SCRIBAL PRACTICES AND APPROACHE S ... - Emanuel Tov

136 Chapter 5: Writing Practices
sections), containing seven open and four closed sections, and one
indentation. The column contains 31 narrow lines of text.
4QpaleoExod m I, 5 (Exod 6:27) ˆwrhaw hçm awh, separated from the context by closed sections.
4QJub d (4Q219) II 34 jmç hwtam axyw, preceded by a closed section and followed by an
4QBer a (4Q286) 5 8; 7 i 7; 7 ii 1, 6
4QBer b (4Q287) 4 6; 6 6; 7 2
4QInstruction-like Composition B
(4Q424) e.g. 3 7–9
4QWisdom Text with Beatitudes (4Q525)
2–3 ii
open one coinciding with the end of ch. 21 of Jubilees.
After each ˆma ˆma statement indicating the conclusion of a blessing or
curse considerable space was left in the middle or end of the line (B.
Nitzan, DJD XI, 4).
Brief sapiential statements are separated by closed sections.
Each brief yrça saying ended with a closed section.
The following two main systems are recognized in texts written in the paleo-Hebrew and square
scripts:
(a) A space in the middle of the line (‘closed section’ in the Masoretic tradition) usually
denotes a segmentation of a larger unit (such as described in b) into one or more smaller units
(illustrations 1 and 21): 21
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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In principle, a closed section is ‘thematically related to what immediately precedes it’ (thus
Siegel, Scribes of Qumran, 73), but the vagueness of this definition leads to differences of opinion
with regard to the interpretation of this relation. If this thematic relation was not recognized,
scribes usually denoted the new section as an ‘open section.’ According to Perrot’s definition,
“Petuhot et setumot,” 81, a closed section denotes a ‘pause à l’intérieur d’un paragraphe,’ that is,
a subdivision of a larger unit, and an open section denotes the beginning of a ‘long paragraph’
(probably to be defined as the end of a ‘long paragraph’).
It is unclear whether the differently sized spaces in the middle of the line in the same scroll were meant to
indicate different degrees of contextual subdivision, that is, small spaces for small subdivisions and larger spaces for
a larger difference between units of contextual relevance. It appears that the differing space-sizes were often merely a
result of inconsistency or were determined by the space available in the line. Thus in 1QIsaa , the spacing within the
line corresponds to 2, 3, 4, or 7 letter-spaces, but these internal differences probably do not indicate different degrees
of ceasing (illustr. 1). Likewise, the different space-sizes in the middle of the lines in 11QTa (11Q19) were probably
not intentional (cols. XLIX 19: 4.7 cm; L 16: 4.0 cm; LI 6, 7: 1.5 cm). On the other hand, the scribe of 4QEna ar
(4Q201) probably did make a distinction between small and large subdivisions in content, indicated by spaces of 2–
3, 4–6, and 10–18 letters, as well as a half line. Thus Milik, Enoch, 179, who also relates this understanding to
1QS, 1QM, and 1QIsaa . In 11QPsa and 1QapGen ar, these closed sections are often very wide (25–30 letter-spaces
in the latter text).
Some scholars believe that the indentations in 1QIsaa , as well as the paragraphos signs (§ c1
below) used in connection with the section divisions, reflect a further refinement (thus Oesch,
Petucha und Setuma, 227). However, the paragraphos signs should be excluded from this
discussion since some, and perhaps all, were inserted in the manuscripts by later scribes and
users and they were used very inconsistently (§c1). Indentations were limited to very specific
conditions.
The indication of closed sections is evidenced in all texts written in the square script as well
as in the paleo-Hebrew script; for the latter, see the evidence relating to 4QpaleoExodm in DJD
IX, 60 (TABLE 5). In this scroll as well as in 11QpaleoLev a , a waw is often written in the interval
when the word after the section division would have started with that letter (below § c1).
(b) A space extending from the last word in the line to the end of the line (illustrations 1, 3, 8,
15, 15 and 21) 21 indicates a major division (an ‘open section’ in the Masoretic tradition), that is, a
section which is ‘thematically distinct from the section which immediately precedes it’ (as