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Inauguration of the John William Wevers Institute and Septuagint Chair Campaign December 5, 2011 Robert J V Hiebert (with contributions by Larry Perkins) I would like to add my welcome to all of you who have joined us for this special occasion, and especially to our special guests, John and June Wevers, and James and Leah Wevers The Wevers family, and their father, the late Professor John William Wevers of the University of Toronto, whose memory and legacy we are honouring this evening, are special friends and benefactors of this university, and of the Septuagint Institute Professor Wevers passed away on July 22, 2010 at the age of 91 A memorial service was held at the Rosedale Presbyterian Church in Toronto on John William Wevers (1984) September 11, 2010 In order to provide some perspective to As many of you will be aware, the what is happening here this evening, part of Septuagint is the translation of the Hebrew what my Institute colleagues and I want to Scriptures / Old Testament into Greek, a is offer something of a retrospective look project that began in Alexandria, Egypt at the relatively recent history of the sometime during the first half of the third discipline of Septuagint Studies, and a century B.C., perhaps shortly before the glance ahead to what the future might hold first of the Dead Sea Scrolls was written I say relatively recent, because the The Septuagint appears to have been the Septuagint has been a part of the history of first major translation project involving a the biblical text for almost 2300 years, but religious text in history, and its impact on we want to focus aspects of only the past the history of the transmission of the century biblical text in both the Jewish and Christian faith traditions was very significant The motivation to undertake Timothy 3:15-16, the sacred writings ( ἱερὰ  such a project was apparently due to the γράμματα) “that are able to fact that Jews felt the need to be able to instruct you for salvation through faith in read their Scriptures in the vernacular of the Jesus Christ” and the God-breathed day, i.e., Greek In the process, they left scripture (γραφὴ θεόπνευστος) that “is behind a record of the ways in which they useful for teaching, for reproof, for were interpreting their sacred texts correction, and for training in With the emergence of the church some righteousness,” are in all likelihood three centuries after the first Greek references to the Old Testament, since when translations had appeared, the Septuagint the apostle was writing this the New was received by another kind of readership Testament was still in production In that, though almost exclusively Jewish at subsequent decades and centuries, the first, came to include a growing number of writings of many of the church fathers were Gentiles The impact of the Septuagint on likewise based on the Septuagint the church was immediate New Testament authors, all of whom wrote in Greek, quoted freely from the existing Greek Old Testament rather than undertaking the translation of the original Hebrew Scriptures themselves In fact, it has been estimated that the New Testament authors quoted or in other ways alluded to the Septuagint as many as 300 times But of course the early mission activity of the church, the spreading of the good news about Jesus, was done throughout the Graeco-Roman world with the aid of the Greek version of the Old Testament, because those were the Scriptures that were available in the period of time before the complete New Testament in the form that we now have it had been produced In Paul Anton de Lagarde (1827-1891) But tonight we will pass over the subsequent centuries of the history of the Septuagint text to the nineteenth century and what might called the birth of modern Septuagint scholarship Paul Anton de preliminary critical edition, inasmuch as Lagarde has been referred to as “the father Rahlfs realized that it would be impossible of modern Septuagint textual criticism.”1 in his lifetime to take into account the He is credited with conceiving the vision textual evidence of the many hundreds of for reconstructing the original Greek text of existing manuscripts and relevant the Septuagint based on the available subsequent translations of the Septuagint manuscript evidence Though he did publish So he undertook to base the text he preliminary work toward that end, he reconstructed primarily on the three great eventually realized the magnitude of that uncial manuscripts of the fourth and fifth undertaking and abandoned that project to centuries A.D., Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and work on other areas of research Lagarde Alexandrinus We have on display an exact received a faculty appointment at the replica of the first of those three remarkable University of Göttingen in Germany, where texts the project he envisioned would come to be headquartered Lagarde’s student and successor, Alfred Rahlfs, took up the task of reconstructing the Septuagint text Recognizing the importance of Rahlfs’ work in this area, his colleagues Rudolf Smend and Julius Wellhausen set about to establish at the University of Göttingen, in 1908, the Septuaginta-Unternehmen, an institution dedicated to the work of producing the best available critical editions of the Septuagint In 1935 Rahlfs published the only complete text of the Septuagint in existence to date that is based on the principles of reconstructing the text conceptualized by him and Lagarde It was, however, only a Karen H Jobes and Moisés Silva, Invitation to the Septuagint (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2000), p 243 Alfred Rahlfs (1865-1935) Among the roster of great scholars who have taken up the mantle of doing that painstaking and time-consuming work of published after his official “retirement” producing fully critical editions of each of from the University of Toronto in 1984 Prof Wevers did not only, however, spend his time immersed in the Septuagint the books of the Septuagint, a project that Pentateuch He served as Editor-in-Chief of continues to this day, was Professor John the Canadian Journal of Linguistics 1960- William Wevers.2 A graduate of Calvin 67; he participated as a teacher in the College (B.A 1940), Calvin Theological CBC’s television series “Let’s Speak Seminary (Th.B 1943), Princeton English” in 1961-62 and in the summers Theological Seminary (Th.D 1945), he took part in two archaeological digs in pursued post-doctoral studies at Princeton Jerusalem; he was one of the founding University (1945-47) and taught there until fathers of the International Organization for 1951 when he was offered a position at the Septuagint and Cognate Studies in 1968 (in University of Toronto in the Department of fact making the official motion at the Oriental Languages (later Near Eastern inaugural meeting to establish that Studies), where he remained the rest of his organization), serving as its President 1972- academic career He was appointed editor 80 and becoming Honorary President for by the Septuaginta-Unternehmen in 1966, life in 1987; he was President of the and over the next 32 years until 1998 he Advisory Board of Governors at Toronto’s made the Greek Pentateuch (Genesis, Central Hospital for 13 years (1957-70) and Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) President of the Ontario Hospital his primary focus of scholarly attention Association 1977-78; he served in various During those years he published critical capacities including Elder, Clerk of the editions, textual histories, and Session, and Chair of the Administrative commentaries on each of those books, 15 Council of Rosedale Presbyterian Church in volumes totalling literally thousands of Toronto; his love for classical music pages, in addition to many other (especially Mozart) inspired him to write publications In fact, by my count, of the libretti for pieces called “Job: a Musical above-mentioned 15 volumes were Drama” and “A Psalmic Liturgy” as well as Much of the following information comes from Albert Pietersma and Peter J Gentry, “John William Wevers (1919-2010): A Biographical Note,” Bulletin of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies 43 (2010): 2-4 16 anthems for which his son, Harold, a professional musician, composed the music; other interests included Scottish country dancing and wine making He lived an Those who were his students knew him active and well-rounded life, to say the the way he was described in a recent least tribute, i.e., a “gifted teacher, relentless in his demand for excellence, yet … ‘never harder on his students than he was on himself.’” Septuagint Studies in Canada Work in the field of Septuagint Studies was Charles Fritsch) of A Classified being done in Canada at places other than Bibliography of the Septuagint (Brill, 1973) the University of Toronto From 1952-1973, Sidney Jellicoe taught at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where he served as Dean of Divinity and Professor of Divinity All students of the Septuagint will Sidney Jellicoe (1951) recognize Jellicoe as the author of an important book, The Septuagint and Modern Study (Clarendon, 1968), the editor of an important collection of essays, Studies in the Septuagint (Ktav, 1974), and the compiler (along with Sebastian Brock and George Caird spent time at McGill and Pietersma Among the as Principal of the United Theological College of Montreal in the 1940s and 1950s George Caird (1950) He produced a number of publications on the Septuagint, including “Towards a Lexicon of the Septuagint” that anticipated the kind of linguistic research that has led to a greater understanding of the language of the Septuagint, the production of lexica/dictionaries, and the publication of recent translations of the Septuagint For many years, however, the University of Toronto was the recognized Albert Pietersma graduates from that program are Claude Cox (teaching at McMaster Divinity centre for Septuagint research in North College and Tyndale University College and America and, beginning in the 1974-75 Seminary in Ontario) and Larry Perkins academic year, the only university in the (Professor of Biblical Studies, ACTS) who world where one could a Ph.D in that in 1980 were the first to receive PhDs in discipline Septuagint Studies flourished Septuagint; Rob Hiebert (1986; Professor of under Prof John Wevers and Prof Albert OT Studies, ACTS); Peter Gentry (1994; Professor of OT Interpretation, Southern George B Caird, “Towards a Lexicon of the Septuagint,” parts, Journal of Theological Studies 19, 20 (1968): 453-475, 21-40 Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville); Paul McLean (2004; Bible Translator with the Presbyterian Church in Canada working hermeneutical issues related to this biblical in Taiwan); Jannes Smith (2005; Professor version.” It was the Institute’s privilege to of OT, Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary, Hamilton), and Cameron BoydTaylor (2005; recently completed a research have Prof Pietersma and Prof Emanuel Tov of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as guest speakers on that occasion appointment at the University of Cambridge and currently a Research Associate of TWU) But after Profs Wevers and Pietersma retired from teaching, U of T, in its ‘wisdom,’ decided to discontinue that program U of T’s misfortune has proven to be TWU’s boon, inasmuch as the torch has been passed to Trinity Western University Already in 2001, TWU hosted a Septuagint Symposium that began the process of raising the profile of Septuagint research that was being done by the collection of scholars in this discipline who had found their way to this campus in the 1980s and 1990s On September 17, 2005, TWU and ACTS seminaries launched the Septuagint Institute—a hub for Septuagint research, including various translation and publication projects From the outset, the Institute’s mission was “to promote research in the Septuagint, the Old Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures and the Bible of many early Christians including the authors of the New Testament, with a particular focus on Emanuel Tov We had issued an invitation to Prof Wevers to come as a special guest He replied that he would very much love to come, but unfortunately his physical mobilty was limited and he could no longer make a trip like that But he sent a message with his blessing of our new undertaking This is what he said: I can hardly overemphasize how  pleased I am with the formation  of a LXX Institute at Trinity  Western University. This is  wonderful news in view of the  fact that the only other LXX  Institute I know of was founded  almost a century ago. Various  scholars who were also members of the Goettinger Gesellschaft der  Wissenschaften, now known as Die  Akademie d. Wissenschaften zu  Goettingen, were instrumental in  its establishment, under the  inspiration of Rudolf Smend, the  grandfather of our contemporary  Smend, and Alfred Rahlfs; they  persuaded a number of their  fellow members of the  advisability of officially  forming a LXX Unternehmen (a LXX  Undertaking), and then  successfully presented this in a  motion to the Akademie in 1908.  It took a couple years of  bickering with the Prussian  authorities before it was  successfully launched with Rahlfs as the designated Director  (Leiter). Since I spent much of  my research years as a member of  and under the aegis of this  Undertaking in Goettingen, I feel constrained to insist on this  earlier Institute as the natural  father of the new Institute. This is especially important since one of the members of the new  Institute is also part of the  Unternehmen in Goettingen. I  refer, of course, to my and Al  Pietersma's former student, Rob  Hiebert, who is responsible for  the editing of IV Maccabees. It  seems to me to bode well for the  future of this new Institute to  insist on this connection There is, however, a second  reason for my pleasure with this  new creation. In my capacity as a member of the Department of Near  Eastern Studies (now rebaptized  as the Dept. of Near and Middle  Civilizations), I was able to  create along with my first LXX  student and colleague, Al  Pietersma, the only Ph.D.  programme devoted solely to  Septuagint Studies in the world,  a programme which since the  enforced emeritation of both of  us by the Univ. of Toronto, no  longer exists. I don't want to  belabour the reason for this  unfortunate demise, but only to  say that the fact that industry  has little use for Ph.D.s in LXX  Studies in my opinion underlay  this sad ending to a field of  study recognized throughout the  world of scholarship as a worthy  one. That a centre for LXX  studies is now to be established  by the next generation of LXX  scholars, is a source of  tremendous satisfaction, a  generation in part fostered by  our own programme of studies. I  can now say with St. Simon of  old, Now let thy servant depart  in peace.  John William Wevers translation of the first four books of that corpus: Genesis (Hiebert), Exodus (Perkins), Leviticus (Büchner), and Numbers (Flint) After the shutting down of the Septuagint Studies program in Toronto, Professors Wevers and Pietersma made commitments to bequeath their extensive and valuable personal libraries to support Septuagint research at TWU In the summer of 2008 it was the express desire of Prof Wevers to set that process in motion with regard to his library He was then nearing 90 years of age and living in a retirement John William Wevers (2005) In 2006 the Institute hosted another care facility Nevertheless, on June 10 of that year, the day on which two of his sons event, a two day affair that dealt with the (John and Bob) and I (Rob Hiebert) had themes, “God, the Bible, and the Qur’an” agreed to begin the big job of packing, he and “Descriptions of God in Ancient and was determined to come to the house and Modern Monotheistic Traditions.” It supervise We needed 59 boxes to pack up featured speakers with expertise in Hebrew all the books and estimated the total weight Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, New to be over 3000 pounds This collection Testament, and the Qur’an contained many important monographs, In 2007, A New English Translation of series, and reference works—some of which the Septuagint (NETS) was published by are now rare and virtually impossible to get Oxford University Press This was a project elsewhere that involved more than 30 scholars from That same Fall, the Septuagint Institute around the world who produced the first hosted the largest of the conferences that it English translation of this ancient version of has sponsored to date Over three days, the Old Testament in more than a century scholars from England, Germany, France, and a half TWU’s Septuagint Institute the U.S., and Canada presented papers on fellows wrote the introductions and did the the theme, “Septuagint Translation(s): 10 Retrospect and Prospect.” Translators Humanities Research Council of Canada involved in the publication of French, and the Priscilla and Stanford Reid Trust A German, and English translations of the volume containing some of the conference Septuagint participated in the conference papers was published in 2010 in the Society Funding to host this event was gratefully of Biblical Literature Septuagint and received from the Social Sciences and Cognate Studies monograph series The Future of Septuagint Studies at TWU The John William Wevers Institute for of Biblical Literature Commentary on the Septuagint Studies will continue to serve as Septuagint The four of us are writing a base from which to coordinate research commentaries on the books that we resources, specific learning initiatives, translated for NETS In addition, one or scholarly colloquia, symposia geared to the another of us is involved in various other larger university/seminary communities and research and publication projects These the general public, applications for research include the production of a revised and funding, and publication projects This expanded edition of Field’s Hexapla, the Institute provides a context for both preparation of a critical edition for the resident and visiting scholars to explore Göttingen Septuaginta series, and continued issues of hermeneutics (interpretation), research on the Dead Sea Scrolls translation, semantics (meaning), and Furthermore, cutting-edge computer and intertextuality (relationships between texts) web technology that facilitates the detailed Students in the Master of Theological analysis of ancient texts is being developed Studies and Master of Theology programs For example, the Web Application for at ACTS may specialize in Septuagint Textual and Exegetical Research (WATER) Studies, and in the Master of Arts in incorporates both text modules that are used Biblical Studies students may take courses to aid the textual critic in preparing critical and thesis research in this discipline editions and commentary modules designed The Institute Fellows all continue to be to be used by those involved in the SBLCS involved in important research After NETS series In addition, the Greek Online Lexical was published, work began on the Society Database (GOLD) employs Wiki technology to provide scholars all over the 11 world with a resource that enables them to in Religious Studies at TWU The access and contribute linguistic and articulation of such a program that will bibliographical information concerning all include specializations in Septuagint words in ancient Greek literature Studies, Dead Sea Scrolls, Ancient Israel, What is the future of the John William and Early Christianity is currently Wevers Institute for Septuagint Studies? It underway We are planning to submit the promises to be a bright one With the prospectus for external review and generous donation of $400,000 from the administrative approval in 2012 Pending Wevers family serving as an endowment success in that process, this could mean that that provides both a stable financial as early as the Fall of 2013 we might be in a foundation for current academic programs position to accept our first students into the and scholarly research at TWU, and seed program And on top of all of the above, the money to attract additional financial possibility of collaborating with the Green contributions toward the establishment of Scholars Initiative in working “hands-on” an endowed Chair in Septuagint Studies, we with primary documents of great antiquity look forward with great expectation and importance will further enhance TWU’s Indeed, we are anticipating that 2012, the reputation as one of the top places in the 50th anniversary of TWU, will see other world to study and research in the field substantial donations come in as part of the of biblical textual studies TWU already has university’s capital campaign, of which the a very good reputation in this regard Septuagint Chair initiative is a part throughout the academic world These Another part of the picture that excites us is developments are sure to enhance it the prospect of establishing a PhD program significantly If you are interested in contributing to this campaign and ensuring that TWU continues to be a flagship in cutting-edge biblical and textual scholarship, please let us know The establishment of an endowed chair is a key part of a university’s strategy to make certain that the academic discipline involved is permanently represented in its curriculum, and that the holder of that position has adequate time and resources to continue to promote and advance the discipline through his/her teaching, research and publication activity, establishment of collaborative partnerships, and planning and hosting of conferences and public events It thus becomes part of the signature profile of the university, something that defines it and 12 characterizes its priorities The beauty of an endowment is that the financial support for this comes from the return on the donated amount that has been invested, without the principal being affected So there is no further need to make it part of ongoing development and fundraising initiatives once the necessary amount has been raised, because it becomes selffinancing