the long recension, which has a more developed, detailed and linear story, survives in about thirty manuscripts, among which the more important are A,[1] E[2] and B.[3] the short recension, where the episodes are sometime abrupt and not logically connected but with probably an earlier wording, has survived in about nine manuscripts, among which the more important are A[4] and E[5] (manuscript E of the short recension is notable because of the presence of many semitisms).