SCRIBAL PRACTICES AND APPROACHE S ... - Emanuel Tov

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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.
Scribal Practices and Approaches Reflected in the Texts from the Judean Desert 17 Also in documents written in the same style, occasionally the size of letters differs unintentionally. Note, e.g. the large kaph in lwkw lwk in 1QS XI 11 and twm compared with the context in 4QRP e (4Q367) 3 4. The large ayin–waw (e.g. col. XXVIII 4 bgw[), >ayin–zayin (XVI 14 zwz[w), and >ayin–yod (XXVIII 3 ry[xw) are not distinguishable (besides, all three combinations resemble a sin/shin). In other scrolls, a combination >ayin–pe could be very similar. 35 At the same time, other large letters in MT do convey a certain message. Large or upper case letters were indicated in most manuscripts and many editions in order to emphasize certain details. In this way, the first letter of a book (Genesis [tyçarb], Proverbs, Canticles, Chronicles) or section (πws Qoh 12:13), the middle letter in the Torah (ˆwjg Lev 11:42), and the middle verse in the Torah (jlgthw Lev 13:33) were emphasized. Cf. b. Qidd. 30a: ‘The ancients were called soferim because they counted every letter in the Torah. They said that the waw in ˆwjg (Lev 11:42) is the middle consonant in the Torah, çrd çrd (Lev 10:16) the middle word and jlgthw (Lev 13:33) the middle verse.’ Cf. F. I. Andersen and A. D. Forbes, “What Did the Scribes Count?” in D. N. Freedman et al., Studies in Hebrew and Aramaic Orthography (Winona Lake, Ind. 1992) 297–318. The Masorah, b. Qidd. 66b, and Sof. 9.1–7 also indicated a few imperfectly written letters, such as Num 25:12 µwlç, written with a ‘broken waw,’ that is, a waw with a horizontal gap halfway down the vertical stroke. There are countless such letters in the Qumran texts and these do not reflect any special message. Broken letters (tw[rwqm . . . twytwa) are also mentioned in b. Meg. 18b. At least some of the special letters (for lists see Elias Levita, Massoreth Ha-Massoreth [Venice 1538] 230–33 in the edition of C. D. Ginsburg [London 1867]) were already written in this way in ancient texts and were mentioned in the Talmud. Thus in b. Menah≥. 29b µarb h b (‘when they were created,’ Gen 2:4) was exegetically explained as representing two words, hb, ‘with the letter he,’ and µarb, ‘He created them.’
Page 1: SCRIBAL PRACTICES AND APPROACHE S R
Page 5 and 6: DEDICATED TO THE SCRIBES WHO WROTE
Page 7 and 8: Contents vii CONTENTS Text Editions
Page 9: Contents ix Chapter 8: Scribal Trad
Page 12 and 13: xii Text Editions Sam. Pent (SP) A.
Page 14 and 15: xiv Periodicals, Reference Works, a
Page 16 and 17: REFERENCES AND SUNDRY ABBREVIATIONS
Page 18 and 19: xviii List of Tables 21. Scrolls wi
Page 20 and 21: xx Preface This book contains thous
Page 23 and 24: 1 INTRODUCTION a. Purpose and natur
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Page 29 and 30: Copyists, scribes, and soferim 2 SC
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Page 51 and 52: 3 WRITING AND WRITING MATERIALS The
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(4) No indication Scribal Practices
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5 WRITING PRACTICES The writing pra
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6 SCRIPTS 293 a. Square (Jewish) sc
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7 SPECIAL SCRIBAL CHARACTERISTICS O
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262 Chapter 8: Scribal Traditions
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264 Appendix 1 3. Scribal markings
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266 Appendix 1 4QJer d gd — n b 1
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268 Appendix 1 4Q256 4QSb y y 3 20
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270 Appendix 1 4Q496 4QpapMf y y y
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272 Appendix 1 Doc/Mish B 4Q322 4QM
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APPENDIX 2 PAPYRUS TEXTS FROM THE J
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APPENDIX 3 OPISTHOGRAPHS FROM THE J
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APPENDIX 4 THE GREEK TEXTS FROM THE
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APPENDIX 5 SCRIBAL FEATURES OF EARL
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CE) P.Oxy. 65.4443 of Esther E and
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P.Antinoopolis 8 of Proverbs 5-20 (
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P.Rylands 1 of Deut 23 (4 CE) P.Oxy
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APPENDIX 6 THE HEBREW TEXTS FROM MA
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SCRIBAL PRACTICES AND APPROACHE S ... - Emanuel Tov

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