geoffreycaveney's Judaeo-Greek theory

[geoffreycaveney]

There is a tentative solution to ReneZ's objection that the book as translated does not begin with "Here begins..." 


If vowels are wild, we can read the third person imperative ἔστω instead of indicative ἐστί, and translate "Let the mouth be a form only" instead of "Is the mouth a form only?" 

 Consider classical Greek εὐφημεῖτε/Latin favete linguis, both expressions used as preamble to a religious ritual. The words mean literally "use [only] words of good omen" and, by implication,  "be silent" (because that is the only way to be sure of saying nothing ill-omened). "Let the mouth be a form only" can be read as another circuitous and formulaic way of saying "keep quiet because of what follows."

To follow up on Markus' idea, which my gut feeling says may be exactly right, it may be useful to take a look at all of the specific meanings/translations of Ancient Greek "schema" ("form") in the context of this initial ritual statement as Markus describes it:

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"1. form, shape, figure
2. appearance, show, pretense
3. bearing, look, air, mien
4. stateliness, dignity, pomp
[...]"

Also keep in mind that Ancient Greek "stoma" ("mouth") may also be used to mean, more generally, "face" as well as "mouth" specifically:

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"1. mouth (especially as the organ of speech)
2. face
[...]"

Reading on through the Modern Greek definitions, we also find:

"2. (synecdoche) person"

Putting all this together with Markus' analysis of the statement, we could interpret it along the lines of "Let the mouth be here for show/appearance only." The connotations of the "bearing" or "mien" of one's face, and of the "dignity, pomp" of the situation, could be relevant to the use of the word "schema" here as well.

Geoffrey