Frequent users of SBLHS 2 probably have noticed the following two abbreviations in §§8.4.1–2:
| OTS | Old Testament Studies |
| OtSt | Oudtestamentische Studiën |
Many probably also wondered why a single book series is given two abbreviations that appear to contradict each other: the first abbreviation and title is set roman, which is the proper style for a book series, but the second is set italics, which is used for journals (see here).
According to the Brill website (here), the series name is Oudtestamentische Studiën, Old Testament Studies. Clearly, either the Dutch or the English series name may be used. So why does SBLHS 2 offer two series names and abbreviations: one roman and one italics? The history of the series provides the best explanation.
Eight of the first ten volumes in the series were simply titled Oudtestamentische Studiën, with no other title given. Two others in the group of ten were titled Oudtestamentische Studiën but also included a special title page with a more specific book title: De voorbede in het Oude Testament, by P. A. H. de Boer (vol. 3); and The Hebrew Book of Psalms, by B. D. Eerdmans (vol. 4). Beginning with volume 11, all volumes in the series have been given individual titles, just as one would expect in a book series.
In view of this series history, the two abbreviations and styles make sense. The original untitled volumes in the series were more a serial (journal) than a series, so we use OtSt and the journal style to cite articles from those volumes (§6.3.1):
Beek, M. A. “Das Problem des aramäischen Stammvaters (Deut. XXVI 5).” OtSt 8 (1950): 193–212.
Volumes 3–4 and 11– are individually titled, so we use OTS and cite the work either as a monograph (§6.2.1) or a collection of essays (§6.2.12):
Ausloos, Hans. The Deuteronomist’s History: The Role of the Deuteronomist in Historical-Critical Research into Genesis–Numbers. OTS 67. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
Frankena, R. “Some Remarks on the Semitic Background of Chapters XXIX–XXXI of the Book of Genesis.” Pages 53–64 in The Witness of Tradition: Papers Read at the Joint British-Dutch Old Testament Conference Held at Woudschoten, 1970. Edited by M. A. Beek et al. OTS 17. Leiden: Brill, 1972.
The rule for citing a work from this series really is simple: use OtSt and a journal citation style for volumes that are not individually titled and OTS and a book citation style for volumes that are.
SBL Handbook of Style 