2008. [PJ5201 A735 2008]
Garr, W. Randall.
Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine.
**Gibson, J. C.
L. Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions. Volume 2: Aramaic
Inscriptions.
Golomb, David M.,
A Grammar of Targum Neofiti. HSS 34.
Hackett, Jo
Ann. The Balaam Text from Deir ‘Alla.
Hoftijzer, J. and
K. Jongeling. Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions.
2 vols. Brill, 1995. ($429.50). [PJ71 H3 Abt. 1 Bd 21 T. 1-2]
[Mansoor Room]. Very valuable but pricy.
Hug, Volker. Altaramäische Grammatik der Texte der 7. und 6. Jh s. v. Chr. Heidelberger Orientverlag, 1993. ($96.00). [PJ5202.H84 1993]
**Jastrow,
Marcus. A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi,
and the Midrashic Literature.
Kutscher, E.
Y. Studies in Galilean Aramaic. Transl. and annotated by Michael Sokoloff.
Ramat-Gan:
Lambdin, Thomas
O. An Introduction to the Aramaic of Targum Onqelos. Rev. by
J. Huehnergard.
**Lindenberger,
James M. Ancient Aramaic and Hebrew Letters.
Lipiński,
Edward. Studies in Aramaic Inscriptions and Onomastics.
Marcus,
David. A Manual of Babylonian Jewish Aramaic.
Muraoka,
Takamitsu, Studies in
Muraoka,
Takamitsu and Bezalel Porten. A Grammar of Egyptian Aramaic.
*Parry, Donald W. and Emanuel Tov
The
Porten, Bezalel
et al. The Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of
Cross-cultural Continuity and Change. Documenta et monumenta Orientis
antiqui, 22.
**Porten,
Bezalal, and
Rosenthal, Franz,
ed. An Aramaic Handbook. Porta Linguarum Orientalum
10.
Segert, Stanislav. Altaramäische Grammatik: Mit Bibliographie, Chrestomathie, und Glossar. Verlag Enzyklopädie, 1990 (reprint of 1975 ed.). ($99.00). [PJ5213 S45]
Schwiderski,
Dirk. Die Alt- und Reichsaramäischen Inschriften / The Old and Imperial
Aramaic Inscriptions. Fontes et Sudsidia Ad Bibliam Pertinentes, vol. 2.
Sokoloff, Michael. A Dictionary of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic of the Byzantine Period. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan, 1990. ($109) [PJ5255.S65 1990] [Mansoor Room]
_______. A Dictionary of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan, 2002. [Mansoor Room]
*Sperber, Alexander,
ed. The Bible in Aramaic: Based on Old Manuscripts and Printed Texts.
2d ed. 4 volumes in 5 parts.
Younger, Lawson Jr. "Some of What's New in Old Aramaic Epigraphy." http://palimpsest.lss.wisc.edu/~mfox/Aramaic/texts/Younger_2007_OldArEpig.pdf
Schniedewind, Wm. M., "Tel Dan Stela." BASOR 302 (1996) 75-90.
Requirements
2. Daily assignments in translation, interpretation, and grammar. Keep ahead of the class.
3. Read Beyer, Aramaic Language, pp., 9-55. Do this in the first two weeks.
4. Epigraphy — Make a script chart and make a line drawing of the first 20 characters of the text. List any distinctive palaeographic features.
5. Survey of Aramaic texts. Become acquainted with the texts available by reading through the translations of texts in Old and Imperial Aramaic. Read the English translations in the following collections:
(a) Gibson, Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions (vol. 2: Aramaic Inscriptions).
(b) Fitzmyer and Harrington, A Manual of Palestinian Aramaic Texts.
6.
7. Readings about text corpori; see in schedule. (I'm still working on this. Suggestions appreciated. I'd like to find a chapter-length background reading on each corpus. Readings are to deal with historical background or literary features. )
8. Dialect tree. As soon as possible. Bring it to session 1 if you can.
Beyer describes the different dialects and families but does not bother to draw a tree. Draw a tree. Use the computer if you can, and will pass the around. It will make it easier to follow the dialectal relations as we read. Don't make it as detailed as Beyer's description. No need to include every sub-dialect. Use your judgment. We can add and substract as necessary.
9. Dialect report.
For each uniit below (I, II, etc.), one or more students will prepare a report on the distinctive features of the dialect(s), vis-à-vis BA, cued into Rosenthal’s GBA as the reference point. E.g., if you find a distinctive fem. pl. formation of nouns, you’d list it under §42. For verbs you could add the page number of the paradigm. Emphasize phonology (insofar as there are different consonant-equivalents for the letters used in BA) and morphology.
The first day of your unit you’ll hand out your report. (Or earlier—it would be helpful if we could have the reports while preparing the texts.) As we read the texts, we could all add features. You can continue to develop your report in the course of the semester. Submit the final copy on the penultimate Thursday of the semester. Then we will either share files, make a packet for copying, or send each other pdf files. We will then all have a handy set of Aramaic differentia sketches.
The units to which two “reports” are assigned can be divided as the two reporters wish: into two reports on different themes or one long report by two authors, who will receive the same grade. The latter option could be touchy, but I’ll leave the decision up to you.
Clearly this project has immediate practical value, so please shape your report with that in mind. Prompt preparation is essential. This is not a Term Paper or research paper, but a practical guide. Five pages would be an appropriate scope.
NB: The units may include texts with different features. You can simply note the differences in their appropriate places or prepare a sub-report. When a unit has two reporters, you can decide between how how best to handle the preparation.
Components of report, minimally:
Definition of the scope of the dialect.
Survey of texts in that dialect.
Time and geographical scope.
Other historical and literary background, as relevant.
Basic bibliography including dictionaries (it’s probably mostly on the above list).
Much of the above can be found in Beyer, The Aramaic Language.
For Rabbinic Aramaic: I don’t know if this is a “dialect.” Just tell us
what you find. Have a look at Kutscher’s Studies. We may skip this one.
10. Some Aramaic exercizes.
3. Midterm: Thursday of 8th week;
Final: not per time-table. Will be held on Tuesday May 12 at
Grading
Easy, as always
Aramaic Texts :
The exact readings will be determined as we proceed, but we
will read at least some of each text listed, either from the beginning or when
it first becomes legible. On exams you will be responsible for what we read in
class plus about 25% more in text on your own. If the number of students
changes (there are currently 8), I’ll adjust the schedule.
I. Epigraphic Old
A. Old Aramaic reports 1 & 2 Jared & Jon
Younger, "Some of What's New"
Zakir (KAI 202)
Sefire inscription A (KAI 222) Bar-rekeb KAI 216
Tel Dan inscription reports 3 & 4 Israel & Beth
(One report should focus on linguistic considerations, the other on the historical issues, esp. the dispute about bytdwd.
resources for reports: Degen, Fitzmyer, Folmer, Hug Folmer, Garr, Athas.
Everyone: read Schniedewind, Wm. M., "Tel Dan Stela." BASOR 302 (1996) 75-90.
B. Something else report 5 & 6: Nate & Steve
reports: What dialect is this? If you want to divide it up, one can focus on the language, the other on the historical background, genre, and meaning. Or one long report can combine both issues.
Deir Allah. Combination I. KAI #312, in Hebrew characters with restorations. Resources, commentary etc.: Hackett. Article by Huehnegaard, etc.
(Biblical Aramaic. We won't read this in Aramaic II but will integrate it into the final, combined dialect chart.)
II. Elephantine: report 7: Jill
"Elephantine Papyri" in Anchor
Bible Dictionary II 445-53.
Petition concerning restoring the Jewish temple (Cowley #30; Rosenthal II.A.1)
Reply to petition (Cowley #32.)
Marriage Document (Kraeling #1; Rosenthal I/1, p. 15)
Deed of Loan (Cowley #10, Rosenthal II/A/3 (p. 14)
Ahiqar TAD 1.1.1 -31 (ie. pp. 26-28; from the Intro. Read the entire Intro in English); 1-99 (using numbers on right margin.)
Resources for reports: Muraoka-Porten
Writ of divorce from Wadi Murabbaat (Fitzmyer and Harrington #40)
Genesis Apocryphon col. 21 (DSSR
Letter of Enoch: 4Q204 frg 1, cols. 1, 2 (DSSR
Testament of Kohath 4Q 542 frg 1 col. i, ii (DSSR
resources for report: Muraoka, Beyer 1984,
Bar Kokhba documents (#56, 60). Read ABD I 597-606.
IV. Jewish Palestinian, Babylonian, and Rabbinic
A. Targumim report 9: Abe
(Jewish Palestinian Aramaic; resources for report: Dalman, Fassberg, Lamdin-Huehnergard’s Grammar
)
Alexander, P. S. “Jewish
Aramaic Translations of Hebrew Scriptures,” in Mikra: Text, Translation,
Onkelos Gen 49
Neofiti Gen 49
Targum Sheni of Esther chap 1
Ezekiel, more or less coordinated with Ezekiel class. Chapters chosen when we get closer.
B. Rabbinic texts
report 10: Chris
Genesis Raba XXXVI, § 28 (on pp. 361-64a
a bit of Gemarah. n.o.t. Use the translation of the Talmud (in 1334). Do what you can with this.
C. Babylonian Jewish
Incantation Bowl : Isbell #1, Isbell #2
SCHEDULE, by week. Open to adjustment,one week either way.
weeks
I. Epigraphic Old and Imperial Aramaic
1
2
3
4
II. Elephantine:
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 (Thursday:
no class; Passover)
IVA: Jewish Palestinian / Targumim
12
13
14
IV: Rabbinic
15
16 Final Exam. May 12. 9:55-12:00, in 1349
VH