Secunda (Hexapla)
From Textus Receptus
The Secunda is the second column of Origen's Hexapla, a compilation of the Hebrew Bible and Greek versions.[1] It consists of a transliteration of the Hebrew text of the Hebrew Bible into Greek characters, and is the oldest coherent Hebrew text in existence.[2] As such it serves as an important document for Hebrew philology, in particular the study of Biblical Hebrew phonology.
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Authorship
There is contention as to whether the Secunda was written by Origen, a contemporary, or was a copy of a preexisting older text.[2] Some suppose that Origen wrote the text himself, perhaps with Jewish helpers.[2] Others suppose that the Secunda was a preexisting text, added into the Hexapla as an aid for the reader.[2] There is evidence that Jews of the time made use of transcriptions; for instance a passage in the Jerusalem Talmud describing how the Jews of Caesarea would misread the tetragrammaton as the graphically similar <πιπι>, suggesting the use of transcribed texts with the tetragrammaton preserved in Hebrew characters.[3] There is also phonetic evidence for the Secunda being a preexisting text. By the time of Origen <η αι> were pronounced [iː ɛː], a merger which had already begun around 100 BCE, while in the Secunda they are used to represent Hebrew /eː aj/.[3]
Orthography
The text of the Secunda uses various Greek diacritics:
A diaeresis is used on the character iota (<ι> to <ϊ>) precisely when iota occurs after a vowel, except when <ει> indicates /iː/.[4] This is completely independent of whether the segment is consonantal or vocalic in Hebrew, as the following examples attest:[4]
- <αλαϊ> = Tiberian /ʕaːlaj/
- <φεδιων> = Tiberian /piðjoːn/
The diaeresis was a later addition of the 8th or 9th century to the Secunda.[4]
The use of rough and smooth breathing signs does not follow an obvious pattern; for example, compare <ἀμιμ> = Tiberian /ʕamːiːm/ versus <ἁφαρ> = Tiberian /ʕaːfaːr/.[5] These signs were also an addition of the 8th or 9th century.[5]
The use of accents in the Secunda does not correspond with stress in Masoretic Hebrew; their presence remains a puzzle.[6]
| Original vowel: | a | i | u | aː | iː | uː | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secunda | long | aː α | eː η | oː ω | aː/oː α/ω | iː/eː ι/η | uː/oː ου/ω |
| short | æ α | e ε | o ο | ||||
| reduced | ə α/ε/- | ə α/ε/- | ə α/ε/- | ||||
References
- 1. Janssens (1982:11–12)
- 2. Janssens (1982:13)
- 3. Janssens (1982:14)
- 4. Janssens (1982:38–39)
- 5. Janssens (1982:39–40)
- 6. Janssens (1982:40)
- 7. Janssens (1982:54)
Bibliography
- Janssens, Gerard (1982). "Studies in Hebrew Historical Linguistics Based on Origen's Secunda". Orientalia Gandensia (Uitgeverij Peeters) 9. ISBN 2-8017-0189-0.
