The Bible, the Quran, and Their Interpretation: Syriac Perspectives.

• Author: Bertaina, David
• Position: Book review

The Bible, the Quran, and Their Interpretation: Syriac Perspectives. Edited by CORNELIA HORN. Eastern Mediterranean Texts and Contexts, vol. 1. Warwick, RI: ABELIAN ACADEMIC, 2013. Pp. xix + 271. S24.95 (paper).

The edited volume under review, which deals with the textual history of Syriac literature in the late antique world, consists of papers presented at SBL meetings. The book opens with a summative introduction by the editor. Unfortunately, the chapters that follow are not numbered for conveniences sake. The bibliographies for the chapters have been condensed into a single collection at the conclusion of the volume, along with a list of contributors and an index of biblical and late antique texts.

The authors approach their subjects using methods such as philology, biblical textual criticism, comparative literature, reception history, and quantitative measures. The book is not meant to be a comprehensive survey, but reflects the particular concerns of its authors on "the critical contribution of Syriac studies to understanding important aspects of reading and hearing Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sacred texts in historical contexts" (p. xii). Despite its provenance, the collection fits together nicely, with nearly equal attention given to the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and late antique literature.

The books organization operates using two chronologies. The first factor that determines its structure is the dating of the biblical and late antique texts under study. The earliest chapters deal with Genesis, Leviticus, and the Psalms. The middle chapters cover the Gospels and Acts. The later chapters cover late antique Christian sermons, Gnostic and Manichaean texts, the Quran, the Syriac massora, and Maronite biblical lectionaries. The second determining factor is the date of the appearance of the Syriac authors in history, moving from early Syriac literature in pre-Islamic times through the early modern period. With the exception of Gaby Abou Samras contribution, all of the chapters are concerned with the significance of Syriac Christian interpretation of sacred texts from late antiquity.

A short synopsis of each chapter follows:

(1) Robert R. Phenix investigates the tradition that Cain and Abel each had twin sisters whom they disputed over regarding which one to marry, and argues that the "Arabic Apocryphal Gospel of John," and its Syriac Vorlage, was the vehicle for transforming the interpretation of Cain and Abel's sacrifice...