CFP: Soisalon-Soininen Symposium on the Septuagint (Helsinki, June 2017)

We are organizing a centennial symposium — Soisalon-Soininen Symposium on the Septuagint — in celebration of the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of our esteemed teacher Professor Ilmari Soisalon-Soininen on 4th June, 2017. Professor Ilmari Soisalon-Soininen did pioneering research on the Septuagint syntax, applying what we call the translation technical method, and was the founding father of Septuagint studies in Finland. The symposium is organised by the courtesy of the Centre of Excellence in Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions (CSTT) funded by the Academy of Finland. The symposium will take place 1-3 June 2017 at the University of Helsinki. The actual symposium will be followed by a small anniversary party on Sunday 4 June at noon.

Keynote speakers are:

JAN JOOSTEN, “Grammar and Style in the Septuagint: On Some Remarkable Uses of Preverbs.”

JAMES K. AITKEN, “Standard Language and the Place of the Septuagint within Koine.”

SILVIA LURAGHI and CHIARA ZANCHI, “New Meanings and Constructions of Prepositions in the Septuagint: a Comparison with Classical and New Testament Greek.”

JOHN A.L. LEE, “Back to the Question of Greek Idiom.”

THEO VAN DER LOUW, “The Dynamics of Segmentation in the Greek Pentateuch.”

RAIJA SOLLAMO, “The Usage of the Article with Nouns Defined by a Nominal Genitive.”

ANNELI AEJMELAEUS, “Translation Technique and the Recensions.”

SEPPO SIPILÄ, “Soisalon-Soininen meets Grice: The Cooperational Principle and the Septuagint Syntax.”

ANSSI VOITILA, “Middle Voice as Depiction of Subject’s Dominion in the Greek Pentateuch.”

We invite proposals for papers to be presented during this symposium. Slots of papers will be 30 minutes (20 minutes presentation, and 10 minutes discussion). The papers should relate to Septuagint syntax, Ilmari Soisalon-Soininen’s research on the topic and / or the Septuagint language as part of the broader development of the Greek language. We ask you to submit your paper proposals with the title and a short abstract not later than 31st October 2016. The papers accepted for presentation will be announced before the end of the year. The symposium webpage (https://blogs.helsinki.fi/soisalon-soininen-centennial) is now opened.

Paper proposals as well as inquiries concerning the symposium should be sent to Anssi Voitila by e-mail to anssi.voitila@uef.fi.

Best regards,
Raija Sollamo, Anneli Aejmelaeus, Seppo Sipilä and Anssi Voitila