Publisher's Synopsis
This volume deals with the Aramaic Levi Document, also known as Aramaic Levi or the Aramaic Testament of Levi. Chapter one contains a systematic reflection on the content of this Aramaic work, situates it in the historical context of the Second Temple period, and looks for an answer as to its literary structure and genre. Then in chapter two the manuscripts from Cairo Genizah, Mount Athos, and Qumran are edited together with their English translation, paleographical notes, and philological comments. Chapter three comments on each literary unit of the Document, its relation to the biblical text, pseudepigraphic Jewish literature, and scribal school practices in ancient Mesopotamia. At the end of the book, the reader may consult Aramaic, Greek, and Syriac concordances. Sixteen plates of photographs of all the manuscripts facilitate the reader's reference to the originals. The photographs of the Mount Athos manuscripts are published here for the very first time.
