La chaîne biblique d’Hélisachar de Saint-Riquier: pour un nouvel examen de l’hypothèse de B. Bischoff

Abstract

Camille Gerzaguet: The biblical catena of Helisachar of Saint-Riquier: toward a new analysis of B. Bischoff’s hypothesis

In 1972, Bernhard Bischoff reported that he had discovered evidence of a collective project of biblical exegesis in several Carolingian manuscripts. He provisionally ascribed this monumental work to Helisachar of Saint-Riquier. He never explored further this project, letting specialists of other fields investigate it, which has not been done yet. This paper aims to bring a forward-looking perspective. It indicates how this ›Helisachar theory‹, which has been criticized by Michael M. Gorman, might be explored and reassessed. To do so, it focuses on two of the manuscripts Bischoff noted – Saint-Omer, Bibliothèque de l’agglomération, 72 and Paris, BnF, Lat. 1746 – that preserve Ambrosian works. On each folio of both manuscripts, a significant number of annotations, mostly marginal notes and signs of excerption, can be seen. They have been written by the same two Carolingian scholars, a key fact that Bischoff had not noticed. These two scholars may have worked on these manuscripts in the abbey of Saint-Denis.