Inventory of Structurally Important Literary Features in the Anonymous and Pseudepigraphic Jewish Literatures of Antiquity
A corpus-based list of generically defined literary features occurring in at least one text of the Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, the Apocrypha of the Old Testament, the near-complete large Dead Sea Scrolls, or Rabbinic Literature.
Work in progress, version -355, 25 February 2011. Please cite information from this document as: A. Samely, P. Alexander, R. Bernasconi, R. Hayward, "Inventory of Structurally Important Literary Features in Ancient Jewish Literature (Version -355)" (Manchester: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/ancientjewishliterature, 2010), plus Inventory Point number.
This Inventory is part of the outcomes of the Project Typology of Anonymous and Pseudepigraphic Jewish Literature of Antiquity (TAPJLA) Manchester-Durham 2007-2011, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK).
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D. Subject matter types and treatments
5. Thematic coherence and aggregation in discussion or description (for claims to boundedness, see 1.1.2.)
| Definition of the literary feature | Selected texts illustrating the feature |
|---|---|
| 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 situation. | Some of the Test12Patriarchs |
| 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 setting. | 1Bar |
| 5.1.2. The discursive or descriptive treatment of themes is presented as constituted by speeches uttered on separate but mutually emplotted occasions. They may be uttered by one or several characters, and constitute dialogues. | 4Ezra |
| 5.1.2.1. The separate speeches in sequence constitute a juxtaposition of themes/propositions (see further 5.7). | 4Ezra |
| 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). | |
| 5.2 The sequence of themes in the discursive or descriptive text presents itself as mirroring an objective order by dividing a larger topic by a constant principle (or set of principles) of subordination/coordination. | Sefer Yetsirah |
| 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. | Sefer Yetsirah |
| 5.2.2. This suggestion includes only a continuous substantial part of the text, but 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 theme which result when that overall theme is exhaustively defined or numerically fixed by application of a constant principle of differentiation. The overall theme need not be identified as such, nor need there be a mirroring of an objective order in the sequencing of the sub-topics (as in 5.2). | Lives of the Prophets |
| 5.3.1. The sub-topics, if seen in this manner, represent a unifying theme for the whole text (disregarding any frames). | Lives of the Prophets, Treatise of Shem |
| 5.3.2. The sub-topics, if seen in this manner, only account for a continuous substantial part of the text (disregarding any frames). | Temple Scroll (for festivals) |
| 5.4. The text's sequence of discursive/descriptive sub-topics suggests a progression from the more general to the more specific, or vice versa if accompanied by explanation, as follows: | |
| 5.4.1. The progression embraces all substantive parts of the text (disregarding any frames); 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 the sub-topics. Or it mirrors the sequence of units of meaning in another text (from single words to whole books), while not reproducing the relationships between those parts, not using quotations from it as lemmatic progression (i.e., no 6.1), and not creating narrative emplotment. | |
| 5.5.1. This order includes all substantive parts of the text (disregarding 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. [including ANNALS] | |
| 5.5.1.3. A spatial or geographical order provides the sequence for the text's themes (including any normative themes). | Temple Scroll |
| 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 normative themes). | Lives of Prophets |
| 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. | mYoma, mTamid, ritual of covenant renewal in 1QS |
| 5.5.2.2. A temporal order provides the sequence for continuous non-normative (and non-narrative) information in part of the text. | SOR, mPes ch. 10 |
| 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 text. | mMid?, mKel? |
| 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 substantial continuous part of the text's themes (including any normative themes). | Targum Esther Sheni 1:1–9 |
| 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 or in some other manner; the text is also not a case of 3.1. | Epistola Anne |
| 5.6.1. The text constitutes a conceptual inquiry into the accuracy or validity of universal claims regarding facts or norms. While presupposing or discussing the objective interdependence of its themes as components of a projected world, the text does not express that objective order in the sequence of themes (as happens in 5.2-5). | 4Mac, Epistola Anne |
| 5.6.1.1. The inquiry pervasively or prominently proceeds by juxtaposing and discussing mutually exclusive claims, or alternative (or hypothetical) world projections. | Epistola Anne |
| 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 relationship (so no 5.6, 5.2.1, 5.3.1, 5.4.1 or 5.5.1.1–3). | Mishnaic Tractates, Toseftan Tractates |
| 5.7.1. Some measure of objective interrelatedness of all (or almost all) themes in the text is capable of expression (by a scholarly interpreter) through use of a summarizing term or phrase not noticeably more general than the text's own words when speaking about its themes. | mMeilah, mSan |
| 5.7.2. Some measure of objective interrelatedness of all (or almost all) themes in the text is capable of expression (by a scholarly interpreter), but only through use of a summarizing term or phrase noticeably more general than the text's own words when speaking about its themes. | Most Mishnah Tractates, Tosefta Tractates |
| 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 such as described in 5.2.2, 5.4.2 or 5.5.2 or similar. | |
| 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 follows: | |
| 5.7.4.1. One of the enumerated topics corresponds to a possible summary theme of the bulk of the text (cp. 5.7.1/5.7.2), so that there is a single step "down" in generality from the enumeration to the rest of the text. | mPeah 1:1, tPeah 1:1 |
| 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 structuring of the text into these sub-divisions is found. | mBQ 1:1, mShevuot |
| 5.7.5. There is no objective interrelatedness of all (or almost all) themes in the text capable of expression (by a scholarly interpreter) in such a way that the summarizing term or phrase would still be reasonably related in its level of generality to the text's own words when speaking about its themes, or would still be capable of distinguishing this text from other texts quite different in contents or form. The text as transmitted shows no signs of presenting itself as a unity. | mEd?, tEd |
| 5.7.6. The juxtaposed thematic units are concerned with universal claims to accuracy/validity and thereby tacitly project an objective interrelatedness, as parts of a unified projected world. These can be reconstructed as or related to systematic articulations of knowledge by the scholarly interpreter, as e.g. in certain kinds of philosophical or scientific discourse. | [extraneous example: Epicurus' Kyriai Doxai] |
| 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. See further section 8. | Sirach, Pesher 1QpHab, 4QMMT, midrashic works, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmuds |
| 5.9. The text's governing voice projects the accuracy or validity of its statements as: | |
| 5.9.1. Being taken for granted or self-evident, e.g. not qualified. | Sefer Yetsirah, Temple Scroll |
| 5.9.2. Admitting discussion or disagreement, or the need for argument and evidence in principle. | Mishnah, Tosefta |
| 5.9.3. Pervasively in need of support by arguments, or open to discussion. | 4Mac |
| 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). | Bavli Gemara Tractates |
| 5.9.4.2. Predominantly or exclusively conceptual arguments (e.g. inferences, analogies, or references to evidence). | Sirach, 4Ezra, Mishnah Tractates |
| 5.9.4.3. Predominantly or exclusively arguments from the quoted wording of another text (e.g. paraphrases, interpretation units, proof-texts). | Damascus Document |
| 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. | Rabbinic works |
| 5.10.1.1. The persons, groups or generic figures indicated as speakers tend to be only minimally identified or contextualized. | Most rabbinic works |
| 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 reason for, a statement expressed by that governing voice. | Most Mishnah Tractates |
| 5.10.3. The governing voice quotes a character with a direct speech of such length that it constitutes a significant proportion of the overall text. | |
| 5.10.4. Hypothetical speech is routinely or prominently put into the mouth of hypostasized or generic speakers. | Sirach |
| 5.10.5. The reported wording is projected as a text, with the quoted character identified as its "author". | [extraneous example: Justinian's Digest] |
| 5.11. The text mentions no unique individuals as characters, or only mentions them in frame positions. | Abraham at the end of the Sefer Yetsirah |
| 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 create sustained emplotment (contrast 4.7). | Damascus Document (Admonitions part) |
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