Evidence of Jewish Influence in the Writings of Isaac of Nineveh: Translation and CommentarySyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/LNG9X56R/tei
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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Mary TeresaHansburyEvidence of Jewish Influence in the Writings of Isaac of Nineveh: Translation and Commentaryhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/LNG9X56Rhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/LNG9X56Rhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/LNG9X56R1987This dissertation contains a translation from Syriac of six discourses from the writings of Isaac of Nineveh, a seventh century Persian Christian mystic. An attempt has been made to situate this author in his monastic context, drawing on material as yet not well known in traditional approaches to the study of the early church. Most important, evidence for Jewish influence in Isaac's writings is examined. The information provided here concerning East Syrian monastics is important for two reasons. First, it was important because a previous translator of Isaac, A. J. Wensinck, totally neglected the monastic context and tradition of Isaac. Outside of this tradition it is not possible to understand Isaac. Second, it was important in order to identify Isaac's vocabulary. Many terms Isaac uses are very complex and specialized and are insufficiently understood by etymology alone. By comparing a term used by Isaac to the way it is used by another East Syrian monastic writer, a glossary of monastic vocabulary has been attempted. As to the possibility of Jewish influence in Isaac, ultimately it will be important to establish patterns and derivation. But in this beginning stage of research, hardly beyond looking for anti-Semitism in Chrysostom or Ephrem, it has been possible only to cite occurrences of Jewish material. More than twenty examples have been found of expressions and figures of speech in these six chapters of Isaac which are able to be defined in terms of literature from early Jewish tradition, principally Midrash and Pseudepigrapha. Further study in Targumic material might yield even more examples since the Peshitta which Isaac seems to have used, is thought to have been originally a Targum. This type of study is important not only for Syriac patristics but also for the history of Jewish exegesis since much material is retained in Syriac which has not been recorded in the Hebrew text of the Bible or in pseudepigraphic and midrashic collections in Hebrew. Finally some of the problems concerning possible contacts between Jews and Christians in Babylonia have been raised here. The spirit of Gershom Scholem has watched over the writing of these pages and the author is grateful for his inspiration.
Hansbury, Mary Teresa. “Evidence of Jewish Influence in the Writings of Isaac of Nineveh: Translation and Commentary.” Ph.D. dissertation, Temple University, 1987.
Mary Teresa Hansbury, Evidence of Jewish Influence in the Writings of Isaac of Nineveh: Translation and Commentary (Ph.D. dissertation, Temple University, 1987).Isaac of NinevehJewish backgroundJewish-Christian relationsOld TestamentVII CEexegesismonasticismmysticismprimary sources [Syriac] - English translationspirituality