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Document Details : Title: Philoxenus' Text of Acts Subtitle: An Investigation into his Modifications of the Peshitta Text before and after the Philoxenian Version (507/508) Author(s): MCCONAUGHY, Daniel L. Journal: Le Muséon Volume: 138 Issue: 3-4 Date: 2025 Pages: 271-316 DOI: 10.2143/MUS.138.3.3294913 Abstract : This study shows that Philoxenus revised his Peshitta text of Acts to the Greek throughout his career by examining his writings written before and after the creation of the Philoxenian Version in 507/508. It compares his citations to the Peshitta and the Harklean versions, the Greek text, collations of dozens of Peshitta and Lectionary manuscripts of Acts as well as almost 30 contemporaneous Syriac and Graeco-Syriac translation works. It extends earlier studies on the Philoxenian text by Vööbus, Brock and Walters regarding Philoxenus’ New Testament text by examining more of Philoxenus’ writings, written before and after the production of the Philoxenian version. This paper demonstrates that Philoxenus was modifying his citations of the Peshitta text of Acts to conform to the Greek well before the production of his eponymous version. This result is robust even when considering only his earliest work, the Ten Dissertations, written ca. 482-484. Philoxenus’ early practice of modifying the Peshitta calls into question the opinion that Philoxenus was not skilled in Greek. It provides readings that appear to be from the lost Philoxenian version of Acts. This study also weighs in on the issue of whether the minor Catholic Epistles and Revelation edited by Gwynn are Philoxenian and tips the scale toward their being Philoxenian. The evidence provides an expanded view of the Syriac Church’s awareness of the Greek text and need to revise the Peshitta at the end of the fifth century and opening of the sixth century. |
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