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La Bible du XIIIe siècle comme base de travail pour l’analyse des relations entre la Bible anglo-normande et la Bible de Jean de Sy

Abstract

Corpus Masoreticum Working Papers 14

This essay explores the complex relationship between the Anglo-Norman Bible and the Bible de Jean de Sy, focusing on the previously unexamined section of Deuteronomy. This analysis aims to shed new light on the plausibility of a connection — whether through direct filiation or derivation from a common source — between Jean de Sy’s version and the anonymous Anglo-Norman translation. The Bible du XIII^e siècle will be used to validate the relevance of the results, given its independence from the aforementioned translations and its widespread circulation in France during the 13^th and 14^th centuries.

The paper begins with an overview of the status quaestionis, before examining a notable syntactic correspondence between the Anglo-Norman Bible and the Bible de Jean de Sy: the rendering of the Latin ablative absolute. This is then followed by a study of key differences, particularly in relation to the Latin source text, which suggest the independence of the two versions. The analysis concludes with a striking case of lexical divergence, illustrating the deep interconnection between biblical translation and medieval exegesis.