Old Georgian Bible Manuscripts: Joshua, Judges & Ruth (Critical Edition, Tbilisi 1991)

A vital scholarly edition for biblical historians, Orientalists, and paleographers, published in Tbilisi in 1991 by the Academy of Sciences publishing house "Metsniereba".

This volume belongs to the long-running academic series Monuments of the Old Georgian Language («ძველი ქართული ენის ძეგლები»). It presents the definitive critical edition of the ancient Georgian recensions of three historical Old Testament books: Joshua (ისო ნავესი), Judges (მსაჯულთა), and Ruth (რუთისი).

Prepared by philologists Ts. Kurtsikidze and U. Tsindeliani, this work reconstructs the earliest layers of Christian literature in the Caucasus by collating ancient codices, including manuscripts from Mount Athos, Gelati, and the National Centre of Manuscripts.

Technical Specifications

• Series: Monuments of the Old Georgian Language, Vol. XI (3)

• Publisher: Metsniereba («მეცნიერება»), Tbilisi

• Year of Publication: 1991

• Format: Original hardcover binding

• Language: Old Georgian with Georgian & Russian academic apparatus

• Print Run: Limited academic circulation

Contents & Academic Features

• Exhaustive critical apparatus documenting lexical and syntactic variants across manuscript traditions.

• Parallel columnar transcriptions illustrating the developmental stages of the ancient Georgian text.

• Scholarly introductions analyzing translation methods, provenance, and relationships to early Greek and Semitic sources.

Condition & Preservation

Offered in very good vintage condition. The original brown textured boards are clean and firm. The binding is structurally sound, and the interior leaves remain crisp and free of handwriting or institutional stamps.