Critical Edition Research Articles

Preparing Big Manuscript Data for Hierarchical Clustering with Minimal HTR Training

HTR (Handwritten Text Recognition) technologies have progressed enough to offer high-accuracy results in recognising handwritten documents, even on a synchronous level. Despite the state-of-the-art algorithms and software, historical documents (especially those written in Greek) remain a real-world challenge for researchers. A large number of unedited or under-edited works of Greek Literature (ancient or Byzantine, especially the latter) exist to this day due to the complexity of producing critical editions. To critically edit a literary text, scholars need to pinpoint text variations on several manuscripts, which requires fully (or at least partially) transcribed manuscripts. For a large manuscript tradition (i.e., a large number of manuscripts transmitting the same work), such a process can be a painstaking and time-consuming project. To that end, HTR algorithms that train AI models can significantly assist, even when not resulting in entirely accurate transcriptions. Deep learning models, though, require a quantum of data to be effective. This, in turn, intensifies the same problem: big (transcribed) data require heavy loads of manual transcriptions as training sets. In the absence of such transcriptions, this study experiments with training sets of various sizes to determine the minimum amount of manual transcription needed to produce usable results. HTR models are trained through the Transkribus platform on manuscripts from multiple works of a single Byzantine author, John Chrysostom. By gradually reducing the number of manually transcribed texts and by training mixed models from multiple manuscripts, economic transcriptions of large bodies of manuscripts (in the hundreds) can be achieved. Results of these experiments show that if the right combination of manuscripts is selected, and with the transfer-learning tools provided by Transkribus, the required training sets can be reduced by up to 80%. Certain peculiarities of Greek manuscripts, which lead to easy automated cleaning of resulting transcriptions, could further improve these results. The ultimate goal of these experiments is to produce a transcription with the minimum required accuracy (and therefore the minimum manual input) for text clustering. If we can accurately assess HTR learning and outcomes, we may find that less data could be enough. This case study proposes a solution for researching/editing authors and works that were popular enough to survive in hundreds (if not thousands) of manuscripts and are, therefore, unfeasible to be evaluated by humans.

A Plea for Chivalry in Hašt Bihišt VI: Restoring Sermon 11 of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib

The important role that the Hašt Bihišt VI of Idrīs Bidlīsī (1457–1520) and the detailed accounts he devoted to the reign of Murād II (1421–1444; 1446–1451) played in the development of early modern Ottoman historiography cannot be denied. Although the work was popular in the Ottoman world, especially its court circles, where its handsome copies were avidly produced, it was never prepared as a critical edition in its original Persian in the modern Ottoman studies departments. The following discussion concentrates on an editorial emendation that shows the carelessness of Bidlīsī in the transmission of his quotations. The formation of the Sufi and Shiite elements within Book VI of Hašt Bihišt is only briefly discussed.

Il Milione ‘atipico’: il ms. Alexianus I.3 della Biblioteca Sant’Alessio Falconieri di Roma

This study analyses and provides the critical edition of a 14 pages fragment of a Tuscan version of Marco Polo’s Milione, transmitted from the ms. Alexianus I, 3 of the Biblioteca Sant’Alessio Falconieri in Rome. The codex is a 15th-century zibaldone containing fragments of vernacular works and vernacularisations dating from the 14th-15th centuries. The text can be traced back to the ‘minor’ Tuscan redaction TB, but in fact represents a rewriting in its own right motivated by scholarly interest and preserves particularly significant variants in the TB tradition, as well as data drawn from Odorico da Pordenone’s Relatio.

Critical Edition and Philological Analysis of the Isa 53 Text Based on the Coptic Manuscript of sa 52 (M 568) and Other Coptic Manuscripts of the Sahidic Dialect and the Greek Text of the Septuagint

The article is a critical edition, translation, and philological analysis of the Isa 53 text, prepared on the basis of the Coptic manuscript of sa 52 and other available manuscripts, written in the Sahidic dialect. Its first part outlines general information about the section of codex sa 52 (M 568) that contains the analyzed text. This is followed by a list and brief description of other manuscripts that contain at least some verses from sa 53. The most important part of the article is the presentation of the Sahidic text and its translation into English. The differences identified between the Coptic translation and the Greek Septuagint were presented in a table. It includes, for example, additions and omissions in the Sahidic translation, lexical changes, and semantic differences. The final part of the article aims to clarify more challenging philological issues observed either in the Coptic text itself or in its relation to the Greek text of the LXX.

Textual Criticism, Literary Criticism, and State Capture: Returning 3 Reigns 12:24p–t to the Canon of Local African Communities

This article begins by considering the relationship between textual variants and the canonical text, arguing for a fuller presence of significant variant readings alongside the canonical text, in line with contemporary textual critical scholarship and their associated eclectic critical editions. Alongside such eclectic critical editions and their appropriation within Bible translation, this article suggests that a community-based approach like Contextual Bible Study could be used to return significant and relevant variants to ordinary African readers and hearers of the Bible. The article argues that LXX 3 Reigns 12:24p–t is such a significant and relevant textual variant, offering as it does a remarkable resonance with contemporary South African concerns about state capture. The article analyses 24p–t as a significant textual variant in text critical terms, as significant narrative literature in its own right, as a coherent economic narrative analysis concerning the cause of the division of the united monarchy, and as a potential resource for Contextual Bible Study work within the contemporary South African context of state capture.

The Practice of Textual Criticism in Traditional China as Illustrated by Lu Wenchao’s (1717–1796) Work

Abstract Eighteenth-century Chinese evidential (kaozheng or kaoju) scholarship has been viewed as an intellectual apostasy from the Cheng-Zhu orthodoxy of Neo-Confucianism. In terms of textual criticism, however, leading evidential critics inherited the norm and assumptions from the Song dynasty Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi (1130–1200), even though some of them questioned his moral-political system. This article examines representative evidential textual critic Lu Wenchao’s (1717–1796) editing of the first-century Confucian text Baihu tong and traces his practical and conceptual origin back to Zhu Xi. It argues that Chinese evidential textual criticism is a mixture of methodological eclecticism, editorial conservatism, and hermeneutic activism.

Planning the Reconquista of Venetian Istria

The author critically edits, translates into English, and analyzes the Treaty of Pazin, a pact signed between Count Albert I of Gorizia and the Commune of Koper on July 27, 1278. The signees forged a military alliance directed against Venice, with the aim of reconquering the Istrian lands that had subjected themselves to the Venetian Commune between 1267 and 1271, that is, Poreč, Umag, Novigrad and Sveti Lovreč. First, the background leading up to the signing of this treaty is thoroughly illuminated, revealing the evolutionary thread that tied the two contrahents together in their Istrian ventures. Thus, the alliance formed in Pazin in 1278 was but a continuation of the joint efforts of the Gorizian and the Capodistrian commune, the duo’s first undertaking being the war against Patriarch Gregory fought in 1267 and 1268–1269. Second, the treaty itself is broken down, contextualized, and analyzed from the diplomatic point of view. It is shown that the document in question is a notarial sealed charter and that the surviving manuscript is one of the two originals issued in Pazin, that is, the Capodistrian exemplar. The paper then turns to the aftermath of the joint actions undertaken by the Gorizian-Capodistrian alliance, showing that the anti-Venetian coalition failed to achieve their primary objective, even though their initial prospects for achieving their goals had been high. The paper closes with an in extenso critical edition of the Treaty of Pazin and its translation into contemporary English.

Using Bayesian phylogenetics to infer manuscript transmission history

Abstract Bayesian phylogenetic methods offer various models that would be especially suitable in the reconstruction of textual traditions, but text-critical applications of phylogenetics to date have generally not taken advantage of these features. In this article, we offer a way forward for text-critical phylogenetics. On the side of theory, we highlight multiple Bayesian phylogenetic models and discuss their relevance to textual criticism. More practically, we show how TEI XML collations of textual traditions can be encoded to facilitate robust analyses using these models in BEAST 2, with the teiphy Python package mediating the conversion from TEI XML to BEAST XML. Finally, we give a proof of concept for this approach, showing that the results of BEAST 2 analyses of a sample collation of the Epistle to the Ephesians under different clock models cohere with established findings on the textual tradition of this work.

Hexaplaric Readings or Assimilations with a Hebrew Text in Göttingen’s Edition of Leviticus

Abstract The article takes into consideration a certain number of readings contained in the Göttingen critical edition of the book of Leviticus published by J.W. Wevers in 1986. Whilst maintaining the importance of this edition, it is possible to note that in numerous points the readings chosen seem to be the most harmonized with the Hebrew text, thereby risking the loss of some particular characteristics of the LXX text that may contain interpretative elements of a theological or legislative nature. In this contribution I shall review some examples that seem significant to me in which, with differing degrees of certainty, we might suspect that such a harmonizing tendency has influenced the readings chosen by Wevers, even in some cases including the tendency to introduce Hexaplaric readings.

Text-Critical Edition of the List of Solomon’s Officials (3 Kgdms 4:8–19)

Abstract The List of Solomon’s officials (1 Kgs/3 Kgdms 4:8–19) presents many textual problems both in the MT and the LXX texts. It constitutes then a perfect testing ground for the critical edition of 3–4 Kingdoms. This paper intends to revise the Rahlfs’ approach and conclusions, in particular regarding the correspondence εἷς = ‮אֶחָד‬‎ attested differently in the different text forms, and presents a commented preliminary edition of the passage, explaining the critical choices of the editors.

W którym pułku służył Piotr Niewiadomski – bohater Soli ziemi Józefa Wittlina?

A COMMENT ON THE ATTEMPTS TO IDENTIFY PIOTR NIEWIADOMSKI’S REGIMENTThe 2022 Polish critical edition of Józef Wittlin’s World War One novel, Salt of the Earth, features a footnote where the editor unequivocally identifies the main protagonist’s military unit as the Austro-Hungarian 55th Infantry Regiment, based on the initial letter of the unit’s Colonel-in-chief ’s name mentioned by the author. This aligns with the 1991 edition, which previously identified him as Nicholas I of Montenegro. With publications on the Austro- -Hungarian army now more widely accessible, the new editor enumerates the regiment’s characteristics and briefly outlines its history. However, other pertinent details scattered throughout the novel, such as the unit’s recruiting district (Śniatyn in Eastern Galicia), its garrison town (Stanisławów), and facing colour (orange), are completely disregarded. This article aims to demonstrate that, when considered collectively, these clues lead to the conclusion that Wittlin’s portrayal of the unit is entirely fictitious. The writer not only fails to mention the regiment’s number (replacing it with “X”) but also presents its mutually exclusive formal characteristics. It can be inferred that the author either could not present the unit consistently or, more likely, intentionally did so to prevent readers from associating it with any actual place and people. This conclusion is drawn from scrutiny of official printed sources in German, along with fundamental Austrian and Polish publications.

Resurrecting Amulets and Ostraca within New Testament Textual Criticism

Abstract This article explores the value of amulets and magical ostraca for New Testament textual criticism. We begin by defining amulets and magical ostraca and describing how New Testament text is recorded on them. We then survey which amulets and magical ostraca were used in twentieth-century critical editions of the Greek New Testament and why these categories were added and then subsequently removed from the Kurzgefaßte Liste. After presenting the status quaestionis on these artifacts, we describe a shift in New Testament textual criticism toward an increasing appreciation of and curiosity about the social milieu of those who used the biblical text. This has generated fresh perspectives on the value and merit of amulets and magical ostraca, which justify their inclusion in the ECM, CBGM, and the Kurzgefaßte Liste. We discuss the necessary stipulations for the inclusion of these items and explain why the “talisman” and “ostracon” categories in the Kurzgefaßte Liste have been resurrected. Finally, we bring the Kurzgefaßte Liste up-to-date by cataloging amulets up to T39 and magical ostraca up to Os30, outlining how their inclusion affects already cataloged witnesses and how images and transcriptions of these new additions are already accessible in the NTVMR (New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room).

The Quanzhou Qianfo xinzhu zhuzushi song (Or.8210/S.1635): Manuscript, Textual History, and Genealogy

Abstract This article explores the textual history and genealogical claims in the Quanzhou Qianfo xinzhu zhuzushi song 泉州千佛新著諸祖師頌 (Or.8210/S.1635), a collection of encomia composed by Wendeng 文僜 (d. 972) that documents the formation of the so-called “southern” Chan lineage and provides a crucial link between the Baolin zhuan 寶林傳 and the Zutang ji 祖堂集. The focus of this paper is on reexamining the potentially layered nature of Wendeng’s work based on the preface by Huiguan 慧觀 (d.u.), internal evidence from the Dunhuang manuscript, and related accounts in Chan records and local gazetteers. In addition, this study investigates the genealogical glosses in S.1635 and suggests that these were probably not authored by Wendeng and therefore cannot be taken as evidence of his understanding of the pedigree of the presumed successors to Huineng 慧能 (638–713).

Paul Cezanne in Russia: The Critical Response

Abstract The selection of critical texts, excerpted and translated below, illustrates the reception and assessment of Cezanne in Russia, especially during the 1910s–1930s. References are made both to the responses of radical artists and to the more rigorous ideological attitudes towards Cezanne and French modernism in general during the time of Socialist Realism. The selection also encompasses post-Soviet accounts tinged with structuralism and Post-Modernism, culminating in Elena Murina’s highly influential analyses and appreciations.

Applicability of Paleography in Manuscriptology w.s.r to Critical Edition of Ayurvedic manuscripts

Applicability of Paleography in Manuscriptology w.s.r to Critical Edition of Ayurvedic manuscripts

СОЦВЕТИЕ НАУК ДЛЯ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ИСТОРИЧЕСКОГО ГЕРБАРИЯ

(Rev.: The Herbarium of Robert Erskine, Archiater and Physician-in-Chief to Peter the Great / edited by A.K. Sytin and D.D. Slastunov. SPb, Lubavich, 2022, 375 p.) Summary: The book under review is the first critical edition of the Herbarium belonged to Robert Areskin, a fellow-fighter of Peter the Great, his Physician-in-Chief and President of the Apothecary’s Garden in Moscow. The Herbarium was created in 1709 and composed of plant species from the vicinity of Moscow. This is Russia’s first botanical collection of western type. The present critical edition is a part of the huge research project “From the Kunstkamera to Herbal Science. The Development of Botany in Russia in the First Half of the 18th Century” conducted by Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the financial support of Russian Foundation for Basic Research. It demonstrates how productive the joint effort of botanists, historians, historians of science, librarians, archivists and museum custodians can be. The contribution of web designers, database developers and specialists in digital image processing neither can be underestimated. The review emphasizes the success of this interdisciplinary team and congratulates the editors on the way they revealed Herbarium’s scientific, historical and cultural value.

Development and Validation of an Equine Castration Model and Rubric

Castration is one of the most common surgeries performed in equine practice. Veterinary students require deliberate practice to reach competence in surgical procedures including equine castration, but availability of patients limits students’ practice opportunities. A recumbent equine castration model was created and evaluated using a validation framework consisting of content evidence (expert opinion), internal structure evidence (reliability of scores produced by the accompanying rubric), and evidence of relationship with other variables, specifically the difference in scores between experts and students. A convenience sample of third-year students who had never performed equine castration ( n = 24) and veterinarians who had performed equine castration ( n = 25) performed surgery on the model while being video recorded. Participants completed a post-operative survey about the model. All veterinarians (100%) agreed or strongly agreed that the model was suitable for teaching students the steps to perform equine castration and for assessing students’ skill. The checklist produced scores with good internal consistency (α = 0.805). Veterinarians performed the castration faster than the students ( p = .036) and achieved a higher total global rating score ( p = .003). There was no significant difference between groups in total checklist score or individual checklist items, except veterinarians were more likely to check both sides for bleeding ( p = .038). The equine castration model and rubric validated in this study can be used in a low-stress clinical skills environment to improve students’ skills to perform what is otherwise a challenging field procedure. Model use should be followed with live animal practice to complete the learning process.

Seeking a better balance between efficiency and interpretability: Comparing the likert response format with the Guttman response format.

The Likert item response format for items is almost ubiquitous in the social sciences and has particular virtues regarding the relative simplicity of item-generation and the efficiency for coding responses. However, in this article, we critique this very common item format, focusing on its affordance for interpretation in terms of internal structure validity evidence. We suggest an alternative, the Guttman response format, which we see as providing a better approach for gathering and interpreting internal structure validity evidence. Using a specific survey-based example, we illustrate how items in this alternative format can be developed, exemplify how such items operate, and explore some comparisons between the results from using the two formats. In conclusion, we recommend usage of the Guttman response format for improving the interpretability of the resulting outcomes. Finally, we also note how this approach may be used in tandem with items that use the Likert response format to help balance efficiency with interpretability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

School staff’s perceptions of implementing the Inclusive Behavioral Support in Schools framework in Swedish schools

ABSTRACT The Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire for school settings (DIBQ-S) was administered to examine questionnaire internal structure evidence and ascertain 127 Swedish school staff’s perceived barriers to and facilitators of implementing the Inclusive Behavioral Support in Schools program. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we tested a 3-factor model (capability, opportunity, motivation) corresponding to the Theoretical Domain Framework and the COM-B system. Measurement of motivation was suboptimal, but a 2-factor model exclusively retaining capability and opportunity had fair fit. The questionnaire showed overall fair internal structure evidence. Facilitators related primarily to motivation, whereas potential barriers related to capability, opportunity, and motivation. Teachers working in early school years perceived higher opportunity and capability than teachers working in later school years. School staff in the implementation team perceived higher opportunity than other school staff. The DIBQ-S could support school implementations by ensuring that the process feels coherent, manageable, and meaningful for frontline implementers.

Рассуждение о понятии «художественный замысел»

The subject of the article is the content of the concept, answering the question of what an artistic intention is and clarifying its nature. Coupled with a number of concepts in textual criticism, art criticism, aesthetics (author’s intention, plan, idea, teleology, purpose, completeness, integrity), the concept of “artistic intent” does not duplicate any of them. To this day, Dmitry S. Likhachev’s judgment has not lost its relevance, according to which “The will of the author and his plan are extremely complex phenomena and, in their very essence, still little studied. Representatives of different scientific specialties should take part in studying them in the future.” The article makes an attempt to cover the morphological and etymological aspects of the concept; its definitions and approaches to understanding available in the research of domestic humanities are compared.