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Recent Articles
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
- Disaster That Flies Down: A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:22
- Purified and Presented: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:21
- Like the Nations Before You: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Deuteronomy 8:20
- Voices of the Dead or the Living God? A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:19
- When the Ground Denies Him: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 8:18
- From Dust to Gnats: A Hebrew Lesson in Action
- The Power of Repetition: Exploring the Waw-Consecutive
- Through the Great and Fearsome Wilderness: From Fiery Serpent to Flowing Spring
- “Counsel Is Mine” — Exploring the Voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:14
- From the Garden to the Ear: Participles and Imperatives in Song of Songs 8:13
- Wisdom’s Self-Introduction: Where Insight Meets Strategy
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Biblical Hebrew Months : A Comprehensive Guide to the Biblical Hebrew Calendar
The Biblical Hebrew calendar is a richly symbolic, lunisolar system that intricately weaves together agriculture, spirituality, and history, guiding the rhythm of life in ancient Israel. Beginning with Nisan in the spring—designated as the first month in religious terms—it marks the Exodus through the celebration of Passover and the barley harvest, setting a tone of liberation and divine deliverance. The calendar progresses through months like Iyar and Sivan, culminating in Shavuot, when the wheat harvest coincides with the commemoration of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, uniting physical provision with spiritual covenant.… Learn Hebrew
The Dead Sea Scrolls Online
The Dead Sea Scrolls, the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century, is now available online for free viewing. It is a project of Google and The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
The Dead Sea Srolls available for free viewing online are:
(1) The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa): it is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest (734 mm) and best preserved of all the biblical scrolls – http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah
(2) The Temple Scroll (11Q19): it was discovered in 1956 in Cave 11, located about 2 km north of Khirbet Qumran.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Textual Criticism
Tagged 1QM, 1QpHab, 1QS, Deas Seas Scrolls, DSS, The Community Rule Scoll
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History of the Hebrew Language
1. The name Hebrew Language usually denotes the language of the sacred writings of the Israelites which form the canon of the Old Testament. It is also called Ancient Hebrew in contradistinction to the New Hebrew of Jewish writings of the post-biblical period. The name Hebrew language (לָשׁוֹן עִבְרִית γλῶσσα τῶν Ἑβραίων, ἑβραϊστί) does not occur in the Old Testament itself. Instead of it we find in Is 19:18 the term language of Canaan, and יְהוּדִית in the Jews’ language 2 K 18:26, 18:28 (cf.… Learn Hebrew
Unchangeable Hebrew Vowels
What vowels in Hebrew are unchangeable, i.e. are not liable to attenuation (to Šewâ), modification, lengthening, or shortening, can be known with certainty only from the nature of the grammatical forms, and in some cases by comparison with Arabic. This hems good especially of the essentially long vowels, i.e. those long by nature or contraction, as distinguished from those which are only lengthened rhythmically, i.e. on account of the special laws which in Hebrew regulate the tone and the formation of syllables.… Learn Hebrew
Evaluating Variant Readings and Their Implications
Genesis 1:3—“יְהִי אוֹר”—shows no variation across Hebrew sources like the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Dead Sea Scrolls, pointing to a highly stable transmission. However, ancient translations introduce subtle shifts: the Septuagint and Vulgate use verbs that emphasize the process of becoming, while the Peshitta stays closer to the Hebrew’s volitional tone. These differences aren’t textual variants but interpretive choices that shaped how creation and divine speech were understood over time. The contrast between linguistic fidelity and theological nuance reveals how translation can influence doctrine even when the original text remains unchanged.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Textual Criticism
Tagged Genesis 1:3
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Hebrew Verbs With Gutturals
Verbs which have a guttural for one of the three radicals differ in their inflexion from the ordinary strong verb. These differences do not affect the consonantal part of the stem, and it is, therefore, more correct to regard the guttural verbs as a subdivision of the strong verb. At the most, only the entire omission of the strengthening in some of the verbs middle guttural (as well as in the imperfect Niph’al of verbs first guttural) can be regarded as a real weakness.… Learn Hebrew
Understanding Textual Variants in the Hebrew Bible: Meaning, Causes, and Evaluation
Textual variants in the Hebrew Bible—arising from scribal errors, revisions, or divergent traditions—offer vital insight into the text’s transmission and theological development. By comparing witnesses like the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Septuagint, scholars evaluate variants using external evidence (age, distribution) and internal criteria (difficulty, brevity, style). Case studies like Deuteronomy 32:8 reveal how a single word shift can reflect ancient worldview and theological nuance. Far from undermining Scripture, variants enrich our understanding of its preservation, inviting reverent engagement with its layered history.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Textual Criticism, Theology
Tagged Deuteronomy 32:8
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Mater Lectionis
The usage of certain consonants to indicate a vowel in the spelling of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac languages is called matres lectionis (Latin “mothers of reading”, singular form: mater lectionis, Hebrew: אֵם קְרִיאָה mother of reading). The letters that do this in Hebrew are א (aleph), ה (he), ו (waw) and י (yod). The י and ו in particular are more often vowels than they are consonants.
The practice of using matres lectionis seems to have originated when [ay] and [aw] diphthongs (written using the י (yod) and ו (waw) consonant letters respectively) monophthongized to simple long vowels [ē] and [ō].… Learn Hebrew
Key Manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible: Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Masoretic Text
The Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, and Masoretic Text form a triad of foundational witnesses to the Hebrew Bible’s transmission. The DSS offer the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, revealing textual diversity in the Second Temple period. The LXX, a Greek translation, reflects alternate Hebrew traditions and shaped early Christian theology. The MT, meticulously preserved by medieval Jewish scribes, provides the standard text for modern editions. Each tradition contributes distinct strengths and limitations, and their comparative analysis enables scholars to reconstruct probable original readings and appreciate the theological depth embedded in the biblical text’s history.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Septuagint Studies, Textual Criticism
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Critical Apparatus and Textual Analysis: Navigating the Footnotes of Scripture
The critical apparatus is a vital tool in biblical scholarship, offering a compact record of textual variants across manuscripts and ancient versions. Found in editions like BHS and BHQ, it guides interpreters through the complexities of scribal transmission without prescribing definitive readings. By decoding its symbols and abbreviations, scholars engage in textual analysis—balancing external manuscript evidence with internal linguistic and theological considerations. Case studies like Deuteronomy 32:8 reveal how variant readings can illuminate ancient worldviews and divine imagery. Ultimately, the apparatus transforms footnotes into a rich dialogue of preservation, interpretation, and reverent inquiry.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Septuagint Studies, Textual Criticism
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