עברית / Hebrew Bible History (1)

Useful Resources

**List: Hebrew Ministry

Bible ( כִּתבֵי הַקוֹדֶשׁ )
*Book: DEFENDING THE KING JAMES BIBLE (1992, 1999)   D. A. Waite
A four-fold superiority:
[] Texts {pp. 20-37: O.T. Hebrew Text.}
[] Translators
[] Technique
[] Theology

Booklet/*File: "FOUR REASONS for DEFENDING THE KING JAMES BIBLE" (7-21-1993)   D. A. Waite   [brief summary]   [ DKJB ]
["The true text of Ben Chayyim on which our KJB is based is also available.   It is called the Daniel Bomberg edition or the Second Great Rabbinic Bible (1524-25).   We carry this Hebrew Bible in the BIBLE FOR TODAY ministry.   It is the Letteris text, printed in 1866.   It has the Masoretic Hebrew text in the center and the KJB in the margins.   This Ben Chayyim Masoretic Hebrew text was the unquestioned Hebrew text for the next 400 years."]
["The Ben Chayyim Hebrew Old Testament Text Is Available Today.   I hope that the Ame. Bible Society and the Bri. and For. Bible Society keep printing and circulating this Letteris Hebrew text.   That's what they call it, the Letteris text of 1866."]

Hebrew...
"Hebrew, one of the official languages of the State of Israel (the
other is Arabic), is spoken by 2.5 million native and immigrant
Jewish Israelis.   Ancient Hebrew is a northwestern Semitic
tongue, closely related to Canaanite and the other languages of
Syria and Palestine - Edomite, Moabite, Ugaritic, and
Phoenician.   The earliest example of Hebrew, outside the Bible,
is the calendar (from the 9th century B.C.) found at Gezer.
Certain dialectal differences can be discerned by comparing the
few extant examples of early Hebrew, and a hint of these
differences can be found in the "Shibboleth Episode" recorded
in Judges 12:6.
  It is evident that Hebrew was a spoken language
until the period of the Babylonian Captivity (586-538 B.C.).
During the years that the Jews lived in Mesopotamia, they
abandoned Hebrew for the related Aramaic tongue spoken
there.   Thus we are told that when they returned from exile to
Jerusalem after the Edict of Cyrus, they needed interpreters to
understand the Law which Ezra read to them (Nehemiah 8:6- 8).
Thereafter Aramaic remained the everyday language of the
Jews until their dispersion from the Holy Land."
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
Jewish Palestine, Land of Israel.]

"Middle Hebrew is generally considered to have been an academic
idiom, used by the Jewish scholars who produced the laws of the
Mishnah and the medieval Rabbinic Bible commentaries.   The
revival of Hebrew has been termed the most successful ‘lin-
guistic experiment’ ever undertaken.   The achievement is due
primarily to a Lithuanian immigrant to Palestine named Eliezer
ben Yehudah (Perelmann), who arrived in the Holy Land in
1881 and immediately set out to ‘modernize’ and reinstate
Hebrew as a living language.   He added at least 2,000 new words
based on original Hebrew roots.   The Hebrew Language
Council he founded became in 1953 the Academy of the Hebrew
Language, which promotes and regulates this young-old tongue.

The Hebrew alphabet developed from the Phoenician script.
Thus it has a common origin with the Greek alphabet, on which
the scripts of the modern European languages are based.
Employing 32 consonantal letters, Hebrew is written from right
to left.   Modern Hebrew has no vowel markings, although a
system of ‘points’ indicating the vowels has been in use since
early in the Christian Era.   The first use of these points is noted in
the 9th- and 10th-century manuscripts of the ben Asher family,
although the origin of these Masoretic marks (from the Hebrew
word Masora, meaning ‘tradition’) is much older.
The New Testament is the only actual translation of the Script-
ures with which we are here involved, since the Old Testament
was composed in Hebrew, with the exception of passages of
Ezra, Jeremiah, and Daniel, which were written in Aramaic.
The Hebrew Old Testament text now used by students and

translators is the result of both past and continuing scholarly
effort.   ....   Jewish scribes were, how-
ever, very careful about the written form of the Old Testament
text
and by the time of Christ there were scribes who went so
far as to count the number of letters in the Scriptures in an
attempt to preserve them from change, and the Masorete scribes
took great pains to avoid corruption of their texts.   Yet there are
certain differences in the extent early Hebrew manuscripts.
Early printed Hebrew Scriptures were usually based on those
manuscripts which were available to the editors or printers."
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only]

"Scholars now have at their disposal textual readings from a
number of sources: Hebrew manuscripts
, the early versions, and
the ‘daughter’ translations.   Unfortunately the number of early
Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament is not great, as
compared to the many manuscripts available to Greek scholars
seeking the New Testament text.   The most important early
Hebrew manuscripts are the texts from the Cairo Genizah,
(fragments dating from the 9th century A.D. and earlier) and the
Dead Sea Scrolls (dating from the first century B.C. and the
first century A.D.).   Other important manuscripts reflect versions
attributed to scholars known as ben Asher and ben Naphtali
(both of the 10th century A.D.).   Thereafter there are more
Hebrew manuscripts, but most of them are of little value in
seeking the original text of the Old Testament."
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
God has preserved His words.   See Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text.]

"The Aramaic Targums also provide
valuable insight into the state of the text.   These Scriptures in
Aramaic, the vernacular of the Near East at the time of Christ
and for some time thereafter, were translations made in Palestine
and Babylonia for oral delivery in synagogues.   Extant manu-
scripts of the Targums date from the 2nd century.   Finally, the
Peshitta (the Syriac translation), the Latin Vulgate, the Coptic,
and other early translations of the Old Testament cast light on
the possible state of the early stages of the Hebrew texts.

A number of scholarly texts of the Hebrew Old Testament have
been published, of which some of the more important are listed
below.   Also included are some translations of the New Testament
into Biblical Hebrew."
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only]

**List: Hebrew Aleppo Codex O.T. (circa 920 A.D.) w/ King James Bible (1769)   the Word   [Aleppo]
[Info only: See DWC, O TIMOTHY Magazine (9-2019).]

"Mordecai Nathan, a celebrated Jewish rabbi, made a
similar work, between A.D. 1438 and 1445, for the Hebrew Bible, retain-
ing [Hugo]'s chapters, but using numerals for some of the verses."
per TT   [Info only]

       "First publication: the Psalter in 1477 at Bologna (?), printed by
    Joseph and Neriah Chayim, Mordecai and Hezekiah Montro.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only]

"1477 Psalms Bologna
Edited, with commentary, by four orthodox Jews; it is the earliest of
three Hebrew Psalters which appeared before 1480.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only: reflects MT.]

       "The
    Pentateuch, Abraham b. Chayim dei Tintori, Bologna, 1482; the Proph-
    ets, Joshua Solomon, Soncino, 1486; the Hagiographa, Samuel b. Samuel
    Romano, Naples, 1486-87; this completed the printing of the Old
    Testament.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only:
    Soncino of the Milan area.]

HEBREW   The first printed Hebrew Pentateuch, 1482--1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: Hebrew characters   "1482" Exodus 19:22-20:10 MT.]

"1482 Pentateuch A. ben Chayim, Bologna
The first printed Pentateuch in Hebrew.   Published at the expense of
Joseph ben Abraham Caravita.
  Contains the Rashi commentary and
the Targum of Onkelos.
"
-- 1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
HEBREW CHARACTER   FIRST PRINTED HEBREW PENTATEUCH   "1482" Exodus 19:22-20:10 MT.]

"1485-1486 Prophets J. Solomon, Soncino
First edition of the Prophetical books (including Joshua, Judges,
1 Samuel-2 Kings
), published by a Jewish refugee from Spain, who
settled in Soncino and adopted the place name as his own.   The

Hagiographa was printed in Naples in 1487, completing the publica-
tion of the Hebrew O.T.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only: MT.]

"1488 Old Testament Soncino
First complete Hebrew O.T.; other editions by the Soncino publishing
family appeared in 1491, Naples ?; 1492 and 1494, Brescia; and
possibly 1511, Pesaro.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only: MT.]

       "Notable editions of the Old Testament: Biblia Rabbinica, Venice,
    Daniel Bomberg, 1517; edited by Felix Pratensis, with the Targums.

    (See Chaldee, No. 139)   The Second Biblia Rabbinica, 1525; edited
    by Jacob b. Chayim
    , was the first to present the complete Massora."
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: RB1 w/ Joshua 21:36-37 & Nehemiah 7:68 per The KINGS BIBLE.]

"1516 Old Testament D. Bomberg, Venice
The first of several important editions prepared and printed by Daniel
Bomberg.   The 1517 edition was known as the first Biblia Rabbinica,
edited by Felix Pratensis.   The 1525 edition
(2nd Biblia Rabbinica),
was the first to include the Masora, edited by Jacob ben Chayim; the
1528 edition combined elements of the Pratensis and ben Chayim texts
and was influential among the Reformers.   A 3rd Biblia Rabbinica,
edited by C. Adelkind, appeared in 1548.   The 4th, edited by A. ben
Joseph Salam and Isaac ben Gerson, was published in 1568.
"
- -1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
RB1 and RB2 derived from accurate Spanish manuscripts (MT).]

"the second edition, published at Venice 1525-26, is the most valued on
account of its superior correctness, and its text still forms the basis of modern printed Bibles.   It is
pointed according to the Masoretic system, and was printed from the text of the Brescia edition,
corrected by reference to some Spanish MSS., under the care of Rabbi Ben Chajim, a Jew"
--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only]

"The first Hebrew
Bible published by a Gentile, was that printed in 1534-35 at Basle, with a Latin translation in a
parallel column, by Munster, a learned German; in a second edition, published 1536, he introduced
critical annotations and portions of the Masora: he used the Brescia edition of 1494 as his text, but
seems to have consulted Bomberg's Bible
"
--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only]

"The modern Christian verse-di-
vision was used in the Bomberg edition of the Hebrew Bible in 1547,
every fifth verse being numbered in the margin."
--p. 165, HSM.

       "First New Testament, Nuremberg,
    1599, translated and published by Elias Hutter.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only]

"1537 [m]atthew H. Petrus, Basel
First portion of the N.T. published in Hebrew, edited from the 14th-
century translation of Shem Tob ben Shaprut
, by Sebastian Münster.
Another version, prepared by J. Quinquarboreus, was published in
Paris in 1551.   A rendering from another Ms., edited by J. du Tillet,
was published in Paris, 1555.   In 1599 the compete N.T. was
published in Nürnberg.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only]

1599 Hutter {Hugh} Polyglot, https://www.bibles-online.net/hutter/

"1572 Old Testament C. Plantin, Antwerp
The Antwerp Polyglot.   The Hebrew section was edited from the text of
the Complutensian Polyglot and 2nd Biblia Rabbinica by Benedictus
Arias.   This Hebrew text was later reprinted in the 1584 polyglot of C.
Plantin; the Paris Polyglot, 1645, followed the same text.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only]

the manual edition of J. Buxdorf (Basel, 1611)   [Info only]

"the Hebrew Bible
were those of Buxtorf: he published an 8vo. edition at Basle in 1619, and his great Rabbinical Bible
(...) appeared in 1618-20."
--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: J. Buxtorf (1618) RB2.]

       "Notable editions of the Old Testament: ....
    Athias Bible: Amsterdam, at the expense of the editor, Joseph Athias,
    1661; proof-read by J. Leusden.   This is the earliest Hebrew edition in
    which the verses are numbered throughout.   Revised by Leusden in 1667,
    this became the standard for many subsequent editions, including that
    edited by E. van der Hooght
    (1705); J. H. Michaelis (1720); Benjamin
    Kennicott
    (1780); August Hahn (1831); Meyer Levi Letteris (1852)"
    .--1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: Athias, a printer;
    Johannes Leusden, Dutch Hebraist per CC.]

"1661 Old Testament J. Athias, Amsterdam
Edited by Joseph Athias, this well executed edition was based on
Buxtorf’s text.   It was the first to have numbered verses throughout.   It
served as a basis for most editions until the appearance of the van der
Hooght text of 1705.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only: J. Athias (1661) RB2.
See Yiddish 1679 O.T.]

J. Leusden (2d ed 1667)   [Info only: RB2.]
D. E. Jablonski (1699)   [Info only: RB2.]
E. van der Hooght (1705)   [Info only: RB2.]
J. D. Michaelis (1720)   [Info only: RB2 & B. M. Or 2626-8.]

"Biblia hebraica, secundum ultimam editionem Jos. Athiae, a Johanne Leusden denuo recognitam, recensita atque ad Masoram, et correctiores Bombergi, Stephani, Plantini, aliorumque editiones, exquisite adornata variisque notis illustrata ab Everardo van der Hooght. (Londini, B.R.Goakman, prostant venalia apud Gale, Curtis, & Fenner, 1812- 14)"   [Info only]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009707182

       "Other versions of the
    New Testament: London Jews Society: London, 1817; tr. by T. Fry and
    G. B. Collyer and a group of scholars, several times revised.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only:
    Mr. Frey and other learned Hebraists.
    Later notes were made by Prof. Gesenius; also a revision in MS. was completed by Dr. Neumann.]

"Torah Neviʾim u-Khetuvim = Biblia Hebraica... / secundum ultimam editionem Jos. Athiae a Johanne Leusden ... ; notis illustrata ab Everardo Van der Hooght ... (Londini : Impensis Ogle, Duncan et sociorum ;, 1822)"   [Info only: O.T.]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009716280

"Sefer Torah : kerah Nevi?im ?e-Khetuvim. ([London : Bagster, For the Brit. & For. Bible Soc.], 1830)"   [Info only: O.T.]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008410115

A. Hahn (1831)   [Info only: RB2.]
E. F. C. Rosenmüller (1834)   [Info only: RB2.]
M. L. Letteris Masoretic O.T. (1852)   [Info only: RB2.   2nd edition 1866.]

"The edition of the British and Foreign Bible Society, begun in 1864, was made by Franz Delitzsch (Leipsic, 1877; stereotyped ed., 1881; revised ed., 1885; again revised by Delitzsch and edited by G. Dalman, 1892)."

"1865-1895 Old Testament (incomplete)   Leipzig
Edited by S. Baer and Franz Delitzch; Exodus-Deuteronomy were
never published.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
Franz Delitzch, a Lutheran.]

       "Other versions of the
    New Testament: Delitzsch: Romans, Leipzig
    (privately pub-
    lished
    ), 1870; tr. by Franz Delitzsch: New Testament, BFBS, Leipzig,
    1877[, 1885, 2012].     CP: ABS, BFBS.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only]

HEBREW   New Testament, Delitzch version--1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: "1927" John 3:16-29 unknown.]

"1877 New Testament BFBS, Leipzig
Translated by F. Delitzch, first on the basis of Codex Alex-
andrinus,
later to conform to the Textus Receptus.
  Revised editions
appeared in 1878, 1880
, and 1892.
"
--1000 Tongues, 1972   [Info only:
See Hebrew 1885, 2012 N.T.]

"[Delitzsch's Hebrew New Testament. Printed for the British and foreign Bible society. (Leipzig, Ackermann}, 1877)"   [Info only]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009030689

Hebrew New Testament (1966/1998)   Trinitarian Bible Society   [Info only]

Hebrew New Testament (1886/1999)   The Society For Distributing Hebrew Scriptures   [Info only]

       "Notable editions of the Old Testament: Ginsburg: London (Vienna printed), [1894] Trinitarian

    Bible Society, edited by Christian David Ginsburg, based on the Second
    Rabbinic Bible.
    "
    --1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: See Hebrew 1894 O.T.]

HEBREW   Old Testament, Ginsburg edition--1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: "1914" Exodus 19:13-20:5; minor edn.   pro-MT.]

**File: Hebrew Bible History (3)--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only]

**File: Hebrew Bible History (2)--1000 Tongues, 1939   [Info only: THE HEBREW VERSIONS]

**Book: INTRODUCTORY Guide to the Old Testament (1951)   Merrill F. Unger (SB)   [Info only: o.k. if KJV.]

*File: A Brief History of the Hebrew Bible (n.d.)   Debra E. Anderson, TBS, England   [Info only]

**File: Hebrew Critical Text History

"[New Testament in Hebrew (Berlin : Trowitzsch & son], printed for the British and foreign Bible society, 1883)"   [Info only: ?]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009404769

"Siphre hab-B'rith ha-Hadashah ... ([Berlin : Printed for the British and foreign Bible society, by Trowitzsch son], 1886)"   [Info only: N.T.]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008002216

*File: Hebrew Delitzsch N.T. (1901)   BFBS   [Info only: Trowitzsch & Son, Berlin; scan.]
https://www.archive.org/details/hebrewnewtestament00deli.pdf  

"The Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, Hebrew & English. (Berlin, British & foreign Bible society, 1903)"   [Info only]
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001937916

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