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Re: orion-list Re: self-definition



	That Josippon used Latin translation/paraphrase/edition/versions of
parts of Josephus is what I assumed in previous discussion. (I questioned
the suggestion that he might have read Nicolaus of Damascus, with a
putative reference to Essenes, in Greek.) I doubt that Isaac the
fourth-century Jew was its author. I am aware of no reason to think
Epiphanius was an influence on this text. On the other hand, perhaps (?)--I
don't know--Epiphanius may have been an influence on the Old Russian/Church
Slavonic version of Josephus. (Careful not to confuse the other Hegesippus
or Joseph of Tiberias, possibly the author of Joseph's Hypomnestikon, which
mentions Essenes.) The reason I mentioned Greek and Latin versions of
"Essenes" is that Pliny's source (Marcus Agrippa, circa 15 BCE) wrote in
Latin.
	I am confident that "Essenes" originated with Hebrew 'asah (a
conclusion recently belittled by a dishonest poster and supported recently
by James VanderKam; thanks also for all the honestly-signed comments,
especially David Suter's note on the Deteronomistic uses of, not 'osey
hatorah, but related collocations). I invite comments on my recent article
in DSS After Fifty Years, which has more text citations, bibliography, and
historical context than I can post here. There still are questions
concerning some of the earliest uses of the name. And there will be
consequences for historical research, as this etymology is accepted.
Epiphanius, born in Judaea, was much earlier than Josippon, and had reason
to use diverse sources, now recognized as the best extant in the case of
several "heresies."

cheers,
Stephen Goranson
goranson@duke.edu



For private reply, e-mail to stephen goranson <goranson@duke.edu>
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