Dear All, For those of you not on the China Roundtable list, I thought you might find this information of interest. With best wishes, Tracy -- Tracy Miller Associate Professor Department of History of Art and Architecture Department of Asian Studies Vanderbilt University President, Song, Yuan, and Conquest Dynasties Studies From: Keith Knapp <knappk@CITADEL.EDU> Reply-To: Keith Knapp <knappk@CITADEL.EDU> Date: Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 1:28 PM To: "CHINA_ROUNDTABLE@LISTSERV.CITADEL.EDU" <CHINA_ROUNDTABLE@LISTSERV.CITADEL.EDU> Subject: Translation of the Japanese article on possibly the oldest Analects manuscript and a link to a lengthier report from Keio University Dear Colleagues, Joshua Fogel was kind enough to translate into English the Asahi Xinbun article about the Analects manuscript found in Japan Discovery of Oldest Analects Manuscript; Lost Even in China, from a Used-Book Store (Asahi shinbun digital, September 26, 2020) A manuscript apparently written in China in the sixth-early seventh century—Lunyu yishu, commentary on the Analects which is comprised of conversations between the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE) and his disciples—has been identified in Japan. According to a team of researchers centered at Keiō University who have investigated the matter, the possibility is strong that this in the oldest Analects manuscript passed down over the centuries and carefully preserved among national temples, shrines, and private houses. PHOTO: Lunyu yishu densely written in characters. In addition to the stamp of the Fujiwara family, we find as well the terms “Kongzi” 孔子 (Confucius) and “Zilu” 子路 (a disciple of Confucius). The Lunyu yishu was lost in China around the twelfth century, and this appears to the oldest extant manuscript on thick paper aside from the Buddhist canon. It was transmitted as a commentary on the Analects in China, and specialists see it as a valuable historical document for research on Sino-Japanese intellectual history and interactions. What has been identified is a portion of juan 5 of the Lunyu yishu written by Huang Kan (502-557), a scholar of the Liang dynasty during the Southern Dynasties, during the Six Dynasties era when China was divided North and South. It is twenty pages rolled up, 27.3 centimeters tall. Keiō University purchased it from a used-book store in 2017. They put together a research team of specialists in bibliography, Chinese literature, Japanese literature, Japanese history, and the like and continued their research in 2018. They made clear that the possibility is strong that the forms of the characters were written in the Six Dynasties-to-Sui period. The research team states that “aside from excavated items, this appears to be the oldest Analects manuscript.” Reiko Shinno provided a link to a Keio University press release that talks about the discovery at much greater length. Here is the link: https://www.keio.ac.jp/ja/press-releases/2020/9/10/28-74954/?fbclid=IwAR3oqTgJ41B6GjkgduR_aiCHolY2_d9DfnyfSvE70cuTZVn6rFGpgQ-bWQM<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.keio.ac.jp%2Fja%2Fpress-releases%2F2020%2F9%2F10%2F28-74954%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3oqTgJ41B6GjkgduR_aiCHolY2_d9DfnyfSvE70cuTZVn6rFGpgQ-bWQM&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40VANDERBILT.EDU%7C08b4e2a730884d8a719808d8631326c6%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637368281193970193&sdata=OJz%2F6Ed15JX%2FSPLBl3hG1WTkWDH8dQbnkEvwXHWQA08%3D&reserved=0> [Image removed by sender.]<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.keio.ac.jp%2Fja%2Fpress-releases%2F2020%2F9%2F10%2F28-74954%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3oqTgJ41B6GjkgduR_aiCHolY2_d9DfnyfSvE70cuTZVn6rFGpgQ-bWQM&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40VANDERBILT.EDU%7C08b4e2a730884d8a719808d8631326c6%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637368281193980190&sdata=9wT3rijhdpsxnJBwAAqGgtnUKN%2F%2BpPFjH5u5VwhJUo0%3D&reserved=0> 慶應義塾大学三田メディアセンター（慶應義塾図書館）が『論語』の伝世最古の写本を公開：[慶應義塾]<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.keio.ac.jp%2Fja%2Fpress-releases%2F2020%2F9%2F10%2F28-74954%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3oqTgJ41B6GjkgduR_aiCHolY2_d9DfnyfSvE70cuTZVn6rFGpgQ-bWQM&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40VANDERBILT.EDU%7C08b4e2a730884d8a719808d8631326c6%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637368281193980190&sdata=9wT3rijhdpsxnJBwAAqGgtnUKN%2F%2BpPFjH5u5VwhJUo0%3D&reserved=0> 2020/09/10慶應義塾大学慶應義塾大学三田メディアセンター（慶應義塾図書館）は、『論語』の伝世最古写本である『論語疏（ろんごそ）』を、第32回慶應義塾図書館貴重書展示会「古代中世 日本人の読書」 www.keio.ac.jp With warm regards, Keith ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the CHINA_ROUNDTABLE list, click the following link: &*TICKET_URL(CHINA_ROUNDTABLE,SIGNOFF);