I guess I’ve managed to read over the very first line in the apparatus of Rahlf’s text of Genesis for years without ever stopping to make sense of exactly what it says. Some of it (I think!) I know what means, but other parts are opaque to me. I’d appreciate any correction or supplementation. The apparatus at the very beginning of Genesis reads [I'm using ( ) to mark smaller text in Rahlfs; these are verse numbers.]:
Gen.: 1—46(28) ηρωων A, 46(28) πολιν — 50 BA, 23(19)—24(46) (mutila) etiam S.
What I think this says is that Gen 1:1–46:28 is in poetry in manuscript A. (That may be totally wrong; I don’t know exactly what Greek word ηρωων is.) I think the verse references and manuscripts are obvious.
From 46:28–ch. 50 is πολιν (???) in manuscripts B and A, but 23:19–24:46 is mutilated (missing? or just damaged/incomplete leaves?); also manuscript S.
If my guess of “poetry” is correct for ηρωων (and I don’t know that it is), then πολιν is puzzling. (I’d normally take it as a form of πολις, city.)
Any suggestions?
Dr. Decker,
It appears that ηρωων πολιν is a phrase translated as “city of heroes” (Brenton’s translation of the LXX, cf. Gen. 46.28f). ηρωων specifically is apparently from ηρως (rough breathing; this is according to the Lexham LXX interlinear). Having said this, though, I’m not sure what the apparatus is getting at exactly. But, I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Eric
I think for the first part [Gen.: 1—46(28) ηρωων A, 46(28) πολιν — 50 BA], the Greek words refer to words in the text, so it would mean that, from Genesis 1:1–46:28, up through the word ηρωων, only manuscript A is used; from the word πολιν, both A and B are used.
The second [23(19)—24(46) (mutila) etiam S] refers to the fact that the fragmentary manuscript S is used for 23:19–24:46.
Ah yes. I never thought to put those two words together. And oddly enough, LEH doesn’t list ἡρως at all! When I went to my study this morning and checked Muraoka, there it is: Heroonpolis, City of Heroes—the LXX name for Goshen. Thanks to both of you.