Textual Criticism of the Old Testament: From the Septuagint to Qumran

by Ralph W. Klein, Gene Milton Tucker (foreword)

Textual criticism is the critical study of ancient mss & textual versions, usually to restore the original text (or its most reliable reading), or restoring the original edition of the text. Some, pessimistic about being able to restore original texts or editions, are content to study different mss to see how texts changed over time & reflect their socio-linguistic contexts. Its technique involves investigating the textual witnesses to the Hebrew Bible, their histories & evaluating variants in light of known scribal practices.
While Klein's work is out of print, it's worth purchasing used. He does a good job discussing the significance of the LXX & the DSS to textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.--T. Williams (edited)
Editor's Foreword
Preface
G;ossary
From Origin to Origen
The LXX and the scrolls
The LXX: it does make difference
The Greek and Hebrew evidence
Doing textual criticism
Selected Bibliography

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1974

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have a certain level of familiarity with textual criticism of the New Testament, I have been largely ignorant of how it is done with the Old. This book was a helpful introduction to the basic basic situation of the Massoretic Text and various rescensions of the Septuagint, as well as methods of discerning where readings in the latter may be preferred over the former. I imagine this short book is somewhat outdated by now, as it was published in 1974, but I don't doubt it's still useful in broad strokes.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Landis was a senior professor of the Hebrew Scriptures at Union Theological Seminary. He, like the school in its origin, was Presbyterian. Their ordination requirements were the most demanding, students being required to pass examinations in both Hebrew and Greek. His course was tough, but rewarding. His quiz questions included such things as "1Sam.12.1-14" to which one was to give at least a paraphrase or, conversely, a text to which one was to give the book, chaper and verse(s). Amazingly, I, who cannot intentionally memorize a birthday, did well on those exams--possibly because as one unschooled by a church or temple I had only just read the Bible recently. Anyway, his class was good, particularly as regards the rigors of exegesis, about which he had written a guide.

This and other volumes of the Guides to Biblical Scholarship served as introductions to the potential richness of textual criticism.