An improvement in approximating the writing date of Jaameâ-os-settin using textual criticism methods

• Main Author: Sassan Zand Moqaddam
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: University of Isfahan 2015-02-01
• Series: Textual Criticism of Persian Literature
• Subjects: Date of writing of the Jaame’-os-settin; Improvement of stylistic approximation by means of textual criticism; Date of writing of the Jaame’; Verses of Poetry in Jaame’-os-settin; os; settin; Verses of Poetry in Jaame’; Evolution of the Variants of Verses; Preaching texts
• Online Access: http://rpll.ui.ac.ir/article_19407_e712d9fb121536d13e676b1833533fe2.pdf

  This study shows that it is possible to correct or improve, by means of textual criticism, the results obtained from less accurate stylistic methods the result is the introduction of a new method for accuracy of stylistic deductions by assisting textual criticism. The exact date of the writing of Jaameâ-os-settin, known also as âthe exegesis of Sura Josephâ and written by Abubakr Ahmad ibn Mohammad ibn Zayd al-Tusi, is not known. There has been estimates based on stylistics criteria, and based on stylistic characteristics, it is placed almost at the same time Kashf-ol-Asrar was written, i.e., the second decade of the 6th century A.H. The author of this article became suspicious of this dating when he found some Arabic verses in the text by some poets living at least 70 years after this estimated date. Therefore, he started reviewing all the verses of poetry in Jaameâ-os-settin which belong to a variety of Persian and Arabic poets, in order to find the true author of the verses. Because Tusi has maintained that he , in writing his own book, had used books on the art of preaching, especially those preaching using Josephâs story, the author of this article concentrated on the preaching texts which contained some of the poetical verses found also in Jaameâ-os-settain this led to more evidence supporting the thesis of the research, and the recognition of the fact that a way to estimate a date would be to consider and compare the variants of the Persian and Arabic verses in different books, especially the Arabic verses which, due to Persiansâ lack of fluency in this language, have gone under little evolution. One other fact which helps in pinpointing the date is a migration from Khurasan to Iraq to Azarbayejaan ascribed to Tusi by his biographer, a migration most probably taken as a flight from advancing Mongol armies. This completely corresponds to the date obtained by tracing the poetry verses as mentioned, and gives us an estimated date of the second decade of seventh century A.H, instead of previously held estimate of one century earlier.