The Masoretic Text
he original Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament are no longer extant, but diligent copies have been passed down through the generations. In fact, up until 1946, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, the oldest Hebrew manuscript available to us was the Aleppo Codex. This codex is the most complete copy of the Hebrew Old Testament in existence today. It was written by a group of Jews called the Masoretes. These were Jewish scribes and scholars of Babylonia and Palestine, in the 6th to 10th centuries AD, who set the standard for Hebrew pronunciation and grammar. These men made it their life’s work to follow Romans 3:2, and protect, guard, and transcribe these precious writings of the Old Testament.
From the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD, many ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament were destroyed, and through the years, the traditions of men had corrupted the Jewish heritage. The Masoretes made it their special work to correct the faults from the years past, and prevent any corruption in the future. They presented, what is known today as the Masoretic Text. A complete Hebrew Old Testament, written as God intended, without any corruption of tradition, just the pure, Holy Spirit inspired word of God.
The earliest and best manuscript of the Masoretic text is the Aleppo Codex written by Shlomo Ben Boya’a, and Aharon Ben Asher, who added the vowels, cantillation marks, and the Masoretic commentary. This manuscript is dated by scholars to have been written about 929 AD.
The Masoretic text was, and still is, the standard for the Hebrew Bible. At the dawn of the Reformation, just before the sixteenth century, the printing press was established in Europe allowing the Word of God to be duplicated and transmitted throughout the world. The Hebrew Bible was printed on April 22, 1488, in Soncino, Italy, by Abraham ben Hayyim. This led to Martin Luther, the great name of the Reformation, using the printed Masoretic text to translate the Old Testament into the German tongue in 1534.
Next Chapter... Johhanes Reuchlin
From the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD, many ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament were destroyed, and through the years, the traditions of men had corrupted the Jewish heritage. The Masoretes made it their special work to correct the faults from the years past, and prevent any corruption in the future. They presented, what is known today as the Masoretic Text. A complete Hebrew Old Testament, written as God intended, without any corruption of tradition, just the pure, Holy Spirit inspired word of God.
The earliest and best manuscript of the Masoretic text is the Aleppo Codex written by Shlomo Ben Boya’a, and Aharon Ben Asher, who added the vowels, cantillation marks, and the Masoretic commentary. This manuscript is dated by scholars to have been written about 929 AD.
The Masoretic text was, and still is, the standard for the Hebrew Bible. At the dawn of the Reformation, just before the sixteenth century, the printing press was established in Europe allowing the Word of God to be duplicated and transmitted throughout the world. The Hebrew Bible was printed on April 22, 1488, in Soncino, Italy, by Abraham ben Hayyim. This led to Martin Luther, the great name of the Reformation, using the printed Masoretic text to translate the Old Testament into the German tongue in 1534.
Next Chapter... Johhanes Reuchlin