§ 4. THE ANCIENT VERSIONS

Two forms of the Old Latin version of Daniel can be traced. Burkitt1 finds that the tract De Pascha computus, dated a.d. 243, is the earliest Latin follower of Theodotion’s Greek for Daniel. But ‘the earliest Latin version of Daniel as witnessed by Tertullian, S. Victorinus of Pettau, and partly by S. Cyprian was made from the LXX’. ‘The text of Daniel used by Tertullian is a form of the LXX differing slightly from Origen’s edition, but agreeing most closely with the quotations of Justin Martyr’ (ib. p. 23). In Sabatier2 the Versio Antiqua preserves about forty-four verses of Susanna out of the sixty-five in the Vulgate. In these Theodotion’s version is much more obvious than the LXX. The verses at the beginning are given; and Sabatier adds, ‘Haec Susannae historia, si Flaminio Nobilio fides, in omnibus vetustis libris est principium Danielis, … in multis inscribitur Daniel ut in nostra; in quibusdam Συσαννα: in aliquo Διακρισις Δανιηλ.’2 In Cod. Wirceburgensis Palim. sixth century, Susanna vv. 2–10 survive.3

The Vulgate. St. Jerome’s preference for Theodotion’s Susanna led to the disappearance of the LXX Susanna. St. Jerome says the churches of his time read Daniel according to Theodotion, the LXX Daniel being long ago discarded. ‘Hoc cur acciderit, nescio’; but after comparing both versions with the Semitic original in the rest of Daniel, he agrees that sound judgement has been shown in substituting Theodotion. The Vulgate therefore puts Theodotion’s Greek into Latin. At the end of Dan. 12, this note precedes Susanna: ‘Hucusque Danielem in Hebraeo volumine legimus. Quae sequuntur usque ad finem libri de Theodotionis editione translata sunt.’ Jerome therefore had never seen a Hebrew or an Aramaic Susanna. The Vulgate has an extra verse at the end, v. 65 ‘Et rex Astyages appositus est ad patres suos et suscepit Cyrus Perses regnum eius.’ This error in chronology belongs to Bel and the Dragon, which follows in c. 14.

Syriac. The LXX Susanna is faithfully reproduced in Syriac in the Codex Siro-estrangelo Bibliothecae Ambrosianae. Bugatus4 gives this note after Dan. 12 from the Syriac: ‘Descriptus est ab exemplari in quo erat adnotatio haec: descriptus est a Tetraplis cum quibus etiam collatus est.’ Swete and others refer to the MS. as ‘Codex Syro-Hexaplaris Ambrosianus’. As Origen had no Hebrew for Susanna, he must have had two columns blank in his Hexapla; the names Tetrapla and Hexapla here evidently refer to the same text. This version was made at Alexandria by Mar Paulus of Mesopotamia, in the years a.d. 616–617. It is an exact translation, and serves to fix the LXX text as approved by Origen a.d. 240.

Walton’s Polyglot gives two Syriac versions, W1 the Peshitta, W2 the Philoxenian or Harkleensian made by Thomas, Bishop of Heraklea about a.d. 616. Both are based on Theodotion, but make additions in sympathy with the story. Two other Syriac versions are edited by Lagarde,5 from two codices in the British Museum. These MSS. belong, one to the ninth, the other to the tenth century. They resemble Walton’s first Syriac version ‘Apud Waltonem versio duplex est, altera fere cum nostris consonans’. In the last twenty verses the variations between these two versions (L1 L2) are considerable.

Coptic Versions. The Copto-Memphitic was based on Theodotion’s version. It may have been made by the beginning of the fourth century. ‘Hoc unum statuemus, interpretem nempe copto-memphiticum magnam semper fidem Theodotioni habuisse, quam vero textus Theodotionei recensionem secutus fuerit, certo definiri non posse.’1 In this version Susanna is found at the beginning of Daniel.

No fragments of Susanna appear to have survived in the Sahidic version.2 The ‘Song’ appears in c. 3.

Arabic. John, Bishop of Seville a.d. 719, made an Arabic version of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate as it is supposed.3 The version in the Polyglots is derived from an old MS. of Greek akin to A.4 The version of Susanna in Walton conforms to the Vulgate. The two trees are called sandayān سَنْدَ ياَ نٍ and سُمًاقٍ summāq; but no attempt is made to reproduce these sounds in the verbs.

The new elements in the versions have been supposed, especially in the Harkleensian Syriac, to be independent gleanings from tradition (Brüll, Ball). The fidelity of the translators has been impaired by the warmth of their feelings; e.g. Susanna is only a few days betrothed to Joachim, and the rest of her life is passed in widowhood, day and night being devoted to the service of the Lord (Syr. Harkl.). Susanna is set free from her chains, ibid. Hebrew ‘the elders, the accursed rascals’, &c.