Dear Stephen,
Let's indeed address this. If one examines the PAM 43.545 image of 4Q448, it is by no means apparent that the first letter in B1 is an ayin. The dark, undefaced, connected remains of the first letter do look like an ayin, but if you look closely there also appears to be a definite if faint trace of the top of a third arm to the right of this. Assuming this is not an optical illusion, this third arm makes the letter a shin. This shin appears to be somewhat defaced by the removal of most of the right arm (the lower part), but one can point to a number of other similarly defaced letters in 4Q448. See for instance the ayin that starts line B2, immediately below the letter in question. The shin at the end of line B1 also has a somewhat defaced right arm. The lamed in the first word on line C5 is also largely defaced. In light of this, I think it is quite possible that the first letter is a shin as read by Wise and Eisenman, and I think their reading is by far the most natural one.
Please note that I am greatly indebted to the very detailed study of 4Q448 of a couple years ago by G. Doudna (private communication) for most of the observations above, which are not original to me, but which I have verified by examining the PAM image. I haven't spoken with Doudna about 4Q448 recently and do not know his current views on this text, but his keen textual observations have been very helpful in shaping my understanding of 4Q448.
Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin
Russell Gmirkin,
I do not agree with what you wrote. Let's address this, for starters. You
wrote:
> On the matter of 4Q448, I think the reading "A Hymn for King Jonathan
>
>and all the Congregation of Your people Israel" is completely sensible
>(although I am willing to be persuaded otherwise if you have sound reasons).
A reason for not reading "A Hymn" is that the first letter of line one column B
is not shin but ayin.
best,
Stephen Goranson
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