DOI 10.1515/zaw-2013-0000 ZAW 2013; 125(2):0000–0000 James Seth Adcock Did Eichhorn Originate the Theory of Local Texts? James Seth Adcock: University of St. Andrews; ja462@st-andrews.ac.uk I Johann Gottfried Eichhorn has exerted great influence upon the modern discipline of biblical studies. In regard to the field of textual criticism, Eichhorn amazingly foreshadowed in his Einlei- tung in das Alte Testament¹ a model of the »theory of local texts«² later proposed by Frank Moore Cross Jr. Eichhorn’s formulation of a local text theory has echoes in the later writings of William F. Albright³ and in the publications of his student Cross.⁴ Albright, though apparently unaware of Eichhorn’s theory, profoundly influenced Cross, who is often given credit for Albright’s theory of local texts.⁵ Although the terminology used by Eichhorn, Albright, and Cross differ in various ways from each other,⁶ Eichhorn articulates the essential facets of their later theory, namely the presence of local text traditions of biblical literature (i.e. the book of Jeremiah), in Babylon, Egypt, and Palestine. Eichhorn’s description of a text history of Jeremiah in terms of distinct topographical regions demonstrates a model for categorization of textual transmission analogous to the paradigms suggested later by William Albright and Frank Cross. Eichhorn, like Albright and Cross, was truly innovative in his application of geography to distinguish text formation. His primary distinguish- ing factor for textual identification is not the usual application of the criteria of variant readings 1 J. G. Eichhorn, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, Leipzig 2 nd ed. 1803; Göttingen 3 rd ed. 1823 and 4 th ed. 1824. Eichhorn first proposed multiple geographical theories for Jeremiah in an article published in 1777. Cf. idem, Bemerkungen über den Text des Propheten Jeremias, Repertorium für Biblische und Morgenländische Litteratur 1, 1777, 141–168. 2 Frank Cross uses the term »a theory of local texts«. Cf. F. M. Cross, The Evolution of a Theory of Local Texts, in: Idem/Shemaryahu Talmon (eds.), Qumran and the History of the Biblical Text, 1975, 306–320, 306. 3 W. F. Albright, New Light on Early Recensions of the Hebrew Bible, BASOR 140 (1955), 28. 4 Cross, The Fixation of the Text of the Hebrew Bible, in: Idem, From Epic to Canon: History and Literature in Ancient Israel, 1998, 205–218. 5 Tov credits Albright for the origin of Cross’ theory. Cf. E. Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 3 2012, 173. 6 Albright uses the term »recension«, whereas Eichhorn used the term »Exemplar« for a text archetype or Vorlage. A revision or edited copy of the »Exemplar« was termed a »recension« by Eichhorn. Whereas Albright employs the expression »recension« to mean a purposeful or con- scious revision of a text source, Eichhorn uses the terms »recension« and »edition« (Ausgabe) interchangeably. Cross later would use the term »recension« solely to signify a geographical fam- ily of texts or a local group of texts that have similar variants or revisional qualities. 009_Adcock_Mitteilung.indd 1 009_Adcock_Mitteilung.indd 1 08.03.2013 14:25:17 08.03.2013 14:25:17