SCRIBAL PRACTICES AND APPROACHE S ... - Emanuel Tov

16 Chapter 2: Scribes
the Qumran texts probably derives from the first copies of these compositions (ch. 5a–b),
although in the transmission of these elements scribes displayed a large degree of individuality.
The more closely scribes adhered to the scribal practices present in the texts from which they
were copying, the less the texts reflected their own initiatives; since the Vorlagen of the Qumran
manuscripts are unknown, it is obviously difficult to distinguish between the scribe’s input and
the impact of tradition. In another case, the number of lines per column was determined probably
more often by scroll manufacturers than by scribes. Scribes could choose between scrolls of
different sizes, and probably ordered a specific size to fit a specific composition. In the case of
small-size scrolls, such as the copies of the Five Scrolls (ch. 4c), it was probably not the individual
scribe, but rather tradition, which determined that short compositions were to be written on
scrolls of limited dimensions. On the other hand, some practices and approaches were very much
exponents of the individuality of scribes, as outlined below.
(1) Approach toward the content of the base text
Scribes approached their Vorlagen with differing degrees of faithfulness to their Vorlagen; some
scribes felt more freedom than others to insert, omit, and change details. This approach has been
discussed at length for biblical manuscripts, and to a lesser extent for nonbiblical texts (§ g below).
(2) Handwriting
The size of the letters written by individual scribes differed greatly. Petite letters (some-times less
than 0.1 cm) were used in tefillin, while other documents were written in regular or even large
characters. Note, for example, fragments on pl. XV of DJD III inscribed with regular-sized letters
next to fragments written in a smaller handwriting (2QJuba [2Q19], 2QJubb [2Q20], and
2QapocrDavid [2Q22]). On pl. XXVI in the same volume, fragments written in regular
handwriting appear next to the smaller handwriting of 6QApocr ar (6Q14) and the larger
handwriting of 6QPriestly Prophecy (6Q13). Differences in spacing and sizes of letters are visible
in four calendrical texts presented in pl. VII of DJD XXI, with letters ranging in size from petite
with an interlinear space of 0.4 cm (4QMish I [4Q330]), to medium-size letters with 0.4 cm
(4QMish H [4Q329a]) or 0.1–0.2 cm space between the lines (4QCal Doc D; 4Q394 1–2; illustr.
16), 16 and medium-size letters with 0.8 cm between the lines (4QCal Doc E? [4Q337]). Different
sizes of letters are also visible on pl. XXXVIII in DJD XVI: compare the regular-sized letters of
4QChr (0.2–0.3 cm) with the petite letters of 4QEzra (0.1–0.15 cm) and the large letters of
4QDane (0.4–0.5 cm). Another way of comparing the different script sizes is to compare the
differing heights of scrolls containing the same number of lines. Thus 4QGene , MurGen-Num,
4Q[Gen-]Exodb containing c. 50 lines measure approximately 50 cm in height, while 4QShirShabbd (4Q403) written with minute letters, had a height of merely 18 cm (ch. 4, TABLE 15).
When two or more scribes wrote segments of the same manuscript, such differences are
sometimes clearly visible. Thus, scribe C of 1QHa used much larger characters than scribe A (see
the data in TABLE 1 below). Different scribal hands are probably also behind the writing of hkl
rmçhw (followed by writing in petite letters) in much larger characters than the following lines in
4QInstrg (4Q423) 5 1a. The writing on that first line, in the top margin itself, was probably added
after the column had been completed.
When a scribe realized upon approaching the end of the line that the available space was
insufficient for him to write a long word before the left vertical of the column, he could either leave
the space uninscribed, or attempt to crowd the letters into the available space (ch. 4f). In rare
cases, one or more letters of the incomplete word were written above or beneath it.