A Hebrew Bible manuscript is a handwritten copy of a portion of the text of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) made on papyrus, parchment, or paper, and written in the Hebrew language (some of the biblical text and notations may be in Aramaic). The oldest manuscripts were written in a form of scroll, the medieval manuscripts usually were written in a form of codex. The late manuscripts written after the 9th century use the Masoretic Text. The important manuscripts are associated with Aaron ben Asher (especially Leningrad/Petrograd Codex).H. Kelley, Daniel Stephen Mynatt, Timothy G. Crawford, The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: introduction and annotated glossary, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998, p. 18
The earliest sources (whether oral or written) of the Hebrew Bible disappeared over time because of the fragility of media, wars (especially the destruction of the First and Second Temple) and other intentional destructions.Randall Price, Searching for the Original Bible, Harvest House Publishers, 2007, p. 45-50 As a result, the lapse of time between the original manuscripts and their surviving copies is much longer than in the case of the New Testament manuscripts.
The first list of the Old Testament manuscripts in Hebrew, made by Benjamin Kennicott (1718–1783) and published by Oxford in two volumes in 1776 and 1780, listed 615 manuscripts from libraries in England and on the continent.Thomas Hartwell Horne, An introduction to the critical study and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures (1836), vol. 2, p. 7. Page 6 states: "To Dr. Kennicott's Hebrew Bible, M. De Rossi published an important supplement at Parma (1784–1787), in four volumes..." Giovanni Bernardo de Rossi (1742–1831) published a list of 731 manuscripts. The main manuscript discoveries in modern times are those of the Cairo Geniza (c. 1890) and the Dead Sea/Qumran Caves Scrolls (1947). 260,000 Hebrew manuscripts were discovered in an old synagogue in Cairo, 10,000 of which are biblical manuscripts.Fragmentos do Gueniza do CairoDavid Sinclair, An Overview of the Bible (2006) There are more than 200 biblical manuscripts among the Dead Sea/Qumran Caves Scrolls, some of them were written in the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. They were written before 70 CE. 14 scroll manuscripts were discovered in Masada in 1963–1965.Würthwein Ernst (1988). Der Text des Alten Testaments, Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, pp. 38–39; translated into English and published in 1995 as Wurthwein, The Text of the Old Testament (2nd rev. ed, 1995, Grand Rapids, Mich., Wm.B. Eerdmans Publg. Co.)(this is the source for most of the dates of the mss listed).
The largest organized collection of Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts in the world is housed in the Russian National Library ("Second Firkovitch Collection") in Saint Petersburg.
The Leningrad/Petrograd Codex (c. 1008-1010) is the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew. The Leningrad/Petrograd codex is the manuscript upon which the Old Testament of most modern English translations of the Bible are based. Manuscripts earlier than the 13th century are very rare. The majority of the manuscripts have survived in a fragmentary condition.
The oldest complete Torah scroll still in use has been carbon-dated to around 1250 and is owned by the Jewish community of the northern Italian town of Biella.Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Oldest Torah scroll still in use found in Italy, 3 March 2016, accessed 2 August 2019
Masorah manuscripts Proto-Masoretic from Second Temple period (1st century) Severus Scroll (named for the Roman Emperor who restored this scroll, reportedly seized from the Temple in Jerusalem, to the Jewish community in 220), a lost manuscript of early 1st century CE, only a few sentences are preserved by Rabbinic literature
Proto-Masoretic from "Silent Period" (2nd–10th century) Codex Hilleli, a lost manuscript of circa 600 CE, destroyed in 1197 in Spain, only a few sentences are preserved by Rabbinic literature Codex Muggeh (or Muga; ="corrected"), lost, cited as a source in Masoretic notations.
Masoretic (8th–10th century) Ben Asher Manuscripts, including several of those listed here-below (see Kahle) The London Manuscript and the Ashkar-Gilson Manuscript, the latter also known as the "Ashkar-Gilson Hebrew Manuscript #2", both from the same scroll, dated to the 7th or 8th century. The extant fragments cover Exodus 9:18–13:2 and 13:19–16:1. Codex Orientales 4445, also known as "London Codex" in the British Library, London,British Library Asian and African studies blog 10 April 2014 containing Genesis-Deuteronomy 1:33 (less Numbers 7:47–73 and Numbers 9:12–10:18).Manuscript written by two different scribes, the older square script believed to be from the 10th century, whereas the newer Yemenite square script was written in the 16th century. See the British Library, Or. 4445 . and dated by colophon to 920-950 CE. Codex Cairensis (Prophets), pointed by Moses Ben Asher, dated by a colophon 895 CE, contradicted by radiocarbon dating, which indicated an 11th-century date. It is the oldest manuscript bearing the date of its writing; written in Tiberias, subsequently was in Cairo, now deposited at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Codex Sassoon 1053, 9th or 10th century, from the collection of David Solomon Sassoon, now in the ANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. (missing first 10 pages of Genesis) Codex Babylonicus Petropolitanus (Latter Prophets), dated 916 CE, Russian National Library Pentateuch of 929 (Torah) dated 929 CE, Russian National Library. Aleppo Codex, 930 CE, written in Tiberias, now deposited at Israel Museum in Jerusalem (exhibited in the Shrine of the Book, the Codex was complete, supposedly pointed by Aaron ben Moses ben Asher, partially missing since 1958); this manuscript is the basis of the Jerusalem Crown bible. Leningrad/Petrograd Codex (complete), copied from a Ben Asher manuscript, dated 1008 CE, written in Cairo, now deposited at Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg; this manuscript is the basis of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and other editions and is the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew. Michigan Codex (Torah), 10th centuryEleazar Birnbaum, The Michigan Codex: An important Hebrew Bible manuscript, Vetus Testamentum, vol. 17 pages 373-415 (Oct. 1967). Damascus Pentateuch, 10th century First Gaster Bible in the British Library, 10th century British Library Lailashi Codex (Torah), Georgia, 10th or 11th century.
Later (11th–17th century) Codex Yerushalmi, lost, reportedly used in Spain (circa 1010) by Jonah ibn Janah. Codex Reuchlinanus (Prophets), dated 1105 CE. Bologna Torah Scroll/Scroll 2, dated CE 1155–1255, University of Bologna Library Ms. Eb. 448 of the Vatican Library, with Targum Onkelos, dated 11–12 centuryVat. ebr. 448 Second Gaster Bible in the British Library, 11th–12th centuries British Library collection Braginsky Collection Codex Hilleli copy, 1241 Toledo, Spain (housed at Jewish Theological Seminary, New York) Damascus Crown, written in Spain in 1260. Madrid Manuscript BH Mss1, called also Madrid Codex MM1 (Masoretic Madrid Codex 1) or simply M1 (Madrid 1). A manuscript of the entire Hebrew Bible from around 1280 A.D. bought in Toledo (Spain). It is also known to be the manuscript used for the Complutensian Polyglot Bible. Cloisters Hebrew Bible; 1300–1350 CE, before 1366; earliest owner named David ha-Kohen Coutinh[o] on Rosh Hashanah in 1366; owned by Zaradel Synagogue in Egypt. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2018 under The Cloisters Collection. Farhi Bible, written by Elisha Crescas in Provence between 1366 and 1383.The Farhi Bible Purchased by David Solomon Sassoon in 1913 in Aleppo, Syria. Rashba Bible, completed in 1383Rashba Bible, Info from Sotheby Erfurt Codices (complete, Berlin State Library), E1 circa 14th century, E2 possibly 13th century, E3 possibly 11th century Codex Jericho (Pentateuch), lost, cited in the notes to a Massoretic manuscript written circa 1310. Al-Ousta Codex, 14th century. Now at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Merwas Bible (14th century) Codex Ezra, lost, C.D. Ginsburg owned a manuscript written in 1474 which purported to have been copied from this. Kennicott Bible, completed by Moses ibn Zabarah in A Coruña, Spain in 1476 and now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, with exact facsimiles held by several libraries. Lisbon Bible, copied in 1483 in Lisbon, Portugal, the most accomplished codex of the Portuguese school of medieval Hebrew illumination and now in the British Library.The Lisbon Bible – 1483 Codex Sinai, mentioned in Massoretic notes and reportedly used by Elia Levita (circa 1540). MS. de Rossi 782, copied in Toledo Spain in 1277. Codex Sanbuki (named for Zambuqi, on the Tigris River), lost, frequently quoted in Massoretic annotations and apparently seen (circa 1600) by Menahem Lonzano. Codex Great Mahzor, lost, mentioned in Massoretic notes (the title suggests that this codex contained only the Pentateuch and those selections from the Prophets that were read during the liturgical year)
Modern discoveries Ketef Hinnom scrolls, late 7th or early 6th century BCE, placing them in the First Temple period. Found containing material from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, including the Priestly Blessing, alongside other otherwise unknown material on small rolled silver scrolls Nash Papyrus, dated to the 2nd BCE – 1st CE. A liturgy, potentially a Mezuzah, found with the 10 Commandments followed by the Shema; it is most similar to the LXX A wine-jar seal held in the Chicago University’s collection quotes Jeremiah 48:11 as a reference to the quality of the wine contained therein. It likely dates to between the Dead Sea/Qumran Caves Scrolls and the major Masoretic texts En-Gedi Scroll, fragment of Hebrew parchment dated to 2nd century CE, discovered in 1970 containing portions of the first two chapters of Leviticus Cairo Geniza fragments contains portions of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew and Aramaic, discovered in Cairo synagogue, which date from about 4th century CE on
Dead Sea Scrolls
Dated Between 250 BCE and 70 CE.Timothy Lim, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2005, Dating the Scrolls, Isaiah scroll, 1Qlsa, contains almost the complete text of the Book of Isaiah 4Q17 (portions Exodus and Leviticus dated to 250BCE) 4Q22 (fragments of Genesis and Exodus written in Paleo-Hebrew Script) 11QpaleoLev (fragments of Leviticus written in Paleo-Hebrew, recovered from the 11th cave) 4QDeutn, contains the Decalogue. 4Q106 4Q107 4Q108 4Q240 6Q6
Qumran Cave 1
Qumran Cave 2
Qumran Cave 3
Qumran Cave 4
Qumran Cave 5
Qumran Cave 6
Qumran Cave 7
Qumran Cave 8
Qumran Cave 11
See also Ancient literature Biblical manuscripts Hebrew and Aramaic papyri List of inscriptions in biblical archaeology List of the Dead Sea/Qumran Caves Scrolls Septuagint manuscripts
Notes
References OakTree Software, Inc. Accordance 10: Bible Software. 2008.
Bibliography
Further reading Würthwein Ernst (1988). Der Text des Alten Testaments, Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft 1988, p. 40–47; English translation The text of the Old Testament: an introduction to the Biblia Hebraica Malcolm C. Davis, Ben Outhwaite, Hebrew Bible Manuscripts in the Cambridge Genizah Collections: Taylor-Schechter additional series 32–255, with addenda to previous volumes, Cambridge University Library 2003 Bernhard Pick, Lost Hebrew Manuscripts, Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature, vol. 2, pages 122-127 (1882). C. David Ginsburg, Introduction to the Massoretico-Critical Edition of the Hebrew Bible (1897, London: Trinitarian Bible Society), especially chapt. XII, History and Description of the Manuscripts, pages 469–778, and elsewhere in the volume for information on lost mss.