medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I think some clarification is needed. To my knowledge, traditional Judaism
uses what I'm calling "scrolls" (unrolled horizontally, written in
columns, like codex pages), not what I've been calling "rotuli" (unrolled
vertically, written in a single long column, basically). My suspicion
(which needs further testing) is that by the 6th century, when basically
all literature in the Greek and Latin worlds was published in codex
format, there was a vague memory that scrolls were used in earlier times,
but the only still living roll format was the rotulus (still used in some
liturgical and legal contexts), which was thus used by artists to
represent, quite inaccurately, the earlier situation.
It has been conjectured that one of the factors that led to the rapid
adoption of the relatively new codex format for Christian scriptural
texts, already in the 2nd century, was intentional contrast with the use
of scrolls (not rotuli) by semitic Judaism. I'm skeptical, for various
reasons, and even suspect that the codex format also was used quite early
by some Greek speaking Jewish groups (from which Christians obtained
copies of books that were included in the Christian "Old Testament").
On the other hand, it is possible that emerging classical ("rabbinic"
semitic) Judaism retained "scroll" format for liturgical purposes as long
as it has done so partly in the interest of differentiating itself from
the surrounding world (including Christianity). Classical Judaism did make
use of the codex format, even for scriptures (e.g. the Aleppo codex, the
Leningrad codex -- the two oldest extensively preserved Hebrew bibles,
from 9th-10th centuries), but apparently for study and not for liturgical
use, so even that picture is complex.
Among other things, I'm wondering whether the artistic traditions ever
have depicted unambiguously open "scrolls" (not rotuli, not unopened rolls
in capsae, etc.)? Presumably at least some artists were familiar with the
liturgical use of "scrolls" (not rotuli) in Judaism, which is why I asked
about the "church and synagogue" topos in this connection. For that
matter, are there literary references that make an issue of such usage
("we" have codices, "they" use scrolls)? Perhaps in the "Dialogues"
between Christians and Jews?
Thanks,
Bob Kraft
Kraft wrote:
> > Thus what I have not yet seen in the Christian art world is a
> > representation of an ancient horizontal format scroll being handled in
> > the expected posture (e.g. with rolled up sections on each side)
> > and/or showing columns of writing similar to adjacent book pages. The
> > closest I've come to such an image is the 3rd century CE sarcophagus
> > at the Church of St. Maria Antiqua (my "Slide20"), and even there it
> > is not absolutely clear whether a literary scroll (read horizontally)
> > or a rotulus (read vertically) is intended -- at least, the holder
> > seems to have rolled up portions on both sides of the exposed roll,
> > unless he is (also?) holding blocks to keep the surface flat.
> Dear Bob,
> I would hesitate to make too much of the form of book represented in the image on the S.
> Maria Antiqua sarcophagus. This is a visual topos of "the philosopher" that was occasionally
> used to indicate Christ "symbolically", in the manner of the Good Shepherd. Virtually identical
> examples, also with rotuli, can be found on earlier non-Christian sarcophagi, and in this
> earliest phase of Christian iconography, the literal appropriation of such visual topoi was quite
> common. This situation may also apply to other early images, since a completely "Christian"
> iconography did not appear overnight!
> Since the Jewish scriptures are still produced in rotulus form, I have found myself wondering
> if the quite early adoption of the codex form in Christian contexts may represent an attempt to
> distance specifically Christian scriptures from Jewish ones. Anything in that, do you think?
> Cheers,
> Jim Bugslag
-- Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania 227
Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
[log in to unmask] http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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