Ryan Comins

PhD thesis: Syntax and Cohesion in the Septuagint versions of Ecclesiastes and Lamentations

My project analyses the variety of Greek encountered in the earliest translations of two biblical texts: Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. These translations, produced in the early Roman Empire, exemplify a broader tradition within ancient biblical translation which is characterised by extreme literalism. This translation method results in a style of Greek which can sometimes seem unidiomatic or even unintelligible. However, we do not yet know what the social and pragmatic significance of this unusual style might have been for contemporary Greek speakers. By comparing the distinctive linguistic features of these translations with other sources of Greek from this period and integrating insights from historical Greek linguistics, my project articulates a more nuanced description of their language and examines what it might reveal about their social origins. This will enrich our understanding of translation as a social phenomenon in the Roman Empire and how language can be shaped to fit socioreligious purposes.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I have been interested in the interaction of language and religion since childhood, having grown up in a religious community which used a distinctive variety of English for religious purposes and had a founding narrative of sacred translation. As a Theology undergraduate, I learned Greek to study the New Testament in its original language. In my final year, James (‘Jim’) Aitken introduced me to Jewish Greek literature, including the Septuagint translations, as well as contemporary extra-biblical sources of Greek. This opened a wealth of new research possibilities to me, and the Septuagint has been my primary research focus ever since.