Difficult Texts

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sun Jan 23 2000 - 17:38:46 EST


In my on going study of Mesopotamian cosmic combat motifs in OT poetry I
have run into some difficult texts. I am currently working in the LXX
and MT on the poem in Habakkuk chapter 3. The LXX and MT are not
identical in this text. Neither is particularly lucid either in terms of
syntax or lexicography.

What I am discovering in this process is that my methods which work for
study of the Greek NT are not quite adequate for a project like this.
After completing all the low level analysis including morphology,
syntax, lexicography, and the medium level analysis such as the poetic
structure (e.g., parallelism) and after looking at the high level issues
such as intertextual alusions to known mythologemes of the Ancient Near
East. After all of this is done, I still am looking at a problem which
is not really solved.

Most of my troubles seem to be with the low level issues, particularly
syntax and lexicography. Some verses in this text just don't compute.
What do you folks do when you run into a situation like this. You have
done all the work you know how to do and you are still starring at an
enigma?

This reminds me a little of trying to translate Agamemnon a year or too
ago. Had the same sort of feeling. You just reach dead ends.

Anyone else ever have this experience?

This question isn't perhaps entirely a b-greek question, so if your
response if off topic send it in private.

Thanks.

--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

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