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The paper intends to examine the importance of the medieval Armenian versions from Greek texts: the versions of the so-called Hellenistic School (Yunaban dprocʽ) have a very characteristic feature because they translate the texts in a strictly literal manner: for these characteristics they often allow the philologist to go back to the original Greek text. In particular, the paper investigates and discusses several passages of the translations from Nemesius’ De natura hominis and from Dionysius Areopagites. In the case of pseudo-Dionysius, we can remark that the Armenian version in some passages agrees with the ancient Syriac version, in opposition to all the Greek manuscript of the direct tradition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a first insight into Jesus' trial as it is reported in the Latin translation of the Talmud, known as Extractiones de Talmud and appointed by Christian authorities after the Paris disputation in 1240. The paper specifically examines a famous passage from tractate Sanhedrin, offering a philological and trans-cultural comparison between the Latin translation, the corresponding censored passage from the Vilna edition, and the uncensored (or partially censored) manuscripts Munich and Florence. The Latin translation provides not only a precise rendering of manuscript material from the 13th century but also additional pieces of information - such as the arrangement of similar material in parallel tractates and some glosses that have eventually been removed from the Vilna edition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article addresses a famous passage from Tractate Gittin of the Babylonian Talmud that depicts Jesus' punishment in hell in boiling excrements. First, the paper offers a close reading of the original Hebrew-Aramaic version. Then, it offers an innovative interpretation of the text elaborating on some glosses to be found in the Latin translation of the passage extant in the Extractiones de Talmud. Finally, the paper discusses Peter Schäfer's well-known explanation for Jesus' bizarre form of punishment, emphasizing the legal-theological implications of the passage that are often neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Life of John the Merciful, written by Leontios of Neapolis in the middle of the VII century, was translated into Syriac probably during the VIII century and then transmitted in some important Syrian Orthodox collections. The relevant differences between the Syriac version and the original Greek drew the attention of some scholars, who supposed that the Syriac reflects an ancient phase of the Greek text. This paper aims to clarify the issue of the position of the Syriac Life of John the Merciful within the manuscript tradition, which still represents a desideratum. After a detailed description of the extant different versions of the Greek text, the author focuses on the relation between the Syriac translation and the Greek witnesses, employing the stemmatic method, and provides a list of loci where the edition of the Life can be improved thanks to the Syriac. Conclusions are then drawn, shedding light on the Syriac milieus to be held as responsible for the translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Armenian corpus of Philo’s translations is a reference case to assess the usage of the ancient Armenian versions in textual criticism of the Greek originals. The paper highlights the exemplary character of this corpus, pinpoints progresses in the studies from a methodological point of view and sketches lines for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acts of Peter and Paul are an apocryphal text well known and appreciated both in the Western and Eastern worlds, spuriously attributed to one Marcellus (‘pseudo-Marcellus’) who is also mentioned in other apocrypha. After providing a general introduction to the Acts of Peter and Paul in the Greek, Latin, and Armenian traditions, this paper focuses on a comparison between the Greek text and its Armenian translation, providing relevant examples thereof. The philological analysis shows that the Armenian translation depends on a well-attested Greek text and clarifies on which branch of the Greek manuscript tradition it is most likely based. It also offers some possible explanations for the discrepancies between the two texts that cannot be ascribed to accidents occurring in the Greek manuscript tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article off ers an overview of the corpus of the Armenian writings on Stephen the Protomartyr and, particularly, of the texts related to his death as well as the discovery and the translation of his relics (Revelatio, Translationes, Passiones, including an unpublished Passio Sancti Stephani that I recently discovered). Special attention is paid to the Armenian translations of the Greek and Syriac Panegyrics dedicated to the fi rst martyr, stressing when the original is lost (cf. the translations of the Laudationes attributed respectively to Athanasius of Alexandria and Gregory Thaumaturgus) or is preserved (cf. the translations of some writings in honor of Stephen attributed to Gregory of Nyssa, Proclus of Constantinople, and Ephrem/Jacob of Sarugh). For each text, several unpublished Armenian MSS have been listed in order to pave the way for new critical editions. In the last section, the paper offers the edition of the Armenian text (on the basis of MSS P110 and P118) and the Italian translation of a Panegyric of Saint Stephen attributed to Basil, making for the fi rst time its content accessible also to the readers who do not master the Armenian language. The importance of the Panegyric goes beyond the constitution of the corpus of texts on Stephen; as a matter of fact, it is one of the sources of the Commentary on the Song of Solomon attributed to the Armenian medieval poet Gregory of Narek. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an overview of the rich Armenian tradition concerning Severian of Gabala’ s homilies. After an inventory, it deals with authenticity questions, surveys the relations between the Armenian and Greek forms, evoking a criterion that might help distinguishing early from (comparatively) late translations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canons attributed to Basil of Caesarea were known so far through a number of Arabic manuscripts, one of which was translated in German by Riedel, but not edited; a quotation of Canon 1 in a Coptic liturgical manuscript of paper (published by J. Dresher); a number of fragments belonging to different Coptic codices, edited and inedited, and in particular two leaves from a lost papyrus codex coming from Deir Bala'izah (n. 31), with the text of Canon 36 (published by P.E. Kahle); some Chester Beatty leaves (ms 819C, ff. 1-8) from a parchment codex (Canons 48-96) likely deriving from the White Monastery (inedited); the Turin Codex XIII, which is constituted by a good number of fragmentary leaves partially edited by F. Rossi. To these textual witnesses a new entire codex has been added, now preserved in Cairo, Coptic Museum. The aim of this contribution is to offer an updating about the edition of the Canons and to place them in the context of the Coptic literature, in particular the circulation of the canonical literature in this language and the intellectual milieus that promoted it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Origen's authorship of the so-called Hypomnema on Psalms by Origen, a rather long treatise on the headings of certain Psalms, was up to the present never questioned. However, in connection with the editorial work on Eusebius' commentaries on Psalms, certain congruencies between Eusebius' works and the Hypomnema caught the eyes of the authors. In the current paper they proof their assumption that the work has to be given to Eusebius rather than Origen, because of its content and scope, its situation of manuscript tradition, its style and even its obvious reception of Origen's works. The paper is supplemented by a preliminary edition and translation of the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]