January 29, 2011 - 9:30pm | by Ian W. Scott
Text Status and Contents: 

Versions of the History of the Rechabites (also known as The Story of Zosimus) are extant in several languages, including Greek, Syriac, Ethiopic, Slavonic and Arabic. The Greek version is presented here as it appears in J. H. Charlesworth, The History of the Rechabites I: The Greek Recension (TT 17; Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1982). The evidence from other versions remains to be encoded. Final proofreading of the Greek text is complete.

Print Editions: 
  • J. H. Charlesworth, The History of the Rechabites I: The Greek Recension (TT 17; Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1982).
  • Click here to purchase a copy of Charlesworth's print edition from the Society of Biblical Literature.
  • M. R. James, Apocrypha Anecdota: A Collection of Thirteen Apocryphal Books and Fragments, Now First Edited from Manuscripts (T&S 2.3; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1893), 86-108, 186.
  • A. Vassiliev, "Vita sancti Zosimae," Anecdota graeco-byzantina (Moskva: Universitas Caesarea, 1893), 1.xxxviii-xl, 166-179.

For further bibliography see DiTommaso, Bibliography, 983-5 or click here to search for material on the History of the Rechabites on the BiBIL database.

Corrections to Previous Versions: 

The following corrections to Charlesworth's text have been made by Jeremy Haasdyk and David M. Miller:

  • 1. Accent on the ultima changed from grave to acute before ano teleia (·):
    • 2:7 ποταμὸν· corrected to ποταμόν·
    • 4:5 αὐτὸν· corrected to αὐτόν·
    • 7:9 ἐπεὶ· corrected to ἐπεί·
    • 8:6, 9:1, 9:5, 9:9 ἰερουσαλὴμ· corrected to ἰερουσαλήμ·
    • 9:2 αὐτὸν· corrected to αὐτόν·
    • 9:5, 10:4 βασιλεὺς· corrected to βασιλεύς·
    • 10:5 φυλακὴν· corrected to φυλακήν·
    • 12:7 θεὸς· corrected to θεός·
    • 15:6 λαὸν· corrected to λαόν·
    • 16:2 θεὸν· corrected to θεόν·
    • 17:4 εὐχὴν· corrected to εὐχήν·
    • 18:2 φωνὴν· corrected to φωνήν·
    • 20:3 πονηρὰν· corrected to πονηράν·
    • 21:2 ὀκτὼ· corrected to ὀκτώ·
    • 2. Accent on the ultima changed from acute to grave when no punctuation follows:
      • 9:9 πυρὸς corrected to πυρός (no punctuation follows)
      • 11:8 ἕν corrected to ἓν (twice)
    • 3. Breathing mark reversed
      • 7:8 ἑκεῖνον corrected to ἐκεῖνον
      • 8:2, 9:6 ἱερεμίας corrected to ἰερεμίας
      • 8:2, 8:6 (twice), 9:1, 9:5, 9:6, 9:9 ἱερουσαλήμ corrected to ἰερουσαλήμ
      • 8:2 αὑτοῦ corrected to αὐτοῦ
    • 4. Punctuation Changes
      • 9:4 ano teleia (·) should be a question mark (;): πατρίδος· corrected to πατρίδος;
      • 17:5 question mark (;) should be a comma (,): ποταμοῦ; corrected to ποταμοῦ,
      • 20:1 An ano teleia (·) or other break should be added: χολῆς corrected to χολῆς·
      • 21:7 An ano teleia (·) or other break should be added: δαίμονας corrected to δαίμονας·
    • 5. Other Typographical Errors
      • 2:9 δι· corrected to δι᾽
      • 5:3 οὺν corrected to σὺν
      • 7:7 ἀδελφε corrected to ἀδελφέ
      • 16:7 ἐκκλησία· corrected to ἐκκλησίᾳ·
Copyright: 

J. H. Charlesworth's text of the History of the Rechabites is re-published here by permission of the Society of Biblical Literature. Before using this or any other OCP text for another purpose, please click on the "copyright and permissions" link in the "Help and Information" menu at top to read the policy on re-use and re-publication.