medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
to return to the original question which sparked this thread (which is not to
say the collateral issue should die of starvation):
From: Frans van Liere <[log in to unmask]>
> I think your translation of quarrymen is correct (whether related to Bede or
Andrew), especially since the "cementarii" in 1 Kgs. 5 verse 18 are
specifically described as masons, in contrast to the quarrymen, in Andrew's
commentary: "Cementarii. Scilicet qui cemento lapides coniungunt."
yes, verse 18 has "cementarii", which fits the context.
verse 15, talking about sending the boys out to the mountains to actually get
the stone, speaks of "Lathomi", which Bede says are [in his day, presumably]
cesores lapidum".
here is my draft of two notes which i will be adding to my treatment of the
use of two terms ("cementarius" being rather straightforward) used in the
Josaphat charters to describe the "stoneworkers" who appear as witnesses
therein:
1. *Lapicidinus*: Perhaps a “quarryman” (from lapidicina, “quarry”);
but the Novum Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis suggests “tailleur de pierre”.
Note that it is not clear to what extent these terms were used in a precise
fashion by the scribes who drew up our charters.
2. *Cesor lapidum*: Technically, this term also seems to apply to stoneworkers
engaged at a quarry, in the freeing of the stone from the bed and also,
presumably, doing the initial rough dressing of the stones prior to their
being sent off to the building site. This interpretation is based upon the
appearances of the term in Bede’s commentary on the meaning of the term
“Lathomus” found in 1 Kings 5: 15, the account of King Solomon’s
assembledge of wokers to extract stones from the mountains for the building of
the Temple. Bede offers this interpretation of the Vulgate text: “Lathomi
sunt cesores lapidum”. Several centuries later (and close to our own time
in these Josaphat charters) Albert of St. Victor quotes Bede (CC:CM 53A) and
we must assume that this was the meaning of the term in his own day. Also
notable is the fact that, in the last quarter of the 11th century, he monk
Paul of Chartres seems to make a distinction between “lapidum cesores atque
cementarios” (CSP, p. 9).
the text of Paul of St. Peter's can be found here:
http://ariadne.org/cc/sources/vetusaganon.html )
c
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