The Formation of the 'Book' of Psalms : Reconsidering the Transmission and Canonization of Psalmody in Light of Material Culture and the Poetics of Anthologies

In this study, David Willgren attempts to provide answers to two fundamental questions in relation to the formation of the `Book' of Psalms: "how?" and "why?". The first relates to the diachronic growth of the collection (how are these processes to be reconstructed, and on what grounds?), while the second relates to questions of purpose (to what end are psalms being juxtaposed in a collection?).By conceptualizing the `Book' of Psalms as an anthology, and by inquiring into its poetics by means of paratextuality, David Willgren provides a fresh reconstruction of the formation of the `Book' of Psalms and concludes, in contrast to the canonical approach, that it does not primarily provide a literary context for individual psalms. Rather, it preserves a dynamic selection of psalms that is best seen not as a book of psalms, but as a canon of psalms. Preface..............................................................................................................VII Part I Framing the Task at Hand Chapter 1: The Problem...............................................................................3 A. Wilson’s New Framework................................................................................7 B. Sketching Major Trajectories ........................................................................11 I. Exploring Small Scale Sequences of Psalms..........................................12 II. ‘Seamingly’ Important Psalms ...............................................................16 III. Mapping the Dead Sea ‘Psalms’ Scrolls.................................................18 C. Focal Points for the Current Study ...............................................................18 Chapter 2: The Elusive String ..................................................................21 A. Anthology Defined.........................................................................................22 B. An Anthological Genre?................................................................................26 C. Anthologies Unfold........................................................................................27 D.Uncovering the Artificial...............................................................................29 E. Outlining the Task at Hand ...........................................................................32 Part II Anthologies Compared Introduction....................................................................................................37 Chapter 3: Artifactual Diversity...............................................................39 A. Reconsidering Fixed Sequences ....................................................................39 B. Variation in Ancient Manuscripts..................................................................41 C. Continuous Variation.....................................................................................48 Chapter 4: Paratexts ....................................................................................50 A. Prefaces .........................................................................................................50 B. Titles ..............................................................................................................54 C. Colophons, Doxologies, and Epilogues ........................................................56 Chapter 5: The How and the Why...........................................................60 A. Collections with Few Manuscript Variations ................................................60 B. Collections with Manuscript Variation .........................................................62 C. Collections without Ancient Manuscripts......................................................64 I. The Homeric Hymns...............................................................................64 II. The Psalms of Solomon..........................................................................68 D. The Question of Purpose Once Again ...........................................................71 I. Archival Economy..................................................................................72 II. Scribal Curriculum .................................................................................74 III. Preservation (Canonization) ...................................................................75 Overview and Outlook ...............................................................................78 Part III The Artifacts Introduction....................................................................................................83 Chapter 6: Overview of the Scrolls ........................................................85 A. Second Century BCE.....................................................................................85 B. First Century BCE.........................................................................................87 I. First Half or Middle of the Century........................................................87 II. Second Half of the Century ....................................................................90 C. The Turn of the Era .......................................................................................92 D. First Century CE...........................................................................................93 I. First Half of the Century.........................................................................94 II. Middle and Second Half of the Century.................................................98 Chapter 7: Evaluating the Evidence .....................................................104 A. Reconstructing a ‘Book’ of Psalms?............................................................110 I. Preliminary Observations .....................................................................110 II. Arguments for the Stabilization of the ‘Book’ of Psalms.....................113 III. Beyond Statistics ..................................................................................117 1. A Farewell to a Two-Stage Stabilization..........................................117 2. Possible Ways Forward....................................................................120 B. 11Q5 as a Competing Collection?...............................................................121 I. Liturgical Clusters ................................................................................122 II. Text .......................................................................................................122 III. David and 11Q5....................................................................................123 IV. Structure and Purpose...........................................................................126 V. Beyond 11Q5........................................................................................129 Overview and Outlook .............................................................................131 Part IV In Search of the Artificial Introduction..................................................................................................135 Chapter 8: Psalms 1–2 as Preface .........................................................136 A. The Psalms in Question...............................................................................137 I. Psalm 1 .................................................................................................137 1. A Brief Walkthrough........................................................................138 2. Meditating on the Torah...................................................................140 3. On What? .........................................................................................141 4. For What?.........................................................................................145 II. Psalm 2 .................................................................................................147 1. A Brief Walkthrough........................................................................148 2. A Crux Interpretum..........................................................................151 III. Conclusions ..........................................................................................154 B. Combining Psalms 1–2................................................................................154 I. Integrated Readings of Psalms 1–2 ......................................................154 II. Internal Evidence..................................................................................158 III. External Evidence.................................................................................159 1. LXX .................................................................................................159 2. 4Q174...............................................................................................160 3. Acts 13:33 ........................................................................................162 4. Early Reception of Psalms 1–2........................................................163 C. Evaluating the Evidence..............................................................................167 I. Towards a Definition ............................................................................167 II. Debunking Strict ‘Prefatorialism’ ........................................................169 Chapter 9: Superscriptions ......................................................................172 A. Overview and Analysis ................................................................................173 I. ‘Author’ Designations ..........................................................................173 II. ‘Type’ Designations..............................................................................178 III. Musical Directions and Indications of Use ..........................................182 IV. ‘Biographical’ Notes.............................................................................184 V. Hallelujah .............................................................................................187 VI. Psalms with No Superscription ............................................................190 B. Conclusions .................................................................................................191 I. Forming Collections of Psalms ............................................................191 II. Fixation of Psalm Sequences................................................................192 III. Exerting Interpretive Control ...............................................................193 Chapter 10: Psalm 72:20..........................................................................196 A. Attempted Solutions.....................................................................................196 B. Psalm 72:20 as a Frozen Colophon ............................................................198 Chapter 11: ‘Book’ Dividers...................................................................202 A. Preliminary Observations ...........................................................................202 B. Integral Parts or Later Insertions? .............................................................205 I. Psalm 41 ...............................................................................................206 II. Psalm 72 ...............................................................................................206 III. Psalm 89 ...............................................................................................208 IV. Psalm 106 .............................................................................................209 V. Conclusions ..........................................................................................211 C. A Possible Clue in 1 Chronicles 16 .............................................................211 I. Beyond a Direction of Dependence? ....................................................211 II. A Closer Look.......................................................................................212 III. Conclusions ..........................................................................................215 D. Reconstructing Contexts of Use for Amen...................................................216 I. Amen in the Hebrew Bible ...................................................................216 II. Amen in the Dead Sea Scrolls ..............................................................219 III. Amen in the Apocrypha and the New Testament .................................221 IV. Conclusions ..........................................................................................222 1. Trajectories of Use ...........................................................................222 2. Connecting the Dots.........................................................................224 E. One Doxology Short?..................................................................................226 I. Psalms 135–136....................................................................................227 1. Psalm 135.........................................................................................228 2. Psalm 136.........................................................................................229 3. Initial Remarks.................................................................................231 4. Stanza I: Exhortations ......................................................................232 5. Stanzas II–IV: YHWH as King and the Question of Trust ..............234 6. Stanza V: Final Doxology ................................................................237 7. Conclusions......................................................................................238 II. Lost, but Found?...................................................................................239 1. A ברך doxology in Psalms 135–136?...............................................239 2. Unexpected Implications .................................................................240 3. On the Relation Between ברך and 241 .............................................הלל F. Conclusions .................................................................................................242 Chapter 12: The ‘Final Hallel’ ...............................................................244 A. The Psalms in Question...............................................................................245 I. Psalm 145 .............................................................................................245 II. Psalm 146 .............................................................................................251 III. Psalm 147 .............................................................................................254 IV. Psalm 148 .............................................................................................260 1. A Praise for All His Faithful ............................................................262 2. Evaluating the Connections .............................................................263 V. Psalm 149 .............................................................................................265 VI. Psalm 150 .............................................................................................270 B. Psalms 145.146–150 as a Composition ......................................................275 I. Psalms 145.146–150 and Artifactual Diversity....................................276 II. Dissolving Borders of Sequential Reading...........................................276 C. The Hallelujah Frameworks Once Again....................................................278 D.Conclusions .................................................................................................281 Overview and Outlook .............................................................................284 Part V Psalms on Repeat Introduction..................................................................................................289 Chapter 13: Traces in the Hebrew Bible .............................................293 A. Declared Citations ......................................................................................293 I. 2 Samuel 22 ..........................................................................................293 II. 1 Chronicles 16.....................................................................................295 III. Summary...............................................................................................296 B. Undeclared Citations ..................................................................................296 I. Possible Borrowing ..............................................................................296 II. Psalms within Psalms ...........................................................................299 III. Nascent Scripturalization......................................................................301 IV. Summary...............................................................................................304 C. Stock-Phrases ..............................................................................................305 I. A Levitical Stock-Phrase ......................................................................305 II. Further Examples of Stock-Phrases......................................................310 III. Summary...............................................................................................312 D. External Indications ....................................................................................312 E. Conclusions .................................................................................................313 Chapter 14: Traces in the Dead Sea Scrolls .......................................315 A. Declared Citations ......................................................................................316 I. Pesharim...............................................................................................316 II. 1Q16 .....................................................................................................317 III. 4Q171 ...................................................................................................317 IV. 4Q173 ...................................................................................................318 V. 4Q174 and 4Q177.................................................................................319 VI. 11Q13 ...................................................................................................322 VII.Summary...............................................................................................323 B. Undeclared Citations ..................................................................................324 I. 4Q176 ...................................................................................................324 II. 4Q380–381 ...........................................................................................326 1. 4Q380...............................................................................................327 2. 4Q381...............................................................................................331 III. 4Q393 ...................................................................................................332 IV. 4Q434–438 ...........................................................................................334 V. 4Q521, 4Q525, 4Q528 .........................................................................335 VI. 4Q213a and 4Q370...............................................................................336 VII.Summary...............................................................................................337 C. Psalms in ‘New’ Collections........................................................................338 I. 4Q522 ...................................................................................................338 II. 11Q11 ...................................................................................................339 D. External Indications ....................................................................................342 I. Possible References to the ‘Book’ of Psalms as a Collection...............342 II. Indications of Use.................................................................................344 E. Conclusions .................................................................................................345 Chapter 15: Prolonging Trajectories of Use.......................................347 A. Prophetic and Davidic.................................................................................348 B. Continuous Davidization.............................................................................352 C. Traces of (Scriptural) Collections of Psalms ..............................................355 D.Conclusions .................................................................................................363 Overview and Outlook .............................................................................365 Part VI The Formation of the ‘Book’ of Psalms Introduction..................................................................................................369 Chapter 16: How? ......................................................................................371 A. Gathering the Evidence...............................................................................371 I. Rehearsing the Artificial.......................................................................371 II. Psalms on Repeat Once Again..............................................................374 B. Putting the Pieces Together.........................................................................376 I. Finding a Place to Start.........................................................................376 II. Psalms 1–119........................................................................................379 III. Psalms 1/2–135/136..............................................................................381 IV. Psalms 1–150........................................................................................382 Chapter 17: Why? ......................................................................................385 A. Purpose(s) of Selection................................................................................385 B. Purpose of Organization .............................................................................387 I. Interpretive Frameworks?.....................................................................387 II. A Sitz in der Schrift...............................................................................389 III. Paratexts and Interpretive Control........................................................390 C. Conclusions .................................................................................................391 A Final Outlook ..........................................................................................393 Appendix 1: Catalogues of Incipits .................................................................395 Appendix 2: Superscriptions............................................................................404 Appendix 3: LXX Manuscripts........................................................................412 Bibliography ....................................................................................................415 Index of Passages.............................................................................................453 Index of Authors ..............................................................................................484 Cover -- Preface -- Table of Contents -- Part I: Framing the Task at Hand -- Chapter 1: The Problem -- A. Wilson's New Framework -- B. Sketching Major Trajectories -- I. Exploring Small Scale Sequences of Psalms -- II. 'Seamingly' Important Psalms -- III. Mapping the Dead Sea 'Psalms' Scrolls -- C. Focal Points for the Current Study -- Chapter 2: The Elusive String -- A. Anthology Defined -- B. An Anthological Genre? -- C. Anthologies Unfold -- D. Uncovering the Artificial -- E. Outlining the Task at Hand -- Part II: Anthologies Compared -- Introduction -- Chapter 3: Artifactual Diversity -- A. Reconsidering Fixed Sequences -- B. Variation in Ancient Manuscripts -- C. Continuous Variation -- Chapter 4: Paratexts -- A. Prefaces -- B. Titles -- C. Colophons, Doxologies, and Epilogues -- Chapter 5: The How and the Why -- A. Collections with Few Manuscript Variations -- B. Collections with Manuscript Variation -- C. Collections without Ancient Manuscripts -- I. The Homeric Hymns -- II. The Psalms of Solomon -- D. The Question of Purpose Once Again -- I. Archival Economy -- II. Scribal Curriculum -- III. Preservation (Canonization) -- Overview and Outlook -- Part III: The Artifacts -- Introduction -- Chapter 6: Overview of the Scrolls -- A. Second Century BCE -- B. First Century BCE -- I. First Half or Middle of the Century -- II. Second Half of the Century -- C. The Turn of the Era -- D. First Century CE -- I. First Half of the Century -- II. Middle and Second Half of the Century -- Chapter 7: Evaluating the Evidence -- A. Reconstructing a 'Book' of Psalms? -- I. Preliminary Observations -- II. Arguments for the Stabilization of the 'Book' of Psalms -- III. Beyond Statistics -- 1. A Farewell to a Two-Stage Stabilization -- 2. Possible Ways Forward -- B. 11Q5 as a Competing Collection? -- I. Liturgical Clusters -- II. Text -- III. David and 11Q5 David Willgren sucht in dieser Studie Antworten auf zwei grundsätzliche Fragen, die sich in Bezug auf die Entstehung des 'Buchs' der Psalmen stellen: »Wie?« und »Warum?«. Die erste bezieht sich auf das diachrone Wachstum der Sammlung (Wie und auf welcher Basis können diese Prozesse rekonstruiert werden?), während die zweite auf die Frage der Absicht zielt (Zu welchem Zweck werden Psalmen in einer Sammlung nebeneinandergestellt?).Indem er das 'Buch' der Psalmen als Anthologie versteht und dessen Poetik paratextuell untersucht, liefert David Willgren eine Rekonstruktion der Entstehung des 'Buchs' der Psalmen und schließt, im Gegensatz zum kanonischen Ansatz, daraus, dass es nicht vorrangig den literarischen Kontext für einzelne Psalmen bietet. Stattdessen enthält es eine dynamische Auswahl an Psalmen, die am besten nicht als Buch der Psalmen, sondern als Kanon der Psalmen gesehen werden sollte.Diese Arbeit wurde von der Schwedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften als verdienstvolle wissenschaftliche Arbeit mit einem Preisgeld in Höhe von SEK 50.000 geehrt In this study, David Willgren attempts to provide answers to two fundamental questions in relation to the formation of the'Book'of Psalms:'how?'and'why?'. The first relates to the diachronic growth of the collection (how are these processes to be reconstructed, and on what grounds?), while the second relates to questions of purpose (to what end are psalms being juxtaposed in a collection?). By conceptualizing the'Book'of Psalms as an anthology, and by inquiring into its poetics by means of paratextuality, David Willgren provides a fresh reconstruction of the formation of the'Book'of Psalms and concludes, in contrast to the canonical approach, that it does not primarily provide a literary context for individual psalms. Rather, it preserves a dynamic selection of psalms that is best seen not as a book of psalms, but as a canon of psalms. This work was awarded with SEK 50.000 by The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities as a''(förtjänt vetenskapligt arbete). By conceptualizing the 'Book' of Psalms as an anthology, and by inquiring into its poetics by means of paratextuality, David Willgren provides a fresh reconstruction of its formation and concludes that it preserves a selection of psalms that is best seen not as a book of psalms, but as a canon of psalms. - back of book