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Letter of Aristeas (Researcher: Robert Hayward):

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1.1 The text refers to itself as verbal entity (with explicit boundaries).

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1.1 The text refers to itself as verbal entity (with explicit boundaries).

1.1.1 The text refers to itself using a genre term implying verbal constitution: the text is set within a frame which explicitly uses the term diegesis, "narrative", as a self-description of the text, both at the beginning (1) and conclusion (322). This same genre term diegesis is used within the body of the text (296), where it may refer to the text as a whole, and to the account of the philosophical discussions which took place during the symposium arranged for Ptolemy's Jewish guests (187-294).

1.1.2 The text speaks of itself as dealing with an overall theme (subject matter) or purpose, or as consisting of coordinated parts making a whole: The introductory frame (1-8) explicitly states the principal theme of the text, which is described as a narrative account of an embassy led by Aristeas and Andreas from Egypt to the Jewish high priest Eleazar to make arrangements for the translation of the Torah out of Hebrew into Greek. This translation is to be made in Egypt, under the auspices of Ptolemy II Philadelphos and his librarian, Demetrius of Phalerum. A subordinate theme is the status of Jews transported to Egypt in the reign of Ptolemy's father, who at the time of the opening of the narrative are in slavery, a request for their freedom being deemed urgent(4). The text recounts the success of both enterprises, the slaves being released (21-25) and the translation being completed according to the highest expectations (301-321).

1.1.4 The text introduces the governing voice, thereby indirectly marking its own boundedness: The governing voice is identified as one Aristeas, an official at the royal court, this being announced indirectly in quoted speech to King Ptolemy in response to a statement of Aristeas' colleague Andreas, a bodyguard of the King (19), and in quoted speech of the King himself (40, 43).

1.1.4.1 The text has a superscription, "Aristeas to Philocrates", concerning “to whom” it is addressed or for whose use it is, and the one "from whom" it comes. The text's frame announces the addressee as Philocrates, brother of Aristeas, both at beginning (1) and end (322). He is further addressed explicitly as the "brother" of the governing voice at 7, and similarly in the body of the text at 120. It is just possible that the term "brother" may be used in the extended sense of "good friend".

1.1.5 Important text witnesses attest to a heading, "Aristeas to Philocrates", which is not integrated with the body of the text or with any introductory frame, implying one or more of the kinds of information under 1.1.1–4: A MS of the fourth century CE refers to the text explicitly as a "letter": see Alexander, "Epistolary Literature", p. 580. As noted already, the majority of MSS witnesses to Aristeas begin the text with the words "Aristeas to Philocrates" as a heading. These words might be taken to imply that the text is a letter, on which see further 2.6.1.1.

1.6 The approximate word count or other indication of comparative size is: 13,253 words.

1.7 The text’s Inventory profile should be seen in the light of the following further information on completeness, thematic progression, aesthetic effects, etc.: The progress of the narrative is straightforward, and the themes announced in the introductory frame are treated in such a way that they are seen to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion: the slaves are freed, and an accurate translation of the Torah is made. This basic narrative, whose themes are announced at the outset, is greatly enhanced by discrete narrative units, all of them related to the translation of the Jewish Law and the procedures undertaken to achieve this. Thus Ptolemy's overtures to the Jewish authorities are accompanied by rich gifts for presentation to the Temple: these are desccribed in detail (51-83). There is opportunity for a description of the Temple, its service, Jerusalem, and the surrounding countryside and wider geographical situation (83-120); and before the translators set out for Egypt, the high priest offers an explanation of the Jewish Law (128-172). This explanation is remarkable for its defence of the Law against those who might be inclined to criticise it, and for its reasoned interpretations of distinctive Jewish customs in regard to food and ritual behaviour. Thus, for example, the commands about which birds may be used as food: these are clean birds, which eat clean foods, whereas birds acquiring their food through violence are forbidden, this law indicating that Jews must abjure violence and tyranny in their conduct towards others. The explanations of Jewish customs so given are in part rationalizing, in part "allegorical". They also serve to promote the idea that the Law is the constitution of the Jewish people. These narrative units slow the pace somewhat, but provide a good deal of interest, human, geographical, antiquarian, and historical, for the intended addressee. The account of the arrival of the translators in Egypt, however, is not followed immediately by an account of their rendering the Law into Greek. Rather, an extended narrative unit (187-300) describes the seven nights of their symposium with the King, during which he asks them, each in turn, particular philosophical questions, to which they return immediate replies. The sheer length of this narrative section provides the text as a whole with a strong "philosophical" dimension: many of the questions posed and answered are concerned with matters of kingship and rulership, recalling the widespread interest in discussion "Concerning Kingship" in the Graeco-Roman period. The latter part of the text thus emphasises the outstanding ability of the Jews as philosophers with a keen sense of how government should operate; and the translation of their Law, that is, the constitution of their state and their ideas of good governance, into Greek is represented by the text as having a significance wider than the acquisition by Ptolemy of yet another text of interest to the antiquarian.

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2.1 The information conveyed in the text defines the perspective of the governing voice in the following way:

2.1.2 The text thematizes how the governing voice comes to know the text’s contents, and its perspective is restricted to personal limits: The governing voice is that of Aristeas, first identified in the body of the text indirectly at line 19, addressing his brother Philocrates (already identified as the brother of the governing voice at line 7), and presenting an account of his meeting with the Jewish high priest on his mission to Jerusalem and the events which take place as a consequence of this embassy. The governing voice also presents itself as personally aware of the decisions made by Ptolemy II about the future status of the Jews enslaved by his father. The opening section of the text (1-8) makes all this explicit.

2.1.2.3 The governing voice suggests its information is based on his own experiences, or on other knowledge filtered by reflections on personal experience: Personal experience is very much to the fore in the governing voice, which presents conversations as if recorded verbatim, and offers eyewitness accounts of people, places, and events.

2.1.4 The governing voice explicitly acknowledges that something mentioned in the text cannot be adequately expressed or conveyed: The effect on the viewer of the precious gifts of gold and silver bowls presented by Ptolemy to the high priest and Jewish elders is said to be "indescribable" (77); and the appearing of the high priest in his vestments in the course of the Temple service is said to be beyond description, filling anyone who witnesses it with astonishment (99).

2.2 A first-person voice imposes its perspective on almost all knowledge conveyed in the text: Aristeas, the first person governing voice, presents himself as responsible for all the knowledge to be conveyed to Philocrates in his narrative (1-8). This knowledge is presented mainly as an eyewitness account, and, where eyewitness testimony is not possible, the governing voice claims to quote sources available to him. The name Aristeas is Greek, and the governing voice for the most part presents a non-Jewish persona, particularly in the opening section of the narrative where the plans for translation of the Jewish Law are presented (1-9), and especially in 16, where the governing voice allies itself with those who address God as Zeus and Dis. In discussion with the high priest Eleazar, however, the governing voice seems to speak as a Jew (170-171), in regard to the interpretation of the sacrifices ordered by the Jewish Law. Thus both a non-Jewish and a Jewish persona can be discerned in the course of the text as a whole.

2.2.1.3 The introduction of the first-person governing voice of the text has the following characteristics (also applies to self-identification 2.2.2):

2.2.1.3.2 It consists of minimal or merely formal information, in that the text announces itself as a diegesis composed for the governing voice's brother (1, 7), the governing voice eventually being identified within the text as one Aristeas (19, 40, 43).

2.2.1.3.3 It is found at the beginning of the text only: As noted, the introduction of the governing voice is indirect: the beginning of the text consists of a statement explicitly given in the first person singular, but the identity of the first person is not revealed fully until line 19 of the text, where it occurs in a speech of Andreas, and in the mouth of the king at line 40. In line 43, it is mentioned in a letter of Eleazar, the Jewish high priest, to King Ptolemy, a text which is quoted in full (41-46).

2.2.2 The first person voice identifies itself by name only indirectly: While the bulk of the witnesses to the text open with the words "Aristeas to Philocrates", the "diegesis" itself opens with an explicit statement in the first person singular, and the identity of the governing voice as one Aristeas is conveyed only later on, by information given at lines 19, 40, and 43.

2.2.2.1 The voice identifies itself by way of a “signature”, as at the beginning or end of a text projecting itself as letter, or other text with a salutation: The text begins (1) with a salutation to Philocrates, who is greeted as one who has a love of learning, and is eager to acquire knowledge through an account of history and its lessons. The conclusion of the text once more (322) explicitly names Philocrates as the recipient of "the whole story" of the events. The text does not explicitly present itself as a "letter" (examples of which it cites verbatim at 35-40 and 41-46); but the cordial salutations at beginning and end, couched in personal terms, imply that the text might have been construed as a letter.

2.2.4 The number and gender of the first-person governing voice are as follows:

2.2.4.1 The first person singular is used.

2.2.4.4 The first person is marked for gender: The governing voice is indirectly identified as one Aristeas, a Greek name for a person of the male gender.

2.4 The governing voice defines a horizon of knowledge as shared with the projected addressee by taking for granted the following linguistic usages or references (in selection):

2.4.1 Persons or unique objects referred to by proper name or technical expression: King Ptolemy II and his court; that court's protocol and ceremonial; Demetrius of Phalerum and the Library of Alexandria; the Temple at Jerusalem and its furnishings; and the customs associated with a symposium. Moses is referred to as "lawgiver" at 139.

2.4.1.1 for persons mentioned or presented in narrative usage as characters, for example: members of Ptolemy's court are named, especially the bodyguard Andreas, who is often associated with Aristeas (12, 18, 43, 123, 173), the official Dorotheos (182, 183, 186, 304), and the librarian Demetrius (9, 11, 28-29, 301, 308, 312-317); various historians and philosophers (e.g.,) Hecataeus of Abdera (31); Menedemos (201); Theopompos (314); and Theodektes (316). Some figures from Egyptian history are named (e.g.,) Psammetichus (13) and Ptolemy I (13), along with contemporary figures like Queen Arsinoe (41) and the Jewish elders sent to Egypt as translators (47-50). Pre-eminent among the Jewish names mentioned is Moses (144); and the high priest Eleazar, who is not introduced but taken for granted, is named on several occasions (e.g., 123, 172, 320).

2.4.1.3 for Gods/mythical figures/supernatural beings, etc., for example: the gods Zeus and Dis are named (15); but the only other supernatural being mentioned is the God of Israel, sometimes with particular titles such as Lord and Creator of the Universe (15); Lord and Ruler of the Universe (16, 195); Almighty God (18, 19, 45, 145, 168, 185); and the Supreme Deity (19, 37).

2.4.1.4 for locations, for example: Egypt, as one of the settings of the narrative, is often named (e.g., 4, 6, 13, 122) along with places in its territory, like Alexandria (22, 108, 173), the Nile (116), and what must be Pharos (301), although this is not named: Judaea, as the other main setting of the narrative (4, 12, 83, 107), together with a city which is not named, but which must be Jerusalem (35, 52). The towns Askalon, Joppa, and Gaza are named (115), along with Coele-Syria (12), Samaria (107), and the Jordan river (116). We may also note Ptolemais (115, 116) and Arabia (199).

2.4.1.6 for documents, texts, books, etc. (identified through being referred to or quoted), for example: the text displays a keen interest in written documents, and displays knowledge of conventional Greek terminology for referring to them. The Law of the Jews, which represents a central theme in the text, is frequently mentioned (e.g., 3, 5, 38, 45, 176, 308, 310): it may also be referred to as "the Writings" (56, 154). There seems to be an explicit quotation of the Jewish Scriptures at 155, and probably an allusion to the Shema' at 160. The king's written decree is cited (21); memoranda are named and sometimes cited (28, 29, 33) along with letters (sometimes quoted, as at 35, 41) which are mentioned as a commonplace (28, 33, 123, 173, 321), and books (e.g., 312), along with archives (297, 299). The creation of written records of meetings is also mentioned as a regular practice (299). The existence of a library (9, 31, 38) is a key element in the narrative.

2.4.3 The text as a whole routinely employs the following language(s), knowledge of which is taken for granted: Greek. The Greek language is mentioned explicitly at line 38.

2.4.3.1 [Additional language(s) taken for granted in quoted speech or certain parts of the text are: Biblical Hebrew. Although no words or phrases are quoted in Hebrew, the fact that the text has as a theme the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek means that certain remarks are made about the Hebrew alphabet (3, 30, 38, 176) and the nature of the language itself, to the effect that it is not "Syrian" (11). The Egyptian script is also mentioned at line 11.]

2.4.4 Special linguistic usages occur prominently:

2.4.4.1 Technical expressions for a particular subject matter are used, without explanation, to speak (e.g.,) of the high priest's vestments (96-99) and the officials in charge of the symposium (182-186). The text also uses technical terms for the names of officials at the Ptolemaic court and for other Egyptian administrative functionaries. The language used to speak of the Ptolemaic monarch and his qualities as ruler is redolent of the notion that the king represents a nomos empshuchos, and compares with notions of kingship represented in the peri basileias literature.

2.4.4.4 Biblicizing language, such that the text may be assumed to project itself as having a link to texts today known as biblical (see 7.1.4.1): These links are exhibited mainly through an affinity between this text and the LXX, whose influence is apparent at 228, where words from LXX Deut. 13:6 are cited; at 57-58, where the Table of the Bread of the Presence is described in terms close to LXX's account of that object; and at 96-99, where the high priest's vestments are spoken of using technical terminology identical to terms in LXX Exod. 28-29.

2.5 The text contains expressions which refer to the time or place of the projected situation of “speaking” the text, or provide unique indications. The persona of the governing voice explicitly projects a picture of Ptolemaic Egypt as the time and place of the bulk of the action described in the narrative. Some technical expressions reflect the organization of the Ptolemaic court and its customs. In particular, mention of Demetrius and the Alexandrian library indicate that the governing voice wishes the reader to view the narrative as taking place in the early Ptolemaic period; and his references to Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II, the former's son and successor, confirm this perceived time-frame. [Several students of the text have claimed to discern internal evidence which may more precisely date the time and place of the governing voice. There is, however, considerable disagreement amongst such students, to such a degree that their opinions cannot be be taken as possessing any great degree of certainty. The text itself seems to contain historical inaccuracies and dubia: for example, Demetrius of Phalerum's reported presence at the court of Ptolemy II is regarded by many scholars as an historical inaccuracy (though some argue for its being correct); and the allusion (180) to Ptolemy II's victory over Antigonus at sea could most naturally be taken as a reference to the battle of Kos. If the reference is indeed to the battle of Kos, the battle is incorrectly dated, and what Aristeas reports as a victory for Ptolemy was, in fact, a defeat.]

2.5.1 There is a deictic expression referring to the governing voice's time and place given as part of the words of the governing voice at 182, "and it may still be seen to this day", with reference to an officer in charge of Jewish affairs and his duty.

2.6 The text presents itself as speaking to certain persons, groups or entities, thus projecting an addressee of the text. The text is addressed explicitly to Philocrates (1, 322), who is presented as the brother of the governing voice's persona (7). See 1.1.5 for details.

2.6.1 The governing voice uses apostrophe with a proper name and second-person grammatical forms. The addressee is called by name, " O Philocrates" (1, 322), "O my dear brother Philocrates" (120), and is spoken of in the second person singular.

2.6.1.1 An audience is identified as the intended receiver of a text projecting itself as a letter: The text does not explicitly describe itself as a letter; but there is a clearly identified audience in the person of Philocrates, who is named in a heading, and at the start and the conclusion of the text (see 1.1.5.); and the text's form, style and contents are not inconsistent with other letters from the Graeco-Roman period: see Alexander, "Epistolary Literature". Thus the text begins with a salutation to Philocrates, who is greeted as one with a love of learning, and who is eager to acquire knowledge through an account of history and its lessons. The conclusion of the text (322) once again explicitly names Philocrates as the recipient of "the whole story of the events". The cordial salutations at the beginning and end of the text, couched in personal terms, imply that the text could be construed as a letter.

2.6.2 The projected addressee is characterized as having a certain moral or epistemic stance. Philocrates is known to the governing voice, who addresses him: "I am convinced that you, with your disposition towards holiness and your sympathy with men who live according to the Holy Law, will more readily listen to the account I am proposing to set forth..." (4-5); "you have aspirations which are so noble, and since you are not only my brother in character no less than in blood but are one with me as well in the pursuit of goodness" (7).

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4.1 The text narrates events which are strongly emplotted, with interlocking events, characters, motivations, causes, times or locations.

4.1.2 All subordinate events are presented as preparing one crisis and its solution, and as addressing one unified time span and telling the fate of a group of characters: The plans for the translation of the Hebrew Torah into Greek in the reign of Ptolemy II, and the means by which they were brought to a successful conclusion, are narrated; and all other events, including the manumission of Jewish slaves captured by Ptolemy's father, are in subordination to this key event.

4.1.2.1 The narrative builds up one central narrative tension for a set of events as having special intrinsic interest, or unites a number of narrative strands. The central narrative consists of the account of the translation of the Hebrew Torah, while relating events of intrinsic interest (the embassy to Jerusalem, with the description of the city, its Temple, and the country surrounding it), and uniting a number of narrative strands, such as the freeing of the Jewish slaves captured by Ptolemy's father; the accounts of the seven day symposium; and the details of the arrangements made for the work of the translators.

4.1.2.2 The narrative pivots around a small set of inter-connected characters, the principals being King Ptolemy II and his librarian Demetrius of Phalerum; the high priest Eleazar; and the translators.

4.1.3 The narrative provides a clear closure. The translation of the Law into Greek is presented not only as completed, but as having received the approval of the Jewish population (who pronounce a curse on anyone seeking to alter it) and of the King himself (308-312), who orders that the translation be carefully guarded and preserved (317).

4.1.4 The narrative foregrounds apparently exact information on the absolute and relative timing of events: The events are presented as taking place in the reign of Ptolemy II, and they are related in chronological sequence and in great detail.

4.1.5 The narrative foregrounds quantifiable non-temporal information: While not a pervasive element in the narrative, such information is central, inasmuch as six translators are chosen from each tribe of Israel, and their names are given (47-50). The narrative of the symposium is structured around the king's question to each one of these translators in turn.

4.2 The event sequence is projected as related to the sequence of text parts as follows:

4.2.1 The report sequence mirrors the projected chronological sequence of events mostly or wholly: The sequence of events appears simple and uncomplicated, the narrative proceeding from the moment when a question is raised about the Jewish Law and the desirability of procuring a copy of it for the Alexandrian Library, to the eventual completion of a translation of this Law into Greek and its approval by the King.

4.8 The text provides scene-setting information, other than the introduction of an I-narration.

4.8.1 There is an explicit introduction of the chronological and spatial setting of the action: The governing voice presents itself as witness to the action, setting the scene initially in the court of king Ptolemy II, and describing the embassy to Jerusalem, and its return to Egypt. The mention of characters involved in the action, and their time and place, is explicit (e.g., 1-11; 83-172).

4.8.2 There is an explicit introduction of the main characters: The King (4); Demetrius of Phalerum (9), the high priest Eleazar (83) are all explicitly introduced. The tranlsators are listed by name (47-50). Royal officials who play a minor role in the narrative are also introduced, as, for example, at 182 (Nicanor and Dorotheus). See also 201, for introduction of Menedemus of Eretria, the philosopher.

4.9 There is sustained characterization of key figures in the narrative: The governing voice mentions the sympathy of his addressee for "men who are living in accordance with the holy Law" (5), and this stance appears to characterize all the Jewish characters in the narrative (46; 121-127, on the character of the translators; and 130-169, on the character of those who observe the Jewish Law, which inculcates certain values). The non-Jews are characterized as intelligent persons seeking after knowledge (especially the King and Demetrius); as philosophers (Menedemus, 210); historians (Theopompos, 314), or tragic poets, Theodektes, 316). The King's questions to the Jewish translators mark him out as an upright man of philosophical ability.

4.9.1.1 There is self-characterization of a first-person governing voice, or first-person characterization of other characters. The governing voice rather implies his character in speaking of his addressee brother as sharing the same qualities as himself (1-8), and allows his character to be delineated by words put into the mouths of other characters (18-19, 40).

4.9.2 All characterization is achieved only through reporting the actions, speech or thoughts of the characters ("dramatic").

4.9.3 Figures are characterized by her or his moral or religious traits. See 4.9. above; none of the characters in this narrative is presented in a bad light. All are either explicitly or implicitly actively engaged in further a translation of the Jewish Law, whose qualities are acknowledged as excellent and worthy of dissemination.

4.9.3.1 Moral/religious traits are manifestly linked to the ethnicity of the figure. The moral and religious qualities of those who live by observing the Jewish Law are described explicitly by the high priest at 139-169.

4.9.4 Both the high priest Eleazar and the King Ptolemy, along with Demetrius of Phalerum, are characterized by their intellectual gifts and understanding.

4.10 The Jewish characters' relations to the Jewish community are foregrounded: the Jews in Egypt are, in a sense, in a “doubled” social environment, a diaspora setting. See also 2.2., for the position of the governing voice Aristeas, who presents himself, somewhat ambiguously, as belonging in both the non-Jewish and the Jewish world.

4.10.2 The Jews of Egypt are portrayed as being integrated in two different societal environments. This is especially the case after the freeing of the Jews enslaved by Ptoelmy I (21-25). The governing voice presents the Jews of Egypt as thereafter integrated into the Egyptian environment.

4.10.3 A main character is portrayed as being integrated in his single societal environment. This applies particularly to the King and to Demetrius of Phalerum, integrated into Greco-Egyptian society; and to the high priest Eleazar and the 72 translators, integrated into Jewish society.

4.12 The narrative pace is slowed down or changed by the occasional or regular occurrence of extended descriptions.

4.12.1 There is extended description of one or more static objects: For example, the gifts which Ptolemy II sent to Eleazar are carefully described: we hear details of the Table for the Bread of the Presence (52-72) and of gold and silver bowls (73-78) and other vessels (79-80). There is description of the Temple (84-91); the Temple service (91-96); the citadel and its guardians (100-104); and the city of Jerusalem (105-107). The explicit stress on the beauty and aesthetic qualities of many of these objects is quite striking, and is unusual in the corpus of texts profiled in this Inventory.

4.12.2 There is extended description of the outward appearance of persons or other animated beings: Most notable is the extended description of Eleazar the high priest as he conducts the Temple service (96-99). The activities of the ordinary priests are described at 92-96.

4.12.3 There is extended description of the physical or architectural setting/landscape: See 4.13.1, with special reference to description of Temple walls, buildings, and furnishings, including the system for the provision of water (84-91). Note also the description of the countryside surrounding Jerusalem, its cultivation, and its natural resources (107-119). The description of the place where the translators are to carry out their work is full given in great detail (301 ff.).

4.13 The narrative pace is slowed down or changed by frequent or prominent quotation of speech and text: The following documents are quoted verbatim: a copy of the the decree of Ptolemy II freeing slaves (21-25); a memorandum of Demetrius regarding the appropriateness of the decision to translate the Jewish Law (29-32); the letter of Ptolemy II to Eleazar (35-40); and the letter of Eleazar to Ptolemy II (41-46). Quotation of specch dominates the narrative section describing the symposium (187-292), and is prominent also in the account of the embassy to Jerusalem, in the course of which Eleazar speaks at length about the nature of the Jewish Law (130-169).

4.13.1 Quoted wording constitutes a plot-driving event in its own right: This is the case for the account of the symposium; and the quotations of documents and letters serve also to drive the plot and to further the action.

4.13.3 Quoted wording is presented as a written message sent from one character to another: in the case of Demetrius' memorandum, urging that the translation of the Law be made (29-32); and the letters exchanged between Ptolemy II and Eleazar (35-40; 41-46).

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7.1 Narrative or thematic correspondences, or overlap of specific wording, occur between a non-biblical text and one or more biblical texts in a manner that is prominent or pervasive.

7.1.3 There is functionally important employment of quotations of biblical wording, explicitly marked as quotations. This is apparent particularly in the speech of Eleazar in response to the questions posed by Andreas and Aristeas about the character of the Jewish Law (130-169). For example, we hear (at 153, 161) of "animals which are cloven-footed and chew the cud" (compare Lev. 11:3); at 155 there is a quotation of words recalling Deut. 7:18-19, 21 explicitly marked; and at 160 a reference to Deut 6:5 (the Shema').

7.1.4 The text’s language is marked by features or by specific wording also found in the language of the Hebrew Bible as it appears in the LXX translation: examples of this include the technical terms used to describe the vestments of the high priest (96-99), which should be compared with LXX of Exod. 28-29; and the details of the table for the Temple sent to Eleazar by Ptolemy II at 57-58 (compare Exod.25:23-30) For an interpretation which sees far-reaching "typological" parallels between the whole narrative of Aristeas and biblical narrative, see Kovelman, Between Alexandria and Jerusalem, ch. 4.

7.2.5 [There are prominent single allusions to specific wording found in the partner text: This may, occasionally, be the case. Thackeray noted in the expression "to add to his stock of knowledge and acquirements" (line 2) an iambic line which he considered similar to material surviving in fragments of Sophocles. Expressions used in 31 indicate that the governing voice wishes to invoke words written by Hecataeus of Abdera.]

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8.1 Standard forms or contents formulated in set phrases, set sentence formats, or clauses in a standard syntactic connection.

8.1.4 Unit of a biblical quotation together with a hermeneutically dependent formulation; midrashic unit: this is rare, but occurs at 155, 160, and 161.

8.1.4.1 The expressive use of unmarked biblical wording whose function in the text’s discourse is enhanced or achieved by it being recognised as coming from a Scripture: rare, being confined to expressive use of the LXX to describe the Table of the Bread of the Presence (52-72); aspects of the Temple and its service (84-96); and the high priest's vestments (96-99). If the governing voice does not expect the addressee to understand that the words "animals which are cloven-footed and chew the cud" (mentioned at 153, 161) as being a citation of the Bible (see Lev. 11:3), then these words also represent the expressive use of another text.

8.1.10 List sentence enumerating items by words or phrases: This is found occasionally, being used most prominently for the catalogue of names of the translators (47-50), and for the enumeration of precious objects sent to Jerusalem.

8.1.15 Wish sentence: this is rare. See 178, "God save the King", for an example.

8.1.16 Descriptive sentence of a static (ocular) structure or object: see under 4.12.1.

8.1.20 Recommendation of a particular behaviour or statement of an ideal type of person in a “wisdom” or similar formulation: These are very common in the account of the symposium. Most of the answers given to the King's questions by the Jewish scholars fall into this category. The ideal person concerned may be either the "good man", the ideal king, or both together. The behaviour of kings as rulers is especially highlighted in these wisdom sentences, with their heavy emphasis on statecraft. The "wisdom" of these sentences, however, is in many cases applicable to individual human beings as they seek correct conduct in their lives.

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9.6 An extended portion or substantial proportion of the text continuously explicates local thematic transitions, by means of: discourse deixis introducing question-answer units. Of these the following require further comment:

9.6.3 Use of explicit reference to the textual position or sequence of information, articulating the passage as having coordinated parts: The whole of the extended symposium section (187-294) has a clearly marked, repetitive structure. Thus the king asks a single question, and each succeeding single question is asked of a different Jewish scholar, who then immediately returns an answer. Following the answer of the first scholar, the governing voice reports that the king praised the answer, and then "asked the next person" or "asked another" person, until all 72 scholars had been asked one question and had returned an answer. All the scholars are praised, thanked, or congratulated on their answers. The symposium lasted for seven days; thus it was that ten questions were asked of the scholars on each succeeding day, and the overplus of two questions was signified by the governing voice, extra questions being asked on stated days (see, for example, 273 where the matter is explicitly indicated). The first question was put to the most senior scholar, and the rest were then questioned in their order of precedence.

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11.1 The non-narrative text projects its thematic concern as being mainly one or more of the following:

11.1.2 Moral values or value judgments, including practical instructions on proper behaviour or self-preservation: A large section of the text (187-294) is dominated by advice on the behaviour of the king and his self-preservation.

11.2 The text is dominated by the reporting of events of the past: namely, the events leading up to and culminating in the translation of the Torah into Greek; the freeing of Jewish slaves in Egypt, and the grand symposium provided for the Jewish translators of the Torah by the King.

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12.1 Sampling of genre labels applied to the text in secondary literature: Narrative; Apologia; Charter Myth; Written speech; Historical Myth; Letter. From antiquity, we have the descriptions of Josephus, Ant XII.100, who quotes material from this text, speaking of it as "biblion", a book; Eusebius of Caesarea, PE IX.38, who entitles it "Concerning the Translation of the Jewish Law"; and Epiphanius, De Mens. et Ponder. 9, who describes it as "suntagma", literally "something drawn up in order", but a word which may also in certain circumstances refer to the constitution of a state.

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Bibliography:

Text: H. St.J. Thackeray, in H. B. Swete, An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek (reprinted Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989, pp. 533-606; this text is also found online: David M. Miller and Ian W. Scott (eds.), "Letter of Aristeas." Edition 1.0, The Online Critical Pseudepigrapha. Edited by Ken M. Penner, David M. Miller, and Ian W. Scott. (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. Online: http://www.purl.org/net/ocp/LetAris.html). accessed 06/11/2010. H. Meecham, The Letter of Aristeas: A Linguistic Study with Special Reference to the Greek Bible (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1935); M. Hadas, Aristeas to Philocrates (Letter of Aristeas) (New York: Harper, 1951); A. Pelletier, Lettre d'Aristee a Philocrate, Sources Chretiennes 89 (Paris: Cerf, 1962); this includes a translation of the text into French.

Translations: H. T. Andrews, "The Letter of Aristeas", in (ed.) R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913), pp. 83-122; H. St.J. Thackeray,The Letter of Aristeas (London: SPCK, 1917); R. J. H. Shutt, "Letter of Aristeas", in (ed.) J. H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2 (London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1985), pp. 7-34; Erich S. Gruen, "The Letter of Aristeas", in L. H. Feldman, J. L. Kugel and L. H. Schiffman (eds.), Outside the Bible. Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society/University of Nebraska Press, 2013), pp. 2711–2768. German: P. Riessler, Altjuedisches Schriften ausserhalb der Bibel (Augsburg: Benno Filser, 1928), pp. 193-233; N. Meisner, Aristeasbrief, JSHRZ II.1 (Guetersloh: de Gruyter, 1973), pp. 35-87.

Studies: For important observations on Greek epistolography, see A. Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East (New York-London: Harper and Brothers, 1922), pp. 147-227. Studies on Aristeas in particular: O. Murray, "Aristeas and Ptolemaic Kingship", JTS 18 (1967), pp.337-371; S. Jellicoe, The Septuagint and Modern Study (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968), pp. 29-58; P. S. Alexander, "Epistolary Literature", in (ed.) M. E. Stone, Jewish Writings of the Second Temple Period (Assen: van Gorcum, 1984), pp. 579-596; R. Sollamo, "The Letter of Aristeas and the Origin of the Septuagint", in (ed.) B. A. Taylor, X Congress Volume of the IOSCS, 1998 (Chico: SBL, 2201), pp. 329-342; S. Honigman, The Septuagint and Homeric Scholarship in Alexandria: A Study in the Narrative of the Letter of Aristeas (London: Routledge, 2003); J. M. Dines, The Septuagint (Edinburgh: T and T Clark, 2004), pp. 28-33; Tessa Rajak, Translation and Survival: The Greek Bible of the Ancient Jewish Diaspora (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 24-63. A. Kovelman, Between Alexandria and Jerusalem. The Dynamic of Jewish and Hellenic Culture (Leiden: Brill, 2005), ch. 4.

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_1.1. The text refers to itself as verbal entity (with implied or explicit boundaries).
__1.1.1. The text refers to itself using a genre term, speech act term, verb or other term implying verbal constitution:
__1.1.2. The text speaks of itself as dealing with an overall theme (subject matter) or purpose, or as consisting of coordinated parts making a whole
__1.1.3. The text uses expressions for characterizing itself as a bounded entity. (PROMPT: "all", "beginning", "some" referring to subject-matter in
__1.1.4. The text introduces the governing voice, thereby indirectly marking its own boundedness.
___1.1.4.1. The text has a superscription concerning “to whom” it is addressed or for whose use it is.
__1.1.5. Important text witnesses attest to a heading which is not integrated with the body of the text or with any introductory frame, implying one
_1.2. The text presents its internal sequence of sentences (or larger parts) as mirroring the objective relationships of components in the project
_1.3. The text overall is shaped by a poetic or rhetorical-communicative pattern that is self-bounding (see further section 3).
_1.4. The text signals its parts or boundaries only by implicit contrast or by some other implicit signal (1.1./2 do not apply):
__1.4.1. A contrasting theme appears at the beginning or at what turns out to be a boundary/end point in the text.
__1.4.2. A sentence/small unit with a contrasting form from those used in the co-text appears at the beginning or at what turns out to be a boundary/
__1.4.3. A lemmatic commentary which otherwise exhibits gaps in its coverage of the base text begins and ends by treating the first and last segment
_1.5. The text presents a certain homogeneousness of form and/or contents, without claiming or projecting boundedness, and without being unified b
__1.5.1. There is a limited inventory of small forms which recur in a linear juxtaposition of units (e.g. 5.8).
__1.5.2. The ways in which smaller units hang together or follow on from each other (section 9) are repeated again and again.
__1.5.3. The themes which are verbalized together within the text are projected as interrelated objectively, albeit not in their textual sequence.
_1.6. The approximate word count or other indication of comparative size is:
_1.7. The text’s Inventory profile should be seen in the light of the following further information on completeness, thematic progression, aesthet
_2.1. The information conveyed in the text defines the perspective of the governing voice in the following way:
__2.1.1. The text does not thematize how the governing voice comes to know the text’s contents (or its right to command obedience from the addressee)
___2.1.1.1. In narrative, the governing voice’s perspective tacitly is that of someone “present” at all events equally, regardless of their time, place,
___2.1.1.2. The text is not narrative but the governing voice refers to utterances on the basis of unexplained knowledge of speech events of diverse per
___2.1.1.3. The text’s governing voice speaks from the perspective of unmediated access to all levels and parts of some projected reality.
___2.1.1.4. The text’s governing voice speaks from the perspective of unlimited authority in commanding the addressee’s obedience.
__2.1.2. The governing voice thematizes how it comes to know the text’s contents or its right to command obedience from the text’s addressee. Its per
___2.1.2.1. The governing voice presents or discusses norms whose commanding force is unlimited, but speaks from a perspective clearly distinguished fro
___2.1.2.2. The governing voice appeals to the projected addressee for a particular action, projecting limited knowledge or authority.
___2.1.2.3. The governing voice suggests its information or advice is based on his or her own experiences, or on other knowledge filtered by reflections
__2.1.3. Knowledge or authority of the text is presented as exceeding what the persona projected by the governing voice would ordinarily be able to a
__2.1.4. The governing voice explicitly acknowledges that something mentioned in the text cannot be adequately expressed or conveyed.
__2.1.5. The information in the text is characterized as secret or as (made) known exclusively to the persona projected by the governing voice.
__2.1.6. The governing voice explicitly claims unlimited knowledge or authority.
__2.1.7. The governing voice (whether first or third person) is anonymous, that is, is not presented as tied to a specific personal identity (or to p
__2.1.8. The governing voice speaks at no point in the first person (except for any 2.2.4.3) and all persons/objects are mentioned from a third-perso
__2.1.9. An anonymous voice repeatedly reports the direct speech of a character whose speeches account for the bulk of the text (but not continuously
_2.2. A first-person voice imposes its perspective on all (or almost all) knowledge or norms conveyed in the text.
__2.2.1. The first-person governing voice is identified by an anonymous voice through a proper name or unique description. Points 2.2.1.1–3 are devot
___2.2.1.1. The anonymous voice presents the first-person utterance as a situation-unspecific “text”, not as uttered in a unique situation of the past.
___2.2.1.2. The text is introduced as the first-person voice’s extended direct speech, having taken place on a unique narrative occasion.
___2.2.1.3. The introduction of the first-person governing voice of the text has the following characteristics (also applies to self-identification 2.2.
____2.2.1.3.1. It contextualizes the person, or the person together with a unique occasion of speaking.
____2.2.1.3.2. It consists of minimal or merely formal information (e.g. name and genre/generic contents).
____2.2.1.3.3. It is found at the beginning of the text only.
____2.2.1.3.4. It is found at the end of the text only.
____2.2.1.3.5. It is found both at the beginning and at the end of the text.
__2.2.2. The first person voice identifies itself by name or uniquely identifying expression (once or repeatedly).
___2.2.2.1. The voice identifies itself by way of a “signature”, as at the beginning or end of a text projecting itself as letter, or other text with a
__2.2.3. The first-person governing voice is not identified by name or unique identifier, but speaks of himself/herself in the first person at least
__2.2.4. The number and gender of the first-person governing voice are as follows:
___2.2.4.1. The first person singular is used.
___2.2.4.2. The first person plural is used.
___2.2.4.3. The first person is used but represents a generic “I” (“we”) of discourse and discussion, not the projection of a specific persona.
___2.2.4.4. The first person forms are marked for gender. [SPECIFY WHICH GENDER]
__2.2.5. The first-person governing voice refers to herself/himself also in third person grammatical constructions.
_2.3. There is an unexplained switch of the grammatical person of the governing voice within the main body of the text, [from third to first perso
_2.4. The governing voice defines a horizon of knowledge as shared with the projected addressee by taking for granted the following linguistic usa
__2.4.1. Persons or unique objects referred to by proper name or by technical expression:
___2.4.1.1. for persons mentioned or presented in narrative usage; as characters; or topics, for example:
___2.4.1.2. for persons quoted with direct speech in a non-narrative co-text, for example:
___2.4.1.3. for Gods/mythical figures/supernatural beings, etc., for example:
___2.4.1.4. for locations, for example:
___2.4.1.5. for times or calendar dates (specific to a language or culture), for example:
___2.4.1.6. for documents, texts, books, etc. (identified through being referred to or quoted), for example:
__2.4.2. circumlocutions, names or descriptions employed as “code” names.
__2.4.3. The text as a whole routinely employs the following language(s), knowledge of which is taken for granted:
___2.4.3.1. Additional language(s) taken for granted in quoted speech or certain parts of the text are:
__2.4.4. Special linguistic usages occur pervasively or prominently:
___2.4.4.1. Technical expressions for a particular subject matter.
___2.4.4.2. Technical expressions for presenting disputes/dialectic exchanges.
___2.4.4.3. Technical expressions for the meta-linguistic presentation of another text (see 6.9.4).
___2.4.4.4. Biblicizing language, such that the text may be assumed to project itself as having a link to texts today known as biblical (see 7.1.4.1).
___2.4.4.5. Other special linguistic usages: [FOR ORIENTATION: normative force through use of the indicative in the Mishnah; repeated or prominent use o
__2.4.5. The meaning of some linguistic usage or reference is addressed explicitly, marking it as not being part of the shared horizon of knowledge:
_2.5. The text contains deictic or other expressions referring to the governing voice’s time or place, or placing it after/before some key event:
__2.5.1. as part of the words of the governing voice.
__2.5.2. as part of the words of a quoted character, but with probable implications also for the governing voice.
_2.6. The text presents itself as speaking to certain persons, groups or entities, explicitly projecting a certain image of its addressee.
__2.6.1. The governing voice uses apostrophe, second-person grammatical forms or first-person exclusive or inclusive “we”.
___2.6.1.1. An audience is identified as the intended receiver of a text projecting itself as a letter.
__2.6.2. The projected addressee is characterized as having a certain moral or epistemic stance, or as standing in contrast to another group’s moral
__2.6.3. The governing voice uses verbs of epistemic or moral exhortation or employs focus markers.
__2.6.4. The governing voice directs questions at the projected addressee which are marked as rhetorical or as suggesting the audience assume a parti
__2.6.5. The governing voice employs exclamatory or declamatory modes of speech (cf. 8.1.13).
_2.7. The epistemic stance, knowledge horizon, moral stance and identity of the governing voice, and of the projected addressee, do not become the
_3.1. The text’s functional parts are sequenced as communicative stages for engaging the projected addressee's attention or goodwill.
__3.1.1. The text as a whole is a prayer of petition with the communicative sequence: praise of God/confession of sins/appeal for forgiveness[+/- ant
__3.1.2. The text as a whole treats a biblical passage and/or theme by (1) an approach to that passage/theme from an unrelated verse (Petichah) – (2)
__3.1.3. The text as a whole treats a biblical passage/theme by sequencing units of Bible interpretation in such a way as to create (and resolve or l
__3.1.4. Some functional parts occur more than once with different contents, and are merely juxtaposed to each other. See also 9.8.
_3.2. The text is bounded by a formal, communicative or poetic (poetic-thematic) formation, constituting a single piece.
_3.3. The text bears resemblance in length and theme to a biblical prayer, song, lament or psalm, and is thereby recognizable as constituting a si
_3.4. The text constitutes one piece in a sequence of pieces that only show themselves as separate from each other by their contrast in adjacency
_3.5. The language of a text whose boundaries are determined by poetic formation or by contrast in adjacency (3.3–4 applies) exhibits poetic forma
__3.5.1. There is pervasive use of rhyme and/or metre.
__3.5.2. There is pervasive use of parallelism.
__3.5.3. There is pervasive use of other features that can be interpreted as defining poetic formation, such as heightened or figurative language, re
_3.6. The language of a text whose boundaries are not determined by poetic formation or by contrast in adjacency (3.2–4 does not apply) exhibits p
__3.6.1. There is pervasive use of rhyme and/or metre.
__3.6.2. There is pervasive use of parallelism.
__3.6.3. There is pervasive use of other features that can be interpreted as defining poetic formation, such as heightened or figurative language, re
_4.1. The text narrates events which are strongly emplotted, making reference to interlocking happenings, characters, motivations, causes, times o
__4.1.1. The text narrates a complex series of events not presented as leading towards only one crisis and solution, nor as contributing to only one
__4.1.2. All subordinate events are presented as preparing one crisis and its solution, or as addressing one unified timespan/location, or as telling
___4.1.2.1. The narrative builds up one central narrative tension as having special intrinsic interest, or unites in some other way a number of narrativ
___4.1.2.2. The action pivots around one character or a small set of inter-connected characters.
___4.1.2.3. The narrative emphasizes personal, private or domestic aspects of lives.
__4.1.3. The narrative provides a clear closure, or dwells on the closure.
__4.1.4. The narrative foregrounds apparently exact information on the absolute and relative timing of events.
__4.1.5. The narrative foregrounds quantifiable non-temporal information.
_4.2. The event sequence is projected as related to the sequence of text parts as follows:
__4.2.1. The report sequence mirrors the projected chronological sequence of events mostly or wholly, not precluding 4.2.2–5.
__4.2.2. There is use of prolepsis or analepsis.
__4.2.3. There are chronological gaps which are explicitly managed or signposted.
__4.2.4. There are chronological gaps which are merely implied, or indicated but left vague.
__4.2.5. There are descriptions of repeated or habitual actions which have no unique point in the chronology.
_4.3. The text presents several sets of internally complex episodes with no explicit or manifest causal or motivational nexus between them. Where
__4.3.1. The episodes have a common main character, or several characters of approximately equal narrative prominence, who is the subject of the acti
__4.3.2. The episodes are linked by a common witness character who is peripheral to some or much of the action told, but through whose perceptions al
_4.4. The narrative tells the story of the creation or reception of a separate text which is presented verbatim within the narrative framework, or
_4.5. The narrative progression is schematic and not mediated through the interlinking of specific events, while the events are not described in d
__4.5.1. The schematic telling of events is presented as conforming to an explicit overarching schema of chronology/periodization.
_4.6. There are meta-narrative explanations occurring in the narrative (editorial comments by narrator).
_4.7. Within a thematic (non-narrative) framework the text contains extensive telling of continuous and detailed events.
__4.7.1. This narrative material is explicitly subservient to and integrated into a thematic discourse or thematic description (see under 5).
__4.7.2. This narrative material is explicitly subservient to and integrated into the lemmatic treatment of another text (see under 6).
_4.8. The text provides scene-setting information, other than the introduction of an I-narration.
__4.8.1. There is an explicit introduction of the chronological and/or spatial setting of the action.
__4.8.2. There is an explicit introduction of the main character(s).
_4.9. There is prominent or sustained characterization of key figures in the narrative.
__4.9.1. There is editorial comment on the qualities of a character from a third-person narrator.
___4.9.1.1. There is self-characterization of a first-person governing voice, or first-person characterization of other characters.
__4.9.2. All characterization is achieved only through reporting the actions, speech or thoughts of the characters ("dramatic").
__4.9.3. A figure is characterized by her or his moral or religious traits.
___4.9.3.1. Moral/religious traits are manifestly linked to the ethnicity and/or gender of the figure.
___4.9.3.2. Moral/religious traits are not manifestly linked to the ethnicity and/or gender of the figure.
__4.9.4. A figure is characterized by her or his intellectual gifts or understanding.
__4.9.5. A figure is characterized by physical prowess or beauty, or their opposites.
_4.10. A character’s relations to her/his community are foregrounded, including any two-fold social environment (e.g. a diaspora setting).
__4.10.1. A main character is portrayed as being integrated in one societal environment but as in conflict with a second environment.
__4.10.2. A main character is portrayed as being integrated in two different societal environments.
__4.10.3. A main character is portrayed as being integrated in her/his single societal environment.
__4.10.4. A main character is portrayed as in conflict with his/her environment (or as being an “Other”), whether the environment is single or doubled
_4.11. Supernatural characters appear in the narrative, whether introduced casually, or accounted for elaborately.
_4.12. The narrative pace is slowed down or changed by the occasional or regular occurrence of extended descriptions.
__4.12.1. There is extended description of one or more static objects.
___4.12.1.1. There is extended description is of a heavenly object, e.g. God’s throne, chariot, etc.
__4.12.2. There is extended description of the outward appearance of persons or other animated beings.
__4.12.3. There is extended description of the physical or architectural setting/landscape.
_4.13. The narrative pace is slowed down or changed by frequent or prominent quotation of speech, thought or text.
__4.13.1. The quotation constitutes a plot-driving event in its own right.
___4.13.1.1. The quotation divulges earlier events which the governing voice had left out of its own account of the earlier period.
___4.13.1.2. The narrative action largely or partly consists of a report on (long) speeches exchanged between characters.
__4.13.2. Quoted speech/thought provides a comment on the events (4.13.1 does not apply).
__4.13.3. Quoted wording is presented as a message (written or oral) sent from one character to another.
__4.13.4. The quotation differs from the surrounding text in its form (e.g. poetry), style or language.
_4.14. The identity or perspective of the governing voice changes between adjacent parts of what is manifestly the same narrative.
__4.14.1. A first-person narrator is followed by a third-person narrator.
__4.14.2. A third-person narrator is followed by a first-person narrator.
__4.14.3. The change coincides with other features which could be seen as motivating (or diachronically accounting for) it.
___4.14.3.1. A shift in the setting of the action which modifies the epistemic perspective but does not disrupt the effective narrative continuity (nor n
___4.14.3.2. a prominent change of (literary) form, style or language.
___4.14.3.3. a narrative and/or formal discontinuity which is disruptive of text unity.
_4.15. There are imbalances in the level of detail provided between adjacent parts of a continuous narrative, in the absence of narrative developme
__4.15.1. This coincides with the occurrence of unique literary forms, more detail for narrative contents absent from a biblical partner text (see 7.1
_5.1. The bulk of the text is constituted by thematic discourse/description, albeit presented as speech/wording quoted from a narrative setting:
__5.1.1. The discursive or descriptive treatment of themes is presented as one character’s continuous speech or wording in a unique narrative situati
___5.1.1.1. The quotation forms a substantial continuous part of the overall text, but not its bulk, as there is also extended narration concerning its
__5.1.2. The discursive or descriptive treatment of themes is presented as constituted by speeches uttered on separate but mutually emplotted occasio
___5.1.2.1. The separate speeches in sequence constitute a juxtaposition of themes/propositions (see further 5.7).
___5.1.2.2. The separate speeches in sequence constitute the overall treatment of one theme by a constant principle of differentiation (see further 5.2-
_5.2. The sequence of themes in the discursive or descriptive text suggests an objective order constituted by dividing a larger topic by a constan
__5.2.1. This suggestion includes all substantive parts of the text (other than any frames), or deviations are made explicit.
___5.2.1.1. Later passages refer to preceding themes in order to add detail.
__5.2.2. This suggestion includes only a continuous substantial part of the text, not the whole.
_5.3. The text’s discursive/descriptive treatment of its subject matter can be understood as assembling precisely those sub-topics of an overall t
__5.3.1. The sub-topics, if seen in this manner, represent a unifying theme for the whole text.
__5.3.2. The sub-topics, if seen in this manner, only account for a continuous substantial part of the text.
_5.4. The text’s sequence of sub-topics suggests a progression from the more general to the more specific, or vice versa if accompanied by explana
__5.4.1. The progression embraces all substantive parts of the text; or, any extra themes are explained.
__5.4.2. The progression occurs only in a continuous substantial part of the text.
_5.5. The text’s sequence of sub-topics (discursive or narrative) mirrors a temporal or spatial order, but without narrative emplotment between th
__5.5.1. This order includes all parts of the text (excepting any frames), as follows:
___5.5.1.1. A temporal order provides the sequence for norms or normative information.
____5.5.1.1.1. Additionally, the temporal order corresponds to a sequence of actions which is in itself, as a sequence, normative.
___5.5.1.2. A temporal order provides the sequence for non-normative (and non-narrative) information.
___5.5.1.3. A spatial or geographical order provides the sequence for the text’s themes (including any normative themes).
____5.5.1.3.1. Additionally, the themes so ordered are distinguished from one another by spatial or geographic expressions.
___5.5.1.4. An order of units of meaning in another text (from words to whole books) provides the sequence for the text’s themes (including any normativ
__5.5.2. This order defines only a continuous substantial part of the text, as follows:
___5.5.2.1. A temporal order provides the sequence for a continuous text part thematizing norms or normative information.
____5.5.2.1.1. Additionally, the temporal order corresponds to a sequence of actions which is in itself, as a sequence, normative.
___5.5.2.2. A temporal order provides the sequence for continuous non-normative (and non-narrative) information in part of the text.
___5.5.2.3. A spatial or geographical order provides the sequence for the text’s themes (including any normative themes) in a continuous part of the tex
____5.5.2.3.1. Additionally, the themes so ordered are distinguished from one another by spatial or geographic expressions.
___5.5.2.4. An order of units of meaning in another text (from words to whole books) provides the sequence for a continuous substantial part of the text
_5.6. The text pervasively provides explicit links between successive sub-topics, without at the same time mirroring an objective order as in 5.2–
__5.6.1. The text constitutes a conceptual inquiry into the accuracy or validity of universal claims regarding facts or norms.
___5.6.1.1. The inquiry pervasively or prominently proceeds by juxtaposing and discussing mutually exclusive claims, or alternative (or hypothetical) wo
____5.6.1.1.1. Some or most of the units so opposed to each other are ascribed (whether verbatim or not) to real, imaginary or hypostasized speakers.
_5.7. Adjacent text parts constituting themes are merely juxtaposed or weakly conjoined, while there is no indication of an overall objective rela
__5.7.1. Some measure of objective interrelatedness of all/almost all themes in the text is capable of expression by way of a summarizing term or phr
__5.7.2. Some measure of objective interrelatedness of all/almost all themes in the text is capable of expression, but only through use of a summariz
__5.7.3. The text’s thematic profile emerges from juxtaposed larger blocks of text which are all (or almost all) defined by an internal structuring s
__5.7.4. There is an enumeration of topics at the beginning of the text which relates to the thematic units constituting the bulk of the text as foll
___5.7.4.1. One of the enumerated topics corresponds to a possible summary theme of the bulk of the text (cp. 5.7.1/2), so that there is a single step “
___5.7.4.2. The enumerated topics distinguish themes that could work as sub-divisions of the contents of the bulk of the text (cp. 5.7/2), but no struct
__5.7.5. There is no objective interrelatedness of all/almost all themes in the text capable of expression in such a way that the summarizing term or
__5.7.6. The juxtaposed thematic units are concerned with universal claims to accuracy/validity and thereby tacitly project an objective interrelated
_5.8. The bulk of the text consists of small forms and patterns drawn from a limited set of formats for thematic articulation or for discussion (f
_5.9. The text’s governing voice projects the accuracy or validity of its statements as:
__5.9.1. Being taken for granted or being self-evident.
__5.9.2. Admitting discussion or disagreement, or the need for argument and evidence in principle.
__5.9.3. Pervasively in need of support by arguments, or open to discussion.
__5.9.4. The following argument types occur:
___5.9.4.1. Conceptual arguments as well as arguments from the quoted wording of another text (not necessarily in equal measure).
___5.9.4.2. Predominantly or exclusively conceptual arguments (e.g. inferences, analogies, or references to evidence).
___5.9.4.3. Predominantly or exclusively arguments from the quoted wording of another text (e.g. paraphrases, interpretation units, proof-texts).
_5.10. The governing voice ascribes statements about the text’s thematic substance pervasively or prominently to speaker characters as utterances.
__5.10.1. Isolated utterances (or dialogues) are presented without a unifying emplotment, but tacitly presuppose a unified grid of story/history.
___5.10.1.1. The persons, groups or generic figures indicated as speakers tend to be only minimally identified or contextualized.
__5.10.2. The text’s governing voice presents the speech of characters mostly in the exclusive function of disagreeing/agreeing with, or providing the
__5.10.3. The governing voice quotes a character with a direct speech of such length that it constitutes a significant proportion of the text overall.
__5.10.4. Hypothetical speech is routinely or prominently put into the mouth of hypostasized or generic characters.
__5.10.5. The reported wording is projected as a text, with the quoted character identified as its “author”.
_5.11. The text mentions no unique individuals as characters, or mentions them only in frame positions.
_5.12. The text thematizes the meaning of historical or narrative events and summarizes, alludes to or refers to events as evidence, but does not c
_6.1. The text’s most basic thematic progression consists of alternations of (a) quotations from a base text in their original sequence, and (b) s
__6.1.1. Most or many statements are dependent reformulations (paraphrases) of the quotations, or meta-linguistic observations on them.
__6.1.2. Some or many statements are presented in such a manner that it is ambiguous whether they reformulate the perceived meaning of the quotation
__6.1.3. Quotation-comment units pervasively or prominently contain meta-linguistic expressions.
__6.1.4. Quotation-comment units tend to be merely juxtaposed, while the units have internal cohesion and formal independence from each other.
__6.1.5. Only base text segments in their lemmatic sequence are quoted and receive a statement.
__6.1.6. The text also contains quotation-comment units which relate: (i) to texts other than the base text, and/or (ii) to the base text but not in
___6.1.6.1. Such units play a prominent part or make up the majority of quotation-statement units in the text.
__6.1.7. The text offers only one statement per quoted base text segment (comment or non-comment), or explains instances of more than one statement.
_6.2. Found alongside comment statements (6.1.1), a considerable proportion of quotation-attached statements are presented as hermeneutically inde
__6.2.1. Non-comment statements regularly or prominently attract their own hermeneutically dependent comment statements or dedicated discussion.
___6.2.1.1. Such discussions of non-comment statements can effectively take the place of, or indirectly constitute, any otherwise lacking direct discuss
__6.2.2. Non-comment statements can occur as multiples, and constitute extended stretches of text with their own order, homogeneousness or thematic c
__6.2.3. Non-comment statements occur prominently towards the end of the text or towards the end of a lemmatic division of the text.
__6.2.4. Most or all non-comment statements are presented as speech by named characters and groups, or from anonymous sources.
__6.2.5. Most or all non-comment statements are presented as quotations from other texts.
_6.3. Comment statements are frequently or prominently supported by another base text-like quotation.
__6.3.1. Such supporting text quotations regularly or prominently attract their own comment statements in turn.
_6.4. The lemmatic progression is constituted simultaneously as a thematic integration or is fused with some other principle of order.
__6.4.1. There is a manifestly unifying thematic focus to the commentary as a whole, or thematic diversity is addressed.
__6.4.2. The text pervasively provides explicit links between successive quotation-comment units, does not formally separate the units from each othe
__6.4.3. The segment size varies so as to mirror the size of literary Gestalts in the base text.
__6.4.4. The commentary text has a division into parts which accentuates a division of the base text into larger parts than the segments receiving le
__6.4.5. The lemmatic progression is fused with a secondary order principle, creating also the integrity of (a) a narrative, (b) a thematic discourse
__6.4.6. A “negative” thematic focus is created by consistent avoidance of a theme suggested (to the modern scholar) by the base text.
_6.5. There is a manifest constancy of the hermeneutic approach, or an explicit account of hermeneutic approaches.
_6.6. The extent of the base text segment is evident as follows:
__6.6.1. There is a regular distance in the base text from the beginning of one quotation to the beginning of the next quotation:
___6.6.1.1. With all base text verbal matter quoted from one to the other.
____6.6.1.1.1. With initial wording given only, while comment statements may target also the unquoted verbal matter in between quotation beginnings.
__6.6.2. There is no regular distance in the base text from the beginning of one quotation to the beginning of the next quotation.
___6.6.2.1. With the extent of the quoted verbal matter coinciding with the limits of the verbal matter targeted by comment statements.
__6.6.3. The size of segments (as under 6.6.1/2) tends to be, or to include:
___6.6.3.1. A sentence.
___6.6.3.2. Less than a sentence.
___6.6.3.3. More than a sentence.
___6.6.3.4. Two different sizes for adjacent interpretations of the same piece of base text.
___6.6.3.5. The size of some unit other than the sentence (Masoretic verse, proverb).
__6.6.4. The segments (as under 6.6.1/2) provide coverage of the base text as follows:
___6.6.4.1. There is no complete coverage of the base text.
____6.6.4.1.1. Base text not covered is contiguous.
____6.6.4.1.2. Base text not covered may have appeared less important or less problematical.
_____6.6.4.1.2.1. The text does not project complete lemmatic coverage as its overarching theme (6.2 or 6.6.2 apply, or there are many smaller “gaps” in the c
____6.6.4.1.3. No manifest pattern accounts for the base text not covered.
____6.6.4.1.4. Incomplete lemmatic coverage is explicitly addressed.
___6.6.4.2. There is complete coverage of the base text.
__6.6.5. There is explanation of the nature and length of base text segments or quotations.
__6.6.6. The quoted base text segment may already have appeared earlier in the text, as part of a copy of a larger section (or the whole) of the base
_6.7. There occur multiple comment statements for the same quoted base text segment:
__6.7.1. Interpreting the same expression within the same base text segment.
__6.7.2. Interpreting different expressions within the same base text segment.
__6.7.3. The multiple comment statements are set off from each other by being:
___6.7.3.1. Separated by a repeated quotation of the base text segment or parts of it.
___6.7.3.2. Introduced by terms of transition.
___6.7.3.3. Assigned to different speaking voices, including the governing voice.
___6.7.3.4. Marked explicitly as constituting disagreement.
___6.7.3.5. Set off only by being linguistically or logically discontinuous with the interpretation immediately preceding.
_6.8. Comment or non-comment statements are prominently or frequently presented as quotations of speech acts by individuals, groups or by anonymou
__6.8.1. Quoted comment or non-comment statements regularly or prominently are themselves treated to explanations or supplementations.
__6.8.2. Comment or non-comment statements are frequently or prominently presented as speech acts outside any connecting narrative framework, but in
___6.8.2.1. This grid tacitly or explicitly links quoted characters to each other as commentators on the base text.
___6.8.2.2. This grid tacitly or explicitly links quoted characters to the origins of the base text.
___6.8.2.3. The presupposed narrative/historical links between speakers, or between speakers and base text, are used to clarify the meaning of their quo
_6.9. The text distinguishes the level of the base text quotations from the level of the statements, whether comments or non-comments, as follows:
__6.9.1. The nature of the statements or of the lemmatic order is verbalized.
__6.9.2. Base text quotations have no quotation formula, but tend to be found at the beginning of a new textual unit, marked by the appearance of an
__6.9.3. The sequence of components within interpretation units is: 1. quotation from base text – 2. comment statement – 3. supporting base-text like
___6.9.3.1. This sequence is changed, or the base text quotation doubled, for any Petichah-like units.
__6.9.4. The text employs terms/formulae, signals of transition, hermeneutic techniques, or separation markers, including the following:
___6.9.4.1. Specialized terminology separating quotation from comment.
___6.9.4.2. Speech reports introducing the statement, used as separator.
___6.9.4.3. Other signals of the transition between quotation and comment: [].
___6.9.4.4. Tacit juxtapositions of components, which cannot be read as being continuous on the same level with each other.
___6.9.4.5. Expressions of a hermeneutic operation.
___6.9.4.6. Intermediary rephrasings of the lemma leading to the comment statement (see also 6.10.3).
___6.9.4.7. Verbal links or overlapping wording between adjacent quotation-comment units, using contiguous base text segments.
_6.10. Comment statements reveal hermeneutic attitudes towards the base text as follows:
__6.10.1. Comment statements tend to speak directly, in object-language, about the base text’s themes.
___6.10.1.1. The perspective of any first-person speaker character of the base text segment may be reproduced in the comment statement.
__6.10.2. Comment statements tend to speak about the quotation only as a verbal entity, i.e. be exclusively meta-linguistic.
__6.10.3. Exclusively meta-linguistic comment statements are found alongside more frequent object language comments, or are used as intermediary rephr
__6.10.4. The text implies or explicates a hermeneutic stance concerning the accuracy of the base text:
___6.10.4.1. The base text wording is tacitly or explicitly treated under the assumption that it may be inaccurate/insincere/invalid.
___6.10.4.2. The base text wording is tacitly or explicitly treated under the assumption that it cannot be inaccurate/insincere/invalid.
_6.11. Within the lemmatic arrangement, extended sections of text have their own principle of progression which suspends the lemmatic progression:
__6.11.1. The base text quotation becomes the starting point of a set of local thematic shifts involving further quotations plus explanation/supplemen
__6.11.2. There is limited but sustained thematic, narrative or lemmatic continuity (with or without further quotations), as follows:
___6.11.2.1. Another text, or a different part of the base text, is treated thematically or lemmatically as relevant to the base text quotation.
___6.11.2.2. A different base text is treated lemmatically and as independent of the base text quotation.
___6.11.2.3. A thematic order, thematic inquiry or reflection is sustained (e.g. of the type 5.6.1).
___6.11.2.4. A narrative order is sustained.
___6.11.2.5. Some extra-thematic principle of order is sustained (see 9.11).
__6.11.3. Non-comment statements (6.2) can occur in the following positions:
___6.11.3.1. After one or more initial quotation-comment unit with manifest or explicit hermeneutic dependency (6.1.1/3).
___6.11.3.2. Immediately succeeding the base text quotation (with later units exhibiting hermeneutic dependency on the quotation).
____6.11.3.2.1. There are cases where a non-comment statement constitutes the only treatment of the base text quotation.
_6.12. There are marked imbalances in the distribution or positioning of base text quotation-statement units at certain strategic points in a 6.1 t
__6.12.1. Higher density is found at the beginning of the base text, or the beginning of the commentary/rendering text.
__6.12.2. Higher density is found at the end of the base text, or the end of the commentary/rendering text.
__6.12.3. Higher density is found at some other defined or strategic text position of the base text, the commentary or the rendering text.
__6.12.4. The imbalance coincides with other changes:
___6.12.4.1. The occurrence of literary forms which are rare or unique for the text.
___6.12.4.2. The recurrence of units from elsewhere in the text.
___6.12.4.3. The absence of the comment component from quotations of other texts (not the base text).
___6.12.4.4. A change in the pattern of coverage of the base text by quoted segments.
_6.13. The text constitutes a complete and sequential representation, in another language and in object-oriented perspective, of the perceived mean
__6.13.1. The statements of the text are displayed in manuscripts as alternating in mere juxtaposition with segments of verbal matter from the base te
__6.13.2. The text’s governing voice is almost always identical with, or a consistent extension of, the persona projected by the governing voice of th
__6.13.3. The text tends to use the sentence structure of the base text to accommodate any additional or modified object information.
__6.13.4. The text creates new syntactic structures within which the words of the base text can be recognized.
__6.13.5. The text places sentences which have no corresponding wording in the base text at all alongside sentences which do.
__6.13.6. The text also thematizes its base text or some part of it as a verbal entity, e.g. by quoting its wording.
___6.13.6.1. Such meta-linguistic components are verbally integrated into the text’s narrative or thematic continuity, so that no lemmatic structuring of
___6.13.6.2. The positioning of any base text quotations does not disrupt or undermine the text’s narrative or thematic progression.
_7.1. Narrative or thematic correspondences, or overlap of specific wording, occur between a non-biblical text and one or more biblical texts in a
__7.1.1. Characters correspond between the non-biblical narrative and the narrative of a biblical text or texts.
___7.1.1.1. Some or all main characters of the text correspond to main characters in a biblical partner text.
____7.1.1.1.1. A main character shared with a biblical partner text is also the first-person narrator of the text.
___7.1.1.2. The text’s main character is a minor character in Scripture.
____7.1.1.2.1. That character is also the first-person narrator of the text.
___7.1.1.3. Only minor character(s) of the text correspond to character(s) in a biblical text(s), whether minor or major.
___7.1.1.4. The first-person narrator of the text is a non-biblical character.
__7.1.2. Chronology, physical setting or emplotment correspond between the non-biblical narrative and the narrative of a biblical text or texts:
___7.1.2.1. The narrative’s chronological and spatial framework, as well as certain events, are co-extensive with that of a biblical partner text, or wi
____7.1.2.1.1. The text tends to narrate the story through events described in approximately the same amount of detail as a biblical partner text.
____7.1.2.1.2. The narrative is told in more detail than that of a biblical partner text, or contains more components that slow down the narrative pace (4.
____7.1.2.1.3. The text tends to narrate the story through events described in less detail or through fewer events than a biblical partner text.
____7.1.2.1.4. Some of the narrative’s sub-plots or episodes, mostly corresponding to those of a biblical text, differ from each other in the amount of det
_____7.1.2.1.4.1. Among the sub-plots or episodes with more detail are some or all of the ones that have no biblical counterpart.
___7.1.2.2. While the narrative covers the same chronological-spatial ground or plot as a biblical text, it lacks extended speeches found in that biblic
___7.1.2.3. The narrative is located at a particular point (“niche”) in a chronological-spatial framework also known from a biblical text, but there is
__7.1.3. There is prominent use of explicit quotations of biblical wording, whether in non-narrative or in narrative (but not in biblical commentary,
__7.1.4. The text shares features of language with the Hebrew Bible, or exhibits tacit overlap with specific biblical wording, whether narrative or n
___7.1.4.1. There are pervasive biblical linguistic features (vocabulary, morphology or syntax) or a pervasive use of unspecific biblical language, such
___7.1.4.2. The text contains prominently, but not necessarily frequently, the wording of specific biblical passages such as whole sentences or unique b
____7.1.4.2.1. The tacit overlap of specific wording extends regularly to whole sentences or to extensive sentence groupings, found alongside sentences or
___7.1.4.3. The tacit overlap of wording takes place across language boundaries, with respect to the current language of the text (this point does not a
__7.1.5. The projected persona of the governing voice of the text, whether a narrative or not, is also known from a biblical text, or the governing v
___7.1.5.1. The projected first-person persona of the governing voice is also a character in a biblical text.
____7.1.5.1.1. The persona appears to be linked to a character as it specifically appears in the biblical text, not merely as it might be known from diffus
___7.1.5.2. The projected first-person persona of the governing voice is presented as identical with, or as an extension of, the persona of the governin
___7.1.5.3. The epistemic stance of the governing voice (narrative or not, first person or not) can be interpreted as falling into the same generic cate
____7.1.5.3.1. The conveyance of personally received verbal or visual revelation: prophecy model.
____7.1.5.3.2. The omniscient narration, as in Genesis-Joshua; or unrestricted knowledge of a described reality, similar to Genesis 1.
____7.1.5.3.3. The plea to God of human prayer or supplication, as in Psalms.
____7.1.5.3.4. The conveyance of wisdom on the basis of personal experience or learning, as in Proverbs, Qohelet.
__7.1.6. The range of themes in the non-narrative text is wholly or nearly contained within the specific range of themes found also in a biblical tex
__7.1.7. The sequence of themes in (at least) substantial parts of the non-narrative text is tacitly isomorphic with the sequence of themes in a bibl
__7.1.8. The non-narrative text pervasively or prominently presupposes the narrative fabric of biblical events/reported speech, beyond the contents o
___7.1.8.1. The text presupposing biblical narrative fabric has a thematic structure of discourse or description.
___7.1.8.2. The text presupposing biblical narrative fabric is a lemmatic sequential commentary on some part of the Hebrew Bible.
__7.1.9. While sharing the basic narrative-chronological framework of biblical texts, the narrative also mentions characters or events which presuppo
_7.2. Narrative or thematic correspondences, or overlap of specific wording, occur between the non-biblical text under discussion and other non-bi
__7.2.1. There is a correspondence of characters (which may include the persona projected as the governing voice of the current text).
___7.2.1.1. This also constitutes a correspondence with a biblical text (7.1.1).
__7.2.2. The overall chronological and spatial framework of the narrative, as well as certain events, are substantially or prominently co-extensive w
___7.2.2.1. The narrative is located at a particular point (“niche”) in a chronological-spatial framework also known from another non-biblical text, but
___7.2.2.2. This co-extension also constitutes a co-extension with a biblical text; or, this “niche” relationship also constitutes a “niche” relationshi
__7.2.3. There are explicit quotations or instances of explicitly marked expressive use of wording from a non-biblical partner text.
__7.2.4. The wording or specific theme of self-contained thematic units is occasionally identical to those of another non-biblical text (or part-text
___7.2.4.1. Such overlapping units are found in text types which differ from each other in their thematic arrangement.
___7.2.4.2. It is common for such overlapping units to be marked as the speech of a character or as anonymous quoted speech in one or both of the non-bi
___7.2.4.3. Such self-contained overlapping units occur within what is, by other structural signals, manifestly the same text.
__7.2.5. There are prominent single allusions to specific wording found in a non-biblical partner text.
__7.2.6. There is extensive tacit overlap with the wording of a non-biblical partner text, whether in narrative or in non-narrative texts.
___7.2.6.1. The text presents statements as anonymous which are also anonymous in a partner text.
___7.2.6.2. The text assigns to a character statements which are anonymous in a partner text.
____7.2.6.2.1. The character thus quoted is also the person traditionally identified as the redactor or tradent of the anonymous parts of a partner text.
___7.2.6.3. The text presents statements as anonymous which are assigned to a character in a partner text.
___7.2.6.4. The extensive wording overlap takes place across language boundaries.
___7.2.6.5. The extensive wording overlap takes place in a thematic environment or in a cotext different from that of the wording in the partner text.
___7.2.6.6. The 7.2.6. wording overlaps also constitute wording overlaps with a biblical text.
__7.2.7. The projected first-person persona of the governing voice of the text, whether narrative or not, is also known from another non-biblical tex
___7.2.7.1. The projected first-person persona is identical with a character in another non-biblical text.
____7.2.7.1.1. The persona appears to be linked to that character as it specifically appears in the other text, not merely as it might be known from diffus
___7.2.7.2. The projected first-person persona is presented as identical with or as an extension of the persona of the governing voice of another non-bi
___7.2.7.3. The 7.2.7. overlap also constitutes an overlap with a biblical text.
__7.2.8. The range of themes in the non-narrative text is wholly or nearly contained within the specific range of themes found also in another non-bi
__7.2.9. The sequence of themes in (at least) substantial parts of the non-narrative text is tacitly isomorphic with the sequence of themes in anothe
___7.2.9.1. Shared themes occur largely or entirely in the same sequence, albeit separated by other themes. [DELETE OR KEEP: These themes may be support
___7.2.9.2. Characteristic thematic or formal groupings of sentences (e.g. 9.3, 9.4, 9.4.4/5) occur approximately at the “same” point (as defined, for e
_8.1. Standard forms or contents formulated in set phrases, set sentence formats, or clauses in a standard syntactic connection.
__8.1.1. Conditional norm or hypothetical legal case:
__8.1.2. Unconditional norm:
__8.1.3. Sentence with theme anticipated to the beginning and repeated in a pronoun or by ellipsis:
__8.1.4. Unit of a biblical quotation together with a hermeneutically dependent formulation; midrashic unit:
___8.1.4.1. The expressive use of unmarked biblical wording whose function in the text’s discourse is enhanced or achieved by it being recognised as com
__8.1.5. Simile used in hermeneutic function:
__8.1.6. Speech report:
___8.1.6.1. The reported speech is elliptic and depends on surrounding text not marked as reported speech.
__8.1.7. Sentence referring to a behaviour or norm as customary, using the term minhag, its verbal root or a clearly similar term:
__8.1.8. Reason clause:
__8.1.9. The a fortiori argument:
__8.1.10. List sentence enumerating items by words or phrases:
__8.1.11. List enumerating items by whole sentences/interpretation units:
__8.1.12. Explicit claim that in a particular formulation other information in the immediate co-text is being summarized or generalized:
__8.1.13. Declamatory sentence, confession, proclamation or affirmation:
__8.1.14. Prayer, doxology, valediction or blessing:
__8.1.15. Wish sentence:
__8.1.16. Descriptive sentence of a static (ocular) structure or "scientific" descriptive sentence:
__8.1.17. Report sentence of a singular event in the past which is not part of a narrative unit, nor of a mashal:
__8.1.18. Sentence making a prediction of a future event:
__8.1.19. Prediction of reward or punishment of behaviour in a “wisdom” or similar formulation:
__8.1.20. Recommendation of a particular behaviour or statement of an ideal type of person in a “wisdom” or similar formulation:
__8.1.21. Statement describing a reality (nature, creation, human nature) in a “wisdom” or similar formulation:
__8.1.22. Statement praising Torah in a “wisdom” or similar formulation:
_8.2. Non-narrative small literary forms that impose on their components a standard functional relationship to each other, while grammar and synta
__8.2.1. Dispute unit:
__8.2.2. Self-contained question-answer unit in anonymous discourse:
__8.2.3. Self-contained question-answer unit in discourse concerning the meaning of an earlier word/words in the same text.
___8.2.3.1. Self-contained question-answer unit which, since there is tacit overlap with a partner text (7.2), may relate to the meaning of a statement
__8.2.4. A clause or phrase which links two statements/themes explicitly as being similar:
__8.2.5. The summary exposition, in a number of sentences, of theological ideas.
__8.2.6. A Petichah or Petichah-like unit, which uses the wording of a general biblical verse to introduce by way of a hermeneutic link the main them
__8.2.7. A Semikhah or Semikhah-like unit, addressing how the co-text preceding a given biblical verse relates to that verse.
__8.2.8. An “Inyan” part in a rabbinic homily, understood as a limited lemmatic sequence of midrashic units on one or more verses introduced by a pre
__8.2.9. A Chatimah or Chatimah-like unit, which leads from a biblical verse earlier treated as part of the “Inyan” of a rabbinic homily, to another
__8.2.10. A Yelammedenu unit, an initially halakhic question-answer unit usually expanded by further discussion which opens a rabbinic homily or a lit
_8.3. Forms with internal emplotment relationships, or character-centred small literary forms or motifs:
__8.3.1. A ma'aseh or pared-down narrative of a unique event with normative-probative function:
__8.3.2. A mashal or other minimal (two-stage) narrative employed to model the emplotment of a biblical or other event:
__8.3.3. A narrative unit which is not integrated into a larger chronological framework constituted by the co-text:
__8.3.4. A narrative unit which is schematic or presents unspecific characters (other than 8.3.2):
__8.3.5. A narrative unit incorporating direct speech/dialogue devoted to an explicit hermeneutic engagement with quotations from the base text or so
__8.3.6. The narrative motif of humanized animals or animals as agents:
__8.3.7. The narrative motif of the fantastic, grotesque, or gross:
__8.3.8. A narrative motif that can be interpreted as humorous or ironic:
__8.3.9. Use of a gap of knowledge between what a character knows and what the governing voice has already told, including one character telling a li
__8.3.10. Narrative use of humour by way of a character’s speech:
_8.4. Small poetic form:
__8.4.1. Occurrence of a song, poetic piece, rhythmic unit:
_9.1. An extended portion or substantial proportion of the thematic text (or thematic part of a non-thematic text) projects its selection and sequ
__9.1.1. By dividing a larger topic by a constant principle (or set of principles) of subordination/coordination.
__9.1.2. By assembling precisely those sub-topics of an overall theme that would result if that overall theme were to be exhaustively defined or divi
__9.1.3. By progressing from the more general to the more specific, or vice versa if accompanied by explanation.
__9.1.4. By mirroring a temporal or spatial order, or the order of units of meaning in a pre-existing text.
_9.2. In one or more extended passages, making up a substantial portion of the text, a series of situations is created from one hypothetical legal
__9.2.1. Two distinct parameters of the situation are paired with their opposites or negations, to produce a series of four situations.
_9.3. An extended passage consists in the elaboration one by one of the items of an initial list, making each list item the topic of one or more s
_9.4. For an extended passage there is a juxtaposition of thematic units (sentences or groups of sentences) capable of being interpreted in the fo
__9.4.1. As thematic cluster: the sentence themes of an extended passage have a stronger homogeneity/family resemblance with each other than with the
__9.4.2. As contrastive thematic block: the text juxtaposes two extended thematic blocks tacitly projecting a contrast and/or analogy between them.
__9.4.3. Repetitions as markers of architecture: there is a repetition of words marking out as coordinated passages that deal with contrastive sub-to
__9.4.4. In an extended passage, thematic homogeneousness is created by recurrence of the same reason clause appended to norms which are adjacent or
__9.4.5. In an extended passage, thematic homogeneousness is created by recurrence of the same normative predicate or apodosis in hypothetical legal
_9.5. In a number of extended dialectical passages, the governing voice differentiates between the topics/propositions of two or more initial them
__9.5.1. The governing voice performs this differentiation largely by quoting further voices, or by speaking on behalf of the initially quoted voices
__9.5.2. The governing voice of a lemmatic commentary determines the precise themes of quotations from the base text, by progressively adducing furth
__9.5.3. Within a sustained dialectical discourse on the meaning of a quoted segment, the grammatically or thematically complete quotation is only re
_9.6. An extended portion or substantial proportion of the text continuously explicates local thematic transitions, by means of:
__9.6.1. Use of conjunctions.
__9.6.2. Use of announcement of themes for text parts, full-sentence headings or summaries.
__9.6.3. Use of explicit reference to the textual position or sequence of information, articulating the passage as having coordinated parts.
__9.6.4. Use of discourse deixis (e.g., “below”, “following”) which indicate parts, or of cross-references.
__9.6.5. Use of ordinal or cardinal numbers to designate themes in text sequence (e.g., “first generation”).
__9.6.6. Use of questions to articulate parts within a passage or functioning as headings.
_9.7. The text as a whole continuously explicates local thematic transitions, while at the same time also projecting an objective or communicative
_9.8. The text has a tendency to juxtapose immediately thematic units which fulfill the same literary, evidential, hermeneutic or narrative functi
__9.8.1. There is more than one quotation-comment unit or midrashic unit for the same lemma.
__9.8.2. There is more than one biblical quotation supporting the same statement within a single midrashic unit.
__9.8.3. There is more than one Petichah or Petichah-like unit for the same rabbinic homily (3.1. applies).
__9.8.4. There is more than one Petichah or Petichah-like unit in continuous text but outside a rabbinic homily structure (3.1. does not apply).
__9.8.5. There is more than one mashal (parable) for the same thematic or hermeneutic point.
__9.8.6. There is more than one reason clause supporting a statement.
__9.8.7. There is more than one version of a reported dispute.
__9.8.8. There is more than one version of the same ma’aseh (narrative precedent report).
__9.8.9. There is more than one version of events within the same narrative account.
__9.8.10. There is more than one narrative or report presenting (near-) identical events but different characters.
__9.8.11. There is more than one version of a named rabbi’s utterance.
__9.8.12. There is an alternative name attached to a statement quoted as a character's speech.
__9.8.13. There is some acknowledgement of the equivalence/alternative status of adjacent thematic units under 9.8.1-12.
_9.9. There are passages of three or more successive thematic units whose relationship is defined as follows: There is a clear thematic continuity
__9.9.1. The second unit has a formal pattern which may then continue for one or more new, subsequent themes.
__9.9.2. The second unit has a quoted character named also as the speaker for one or more new, subsequent themes.
__9.9.3. The second unit mentions a type of object which is then treated with respect to a new thematic framework (or frameworks) in subsequent sente
__9.9.4. The second unit has a reason clause which is then used for one or more further thematic units(s) concerning a different halakhic topic/diffe
_9.10. The text’s narrative account is occasionally circular in that it leads from an action to its motivation/purpose, then back to reporting the
_9.11. An extended part of the thematic text (or a part-text in the sense of section 10) is structured by an extra-thematic principle of order, as
__9.11.1. The implied chronology of speaker characters.
__9.11.2. An alphabetical or alphanumerical sequence (not if a 3.2 text).
__9.11.3. The sequence of text sections of Scripture.
__9.11.4. The sequence of days of a calendar/festival calendar.
__9.11.5. The implied chronology of the composition of text parts of a text, as seen by the voice governing the whole text.
__9.11.6. The increasing or decreasing size of part-texts.
__9.11.7. A fixed performative sequence of speech acts.
__9.11.8. The ascending or descending quantitative value of numbers provides the sequence for themes in part of the text, with or without any explicit
_9.12. Important manuscripts divide the text explicitly into parts by the use of single words or incomplete sentences which constitute sub-headings
__9.12.1. This division involves the use of meta-textual terms.
__9.12.2. This terminology is supplemented by the use of sequential numbering, or there is numbering of text sections which are not named at all.
_9.13. Physical evidence from antiquity potentially shows non-verbal signals indicating (an interpretation of) the text’s thematic division.
_9.14. There is sporadic use of mnemonic indications of text contents and sequence at the beginning or end of passages, consisting of sequences of
_10.1. The work consists of the juxtaposition of large constituent part-texts, each of which has its own thematic, lemmatic or narrative structure
__10.1.1. The part-texts are of the same kind, i.e., all narrative, all thematic or all lemmatic.
___10.1.1.1. The part-texts juxtaposed are all thematic-discursive or thematic-descriptive, dealing with substantially the same kind of subject matter.
___10.1.1.2. The part-texts juxtaposed are all thematic-discursive or thematic-descriptive, dealing with substantially diverse kinds of subject matter.
____10.1.1.2.1. Their sequential relationship suggests that they complement each other, at least weakly.
___10.1.1.3. The part-texts juxtaposed are all lemmatic.
___10.1.1.4. The part-texts juxtaposed are all narrative.
___10.1.1.5. There are significant ambiguities as to where one part-text ends and the next begins (in their textual sequence).
___10.1.1.6. Any manifest differentiation of adjacent part-texts is partly due to their mirroring of divisions within a base text or a partner text.
__10.1.2. The work juxtaposes one narrative and one thematic part-text. [SPECIFY IF MORE THAN ONE, AND SPECIFY SEQUENCE]
___10.1.2.1. Their sequential relationship suggests that they complement each other, at least weakly (e.g., as “biography –utterances”).
__10.1.3. The work juxtaposes one narrative and one lemmatic part-text. [SPECIFY IF MORE THAN ONE, AND SPECIFY SEQUENCE]
___10.1.3.1. Their sequential relationship suggests that they complement each other, at least weakly.
__10.1.4. The work juxtaposes one lemmatic and one thematic part-text. [SPECIFY IF MORE THAN ONE, AND SPECIFY SEQUENCE]
___10.1.4.1. Their sequential relationship suggests that they complement each other, at least weakly.
__10.1.5. There is important transmission evidence indicating that the sequencing or division of part-texts within the overall aggregate varied.
_10.2. The work consists of the juxtaposition of part-texts which are constituted by poetic or communicative-rhetorical formation, so that one of t
__10.2.1. The work juxtaposes poems, psalms, songs, etc. as part-texts (3.2, 3.3 or 3.4 applies to each part-text).
___10.2.1.1. The boundaries of some or all of the individual pieces are defined by their inherent formal characteristics, i.e., by point 3.2.
___10.2.1.2. Some or all part-texts only show themselves as separate from each other by their contrast in adjacency, i.e. by point 3.4.
___10.2.1.3. There are cases of ambiguity concerning where one part-text ends and the next begins, if read in their textual sequence; but regardless of w
___10.2.1.4. The themes of individual part-texts are predominantly homogeneous across the whole aggregate work.
___10.2.1.5. The themes of individual part-texts are significantly disparate across the whole aggregate work.
___10.2.1.6. A manifest theme or message emerges from the togetherness and/or the sequential order of the part-texts.
___10.2.1.7. The formal characteristics of individual pieces are predominantly homogeneous across the whole aggregate text.
___10.2.1.8. The formal characteristics of individual pieces are significantly diverse across the whole aggregate work.
__10.2.2. The work juxtaposes rabbinic homilies as part-texts, according to an extra-thematic principle of order (see also 9.11). Point 3.1.2 or 3.1.3
__10.2.3. There is important transmission evidence indicating that the sequencing or division of part-texts within the overall aggregate varied.
_11.1. The non-narrative text projects its thematic concern as being mainly one or more of the following:
__11.1.1. Description of a reality, including a physical reality.
__11.1.2. Moral values or value judgments, including practical instructions on proper behaviour or self-preservation.
__11.1.3. Law, commandments or norms of behaviour.
__11.1.4. A discourse on or inquiry into a field of knowledge, with self-referential treatment of the limits, sources or nature of knowledge.
__11.1.5. The meaning of another text.
__11.1.6. Reports of the speech of named characters.
__11.1.7. Future events or future reward and punishment.
_11.2. The text is dominated by the reporting of emplotted events, whether or not in an overarching narrative format (4).
__11.2.1. The reported events are those of a biblical past, or of a biblically foretold future.
__11.2.2. The reported events are not biblical, but are related to a biblical past/future.
__11.2.3. The reported events have no strong links to biblical events.
_11.3. The text is directly or indirectly addressed to God. Its specific contents are self-reflective regarding the governing voice, thematic in a
_12.1. Sampling of genre labels applied to the text in secondary literature: