VERRE ET BIBLE 6 New Translations of Bible: Obadiah. A Study of These Edomite-PETRAN Traditions of Music and Scientific Lore of Obadiah, musician- Prophet in the Temple of Jerusalem.
VERRE ET BIBLE 6
NEW TRANSLATIONS OF BIBLE: OBADIAH. A Study of These Edomite-PETRAN Traditions of Music and Scientific Lore of OBADIAH, Musician-prophet in the Temple of Jerusalem
TRANSLATED WITH COMMENTARIES BY PASI K. POHJALA
Third Edition of October 2010.
EDITIONS Pasi Pohjala
Second Edition, June 2010.
Third Edition, October 2010.
COPYRIGHT © Pasi K. Pohjala October 18, 2010
This Book studies ancient Hebrew Text of Obadiah, ancient Translations and Ancient Interpretations and thus this Book strongly argues that the NEW TRANSLATION OF THE BOOK OF OBADIAH BY PASI K. POHJALA 2008 published in Verre et Bible 2 (2008) truthfully follows these ancient Translations and Interpretations and that thus it is to be scholarly seriously reckoned with. This Book also considers histories of REQEM-Petra, the ancient Nabataean capital.
Publisher’s Note:
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this Book is accurate at the time of going to press. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the Editor, the Publisher or the Author.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR:
2006 Similarities of Redaction of the Gospel According to Matthew, With Texts of Philo Alexandrinus (445pages)
2007 Divination by Bowls in Bible, Septuagint, Qumran Texts, Philo and Matthew 13:1-12. Magnified Visions from Glass Bowls in Bible Interpretations (Verre Et Bible 1) (182pages)
2008 New Translations of Bible: The Twelve Prophets, Qohelet, Chapters of Job and Many Psalms. Bible Describes Magnified Visions from Glass Bowls. (Verre Et Bible 2) (381pages)
2009 New Translations of Bible: The Mikhtam Psalms 56-60 and 16. Stelevision. Bible Describes Magnified Visions from Glass Bowls. (Verre Et Bible 3) (121pages)
December2009 New Translations of Bible: Book of JONAH. Huge Fish- Bible Describes Magnified Visions from Glass Bowls. (Verre Et Bible 4) (160pages)
March2010 Habakkuk, Bacchus and ABACUS: New Translation of Qumran’s Pesher Habakkuk (1QpHab), Studying there References to Midrash BAHIR. Jesus Teaches BAHIR (1QpHab 9.11-12) (Verre et Bible 5)
June2010 New Translations of Bible: Obadiah. A Study of these Edomite-PETRAN Traditions of Music and Scientific Lore of Obadiah, musician-Prophet in the Temple of Jerusalem. Second Ed. (Verre et Bible 5) (94pages)
THIS BOOK CONSISTS OF ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE NUMBERED PAGES.
BIBLIOGRAPHY, p.2
OBADIAH ONE, p.5
OBADIAH TWO, p.17
OBADIAH THREE, p.21
OBADIAH FOUR, p.33
OBADIAH FIVE and SIX, p.41
OBADIAH SEVEN, p.48
OBADIAH EIGHT, p.56
OBADIAH NINE and TEN, p.59
OBADIAH ELEVEN, p.71
OBADIAH TWELVE, p.74
OBADIAH THIRTEEN, p.77
OBADIAH FOURTEEN, p.80
OBADIAH FIFTEEN, p.83
OBADIAH SIXTEEN, p.89
OBADIAH SEVENTEEN, p.93
OBADIAH EIGHTEEN, p.99
OBADIAH NINETEEN, p.103
OBADIAH TWENTY, p.104
OBADIAH TWENTY-ONE, p.109
CH. 22 Writings of Philo of Alexandria and Book of Obadiah p.114
CH.23 Book of Obadiah and Histories from PETRA-REQEM p.120
CH. 24 QUMRAN and REQEM-Petra p.139
CH. 25 NAME OBADIAH and QUOTATIONS OF BOOK OF OBADIAH in TALMUD AND MIDRASH p.148
CH.26 SUMMARY p.179
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Ackroyd, P. R.
Art. “Obadiah”. In: Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5.
Bartlett, J.R.
1989 Edom and the Edomites. JSOT Supp 77.
Ben Zvi, E.
1996 A Historical-Critical Study of the Book of Obadiah. BZAW 242.
1997 A Deuteronomistic Redaction in/among “The Twelve”? A Contribution from the standpoint of the books of Micah, Zephaniah and Obadiah. In: SBL Seminar Papers 36.
Browning, I.
1989 Petra. Third Ed. London.
Crawford, G. A.
2003 Petra and the Nabataeans: a bibliography.
Denis, A-M.
Concordance Grecque des Pseudepigraphes d’Ancien Testament.
Dicou, B.
1994 Edom, Israel’s Brother and Antagonist. JSOT Supp 169.
Dillon, J.- Winston, D.
1983 Two Treatises of Philo of Alexandria: a Commentary on De Gigantibus and Quod Deus sit Immutabilis. Scholars Press.
Elmgren, S. G. (ed.)
1864-66 Georg August Wallins reseanteckningar fran Orienten Aren 1843-1849. Dagbok och bref. J. C. Frenckell. Helsinki.
Fitzmyer, J. A.
2000 art. “Nabataean”. In: Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, vol. 2. OUP.
Forder, A.
1923 Petra: Perea: Phoenicia. London.
Golb, N.
1967 The Music of Obadiah the Proselyte and his Conversion. JJS 18.
Gutwirth, E.
1981 Obadiah the Proselyte. In: Genizah Fragments 2.
Hackl, U., Hanna, J., Schneider, C.
2003 Quellen zur Geschichte der Nabataer. Textsammlung mit Ubersetzung und Kommentar. Freiburg und Gottingen.
Healey, J. F.
1996 Art. “Bostra”. In: Oxford Classical Dictionay. Third Ed.
1996 Art. “Petra”. In: Oxford Classical Dictionary. Third Ed.
2001 The Religion of the Nabataeans. Brill.
2005 Art. “Nabatean Religion”. In: Encyclopedia of Religion. Second Edition.
Hopfner, Th.
1917-1924 Griechisch-Agyptischer Offenbarungszauber. Studien zu Palaeographie und Papyruskunde. Heft 21. Wessley (Hrsg.). H. Haessel Verlag. Lepizig.
Jeremias, J.
2006 Zur Theologie Obadjas: die Auslegung von Jer 49, 7-16 durch Obadja. Im: Die Unwiderstehliche Wahrheit.
Kasher, A.
1988 Jews, Idumaeans and Ancient Arabs. Tubingen.
De Laborde, L.
1838 Journey through Arabia Petraea, to Mount Sinai, and the excavated city of Petra, the Edom of the prophecies. John Murray. London.
Levy, U.
1999 The Lost Civilization of Petra. Edinburgh.
Lindner, M. (Hrsg.)
1980 Petra und das Konigreich der Nabataer. Abhandlungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft Nurnberg 35.
Markoe, G.(ed.)
2003 Petra Rediscovered. Lost City of the Nabataeans. Thames& Hudson. London.
McKenzie, J.
1990 The Architecture of Petra. British Academy Monographs in Archaeology 1. Oxford.
Millar, F.
1981 The Roman Empire and its Neighbours. London.
1993 The Roman Near East 31 BC-AD 337. HUP.
Murray, M. A.
1939 Petra: the Rock City of Edom.
Negev, A.
1977 The Nabateans and the Provincia Arabia. In: ANRW 2.8.
1986 Nabataean Archaeology Today. New York University Press.
2003 The Negev and the Nabataeans. In: Petra Rediscovered. Lost City of the Nabataeans.
Nitzan, B.
1994 Qumran Prayer and Religious Poetry. Brill.
Pohjala, Pasi K.
2008 New Translations of Bible: the Twelve Prophets, Qohelet, Chapters of Job and Many Psalms. Bible Describes Magnified Visions from Glass Bowls. Verre et Bible 2. Paris.
Raabe, P. R.
2007 Obadiah. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 24D. Doubleday.
Roth, M. T. (ed.)
1997 Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. SBL Writings from the Ancient World. Vol. 6. Atlanta.
Sawyer, J.F. (ed.)
1983 Midian, Moab and Edom. JSOT Supp 24.
Starcky, J.
1966 art. Petra et la Nabatene. In: Supplement au Dictionnaire de la Bible. Vol. 7. Paris.
Wallin, Georg August
1854 Narrative of a Journey from Cairo to Medina and Mecca by Suez, Araba, Tawila, al-Jauf, Jubba, Hail and Nejd in 1845. In: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. Vol 24.
Whitehouse, O. C.
1913 The Book of Baruch. In: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the OT. – R. H. Charles (ed.). Oxford.
Zayadine, F.
1980 Die Gotter der Nabataer. Im: Petra und das Konigreich der Nabataer (Lindner, M. (hrsg.)). Pp. 108-118.
2003 The Nabataean Gods and their Sanctuaries. In: Petra Rediscovered. Lost City of the Nabataeans (Markoe, G. (ed.)). Pp. 57-64.
NEW TRANSLATION OF THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
BY PASI K. POHJALA 2008
WITH DETAILED COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
BY PASI K. POHJALA 2010
NEW, Modernised Translation of Pasi K. Pohjala 2008 of OBADIAH 1-2
“vision of Obadiah, in the strength (KH) of the lamp-vessel (AM, NR) of God, in this place (AJ) of visual appearances (demut): hearken, hearken (SMY) the stretching (NN), these multitudes (MAT) from God, there is visual form (zura) appearing in cavity of waters (GJM) that the Luach instrument magnified (QM)- it was so magnified (NQM) in the increasing (YL) by God (JH) with the salt-of what-ness (MLH MH)”.
COMMENTARY, BY Pasi K. Pohjala 2010 The Biblical Book of Obadiah is very concise Book in the canonical Bible consisting of merely 21 verses. The Ancient Interpreters of Bible only seldom make references to Obadiah and quote texts of Obadiah as Scriptural prooftexts. Thus for the modern Readers might appear somewhat surprising that such seemingly minor Book has been included in the canonical Bible and sufficiently much preserved in the tradition thus to be well known and included in the canonical Bible. (Readers might, of course, read more of the problems of defining the canonical writings and the ancient Jewish practise of defining important Biblical books of Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim). Surely there have therefore existed very specific reasons for continuing the ancient tradition of Book of Obadiah. Readers commencing reading this concise Book of Obadiah thus encounter the name Obadiah, in Hebrew written YBDJH that in current comprehension often is rendered denoting worship of Deity (YHWH); importantly already in the beginning of this Book of Obadiah in the Obad 1 is in the Hebrew Bible written words SMWYH SMYNW that emphatically writes of the word SMY. Thus attentive Readers discover in this concise Book in its very beginning the specific idea of YBD, the Avoda denoting the worship of H’, and emphatically written SMY that unmistakably here contains tradition of the SHEMA, the ancient (and modern) very central statement of Jewish faith. Attentive Readers thus straightforward discover the Book of Obadiah beginning with statement of Avoda of God and some tradition concerning the SHEMA! Thus this concise Book of Obadiah is straightforwardly discovered to write some important ancient traditions concerning Worship and SHEMA, and this gives to this Book of Obadiah special important status! Meticulous and detailed study of the Book of Obadiah, its ancient translations and its interpretations in Midrash and Halachot further make clear the importance of this Book of Obadiah to Ancient Interpreters. Research on the Book of Obadiah emphasises usually its connections to Jeremiah 49, and also the Obad 1 finds there very near parallel
MT Jer 49:14 SMWYH SMYTJ MAT H’ WZJR BGWJM SLWH HTQBZW WBAW
MT Obad 1 SMWYH SMYNW MAT H’ WZJR BGWJM SLH QWMW WNQWMH
Textual detail is that MT Jer 49:14 writes SMYTJ whereas MT Obad 1 writes SMYNW (see also in BHS) and interestingly the Masora Magna does NOT comment this clearly important textual detail even if finding parallels in Obad 1 to the SLH word, this possibly because of the clear connection of these words to the very important SMY traditions. These texts thus emphasise the SMY, both writing of the SMWYH word in Hebrew. The Greek translations write here the AKOEN EKOUSA (LXX Jer 30:8) and importantly ALSO the LXX Obad 1 thus writing of AKOEN EKOUSA, the plural only in few Mss supported, these Greek translations thus emphasising this parallel. Ancient attestation of these Hebrew words in MurXII is, however, not completely well preserved (see also Biblia Qumranica 3B). The LXX Jer 30:8 continues with KAI AGGELOUS EIS ETHNE APESTEILEN SUNAKHTHETE (this for Hebrew HTQBZW) and Obad 1 writing KAI PERIOKHEN EIS TA ETHNE EKSAPESTEILEN ANASTETE- later, however, translate Aquilas and Symmachus here similarly with AGGELIAN and AGGELOUS thus similarly to LXX Jer 30:8. Very importantly, the LXX Jer 30:8 translating this SHEMA text chooses the word SUNAKHTHETE of the Greek SUN-AGO that is so well also currently known in the word Synagogue. It is important that this detail connects in this Greek translation of SHEMA text these words to some form of SUN-AGO gathering! Furthermore, the Greek translations write here of AKOEN EKOUSA PARA KURIOU (such PARA substantially supported in ancient Greek Mss- see ed. Gottingensia) where ancient Readers fluent in Hebrew and Greek surely found easily the letters SAPARA with consonants SPR, thus clearly for these ancient Readers referring to the very important Hebrew SPR denoting ancient Scribes (Soferim) in the Rabbinical culture, also this detail emphasising connection of this text to ancient Rabbinical culture. (Also here it is important to notice their having been fluent also in Greek language). Further, the Jer 49:20 continues the prophesy of Edom, writing in Hebrew Bible of LKN SMYW YZT-H’ ASR JYZ AL ADWM WMHSWTJW ASR HSB AL JSBJ TJMN; the Greek translations write thus in LXX Jer 30:14 DIA TOUTO AKOUSATE BOULEN KURIOU EN EBOULEUSATO EPI TEN IDOUMAIAN KAI LOGISMON AUTOU ON ELOGISATO EPI TOUS KATOIKOUNTAS TAIMAN. The LXX Jer 30:14 thus specifies such AKOUO with LOGISMOS and BOULE. Importantly, these words are thus emphatically connected with Edom and Theman; these places are also very central for the whole Book of Obadiah. Further notorious specifying of such AKOE and AKOUO here in the prophesy of Edom in LXX Jer 30 is written in LXX Jer 30:15
OTI APO FONES PTOSEOS AUTON ESEISTHE E GE KAI KRAUGE SOU EN THALASSE EKOUSTHE
MT Jer 49:21 MQWL NPLM RYSH HARZ ZYQH BJM SWP NSMY QWLH
These writings of Jer 49:21 thus further specify such voices and hearing, specifying that divine roaring was heard in the sea (and the Hebrew text here specifies hearing such divine roaring in JM SWP, Jam Suf). Thus the clear parallel of Jer 49:14 to this SMY Shema statement in Obadiah 1 provides much thinking concerning specific meaning of such emphatic statement of SMWYH SMYNW commencing the Book of Obadiah.
Attentive Readers thus continuing the study of Book of Obadiah further compare these readings with the Targumic translation of Obadiah. There is attested (ed. Sperber)
LADWM BSWRA SMYNA MN QDM JWJ WAZGD BYMMJA SLJH QWMW WNTYTD YLH LQRBA
Importantly, thus Targumic translation writes for the Hebrew words SMWYH SMYNW the BSWRA SMYNA, this importantly also because Greek translations follow the twice writing of the AKOUO words, Hebrew twice writing the SMY words here. The BSWRA thus is important word in this Targumic translation, and this word usually means “good news, tidings” (Jastrow 198-9)- Readers notice here especially that Tanakh translates here “We have received tidings from the LORD” thus probably specifying the Hebrew SMWYH more following such Targumic translation tradition BSWRA. Targum thus can be comprehended writing of hearing good tidings from Lord and describing sending of envoys. However, attentive Readers here make many important further questions concerning this Targumic translation. Firstly is noticed this Targumic writing of LADWM BSWRA, because the Book of Obadiah often writes of Edom (and is among Biblical Books specifically recognised to be especially concerned to write of Edom)- here can be recognised specific reference to ancient important trade centre Bosra located north of the important Nabataean capital Petra, this Bosra located in the important trade route from Petra towards Damascus. Thus these Targumic words LADWM BSWRA easily are found to contain specific reference to these places Edom and Bosra, famous and well known in the time of tradition of Targumic translation of Book of Obadiah. In later times, Bosra was located along the very important Trajan’s road leading towards Damascus and Palmyra and thus the city of Bosra was very well known for merchants and travellers. This writing of Bosra emphasises connection of Book of Obadiah to Edom (and Nabataean culture and to the culture of Petra). Furthermore, the BSWRA unmistakably recalls Readers to consider the SJR bowls, thus emphasising such “hearing” SMY having occurred with help of SJR bowls; notoriously, this is the central idea of LXX Jer 30:15 KAI KRAUGE SOU EN THALASSE EKOUSTHE, the LXX Jer 30 (=Jer 49 in the Hebrew Bible) containing the already noticed exact parallel to the Obad 1 SMWYH SMYNW in Jer 49:14 writing SMWYH SMYTJ. Attentive Readers thus considering such reading of word BSWRH with the SJR word for bowls find much further grounds for such comprehending in the Concordance Ed. A. Houtman to the Targum XII (I,166) because BSR words in the Targums of the XII Prophets only here in Obad 1 translate SMWYH but usually BSR words in Targums of the XII Prophets translate BWZ and BZH words of Hebrew Bible- and specifically, such BJZ words often describe different VESSELS and DISHES (see also Jastrow 152). These considerations of the important SMWYH SMYNW in Hebrew Bible and BSWRA SMYNA in Targumic translation thus emphasise such “hearing” SMY having occurred with help of vessels and bowls SJR, this substantially similar to comprehension in Jer 49:21 (the LXX Jer 30:15 writing of KRAUGE SOU EN THALASSE EKOUSTHE) because of Jeremiah here writing BJM and EN THALASSE. This SMY in THIS CONTEXT of Obadiah 1 is thus substantially connected to hearing by means of vessels and bowls; and this text of Edom is specifically in Targumic translation connected to the ancient centre Bosra north of Petra.