Introductory Formula Research Articles

Typology of Introductive Formulas in Kwakum Proverbs

Kwaèkuàm is a Bantu language of zone A according to Guthrie (1967: 496). It is listed A90. Its code is [463], Binam Bikoï (2012:141). Generally, when we want to produce a proverbial statement, the speaker does not surprise his audience. He prepares it using various introductory formulas. The same is true in the kwaèkuàm community. In doing so, our paper examines the formal introductory structures found in kwaèkuàm proverbs and which make it possible to delimit the “proverbial mold” and to identify a sentence as a proverb in a speech. Five hundred proverbs collected from ten speakers aged 50 and over constitute our corpus. From the categorization of the recurring motifs of the forms and rhythms of the proverbial saying, it emerges that the paremic initiation formulas are in the initial position of the proverbial sentence. The specificity of the proverbial statement is that it constitutes a “fixed” genre of oral literature. Moreover, this is what makes it recognized in a statement.

Transmitted Sayings and Their Transmissibility: Patterns and Meanings of Zhuan yue 傳曰 Quotations in Early Chinese Texts

Abstract This article investigates the introductory formula zhuan yue 傳曰 (“a transmitted source says”) in early China, together with its “quotations” and their parallel texts. Rarely found in pre-imperial texts, the zhuan yue formula gained prominence especially from the mid-Western Han onward. As a vague, unspecific gesture of reference, the formula was flexibly applied to varying functions but also used with limited patterns and regularity. Both the formula and the quoted material are almost never found in the core texts of the “Five Classics” (wujing 五經); instead, zhuan yue appears to indicate sources that existed as an open repository outside of the emerging canon. Thus, in marking the non-canonical body, zhuan yue also helped define the canonical one. Finally, another usage of zhuan yue—which emerged in early Han times if not earlier—as an introduction to specific zhuan-commentaries of the classics is clearly a separate function altogether.

Introductory Formulas in the Catalogue of Men of Odyssey 11

Abstract In this paper, I examine the formulaic system of the catalogue of men in Odyssey 11. The discursive means at work whenever a catalogue entry is introduced, rest on vision and kinetics. These are two cardinal notions that establish themselves in narrative contexts of male catalogue poetry in the Iliad. Scrutinising the formula-based linguistic register pertaining to visual perception and movement/stasis shows that entry introductory formulas serve as mechanisms of meticulous inner structuring and co-ordination of the narrative material and of outer framing with regard to the preceding free-floating entries and the catalogue of women.

Approaches to the Investigation of Speech Genres in the Qur'an

This contribution provides a methodological overview of the investigation of speech genres in the Qur’an. Drawing on Biblical form criticism, the ethnography of speech, and Bakhtin's theory of speech genres, as well as recent studies devoted to the form criticism of the Qur’an and earlier Qur’anic studies scholarship on individual genres, it points out the importance of generic conventions for the interpretation of Qur’anic passages, highlights the types of evidence on which investigators ought to focus in the investigation of genres, and identifies oversights and pitfalls that have affected earlier scholarship and should be taken into account in future work. Close attention must be paid to generic labels, meta-generic discourse, repeated elements, conventional features of individual genres such as introductory formulas, concluding formulas, and characteristic words, phrases, and constructions. The discussion highlights the ways in which texts that belong to individual genres are embedded in suras or longer passages within suras and points out that the Qur’an not only draws on pre-existing genres but also modifies and transforms them.

To Quote or Not to Quote? Categorizing Quotations in the Epistle to the Hebrews

An overview of the appendices in NA28 and UBS5 reveals that the editors agreed regarding the number of quotations in Hebrews on 37 occasions. They disagreed, however, as to whether an intertext was a quotation or an allusion on nine occasions. The compilers of these lists did not provide a basis for their conclusions, and inability to agree on the number of intertexts could be due to multiple reasons. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to develop a set of criteria by which to identify quotations in Hebrews. Auctor’s quotations were determined to possess four characteristics: (1) introductory formula, (2) a recognizable source, (3) verbal correspondence with the hypotext and (4) syntactical tension. These four characteristics were then utilized to assess the nine disputed intertexts between NA28 and UBS5. By assessing the nine intertexts for the presence of the criteria, four out of the nine were determined to be quotations, whereas five were deemed to be allusions.

Divine Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: The Recontextualization of Spoken Quotations of Scripture. Society for New Testament Studies Monograph 178

Divine Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: The Recontextualization of Spoken Quotations of Scripture. Society for New Testament Studies Monograph 178

Marking multiple meanings: Salience and context effects.

Katz and Ferretti's, (Discourse Processes, 2003, 36, 19) pioneering paper was the first to address and systematically examine the role of marking (literally speaking, in a manner of speaking, proverbially speaking) during online processing of proverbs (see also Schwint et al., 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society Proceedings, 2006, 768). For Katz and colleagues, such markers function as introductory formulae, signaling to the addressee the intended interpretation of an incoming proverb. Inspired by their work, this paper explores the effects of marking, showing that some markers (literally, in the full sense of the word, double entendre, really) rather than disambiguating an ambiguous utterance, can allow for ambiguation (e.g., S/he is radiant, in the full sense of the word uttered in reference to a smiling person wearing sparkling clothes). Two offline questionnaire studies and one online reading task experiment, all conducted in Hebrew, test the Low-Salience Marking Hypothesis (Givoni, Low-salience marking, 2011; Givoni, Marking multiple meanings, 2020; Givoni, Journal of Pragmatics, 2013, 48, 29). Accordingly, such marking boosts low-salience meanings ("glittery", here the literal meaning) which are less-frequent, less-familiar, less-prototypical, and less-conventionalized (The Graded Salience Hypothesis, see Giora, Cognitive Linguistics, 1997, 8, 183; Giora, On our mind: Salience, context and figurative language, Oxford University Press, 2003; Givoni & Giora, Handbuch Pragmatik, J.B. Metzler, 2018). Marked utterances were embedded in contexts, strongly supportive of the salient meaning of the ambiguities ("happy", here the figurative meaning). Results support the Low-Salience Marking Hypothesis. They show preference for low-salience meanings as well as faster reading times of such meanings following low-salience marking relative to control conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

‘As It Is Written’ … Where? Examining Generic Citations of Scripture in the New Testament

This article examines 33 ‘generic’ citations of Israel’s scriptures in the NT, defined as passages containing an introductory formula or other overt reference to a source, but lacking any actual quoted text. Each passage (from the gospels, Acts and Pauline epistles) is examined in terms of its citation form and particular meaning in context, and then this broader pattern of ‘generic’ citation is compared with Second Temple citation practices. Having rarely been studied collectively, these citations provide interesting insight into how the NT authors draw upon the whole of the OT – without reference to specific prooftexts – to make assertions about Israel’s history, Christology, and the church. They should be given more consideration in the broader field of biblical intertextuality.

Wedding Macroareology of Slavic-Baltic Area

The purpose of the publication is to present an arealogy of the largest groups of typical wedding meloforms (established by their key rhythmic and compositional characteristics), which function in the common multi-ethnic geographical space of Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians, and in adjacent Russian regions. The geographical spaces of the listed ethnic groups mean their ethnic territories established at the beginning of the 20th century on linguistic grounds. Late administrative boundaries are not taken into account. The research source was approx. 27,500 melodies compiled from archival and published sources (sound recordings and notations), and registered in the electronic database “The register of ritual melodies of Ukrainians and neighboring ethnic groups” (RRMU+). The main research tools: modeling the syllable-rhythmic formulas, determining the types of arrangement of tunes, combining the models built at the intersection of components into the related typological groups (families), highlighting the key - geographically large-scale - musical forms and their mapping.The article contains 17 melo-geographic maps of iconic type. In the wedding cycle of the outlined territory, more than six dozen stable (typical) musical forms were established, which can be described in one analytical algorithm, since all the forms belong to the class of quantitative (time-measuring) rhythm. 5 tables are attached to the study. They show all the basic rhythmic formulas that serve as the basis for the creation of compositions. The characteristic is given to all the main ways of arranging of wedding melodies: various types of stanzas (classical two-line responsory type, three-line based on indivisible long formulas, original reduced one-and-a-half forms or expanded 4-line ones), several types of tirade (stretchable) forms with an altering number of lines, separate original compositions (forms with rerhythmization, multi-element formulas, a couple of periodicities).The obtained areas showed a complex system of melotypological and geographical ties in the common Slavic-Baltic space. Some of the areas are closed within the Ukrainian ethnic territories (all classical tirade compositions, hetero-rhythmic composition ‹formula-stanza›, mobile composition formulas (usually monotext or with a dominant plot), ritual introductory formulas preceding singing with a triple repetition of a song). The other part of the forms (mostly stanzaic) has multi-ethnic areas (bilingual, trili?gual, four-language) with different geographical vectors. Linguistic boundaries had not prevent spreading of this group of forms. In interethnic relations, the northern vector (Ukrainian-Belarusian relations) is represented by almost two dozen forms. The western vector (Poles, Lithuanians) is represented by nearly 10 rhythmic types. Eastern (Russian) vector is the most closed. Separate general forms extend to the east from the border of the Slavic-Baltic area to a shallow depth (to neighboring areas), while predominantly acquiring distinctive features (for example, special “alilio” refrains).The largest multi-ethnic areas have melodies based on the formulas of the 6-metre (hexachord), the iambic 6/7-syllable, the verse forms V5 + 3, V5 + 5 + 7. These formulas served as material for a diverse compositional development. The total number of varieties based on each model requires the application of the concept of macro-family to each of these groups. The construction of macroareals allows us to clearly outline the external borders of the Slavic-Baltic early traditional area (SBA). The bunch of isomels on the north-eastern border coincides with the Belarusian language border. In the internal division of the SBA, the leading role is played by the conditional vertical division of the area into the western and eastern parts. In the western part (presented in the form of an arc, also covering the northern segment of the SBA – Poozeria (Lakeland)), the three-dimensional organization formulas dominate, and the technique of adding of syllable-chrons is also active. In the eastern zone, the main role is played by the two-dimensional organization formulas (4 and 6-metre), which act in the mode of active syllable-rhythmic division.

Inscriptional Intermediality in Livy

Abstract The term monumentum is used in Latin literature to describe a range of monuments across media, including temples, literary works, statues, and inscriptions. This article surveys the variety of monumenta in Livy’s Ab urbe condita, which range from the text itself to victory inscriptions and bronze sculptures meant to commemorate military as well as political achievements. The borders between historiography and physical artefacts are often blurred by Livy through inscriptional intermediality, a phenomenon defined as the mixing of visual and textual media. By outlining how Livy achieves this combination, and demonstrating how the specific ratio of literary, linguistic, and topographical features in his ekphrases generate unique impressions of real-world monuments, this chapter re-reads Livy’s history from the perspective of intermedial theory. This process not only advances our understanding of the Ab urbe condita as a literary work, but also thrusts individual aspects of Livy’s narrative technique – including visuality and unique formulae such as the introductory formula tabula … cum indice hoc posita est (Livy 41.28.8) – into the spotlight.

Empirical approaches to distinguishing between the non-paremiological and paremiological sentential phrasemes

Sociolinguistic and corpus‑based approaches can be used to study the boundary between paremiological and non‑paremiological material. This study primarily examines whether speakers and researchers perceive a certain group of phrasemes as being representative of the (paremiological) genre or not. Second, it examines semantic and pragmatic features, the corpus frequency of these units, and the presence or absence of introductory formulas typical of paremiological units. In this manner it distinguishes units that should be placed at the edge of the paremiological spectrum from those that represent the edge of the non‑paremiological spectrum of sentential phraseology. It is proposed that a line be drawn between “sayings” and non‑paremiological sentential phrasemes in this manner.

Ethiopian Abǝnnät Manuscripts: Organizational Structure, Language Use, and Orality

Dissertation abstract

Composite Citations in Antiquity, vol. 1, Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian Uses ed. by Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn

Reviewed by: Composite Citations in Antiquity, vol. 1, Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian Uses ed. by Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn Peter R. Rodgers sean a. adams and seth m. ehorn (eds.), Composite Citations in Antiquity, vol. 1, Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Early Christian Uses (LNTS 525; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2016). Pp. xiii + 242. $120. In this collection of essays, Adams and Ehorn have drawn together studies of composite citations in the writings of antiquity. This work anticipates and provides background for a second volume that will treat the phenomenon in the NT. Each of the studies makes a valuable contribution in its own right, and together they demonstrate that composite citation was a common practice in the ancient world. After an introductory chapter by the editors defining composite citations ("What Is a Composite Citation? An Introduction"), there are ten chapters on specific areas of ancient literature: "Greek Education and Composite Citations of Homer," by Sean A. Adams; "Composite Citations in Plutarch," by Seth M. Ehorn; "Citation in Elite Roman Epistolary Writing: The Letters of Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny," by Margaret H. Williams; "Composite Quotations in Philo of Alexandria," by James R. Royse; "Composite Quotations in the Damascus Document," by Jonathan D. H. Norton; "Composite Citations in the Septuagint Apocrypha," by Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn; "Composite Citations in Jewish Pseudepi graphic Works: Re-presenting Legal Traditions in the Second Temple Period," by Garrick V. Allen; "Composite Features and Citations in Justin Martyr's Textual Composition," by Philippe Bobichon; "The Testimony Hypothesis and Composite Citations," by Martin C. Albl; "Composite Citations: Retrospect and Prospect," by Christopher D. Stanley. At the outset, Adams and Ehorn offer a working definition of composite citation. The text must be noted with explicit attribution to an author or speaker and marked out either with an introductory formula, a notable break in the syntax, or be a text that is cited elsewhere by the same author. More allusive examples "must only be considered with caution" (p. 3). The composite nature of the citation is equally important. Two or more texts must be fused together, the fusing must not include conjunctions that break between the texts, and should not refer to a plurality of authors (p. 4). Working within these parameters, the contributors present their findings, some of which are more fruitful than others as regards composite citations. For example, composite citations are frequent in the Damascus Document and the Apocrypha, whereas examples according to the strict definition of Adams and Ehorn are less a feature of the writings of Plutarch or the elite Roman writers: the letters of Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny. Composite citations are more frequent in the Greek school texts, showing that "composite citations were an established literary practice and an accepted part of Greek literary culture" (Adams, p. 33). The definition offered by Adams and Ehorn sets up clear parameters, but both the [End Page 538] terminology and the methodology are problematic. The use of the term "citation" in itself is not without difficulty. This may be detected even in the table of contents, where two of the authors prefer the term quotations (Royse and Norton). In recent years, there has been much discussion as to what constitutes a quotation, an allusion, or an echo of a Scripture text. The term "citation" has often been used in an imprecise way to refer to any of these categories. But the editors use it with precision to refer to quotations with an introductory formula. But the whole phenomenon of the combination of texts in antiquity is much more wide-ranging and diverse than the narrow confines that they have established. It is curious that, with the exception of the Damascus Document and the Temple Scroll, the combination of Scripture in the Dead Sea Scrolls is not treated in this study. At least 4Q174 and 4Q175 are relevant to the discussion but do not fit the strict criteria for "composite citations" as set forth in this volume. So the question remains: how do we define a citation? Royse asserts that the ancients had no way, as we do, of marking out a quotation (pp. 77,84); however, this is...

“Politics is not a Spectator Sport”: Proverbs in the Personal and Political Writings of Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a thoughtful proverbial stylist in her books It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us (1996), Living History (2003), and Hard Choices (2014). Just as other politicians, she too has attempted to formulate concise statements that have the possibility of becoming familiar quotations and perhaps even proverbs. Being a world traveler she has picked up foreign proverbs which she incorporates into her communications with appropriate introductory formulas. But she also draws special attention to English language proverbs, changing some of them to expressive anti-proverbs. She appreciates the fact that the complex interplay of proverbs and political language is of great importance as she writes to communicate her thoughts on American political history and the future role that the United States might play in the world. In doing so, she does not employ proverbs as an ideological instrument but rather as a linguistic tool to enhance her often quite factual prose with vivid metaphors. Looking at her instantiation of proverbs shows the fundamental polysituativity, polyfunctionality, and polysemanticity of proverbs in actual contexts. Each proverb occurrence offers new insights into her being, her reflections, and her aspirations for herself and for her country. Whatever one might think of her political agenda, she most certainly has proven herself to be an engaged and experienced leader in the United States and on the world stage.

“Old Testament Awareness” and the Textual Tradition of the Explicit Quotations of Isaiah in Codex Bezae’s Acts

This article investigates the textual history of the explicit quotations of Isaiah in the Acts of the Apostles of Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis (Acts 7:49-50; 13:34; 13:47) by introducing the concept of “Old Testament awareness.” This concept can be defined as the degree to which a nt tradition, at any stage of its transmission history, is aware of a quotation stemming from the ot. ot awareness can be identified in the layout of Codex Bezae (e.g., the indentation of text in the manuscript to indicate ot quotations), the text of quotations (e.g., readings that can be shown to be a subsequent change towards an ot tradition) and the context of the quoted text (e.g., the quotations’ introductory formulae). Through assessing the ot awareness of Codex Bezae’s explicit quotations of Isaiah, different stages in the transmission history of the text of these quotations in Codex Bezae’s Acts can be identified.

Three Fables

special section Native Lit How African Spirits Were Born O nce upon a time, there was a strong, wise emperor named Mersò, who ruled over the most powerful empire in Africa. When old age came knocking at his door, he summoned his firstborn son, who was his designated heir, and told him: “Miren, my son, hear me. I have nourished my body long enough and now wish to make my peace with God and tend to my soul. The art of governing and the sense of responsibility it has imparted me tells me you are not suited to the wielding of power and that it would be best if your younger brother Gemel ruled in your stead.” “But this is absurd!” Miren exclaimed. “I’m your firstborn, how could you possibly crown him instead of me?” His father replied: “Have you thought this through? And considered the consequences?” “Yes!” his son answered. “If you don’t honor my wishes, it’ll mean there’s no justice in this empire.” “So be it,” his father concluded. “As such, I will divide the empire between you.” Three Fables Ribka Sibhatu Translator’s note: Eritrean literature has been handed down through the generations in the form of aulòs, the Tigrinya term for bardic songs that are performed at public and private celebrations as well as during religious rites. Performers always begin their tales by invoking the word Şïnşïwai, which roughly means, “I have a story to tell,” to which the audience replies, Uāddëkoi şęlimai, “We’re ready, we’re listening.” Ribka Sibhatu learned her craft in Asmara and Hemberti, her ancestral village in the high plateau, where these stories can be traced back for centuries. “How African Spirits Were Born,” the first fable in this selection, is popularly believed to be based on actual events and is thus performed without the usual introductory formula. Eritrean tradition holds that spirits embody human forms and can be both malign and benign; for instance, the latter are thought to reside in pools of water, where people bathe in order to purify themselves and cure their illnesses. To this day, many claim to have seen spirits wandering through their homes or their villages, which explains why many are afraid to walk alone, especially at night, lest they fall victim to spirits less kindly inclined. illustration : dimitry ezhov September–October 2014 • 41 42 worldliteraturetoday.org Emperor Mersò thus carved the empire between his sons and retired from public life to lead a hermit’s existence. Far removed from royal pomp, he spent many years devoted to prayer and dined solely on herbs, roots, and wild berries : all in the quest to tend to his soul. However, Miren harbored great anger and resentment. Finally overwhelmed by it, he decided to kill his brother and thus be recognized as the sole, undisputed ruler of the empire! He paid Gemel a visit and told him: “Brother!” “Tell me,” Gemel replied. “I am the eldest!” “That you are . . .” “As such, I should have inherited the entirety of the empire, but our father insisted on dividing it. However, it’s time to rectify this: I want to kill you and seize all power for myself. Nevertheless , I don’t ever want anyone to say I won it through subterfuge, and so prepare yourself for war. I’m coming for you.” Even though he now lived in the forest, the heavenly messengers warned the old emperor about what was about to happen in his lands. The emperor therefore decided to visit his sons. Once he’d arrived, he told them: “My sons.” “Tell us,” they said. “What do you lack? Why are you fighting? I settled this matter before leaving you, and now I’ve returned to broker a peace!” “I have no wish to settle!” Miren exclaimed. “Your solution meant there could never be peace! I should have been the sole ruler, but you forced me to share it with your son.” “Is that your final judgment?” his father asked. “It is!” “You wish to wield power alone?” “I do!” “Will you be able to handle it?” “Of course, why wouldn’t I? What does he have that I...

Three Fables

special section Native Lit How African Spirits Were Born O nce upon a time, there was a strong, wise emperor named Mersò, who ruled over the most powerful empire in Africa. When old age came knocking at his door, he summoned his firstborn son, who was his designated heir, and told him: “Miren, my son, hear me. I have nourished my body long enough and now wish to make my peace with God and tend to my soul. The art of governing and the sense of responsibility it has imparted me tells me you are not suited to the wielding of power and that it would be best if your younger brother Gemel ruled in your stead.” “But this is absurd!” Miren exclaimed. “I’m your firstborn, how could you possibly crown him instead of me?” His father replied: “Have you thought this through? And considered the consequences?” “Yes!” his son answered. “If you don’t honor my wishes, it’ll mean there’s no justice in this empire.” “So be it,” his father concluded. “As such, I will divide the empire between you.” Three Fables Ribka Sibhatu Translator’s note: Eritrean literature has been handed down through the generations in the form of aulòs, the Tigrinya term for bardic songs that are performed at public and private celebrations as well as during religious rites. Performers always begin their tales by invoking the word Şïnşïwai, which roughly means, “I have a story to tell,” to which the audience replies, Uāddëkoi şęlimai, “We’re ready, we’re listening.” Ribka Sibhatu learned her craft in Asmara and Hemberti, her ancestral village in the high plateau, where these stories can be traced back for centuries. “How African Spirits Were Born,” the first fable in this selection, is popularly believed to be based on actual events and is thus performed without the usual introductory formula. Eritrean tradition holds that spirits embody human forms and can be both malign and benign; for instance, the latter are thought to reside in pools of water, where people bathe in order to purify themselves and cure their illnesses. To this day, many claim to have seen spirits wandering through their homes or their villages, which explains why many are afraid to walk alone, especially at night, lest they fall victim to spirits less kindly inclined. illustration : dimitry ezhov September–October 2014 • 41 42 worldliteraturetoday.org Emperor Mersò thus carved the empire between his sons and retired from public life to lead a hermit’s existence. Far removed from royal pomp, he spent many years devoted to prayer and dined solely on herbs, roots, and wild berries : all in the quest to tend to his soul. However, Miren harbored great anger and resentment. Finally overwhelmed by it, he decided to kill his brother and thus be recognized as the sole, undisputed ruler of the empire! He paid Gemel a visit and told him: “Brother!” “Tell me,” Gemel replied. “I am the eldest!” “That you are . . .” “As such, I should have inherited the entirety of the empire, but our father insisted on dividing it. However, it’s time to rectify this: I want to kill you and seize all power for myself. Nevertheless , I don’t ever want anyone to say I won it through subterfuge, and so prepare yourself for war. I’m coming for you.” Even though he now lived in the forest, the heavenly messengers warned the old emperor about what was about to happen in his lands. The emperor therefore decided to visit his sons. Once he’d arrived, he told them: “My sons.” “Tell us,” they said. “What do you lack? Why are you fighting? I settled this matter before leaving you, and now I’ve returned to broker a peace!” “I have no wish to settle!” Miren exclaimed. “Your solution meant there could never be peace! I should have been the sole ruler, but you forced me to share it with your son.” “Is that your final judgment?” his father asked. “It is!” “You wish to wield power alone?” “I do!” “Will you be able to handle it?” “Of course, why wouldn’t I? What does he have that I...

‘. . . so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope’: What does Paul Refer to When He Refers to ‘the Scriptures’?

Paul frequently refers to the traditions of his ancestors as ‘the scriptures’, or with introductory formula such as ‘it is written’. Such references have often been taken as self-explanatory in that it was assumed that these were references to the writings which in Jewish and Christian tradition have acquired the status of canonicity. Since such a perception of the scriptures as canonical is anachronistic for the first century, the question needs to be asked to what does Paul actually refer when he refers to the Scriptures. Which parts of which canon encompassed ‘the holy scriptures’ which Paul refers to e.g. in Rom 1:2? In addition to issues of divergent interpretations of scriptural texts could there also have been issues under debate concerning which written traditions were perceived as ‘scripture’? The issue of the fluidity of the collection as well as of the text deemed ‘holy’ in first-century Judaism has an impact on the question of how the authority of such a collection is perceived, particularly since Paul clearly aims at enculturating gentile Christ-followers into the world of the Scriptures. The mysterious reference in 1 Cor. 2:9 is explored as a test case for Paul’s understanding of the collection and text which he deemed to be ‘scripture’.

Some types of introductory formulas in Greek klephtic (heroic) epic

Certain types of introductory formulas typical of klephtic epic songs are synoptically demonstrated and analyzed. The introduction outlines the historical development of this category of folk songs, based on occasionally opposing views of literary historians and scholars concerned with the study of Greek folklore. The analysis, performed on a selected corpus of Greek klephtic epic songs, reveals basic structural principles that the anonymous folk singer abided by whilst composing these songs.

On Standardisation and Variation in the Introductory Formulae of Neo-Assyrian Letters

The introductory formulae of Neo-Assyrian letters sent to the king or a superior official during the eighth century B.C. attest to a highly standardised form of letter writing (especially in the address), proving scribal sensitivity to an established letter writing etiquette. The introductory formula reflects the office of the sender; exactly the same formula (including the greeting) may be used by successive officeholders. Yet these formulae are by no means entirely uniform. In particular, the presence or absence of a blessing may tell us about the sender's relationship with the Assyrian king.