Απόδοση του βιβλίου του Ιωνά σε Απλοελληνική(MS. Opp. Add. 8o 19)στα τέλη του 12ου αιώνα /A rendering of the book of Jonah in Modern Greek (MS. Opp. Add. 8o 19)at the end of the 12th c.

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Opp. Add. 8o 19 (Neubauer 1144), f. 224v

Απόδοση σε Απλοελληνική του βιβλίου του Ιωνά (κεφ. 2, 3)
στα τέλη του 12ου/αρχές 13ου αιώνα.
A rendering in Modern Greek of the book of Jonah (ch. 2, 3)
made at the end of the 12th c./early 13th c.

* D. C. Hesseling,
«Le livre de Jonas»
[«Το βιβλίο του Ιωνά»],
Byzantinische Zeitschrift Vol./Τόμ. 10 (1901, Karl Krumbacher, Publ. Teubner),
pp./σσ. 208-217.
[French/Γαλλικά PDF]

Image source / Πηγή εικόνας:
Ταχυδρομικό δελτάριο, 30 Δεκ. 1936, Dirk Christiaan Hesseling (Wassenaar) προς Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη (Αθήνα).

«The Oxford Jonah. The version of Jonah published by D.C. Hesseling is the only Greek translation of a biblical book in Hebrew characters surviving in its entirety in medieval manuscript. [...] It is preserved in a manuscript now in the Bodleian Library, which bears a note stating that it was sold in 1263. [...] It is written on parchment, in small format and in pointed square characters. [...] It is an extremely literal version in colloquial rather than literary Greek. Each verse of the Hebrew is followed by its Greek translation. [...] The medieval translation of Jonah [...] dates from the early thirteenth or late twelfth century. It is worth pointing out that [...] the book of Jonah was read publicly in synagogues on the Day of Atonement. [...] Both the manuscripts containing the version of Jonah are prayer-books, and it is possible that our text, too, once formed part of a liturgical codex. [...] There is no agreement on the place where Jonah was translated. Neubauer thought it was Corfu, Modena mentioned the Greek archipelago, and Belleli suggested that the Bologna manuscript originated in Crete [Chania].»

* J. A. Emerton & Stefan Reif,
Interpreting the Hebrew Bible, Essays in honour of E.I.J. Rosenthal
[Ερμηνευτική της Εβραϊκής Βίβλου],
Cambridge University Press, 1982,
pp./σσ. 70-73.
[English/Αγγλικά PDF]

«These various dictionaries and monographs show that the Jews in Greek countries and even at Rome knew Greek in the eleventh century. There remains also a Greek translation in the Corfu dialect of the Haftarah of the Day of Atonement, viz., of the Book of Jonah. This was no doubt read publicly in the synagogue, since it is found in a Corfu Mahazor in a Hebrew text, and each verse is followed by the Greek translation, both being provided with vowel points (MSS. in the Bodleian and the Bologna Libraries). A critical edition of the Greek is in preparation by Professor Jean Psichari in Paris.»

* Dr. A. Neubauer,
«On Non-Hebrew languages used by Jews»
[«Περί των Μη Εβραϊκών γλωσσών σε χρήση από τους Ιουδαίους»],
The Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol./Τόμ. 4 (1891, Abrahams & Montefiore),
p./σ. 18.
[English/Αγγλικά PDF]

«In Byzantium the Jews used the Greek translation of the Bible in the synagogues. We find Greek words in the exegetical and philosophical works of the Qaraites [i.e. Karaites], who wrote on the Bosphorus in the eleventh century. There exists a Greek translation of the Book of Jonah [ftn.: MS. 0pp. Add. 8, 19 (our Catalogue, No. 1144). This is probably a remnant of the old use of translating the lessons of the prophets (Zunz, 1832). This translation is, we believe, the earliest modern Greek text we possess in prose. We hope to publish it shortly.], made at Corfu in the twelfth century, in MSS. of the Bodleian Library and that of Bologna. This is the earliest example of modern Greek prose. In the prayer-book of the Greek rite a great number of hymns are to be found in Greek, or sometimes in Hebrew with the Greek translation. A version of the Pentateuch in Greek was printed as early as 1547, together with a Spanish translation, for the use of the Jews in Turkey. There are in existence documents enough for writing a grammar of Jewish Greek, which we believe would throw some light on the grammar of the Septuagint as well as of that of the New Testament writings.»

* A. Neubauer,
«On the Dialects spoken in Palestine in the time of Christ»
[«Περί των Διαλέκτων που ομιλούντο τον καιρό του Χριστού»]
Studia Biblica Vol./Τόμ. 1, (1885, University of Oxford),

pp./σσ. 72, 73.
[English/Αγγλικά PDF]