On the Oldest Book of Russia

Abstract

The article is devoted to the Novgorod Psalter (hereinafter — NP), called by A. A. Zaliznyak and V. L. Yanin the oldest book of Rus. NP is the cerae, consisting of three wooden tablets with indentations filled with wax, in which the texts have been preserved. NP was found during the archaeological excavations (in 2000) after the discovery of the birch bark with the image of St. Barbara and the date below it. The scholars have done a lot of work on the restoration, deciphering texts and attributing this monument of ancient Russian literature. Initially, the dating of NP was based on the erroneous interpretation of the year below the image of St. Barbara — 6537 (1029). Later, on the basis of dendrochronological analysis and radiocarbon analysis of wax even the earlier date, the end of the 10th century, was suggested. The article puts forward arguments for a different dating of NP on the basis of a thorough paleographic analysis of the date and textual analysis of the source. The only possible interpretation of the date is 6637 (1129). Presumably, the date refers to the year of foundation of the monastery of St. Barbara, which is mentioned for the first time in the Novgorod Chronicles under 1138. The interpretation of the results of dendrochronological and radiocarbon analysis does not contradict the suggested dating. The nature of the texts preserved in the NP indicates that they were used during the church service, most probably, the monastic service. Some of the preserved psalms (from the first kathisma — no. 67, 75, 76) imply that the whole psalter was read. It is so called “Unsleeping” Psalter, whose reading was common for monastic services. The only temple located near the place of the discovery of NP was the church of St. Barbara, which was the monastic church. NP should be dated to the 1130s (not earlier). The dating of the NP proposed in the article does not enable to consider it the oldest book of Rus’.