The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
Ill.

We pass from that function OF the so-called
lower criticism" which is concerned with
the canon to that function which aims to
determine the correct text Of each canonical
writing. 1t is manitestly not enough to know
that Il given composition belongs in the canon
OF Holy Scripture we must also learn which
OF several texts Ia the right one before we be-
gin TO draw conclusions. We begin by noting
that there Is 20 evidence OF any attempt to es-
tablish an official Hebrew text until after the
destruction Of Jerusalem by the Romans in 20
A. d. The ancient Greek version known as
the Septuagint. the ancient Syrian version.
the earliest AramRic Targums (paraphrastic
TRANSACTIONS and the citations in the
New Testament. the Book OF Juhilees
and other writings OF the first and second
century B. c. and the first century A.. D.-dif-
fering as these do from one another-make
It evident that there was no official Hebrew
text until the second century A. ID After the
destruction OF Jerusalem the scribes made a
rally at Jamnia. where they established a
school, and. as we have seen. held several as
semblies. There is no doubt among students
OF the subject that Rabbi Akiba and his asso-
ciates at Jamnia not only fixed the canon OF
the Old Testament. but also established the
first official text Of the canon. From the sec
ond century onward there Ia a fixture In the
consonantal text of Hebrew manuscript. which
can be accounted for only by the establishment
at that time OF such an official norm. It Is
scarcely needful to recall the fact that the
official text Of the Hebrew Bible in the second
century. and up to the seventh century at
Babylon and the middle OF the eighth
century In Palestine. was composed of
consonants alone. Even the Quiescent
letters which were used in ancient times
before the invention Of vowel points to indi-
cate the vowels In diflcult words wore not
used with any precision. The text used by the
translators OF the Septuagint had not only
lacked vowel points. but had / cen without sep
aration OF words and without final letters, and
had also contained occasional abbreviations
TIL Sopherim, or " revisers' Of the second and
third centuries A. D., marked the separation
nf words. introduced the five final letters and
removed all authorizations. The work Of the
SOaherim continued until the sixth century OF
our era, when the Massorites began their
labors, The functions OF the latter were en-
tircly different from those OF their predeces-
sors. The Sopherim had been authorized re-
visers and redactors OF the text according to
certain principles: the Massorites were pre-
ciuded from developing the principles
aud altering the text In harmony Herewith.
The province Of the latter was to safeguard the
text delivered t. them by building a hedge
around it," to protect il against further altera-
ton. or against the adoption OF any readings
which still survived In manuscripts or were ex-
hibited In ancient versions. The principal task
Of the Massoritcs was to Ak the traditional
pronunciation OF the words and sentences of
the sacred writings and the traditional method
OF reading the sacred books In the synagogue.
This was accomplished by the systems of vowel
points and accents which they added to the
sacred unpointed texts and the dlacritical
signs which they established, The origin OF
the system Of pointing the Semitic languages
is, probably, To be found In the Syrian school at
odessa. hence the practice passed over from
syrlac 10 Arabic texts, and. afterwards. TO
Hebrew texts. The movement began with
diacritical signs intended to distinguish GER
tain letters AMI forms. and gave place to q sys-