Psalter

The habit of reading the so-called “prayers of the Kathismata” is, according to Cyril Korolevsky, one of the most ancient and monastic tradition (which was first encountered at the anchorites) of our Church. Named prayers of the Kathismata (or “prayers of the antiphons”, as in the Constantinopolitan tradition), these prayers had different structures depending on the two deterministic liturgical traditions, from Jerusalem and from Constantinople, which is why we will try to render some of their characteristic features.

Resumé: The more general aim of this paper is to clarify as to why there were in use – and still are in certain Churches – two collections of Psalms: the one found in the Old Testament, the other used for liturgical needs. This study thus introduces the readers into the most significant stages of the history of the transmission of Psalms in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin biblical traditions. The oldest texts of Psalms are to be found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. There are close to forty scrolls each containing at least several Psalms. Rather than attesting to the existence of a 'Psalter', these scrolls attest to several distinct collections of Psalms. While there is a critical edition of the Hebrew Psalms, the edition of the Greek Psalms prepared by Alfred Rahlfs (1931, 3 1979) is far from being really an editio maior. In addition to many methodological flaws pointed in this paper, this Göttingen edition does not evaluate several important ancient papyri dating to the II– IV century CE: e.g. the Antinoopolis Papyrus 7 which contains Psalms 81–82, the Chester Beatty Papyrus XIII which contains Psalms 72–88 and the Bodmer Papyrus XXIV which contains Psalms 17,45–118,44. However, in the absence of such critical edition, any serious translator of Psalter should take into consideration not only these Greek papyri but also the complex history of the transmission of Psalms in the He-brew, Greek, and Latin biblical traditions.

Regarding the tradition of our Church, it must be specified first of all that the practice of reading the ‟pillars” for the laity is a local custom, in the sense that it is not found in other Orthodox traditions, such as Greek and Russian (at least this is clear from various studies), and that it does not represent a substitution of the readings indicated by the church tradition, but rather an addition. In other words, the order of the “pillars” does not represent in any way, in the vision of our Romanian Orthodox Church, a departure from the church tradition, but rather an “enrichment” of it. About some of the peculiarities of the funeral ‟pillars”, less addressed, but not only, we will try to write in this study.

Metropolitan Dosoftei of Moldova is one of the remarkable personalities
who worked in the golden age of Romanian culture. His life and activity are
largely related to the history of Poland.
In order to receive a higher education, in the impetus and with the support of
their parents, they leave for Poland in Lvov. At that time Lvov was one of the
most important Orthodox centers in Poland.
At the Orthodox Brotherhood School in the locality, Dimitrie Barilovici makes
humanistic studies, learning thoroughly philosophy, history, theology, rhetoric,
and so on. He also has the opportunity to study Polish, Ukrainian and Russian.
Namely in Lvov, young Dimitrie gets the first knowledge about the technique of
versification. In this cultural setting he became acquainted with the Psalter of
Jan Kohanowski (1530-1584), which encouraged him to interpret for the Romanians
Psalter in verses, a work that he would accomplish a few years later.
The great opera of introducing the Romanian language into the divine service,
the Moldavian scholar began in 1673 by printing, at Uniev, a volume that includes
the Acatist, the Paraclis of the Mother of God, the Canon on Easter
Saturday and Canons to all the saints.
In general, Dosoftei’s biography can be divided into two periods: up to the refuge
in Poland (1624-1686), and the period of residence in Poland (1686-1693).
In Poland, Dosoftei was honored according to his rank; he himself speaks in
his letter to the Patriarch of Dositeos of Jerusalem from April 4, 1693: “Before
His Majesty I am Metropolitan installed for the whole of Moldavia, with Rădăuţi
belonging to His Majesty”.
On December 13, 1693, after a tumultuous life, Metropolitan Dosoftei goes into
the world of the righteous in the Zolkiew Monastery, where he was buried in a
crypt under the porch of the church there.

Hapax legomena in Psalm 72. Altertümliche, mittelalterliche und neuzeitliche Deutungsversuche

Innerhalb von Psalm 72 sind insgesamt fünfzehn Wörter zu finden, die anderswo im Alten Testament nicht vorkommen, und deshalb als hapax legomena zu bestimmen sind. Die hapax le-gomena im weiteren Sinne sind (1) bekannte Wurzel in einzigartiger Form, ohne Verständnis-probleme; (2) bekannte Wurzel in einzigartiger Form und Kontext, mit Deutungsschwierigkeiten; (3) unbekannte Wurzel und Etymologie (absolut hapax legomena). Besonders die Wörter in der letztgenannten Kategorie verursachen große Probleme für die Auslegung. Der Aufsatz bietet einen Überblick, wie die hapax legomena von Psalm 72 in den verschiedenen Zeitaltern der jüdischen und christlichen Exegese verstanden wurden, um nach einer kritischen Vergleich und Auswertung die wahrscheinlichste Deutungsmöglichkeit  aufzuzeigen.

The so-called Psalter of Blanche of Castile (Psautier latin dit de saint Louis et de Blanche de Castille, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Paris, MS 1186 réserve) is a well-preserved illuminated manuscript made in Paris in the first half of the thirteenth century. As a devotional book, it witnesses the concerns of a thirteenth century individual of high rank, most likely a woman. As its modern name indicates, scholars link its existence to the Queen of France Blanche of Castile (4 March 1188 – 27 November 1252; r. 1226-34, 1248-52). No firm documentation, however, attests to the circumstances of its making, nor to its patron, intended audience and first owner. Scholars have studied the text and the miniatures in the hope of finding some clue as to who commissioned it, who created it, and the reasons behind a choice of miniatures and format atypical in comparison with other Psalters made in Paris over the course of the thirteenth century. In studying the P...

Judging from repetitious appearances of her marital arms in the painted line-endings, the Psalter-Hours John Rylands Library Latin MS 117 probably belonged to Jeanne of Flanders (c.1272–1333), daughter of Count Robert III of Flanders and in 1288 second wife to Enguerrand IV of Coucy. Yet the line-endings also contain some 1,800 diminutive painted escutcheons, many of which refer to other members of the local nobility active during the 1280s. This study, based on an exhaustive survey of the total heraldic and codicological evidence, suggests that the majority of the extant Psalter predated the Hours and that the two parts were combined after the 1288 marriage. The ‘completed’ manuscript bears witness to major events that unfolded in and around the Coucy barony over the course of the decade. It suggests a complex relationship between Jeanne of Flanders and a lesser member of the local nobility, a certain Marien of Moÿ, who may have served as her attendant.

The Psalms were a very popular and biblical book with both lay and monastic audiences in the early church. The Psalms or songs of ascent, 119-133, may have been sung in ancient Israel as pilgrims ascended to Jerusalem, and perhaps by priests as they ascended the steps to the Temple. For instance, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe thy righteous ordinances." (119:105-106)

Recent research has explored how past interpretation can help contextualize current interpretation as well as provide a more colorful and theologically meaningful understanding of scripture. In St. Augustine's Interpretation of the Psalms of Ascent, Gerald McLarney examines Augustine of Hippo's (d. 430) interpretation of the ascent motif in sermons on Psalms 119-133. He looks at the delivery, transmission, and broader context of the sermons, as well as examining the sermons as they stand.

McLarney considers the reception of the Psalter in the early church, and examines patristic hermeneutical principles and Psalter commentaries in conjunction with Augustine's distinctive approaches to scripture and the Psalms. He studies the delivery and transmission of Augustine’s Expositions (Ennarationes), as well as the mechanics of their composition, recording, and circulation, and the manuscript tradition. He looks at the possible times and places of their delivery.

McLarney then examines the social, cultural, and liturgical context of these Expositions. Topics include African Christianity in Augustine's time, the composition of a typical audience, and the structure of the liturgy with specific reference to the role of the Psalter. He sets in sharper relief features such as the prominence of martyrs, the influence of Neoplatonism, emphasis on spiritual combat, and the importance of singing - all within the context of the physical and liturgical context of delivery.

Augustine does not read out (exegete) the Psalter simply for his own benefit, but pursues a hermeneutic of alignment, bringing the Psalmist, the Psalm, and the lives of his North African readers into a common context - and draws them into the dynamism of the Psalms. His readers continue an ascent of salvation, in the communion of believers, that began in ancient times.