Kaige and the Early Transmission History of the Bible: A Reassessment

This thesis investigates kaige revision of the Septuagint through multiple perspectives to reassess the early transmission history of the Bible. By re-evaluating the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll and kaige texts in Samuel–Kings, this study challenges existing assumptions and provides new insights into their historical and textual significance. Detailed analyses reveal that kaige revision was undertaken by educated scribes proficient in Greek and Hebrew and was prevalent across Palestine. It even extended to texts not found in the Hebrew Bible and deuterocanonical works such as 1 Enoch. This research suggests that kaige revision was concurrent with the standardisation of the proto-Masoretic Text, offering a rare glimpse into the last layers of biblical redaction. Moreover, the thesis situates kaige revision within the broader context of Second Temple Judaism and evolving attitudes towards the Hebrew text, demonstrating its role as an early effort to standardise and unify scripture amid textual pluriformity. By integrating methodologies from textual criticism, Dead Sea Scrolls studies, and digital humanities, this study redefines kaige revision as a significant movement in the shaping of the biblical text.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Lee, Timothy

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• MacDonald, Nathan

• Septuagint
• Kaige Revision
• Textual Criticism
• Hebrew Bible
• Dead Sea Scrolls

Licence

• https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/c2fa0563-06a9-4f77-a30a-76cb0f7439e0/download
• http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved

Language dc:language

eng

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.123437

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/392866