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Hebrew Bible

The Cairo Bible, of the year 1010 

Throughout the world, there are many manuscripts (ancient copies) of individual books and sections from the Hebrew Bible. The most famous manuscripts are probably those found in Khirbet Qumran near Ein Feshka in other words the manuscripts that are popularly known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls represent some of the earliest manuscripts of portions of the Hebrew Bible.

Two more important but not as early texts are the Aleppo Codex and the Cairo Bible, of the year 1010 (the Leningrad Codex). The Aleppo Codex is slightly older than the Leningrad Codex, but the Leningrad Codex is complete, while the Aleppo Codex has a number of missing sections. So, while the Leningrad Codex is far from having the oldest representation of any individual book of the Hebrew Bible, the Leningrad Codex is non-the-less the oldest complete Codex of the Hebrew.

Today the Leningrad Codex is housed in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg in part of a collection of manuscripts known as the First Firkovich Collection. The Leningrad Codex is thought to have been produced in Cairo, Egypt around the year 1008–1009 CE by a scribe named Samuel ben Jacob.

Sometime between 1862 and 1876 Abraham Firkovich acquired the Leningrad Codex and brought Odessa in 1838. later the codex transferred to the Imperial Library in Leningrad now St Petersburg. Where did Abraham Firkovich find the Cairo Bible of 1010? No one knows and this remains a mystery to this day. What is not a mystery is that Paul E. Kahle recommended the use of the Leningrad Codex as the base text for the 3rd edition of Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica. From 1935 to 1937 Paul Kahle was granted permission to borrow the codex so that he could have it transcribed and typsetted to become part of the Biblia Hebraica Series. Since 1937 the vast majority of New Bible translations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament have used the Biblia Hebraica and thus also the Leningrad Codex.

While the Leningrad Codex is not as old as the Dea Sea Scrolls, because it is the basis for the majority of modern translations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament it is of great importance! However, not everyone can afford a flight to St Petersburg, and even those who can may find it difficult to get permission to study the Leningrad Codex in person. But fear not! Why? Because, the West Semitic Research Project’s photo fascicle of every page of the Leningrad Codex can now be accessed digitally on computers, smartphones, and tablets through Accordance Bible Software. With Accordance’s Leningrad Codex module, one can double-check the BHS / BHQ, read the Masoretic notes, and examine the manuscript at home or on the go.

Leningrad Codex Images

Exodus 24:10 (saw or feared)?

This week’s question: Does וראו in Exodus 24:10 mean ‘saw’ or ‘feared’?

It is basically accepted that the original Hebrew text of the Torah/Pentateuch was written only in consonants. Vowels and cantillation were supplied orally by the experienced reader. Early texts such as those found in the dead sea scrolls are absent of any diacriticals, cantillation/accent marks, and vowels. Even today Sefer Torah (Torah Scrolls) used in Synaguoge are written without vowel marks and cantillation marks as is the vast majority of modern Hebrew literature. So, if we assume that the original text of Exodus 24:10 was written without vowel points and cantillation marks both ‘saw’ and ‘feared’ become possible readings. Why are such different readings possible? Because Hebrew is or can be very flexable in ways that English is or can not. The א in ויראו can come with any number of accent marks none of wich actually change the meaning. The string ויראו can mean ‘and they feared’ but that has nothing to do with the accents check out the following:

ויראו with a Munach:
Gen 37:4 ( וַיִּרְא֣וּ ), Exodus 16:15 ( וַיִּרְא֣וּ ), Joshua 4:14 ( וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ /fear), Judges 18:7 ( וַיִּרְא֣וּ ), 1 Samuel 31:17 (וַיִּרְא֣וּ), and Psalm 86:17( וְיִרְא֣וּ )

ויראו with a zaqef gadol :
Exodus ( וַיִּרְא֕וּ ) and Jugdges 3:24 ( וַיִּרְא֕וּ)

ויראו With the meaning to fear:
Deuteromy 7:13, 19:20, 21:21, 28:10, 31:12, Joshua 4:4, and 1 Samuel 4:7

However, as mentioned before both accents and vowels are absent in Torah scrolls, On the other hand, all the Masoretic diacriticals are present in Masoretic codices containing books of the Hebrew Bible and in printed editions of the Hebrew Bible/Tanakh. And, the Masoretic scribes, preserve the reading וַיִּרְא֕וּ (and they saw) at Exodus 24:10 in all manuscripts as well as printed editions of the Hebrew Bible. But either reading and both readings at the same time are possible if, of course, you are reading the Hebrew text.

For more interesting opinions of ideological nature on this verse check out: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/under-gods-feet/

POSTSCRIPT (2022/08/05) 18:30 JST: I just ran across a prolific blogger (and Accordance Bible Software user) Abram J-K over at the Words on the Word blog who also just happens to have covered a very similar issue last year in another book and passage of the Hebrew Bible/OT. I have linked the pertinent post below:

https://abramkj.com/2021/12/15/fear-no-evil-or-see-no-evil-one-way-to-preach-a-textual-variant/

What is meant in the BHS Critical Apparatus of Genesis 38:9, 16, 18?

I highly recommend acquiring the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia If you have an interest in the philology of the Hebrew Bible, and let’s be honest who doesn’t? Then you need to aquire a Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS)! Why you ask? Good question! Well, one of the many interesting features of the BHS is its apparatus. For example, if you turn to Genesis 38:9 in the BHS (or page 62) you and you look at the apparatus on the bottom of the page you will find the following: Gen 38:9a sic L, mlt Mss Edd לאֹ

Okay so let’s parse the shorthand notes above:

sic L =(underscores the reading in the Leningrad codex)
mlt ＝multi / many　　　Mss＝Manuscripts 　　Edd ＝Editions

So what? What does that mean?

First of all, this means that Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia diplomatically perseveres the textual reading found in the Leningrad Codex. In other words, לאֹ is present in many Hebrew Bible manuscripts and modern editions of the Hebrew Bible but, the Leningrad Codex has a different reading namely: לֹּ֥א. The nikuddot (vowel points) as wells the ta`amei (accents) in the Leningrad Codes apparently differ from the vast majority of manuscripts. And, it is up to the reader to decide if the Leningrad’s reading represents an alternative tradition, an original reading, a scribal mistake, or a correction. The Leningrad’s reading is similar to one found early in Gen 19:2 but this neither proves nor disproves anything it simply shows that the scribe used this form.

Gen 38:16a sic L, mlt Mss Edd ל sine dageš
Notice, the BHS and L have לִּ֔י
but, many manuscripts and edition have the lamed ‘sine'(without) the Dagesh
Gen 38:18a ut 16a || b ut 16aut= as verse 16

(this probably means that the issue in verse 16 in regards to the Lamed and dagesh is similar to the issue in verse 18)

What is the Tanakh?

Another informative video by the ‘Insitute of Biblical Culture’ worth watching.

BHQ Leviticus released!

New Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ) Volume: Leviticus!

Abram K-J author of the Words on the Word Blog reports on the 8th and most recent Fascicle of the BHQ so far to be published here: https://abramkj.com/2021/09/17/new-biblia-hebraica-quinta-bhq-volume-leviticus/.

Well, what about the BHQ?

The BHQ like the BHS before continues the tradition of being a diplomatic edition of the Leningrad Codex (the oldest complete codex of the Hebrew Bible). In other words, rather than creating an eclectic text like the editors of the Nestle-aland novum testamentum graece are fond of the editors of the BHS and now the BHQ intended to reproduce an actual existing codex of the Hebrew Bible. This time around the editors are including both the unedited Masorah Parva and the Masorah Manga, too as well as a commentary.