11-22-2004, 05:32 PM
Shlama all,
One Massoretic manuscript is worth a hundred translations like The LXX or the Peshitta OT. That is because it has been compared to a long line of mss. and copied according to well established rules and standards. All the letters were counted, middle word of each book located, number of words, number of Alephs, Beths, etc.
The Peshitta OT is from a Massoretic text !
Individual translations will differ even from the manuscript from which they were translated.
Jesus Himself validated the Massorah tradition, as I pointed out above. The Massorah documents changes made to the "Kerivim" (Oral readings") and "Kethivim" (Written text) with hundreds of
notes not normally available to readers of scripture.
Christian Ginsburg published four volumes of all the Massorahs he could find in 1892. There are 2700+ pages of notes (All of it is notes). Most Bible critics have never even seen these; they are arguing from a position of ignorance.
Anyone who studies the Massorah will be overwhelmed with the extreme care ,skill and reverence with which the Jewish scribes copied and protected every letter of the scripture.
Those who criticise the text are akin to someone
who looks at a Michelangelo sculpture and says: "Ah, that's pretty poor; I've seen better."
Such critics tell more about themselves than about the work they criticize.
I am afraid to criticize a Hebrew text. I want to study every bit of evidence -I have the entire Great Isaiah Scroll DSS photographed on CD, which I regularly read and study, for instance. This 2100 year old scroll agrees very closely to the 10th century Hebrew scroll from Leningrad.
I feel that to lightly dismiss the Massoretic text wholesale is very like Uzzah putting forth his hand to steady the ark of God.He had become too familiar with holy things; it cost him his life.
Are these things not written for our admonition, or are they simply written to entertain and inform us ?
For our admonition they are written, no doubt.
Most of Bible scholarship is in Uzzah's camp.They
speak and write as fools without fear and without knowledge, somewhat as Job's friends.Consequently , they forfeit their spiritual life and light.
May it never be so with me.
Blessings,
Dave
One Massoretic manuscript is worth a hundred translations like The LXX or the Peshitta OT. That is because it has been compared to a long line of mss. and copied according to well established rules and standards. All the letters were counted, middle word of each book located, number of words, number of Alephs, Beths, etc.
The Peshitta OT is from a Massoretic text !
Individual translations will differ even from the manuscript from which they were translated.
Jesus Himself validated the Massorah tradition, as I pointed out above. The Massorah documents changes made to the "Kerivim" (Oral readings") and "Kethivim" (Written text) with hundreds of
notes not normally available to readers of scripture.
Christian Ginsburg published four volumes of all the Massorahs he could find in 1892. There are 2700+ pages of notes (All of it is notes). Most Bible critics have never even seen these; they are arguing from a position of ignorance.
Anyone who studies the Massorah will be overwhelmed with the extreme care ,skill and reverence with which the Jewish scribes copied and protected every letter of the scripture.
Those who criticise the text are akin to someone
who looks at a Michelangelo sculpture and says: "Ah, that's pretty poor; I've seen better."
Such critics tell more about themselves than about the work they criticize.
I am afraid to criticize a Hebrew text. I want to study every bit of evidence -I have the entire Great Isaiah Scroll DSS photographed on CD, which I regularly read and study, for instance. This 2100 year old scroll agrees very closely to the 10th century Hebrew scroll from Leningrad.
I feel that to lightly dismiss the Massoretic text wholesale is very like Uzzah putting forth his hand to steady the ark of God.He had become too familiar with holy things; it cost him his life.
Are these things not written for our admonition, or are they simply written to entertain and inform us ?
For our admonition they are written, no doubt.
Most of Bible scholarship is in Uzzah's camp.They
speak and write as fools without fear and without knowledge, somewhat as Job's friends.Consequently , they forfeit their spiritual life and light.
May it never be so with me.
Blessings,
Dave
Get my NT translations, books & articles at :
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I also have articles at BibleCodeDigest.com
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://aramaicnt.com">http://aramaicnt.com</a><!-- m --> and Lulu.com
I also have articles at BibleCodeDigest.com