The , Volume 1 questions on the Octateuch

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS John F. Petruccione, Editorial Director of the Library of Early Christianity I am most grateful to Professor Robert C. Hill for choosing this nascent series for his fine translation of and commentary on Theodoret’s Questions on the Octateuch. We had intended to print this work as the first volume of the LEC, but as the manuscript extended to a length greater than anticipated, Dr. McGonagle, Director of the CUA Press, and I decided to divide it between volumes one and two. We hope that we have consulted the interests of our readers by producing, rather than one very unwieldy and expensive tome, two books of manageable size and lower price. Both Prof. Hill and I owe debts of gratitude to those who have advised and assisted us in this large project. Father Natalio Fernández Marcos has looked through lists of questions regarding errata, variant readings, and issues of punctuation. In addition, he has patiently answered numerous queries regarding the contents and lacunae of individual manuscripts. Dr. Françoise Petit has provided information regarding the source of passages erroneously attributed to Theodoret by the Catena Nikephori. Though I should have been able to locate all of these within her meticulous editions of the Catenae on Genesis and Exodus, she kindly replied to a request for direct assistance, thus rescuing me from my own confusions and sparing me some hours of searching. I have frequently received assistance from my colleagues at the Catholic University of America. Drs. William McCarthy and Eustravii tios Papaioannou (now of Brown University) entertained queries regarding Greek usage, and Dr. McCarthy also provided some useful bibliographical suggestions. I am especially indebted to Dr. Robert Caldwell, who devoted several evenings to discussing textual variants as well as issues of translation and punctuation. I am certain that his advice led me to better solutions on a number of points. My retired colleague, Dr. M. Scowcroft, has kindly provided information on the ms. Dublin, Trinity College, D.. . My research assistants have performed some very large tasks essential to the completeness and accuracy of this volume. Mr. Daryl Grissom has proofread the entire Greek text once and large sections of it a second time. Mrs. Rachel Gilbert has also assisted in the proofreading of both the Greek text and the “Introduction to the Greek Text.” Throughout Mr. Brent Gilbert has been my primary assistant . After helping me compile the apparatus of ancient sources, he entered all the call-out letters in both the Greek text and the English translation. In addition, he proofread sections of the Greek text and all the textual notes, compiled the Index scripturisticus, and assisted in the compilation of the other indices. Indeed, his critical attention to myriad details has improved every aspect of this volume. We have been particularly fortunate to have the editorial assistance of Susan Barnes. She has read the entire manuscript with her eagle’s eye for inconsistencies, infelicities, and lack of clarity. In addition , her knowledge of both patristic literature and the Greek language has spared us the embarrassment, and the reader the confusion , that would have arisen from many a misstatement or inaccurate translation. Her contribution is thus that of scholarly reader as well as copy editor, functions seldom performed by the same person . Finally, I wish to thank the many generous patrons who have contributed toward the endowment of this series. I am particularly grateful to my professional colleagues, the members of the North American Patristic Society, who have offered both moral and financial support. They have waited a long time for volume one. Acknowledgments viii Robert C. Hill I am grateful to Dr. J. Petruccione, the Editorial Director of the Library of Early Christianity, and to Dr. D. McGonagle, Director of the CUA Press, for their decision to print this work in the first volumes of the LEC. It owes much to the painstaking attention of the Editorial Director. Acknowledgments ix ...