The Masora on Scripture and Its Methods

Yosef Ofer

Published by De Gruyter 2019

The Masora on Scripture and Its Methods

Yosef Ofer

Volume 7 in the series Fontes et Subsidia ad Bibliam pertinentes

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110594560

Overview
Contents

About this book

The starting point for any study of the Bible is the text of the Masora, as designed by the Masoretes. The ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible contain thousands of Masora comments of two types: Masora Magna and Masora Prava. How does this complex defense mechanism, which contains counting of words and combinations from the Bible, work?
Yosef Ofer, of Bar-Ilan University and the Academy of the Hebrew Language, presents the way in which the Masoretic comments preserve the Masoretic Text of the Bible throughout generations and all over the world, providing comprehensive information in a short and efficient manner.
The book describes the important manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and the methods of the Masora in determining the biblical spelling and designing the forms of the parshiot and the biblical Songs. The effectiveness of Masoretic mechanisms and their degree of success in preserving the text is examined. A special explanation is offered for the phenomenon of qere and ketiv.
The book discusses the place of the Masoretic text in the history of the Bible, the differences between the Babylonian Masora and that of Tiberias, the special status of the Aleppo Codex and the mystery surrounding it. Special attention is given to the comparison between the Aleppo Codex and the Leningrad Codex (B 19a). In addition, the book discusses the relationship between the Masora and other tangential domains: the grammar of the Hebrew language, the interpretation of the Bible, and the Halakha.
The book is a necessary tool for anyone interested in the text of the Bible and its crystallization.

Author / Editor information

Yosef Ofer, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	V
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
Part I: The Biblical Masora and its Methods
1. What is the Masora? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
2. Methods of Description and Classification Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
3. Determining Orthography on the Basis of Masoretic Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	34
4. The Accumulative Masora Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	49
5. Open and Closed Passages and the Writing of Songs Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
6. Ketiv and Qere Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	85
7. The Masora on Scripture as an “Error Correcting Code” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	108
Part II: The Masoretic Text in Time and Space
8. The Aleppo Codex and its Discovery Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	131
9. The Babylonian Masora and Its Influence Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
10. The Masoretic Text and its Role in the History of the Text of Scripture Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	170
11. Secondary Stress Marks (Ge’ayot) – in Manuscripts and in Printed Editions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
12. Published Editions of the Hebrew Bible – and Their Relation to the Masora and the Aleppo Codex Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
Part III: The Masora in Interaction with Other Disciplines
13. The Masora and Hebrew Grammar Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221
14. The Masora and Biblical Exegesis Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	241
15. The Masora and Halakha Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	264
Index of Manuscripts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	279
Index of People Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	281
Index of Terms Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	285

(Deutsch)

Languages: English, Hebrew
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Students and scholars of Bible and Hebrew Language
Pages
- Front matter: 12
- Main content: 286
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 89
- Tables: 17
Keywords: The Masora; Biblical Manuscripts; The Masoretic Text; Ketiv and Qere

eBook

Published: December 20, 2018
ISBN: 9783110594560

Hardcover

Published: December 20, 2018
ISBN: 9783110595741

Paperback

Published: December 7, 2020
ISBN: 9783110736670