Kaj tk; XaiO! eLfro>.n-zett.
Tort 2^tt (»2e5af ('ntf'ITaj,
'On Kipt^ 0 Sto; uiycti reu *l^par,X, ^attfCfUvtt •«< yrS
iii BLidporTot xaci ru^Aiv i» etirai Tov 'Aoat*.
TOTI iollr,<FO\7JLI T«»Tflt 756 TUV^AaTflt TXi VkK^V^i l(V Xa.-rObVOL'ntf^t
It will be seen that v.« destroys the parallelism. We must reject as interpolations u.iya.; tov 'lirpec*.?. and irtu^iuv it kItu to* '.Khuu from a comparison of the two Amienian recensions (see Bousset, ZSTW [1900], 147). The it i,OparTK is against the parallelism. The verse probably read —
"On KCpioi i ©M« fit»y,<rtTxt iri y^s.
By means of textual authorities the Christian interpolations can be removed from Reuben, Issachar, Judah, and Zebulun. Those in Simeon can be reduced to one or two phrases in 6. 7, and likewise those in chapter 8. Dan 5. 6. 7 cannot be wholly purged by means of textual authorities, nor yet Naplitali 4. 8.— In Joseph 19 the Greek is defective and the Armenian corrupt ; but Schnapp is wrong in branding the bulk of it as a Christian interpolation, it is probably a fragment of an early Maccabsan Apocalypse. — As regards Benjamin, though the distinctively Christian phrases are omitted by the Armenian at the close of 3, yet the promise of redemption through Josejih is sus- picious. Though a^w/ios virip dviiJ.uv TrapaSodriaerai could be said of him, yet the next phrase drnfidp- TTjTos inrip a.ixt^Qi' dTroflavctTai cannot be justly re- ferred to him. In 9 the Christian interpolations in the Gr. are wanting in the Arm., save tlie words ir/JpiffS^fffToi (cf. Lk IS^'-') and i^oveevad-fictrcu (Lk 23"), which appear Christian. In Levi 2. 3 the text of COP is very corrupt, but by means of recension o of the .\rmenian and U it is possible to recover the primitive Jewish text. This latter text described the three heavens, but this account was inten<led by the interpolator to be an account of the seven heavens. To this question we shall return presently. In Levi 4 and 10 and in 14' t Christian interpolations are present alike in Gr. and Arm., and one or two phrases at the close of 16. The famous passage in Levi 8, which claims for the descendant of Levi the triple honours of prophet, priest, and king, becomes intelligible through the aid of R and the Arm., and is of Jewish origin. It refers to John Hyrcauus. To this section we shall return later.
The Christian interpolations, therefore, which
• Schnapp has printed In his translation all the pasaages he considers Christian interpolations, in spaced type. This is a very convenient arrangement. We shall touch upon most of these in the sequel. ^ ....
t Where a form such u 14» Is used In referenc* to toe Testaments, it means cb. 14, line 6, in Sinker's edition.
cannot be eliminated by textual authorities, do not extend beyond certain phrases or sentences in Sim. 6. 7, Levi 4. 10. 14. 17, Dan 5. 6. 7, Napht. 4. 8, Asher 7, Joseph 19, Benj. 3 (?). 9.* Thus by means of recent research about three-fourths of the Christian interpolations have been removed from the text.
2. The Source and Character of the ChrUtii:n Interpolal ions.— Schnapi^ was of opinion that all the Christian passages were inserted in the text by a single Christian interpolator. The present writer in 1899 (Encyc. Biblica, i. 239) contended that the evidence pointed rather to a succession of inter- polators. Bousset, however (ZNTW [1900], 174), has since maintained Schnapp's view, on the ground of the unusual affinities subsisting between the interpolated passages. Assuming, then, that all the interpolations were from one hand, Bousset has not much difficulty in determining the prob- able period of the interpolator to be between A.D. 150 and 200. But his assumption cannot be main- tained, as we hope to show presently. In the meantime, excluding the conflicting statements, we have the following theological doctrines in the Christian additions : —
Thus 'the Lamb of God," Ben]. 818, 'the Only -begotten,' Benj. 93, should be born of a virgin ot Judah, Jos. 19^', a man, indeed, Napht 4n, a man from the seed ot Judah, Jud. 24^, yet at once God and man, Sim. 1*. ' God ' should ' take a body,' Sim. 615, and appear as 'God in the flesh,' Benj. IQisr., and dwell with men on earth, Napht 83ff-. He should be ' sinless,' Jud. 24->, Benj. S", 'the Light of the world,' havmg come ' to lighten every man,' Levi 149, • the Branch of the Most High and Fount of life for aU flesh,' Jud. 248. He should be a High Priest, Reub. 6iSf-, and 'the Saviour of Israel,' Napht &>, 'the Saviour of the Gentiles,' Dan 616, the Saviour of the world, Levi 411 175, Benj. 318, »nd ' save Israel and all the Gentdes, Asher 78 (Benj. 3^0). yea, all mankind, Levi 219 (Sim. e"'- i^X On earth He should be baptized, Levi IS", and acknowledged bv the voice of the Father from heaven, Levi 18>2, should after- w-ards be seized bv the high priests, Levi 145- 6, ' insulted, set at nought and lifted up on a tree,' Benj. »>'■, crucified, Levi 4" ' die for the godless,' Benj. 3>9. The veil of the temple should be rent, Benj. 910, Hades robbed through His suffenngs, Levi 4' : He should redeem His sons from BeUar, Zeb. 9i«n-, Uke the captives from Beliar, even the souls of the saints. Dan 5»S ascend from Hades, Benj. Qilf-, rise from the dead, Levi 16' 175f., ascend into heaven, Levi 186, Benj. 9". t