The Journal of Theological Studies Advance Access originally published online on May 22, 2008
The Journal of Theological Studies 2008 59(2):634-649; doi:10.1093/jts/fln044
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Mouse Trap: A Text-Critical Problem with Rodents in the Ark Narrative
Atlantic Baptist University
Correspondence: Keith.Bodner{at}abu.nb.ca
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Abstract |
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The book of 1 Samuel presents the interpreter with a number of textual difficulties, and where the Masoretic Text is problematic, scholars routinely turn to other versions (such as the Greek Septuagint or the Qumran material) for assistance. There are occasions, however, when the MT is intelligible enough, yet the LXX features a divergence, and the usual text-critical methods are hard pressed to explain the reason for divergence as a result of scribal error or lapse in transmission. One such example can be found in the so-called ‘Ark Narrative’ of 1 Samuel, where the Ark of the Covenant is captured by Philistines and taken to the temple of Dagon. When comparing the Hebrew and Greek texts of 1 Samuel 5–6, there is a discrepancy in the presentation of mice in the story. In the LXX mice are featured at an early point in the story, whereas in the MT mice are not even mentioned until the ark is poised to return to Israel. In this article I survey the scholarship on the issue and evaluate the differences in the two textual traditions, paying attention to the unique literary voices of each trajectory.