Category Archives: Textual Criticism

The development of Hebrew grammar and textual tradition spans centuries, beginning with early translations like the Greek Septuagint and Aramaic Targums, which reflected interpretive and liturgical needs during the decline of ancient Hebrew. The Masoretic tradition later standardized the Hebrew Bible through vowel pointing and critical annotations, though scholars debate whether it stems from a single recension. From the 10th century onward, Jewish grammarians—drawing on Arabic models—systematized Hebrew grammar, a tradition continued by Christian Hebraists and expanded through comparative Semitic linguistics in the 17th century.… Learn Hebrew