Revia (, []) is a cantillation mark commonly found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other biblical texts.
It is commonly explained as being the Aramaic equivalent of Hebrew Revi'i, meaning 'fourth' or 'quarter'., and for that reason is sometimes called Revi'i. However, this is probably a folk etymology: the more likely meaning in Aramaic is "crouching" or "lying", referring to its position vertically above the word.Lier, Gudrun, "The Revia in the Context of Decoding Masoretic Accents", Journal of Semitics, 2011, Vol 21/1, pp. 28-51.
Revia is considered to have medium strength. It is stronger than a Pashta or Tevir, but weaker than a Zakef or Tifcha.Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 102 The Revia replaces the Pashta when a stronger stop is needed, especially when there are too manyMore than two pashta in a row. However, the last stop before the Zakef always remain a Pashta.
Revia's disjunctives are Munach Legarmeh and Geresh (replaced by Gershayim when it is not preceded by a Kadma and oxytonic).
Its conjunctives are Munach and Darga. The closest conjunctive is always a Munach, the second one, a Darga, the third one a Munach etc.However, the longest series we can found is אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְֽשָׁרְת֧וּ עָלָ֣יו בָּהֶ֗ם Numbers 4:14
Based on its translation as fourth, in printed texts it is represented by a diamond-shaped mark. However in manuscripts it is just a dot.The Art of Cantillation, Volume 2: A Step-By-Step Guide to Chanting Haftarot ... By Marshall Portnoy, Josée Wolff, page 43
Total occurrences BookNumber of appearancesTorah2430Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 6 Genesis610 Exodus504 Leviticus312 Numbers497 Deuteronomy507Nevi'im2239Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 5Ketuvim1672
Melody The Rivia is read in a slow, downward tone, with a pause in the middle breaking upward.
References