Abstract
AbstractBuilding on a plethora of conjectured emendations for IOϒΔAIAN, this article approaches the issue once again to test the viability of a quantitative tool and to establish the possibility of palaeographical confusion of IOϒΔAIAN with an alternative topo- or demonym. The article starts with an experiment using Greek topo- and demonyms derived from contemporary Christian, Jewish, and Classical sources to establish a palaeographical confusion score. Next the likeliness of the “closest” alternatives in the geographical arrangement of Acts 2:9–11 is explored. The article ends with an evaluation of the possible implications for the text in Acts 2:9 as well as a critical appraisal of the method for conjectural criticism.
Highlights
In the first part of this study, “Ἰουδαίαν in Acts 2:9: a diachronic overview of its conjectured emendations”, we demonstrated that several textual emendations have been conjectured to solve the alleged interpretive problems with IOΥΔAIAN in Acts 2:9
In the history of interpretation, solutions have been explored in three directions: (1) IOΥΔAIAN has been interpreted as an adjective instead of a noun, (2) IOΥΔAIAN has been regarded as a corruption or later interpolation in the text, and (3) several toponyms have been proposed as a solution to emend the text
The confusion distance algorithm was used to estimate the probability of palaeographical confusion with IOΥΔAIAN for each toponym in our list
Summary
In the first part of this study, “Ἰουδαίαν in Acts 2:9: a diachronic overview of its conjectured emendations”, we demonstrated that several textual emendations have been conjectured to solve the alleged interpretive problems with IOΥΔAIAN in Acts 2:9. In the history of interpretation, solutions have been explored in three directions: (1) IOΥΔAIAN has been interpreted as an adjective instead of a noun, (2) IOΥΔAIAN has been regarded as a corruption or later interpolation in the text, and (3) several toponyms have been proposed as a solution to emend the text. None of these suggestions have been generally accepted. We use a reverse engineering approach: instead of starting from the text itself, trying to find a fitting explanation of the interpretive problem concerning IOΥΔAIAN, we start with a list of toponyms and research which toponyms are likely alternatives based on the criterion of
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