SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The paraphrastic Hebrew rendering of Kitab al-Amanat wal Itiqadat is an example of a genre of translation which was adopted by Hebrew scholars in the Middle Ages, and as yet has not been sufficiently studied. This present work is intended to highlight in particular the linguistic peculiarities of this genre, as reflected in the Paraphrase. Chapter I is divided into two sections, the first of which discusses the origin of the Paraphrase and its authorship, the second describes the extant manuscripts. The Hebrew text appears in Chapter II; for easy reference photographs of the base text (ms.B) are appended, accompanied by a critical apparatus of each folio. Chapter III presents an analysis of the Paraphrast's methods of translation. It shows how by expanding and freely interpreting the Arabic original he also frequently adds his own explanations. It points out the influence of the Arabic text on the Paraphrase and also the relationship of Ibn Tibbon's translation to the Paraphrase. An alphabetical Glossary is given in Chapter IV. This illustrates the Paraphrast's particular choice of vocabulary and his tendency to coin words. Chapter V gives summary conclusions.