Samaritan Liturgy Research Articles

Forever Let it Be Said

In this article, an exploration of the performative phenomenon labeled here as “multiauthorial vocality” will serve to highlight both the richness of the Samaritan poetic tradition on its own terms and to suggest significant future directions for comparative study that can integrate Samaritan hymnography and the Samaritan liturgy into their works. This analysis primarily underscores how scholars need to address the essential complexity of liturgical poetry as a performed genre. “Multi-authorial vocality” refers to the process by which multiple authors shape the received experience and significance of the composition as a whole. A single Samaritan hymn by Marqa, “This is His Great Writing,” provides a subject for the analysis, and a translation of the hymn is provided as an appendix. The rhetorical-performative dynamic examined here is not in any way unique to this poem, nor is it distinctive to Samaritans; it is precisely this more “universal” element of liturgical poetry that enables comparative (beyond noting parallel or divergent motifs, themes, and intertextual allusions) to be done. In Marqa’s poem, some figures are explicitly identified as authors or tradents, while others assume that role implicitly. The approach to liturgical texts modeled here does not deny the importance of the author to our text but raises our awareness of how complicated his role is. The poet is, to use an analogy, as much a conductor as a composer; he orchestrates the liturgical experience, but relies on other participants to complete it. Subsequent performers create their own arrangements of the existing words on the page but likewise need the involvement – physical, conceptual, and psychological – of the other participants for the liturgy to “work.” At the same time, it also argues for the importance of integrating Samaritan liturgical traditions into the larger comparative hymnography discussions now underway.

Forever Let it Be Said

Abstract: In this article, an exploration of the performative phenomenon labeled here as “multi-authorial vocality” will serve to highlight both the richness of the Samaritan poetic tradition on its own terms and to suggest significant future directions for comparative study that can integrate Samaritan hymnography and the Samaritan liturgy into their works. This analysis primarily underscores how scholars need to address the essential complexity of liturgical poetry as a performed genre. “Multi-authorial vocality” refers to the process by which multiple authors shape the received experience and significance of the composition as a whole. A single Samaritan hymn by Marqa, “This is His Great Writing,” provides a subject for the analysis, and a translation of the hymn is provided as an appendix. The rhetorical-performative dynamic examined here is not in any way unique to this poem, nor is it distinctive to Samaritans; it is precisely this more “universal” element of liturgical poetry that enables comparative (beyond noting parallel or divergent motifs, themes, and intertextual allusions) to be done. In Marqa’s poem, some figures are explicitly identified as authors or tradents, while others assume that role implicitly. The approach to liturgical texts modeled here does not deny the importance of the author to our text but raises our awareness of how complicated his role is. The poet is, to use an analogy, as much a conductor as a composer; he orchestrates the liturgical experience, but relies on other participants to complete it. Subsequent performers create their own arrangements of the existing words on the page but likewise need the involvement – physical, conceptual, and psychological – of the other participants for the liturgy to “work.” At the same time, it also argues for the importance of integrating Samaritan liturgical traditions into the larger comparative hymnography discussions now underway.

Liturgical Poetry in the Late Antique Near East

The article presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish poetry of late antiquity (in Hebrew and Aramaic) was closely related to Christian liturgical poetry (both Syriac and Greek) and Samaritan liturgy. These relations were expressed primarily by common poetic and prosodic characteristics, derived on the one hand from ancient Semitic poetry (mainly biblical poetry), and on the other from innovations of the period. The significant connections of content between the different genres of poetry reveal the importance of comparative study. Thus the poetry composed in late antiquity provides additional evidence for the lively cultural dialogue that took place at that time.

Liturgical Poetry in the Late Antique Near East

The article presents a contemporary view of the study of piyyut, demonstrating that Jewish poetry of late antiquity (in Hebrew and Aramaic) was closely related to Christian liturgical poetry (both Syriac and Greek) and Samaritan liturgy. These relations were expressed primarily by common poetic and prosodic characteristics, derived on the one hand from ancient Semitic poetry (mainly biblical poetry), and on the other from innovations of the period. The significant connections of content between the different genres of poetry reveal the importance of comparative study. Thus the poetry composed in late antiquity provides additional evidence for the lively cultural dialogue that took place at that time.

Embedded Midrashim in Samaritan Piyyutim

Embedded Midrashim in Samaritan Piyyutim Moshe Florentin Echoes of Classical Compilations in the Hebrew and Samaritan Liturgy Those who are familiar with the Hebrew and Aramaic piyyut through the ages know how much it was influenced, in form and in content, by classical compilations, and especially by the Bible. The Samaritan piyyut is no exception, and especially the late mediaeval Samaritan piyyut, written in what I call "Hybrid Samaritan Hebrew" (HSH), the Samaritan language which is a mixture of Hebrew, Aramaic, and also a great deal of Arabic. Piyyutim written in HSH are rich in quotations from the Pentateuch (in its Samaritan version, of course), from the Samaritan Aramaic Targum, and from early piyyutim. In many piyyutim one can find quotations from the famous Samaritan midrashic work called Tībåt Mårqe,1 since it used to enjoy great esteem among the Samaritan community. Linguistic and Cultural Liaisons Between Samaritans and Jews Research that has taken place in the last generations has shown that a great measure of affinity existed between the Samaritan languages (Hebrew and Aramaic) on the one hand, and Mishnaic Hebrew and Aramaic, [End Page 527] and Christian Palestinian Aramaic, on the other. This affinity existed not only in grammar but also in the lexicon, and even in the phraseology and style.2 These findings point not only to the natural similarity between languages actually spoken in the same area but also to strong cultural liaisons that existed between the different communities of speakers. As is well known, such liaisons between Samaritans and Jews are also to be deduced from many places in rabbinic literature. Embedded Aggadah in Unknown Samaritan Piyyutim All this is known; but expressions and ideas, midrashim and aggadot, until now unknown to us from Samaritan sources, which were found for the first time inside unpublished Samaritan piyyutim—this is indeed a matter of interest. This is all the more so when we discover that those are not the output of some Samaritan poet's own imagination but have strong roots in the ancient literary soil of Erets Israel, as in postbiblical literature. The Midrashic and Aggadic Literature of the Samaritans—Examples from Tībåt Mårqe The concept of Samaritan midrash and aggadah is not new. Although the Samaritan midrashic and aggadic literature is not as rich and varied as its Jewish counterpart, we do have two important Samaritan compilations that consist mainly of midrash and aggadah: the first is the chronicle Asatir3 and the second is the above mentioned midrashic compilation Tībåt Mårqe. I will present here two examples from Tībåt Mårqe, which are highly interesting for the common elements of midrash and aggadah that they share with Jewish literature. More precisely, in Tībåt Mårqe there are traces of some midrashim that in their language and formulation are very similar, and sometimes even identical, to midrashim in Jewish literature. In a very important article devoted wholly to this subject, Morde-chai Mishor has presented five such midrashim.4 Since Tībåt Mårqe is not the subject of this article, I will limit myself to two examples: [End Page 528] a. According to the aggadah, it was Serah, the daughter of Asher, who discovered the burial place of Joseph before the Exodus from Egypt. This story is presented in Tībåt Mårqe in these words: Serah set off, and the whole tribe of Ephraim with her, and Moses and Aaron after them, until she reached the place where he [Joseph] was buried, and she stood there, and they excavated the coffin, and took it immediately.5 The same aggadah is found in the Tosefta: How did Moses know where Joseph had been buried? It is said: Serah the daughter of Asher lived in that generation [of Joseph], and she went and told Moses: "Joseph is buried in the river Nile."6 b. According to another aggadah, after the decrees of Pharaoh the Jewish women used to go out to the fields to give birth to their children in hiding. In Tībåt Mårqe this story is told thus: When your enemy ordered the midwives "when...

A Dictionary of Samaritan Aramaic (review)

The Jewish Quarterly Review, XCIlI, Nos. 3-4 (January-April, 2003) 629-630 Abraham Tal. A Dictionary ofSamaritan Aramaic. Handbuch der Orientalistik , erste Abteilung: Der nahe und mittlere Osten. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2000. Vol. 1: pp. xliii + 446; vol. 2: pp. xliv + 524. The Aramaic preserved in Samaritan manuscripts has long been one of the most poorly known of the various late Aramaic dialects. Grammatical studies, dictionaries, and reliable editions of many of the texts have all been lacking until recently. Due largely to the work of the Israeli scholar Zeev Ben-Hayyim and his student, Abraham Tal, the lacunae have gradually been filled. (A substantial but controversial grammar was prepared by R. Macuch and appeared as Grammatik des samaritanischen Aramaeisch, Berlin, 1982.) Ben-Hayyim worked for many years preparing a dictionary of Samaritan Aramaic, whose target language was Modern Hebrew. The addition of Tal to the project ultimately led to the appearance of this two-volume work under his name alone. Although its title is English, this is still a Hebrew work, paginated and typeset from the right, with awkward and incomplete English glosses and many typographical errors in both the Hebrew and the English. These features are not choices destined to win approbation for the editorial department of E. J. Brill. The following major texts are treated in this dictionary: first, the Samaritan Targum, in its two major and distinct types (J and A) as delineated by Tal in his The Samaritan Targum of the Pentateuch (Tel-Aviv, 1983). Second , the midrashic text Memar MarqaJTibat Marqe, as recently edited by Ben-Hayyim in his 1988 Hebrew edition. Third, the liturgical texts, as first published by A. Cowley, The Samaritan Liturgy (Oxford, 1909), and studied by Ben-Hayyim in volume 3b of his monumental The Literary and Oral Traditions of Hebrew and Aramaic amongst the Samaritans (Jerusalem , 1957-87). Fourth, The Chronicle of Asatir, also previously published by Ben-Hayyim (in Tarbiz 14 [1943]: 104-125, 174-190; 15 [1994]: 7187 , 128). The language of many of the later texts is mixed, combining Hebrew and Arabic terms and phrases with Aramaic material. The dictionary explicitly includes such material, as well as obvious scribal errors. But with care the user should still be able to extract authentic Aramaic vocabulary. The organization of the dictionary is highly conservative. All words are arranged under their supposed roots, even loanwords, resulting in some very strange phenomena. On p. 680, for example, a lemma, 'twa, is glossed as "receptacle for liquid," and underneath the actual entry appears: "cup, pot pnv ,

Die selfverstaan van die Samaritane soos dit uit- drukking vind in die feesliturgie צלות מוצד השמיני

The self-understanding of the Samaritans, as expressed in the liturgy of the צלות מוצד השמיני festivalThis study is concerned with the identity and religion of the Samaritans. The way in which the Samaritans understood their identity is highlighted by their perception of God, by the traditions they adhered to and by the selection of texts from the Pentateuch they used in their liturgy. The beliefs and rituals of the Samarium faith found their way into the Samaritan Liturgy. The study of a part of the Samaritan Liturgy shows that the Samaritans are heirs to the religion of the northern tibes of Israel.

Moses versus die Messias: 'n Samaritaanse tradisie

Moses versus the Messiah: a Samaritan tradition: Eschatological expectations among Jewish and Samaritan groups offer a vast field of study. One of the intriguing aspects is the way in which the profile of messianic figures is influenced by the expectations of opposing groups. In orthodox Samaritan theology Moses, being revered as the sole medium of God's revelation, is put up against figures like Dositheus. Messianic claims of the Dositheans are countered by the laudation of Moses. The same trend isfollowed in the controversy against the Christian messiah: Epithets of a polemic nature in the honor of Moses are encountered in abundance. Even theologumena like the pre-existence of the messiah are attributed to Moses. A poem called "The hymn of the birth of Moses" from the Samaritan Liturgy offers a text-book example of this polemical profiling of Moses, the absolute Prophet.

Die herfsfees en die koningsrite by Bet-El as interteks van Amos 7: 1 0-8: 14 en Hosea 9: 1-9

The autumnal festival and the royal rite at Bethel as an intertext of Amos 7:10-8:14 and Hosea 9:1-9. It is argued that a text from the Samaritan Liturgy which describes a royal rite at Bethel on the last day of the autumnal festival, represents a reliable tradition. This text, as well as Deuteronomy 26:2-15 to which it is closely related, is used as the basis for a reconstruction of a royal rite at Bethel during the time of the monarchy. Amos 7:10-8:14 and Hosea 9:1-9 are read against this background. The said prophecies state exactly the opposite of what was expressed and intended by the royal rite. This accounts for the vehement reaction against Amos and Hosea from the side of the priests.

'n Vergelykende studie tussen 'n gedeelte uit die Samaritaanse Liturgie en verwante gedeeltes in die Pentateug

A Comparison between an excerpt from the Samaritan Liturgy and corresponding texts in the Pentateuch. The text of the Samaritan Liturgy is alrrwst unknown arrwng scholars of the Old Testament. The value of the Samaritan Liturgy lies in its correspondence with the Old Testament. The way in which the Samaritan Liturgy makes use of the Old Testament texts brings to mind the question, 'What is the relationship between the Samaritan Liturgy and the Old Testament?' This article discusses a randomly chosen prayer in the Samaritan Liturgy. The prayer is analysed in terms of its relatedness to corresponding Old Testament texts. This study tries to point out that the text of the Samaritan Liturgy can be helpful when studying Old Testament traditions.

The Samaritan Liturgy. A. E. Cowley

<i>The Samaritan Liturgy</i>. A. E. Cowley

The Samaritan Liturgy, and Reading of the Law

The Samaritan Liturgy, and Reading of the Law