Zapiski króla Ezechiasza: Iz 38,9-20 na tle ugaryckich tekstów królewskich

Abstract

This paper presents the discussion on the philological and literary problems connected with authorship of the text Isa 38:9-20, which is attributed to Hezekiah, the king of Judah. The Masoretic text of Isa 38:9-20 contains many problematic readings, including a probable errors in not reflecting an archaic grammar, hapax legomenon words, misused idioms and confused letters. The accumulation of curiosities is unusually high in these twelve verses. I consider the diffi cult readings in the MT as pointing to the work of a semiliterate rather than a learned scribe whose words became confused in transmission. There is some evidence that the ancient Near Eastern kings have been able to write and even compose poetic texts. The Psalm of Hezekiah can be compared with the Ugaritic prayer to Baal (KTU 1.119), which was probably composed by the one of the Ugaritic kings. In such a context, it is quite possible, that Hezekiah created the original version of Isa 38:10-20 by himself and in his own hand (compare, the Qumranic tradition, preserved in 1QIsaa).