510 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTS
signatures, as Jeremiah did his (v 10). Witnesses normally signed the docu-
ments themselves (Kim}:ii; cf. Mishnah Baba Bathra 10:1); the scribe in atten-
dance did not sign for them. Witnesses of the Elephantine legal papyri signed
for themselves in person (Kraeling 1953: 50; Porten 1968: 197-99; ABD 2:
450-51 ), the same being true for the witnesses of the documents from Avro-
man (Minns 1915: 25). On the Bar Kochba contracts, witnesses signed in their
own language, writing down the back side of the open copy, each next to a dif-
ferent tie (Yadin l 962a: 236-38). The LXX supports MT's hakkotebfm with
graphonton, but many Heb MSS and numerous other Yrs (Aq, Symm, S, T,
Vg) have "who were inscribed," which contains or presupposes the passive par-
ticiple, hakketabfm. According to this reading, the witnesses had their names
inscribed on the deed, either because they had written it themselves or be-
cause someone else had written it for them.
the witnesses. Hebrew ha'edfm. The LXX reads "those who stood" (ton es-
tekoton). But Aq and Symm support MT with ton marturon ("the witnesses");
the same goes for T and Vg (testium).
all the Judahites. The LXX omits "all."
who were sitting in the court of the guard. The LXX omits "who were sitting"
(hayyosebfm), which can be attributed to haplography (homoeoteleuton: ym
... ym). The term is translated in GL, S, T, and Vg and should be retained
(Giesebrecht).
- And I commanded Baruch in their presence. Hebrew wa'ii$awweh ("And I
commanded") is strong, but since Baruch is in Jeremiah's employ, Jeremiah
can command him (cf. 32:13; 36:5, 8). Jeremiah also commands Seraiah,
Baruch's brother, concerning the scroll going to Babylon (51:59).
- Thus said Yahweh of hosts, God oflsrael. Jeremiah's command to Baruch
takes the form of a divine oracle. The LXX translates $eba'Ot ("of hosts") with
pantokrator, as it does occasionally in the book (see Appendix VI). It also omits
"God of Israel."
Take these deeds-this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed-and you
shall put them in an earthenware jar in order that they may last many days. Jars
of baked clay (earthenware pottery) were the usual containers for storing
documents, wine, silver, gold, and other treasures (2 Cor 4:7). Like modern-
day plastic, baked clay does not decompose. Cuneiform tablets from the
eighteenth century B.C. in Babylon have been found stored in earthenware
jars, their covers sealed with asphalt (Weidner 1956: 112). The documents
from Elephantine, the Bar Kochbah caves, and Khirbet Qumran (Dead Sea
Scrolls) were all found sealed in earthenware jars. Baruch is told here to put
the complete document-the sealed copy and the open copy-into an
earthenware jar, seal it, and probably bury it, since these are uncertain
times. Jars containing stored items have been found under house floors and
in open fields. On the use of earthenware jars for storing texts throughout
the ANE, see 0. Pedersen 1998: 243. One may well imagine that Hanamel
also put some of his 17 shekels of silver into an earthenware jar and hid it for
safekeeping.
