Hi
@pearl
Pearl said : If Abraham did not speak Hebrew probably another Semitic language
I agree this is a possibility.
Although Masoretic Hebrew did not exist at the time of Abraham, there were multiple other languages, some of the Semitic family of languages and Abraham may have spoken one of these.
Pearl said : I think to judge something corrupt, especially because it may not be identical with the original is to ignore the reasons for the new.
I agree.
In practice, the recognition by scholars that a corruption or error
exists is often followed by the study of
why corruptions occur and what the correct text might possibly have been.
Regarding intentional corruptions to the Masoretic Bible and the reasons “new” text supplanted the original.
The Massorah itself gives us a List of examples of alterations made by the Sopherim and frequently they include the original reading. For example, In Orient 1397 and Orient 2349, alterations are not only ascribed to the Sopherim, but it is declared that according to the opinion of some Schools they were made by Ezra Himself. While it is doubtful that Ezra was the one making the change to the text, it served as a means of justifying changes made to the text of the Torah found in the Masoretic text.
For example, a list of example alterations with the original readings has been preserved in various early manuscripts and the Masorah.
This example from the Masorah concerns
Gen 18:22 and in all the three Massoretic Rubrics in Orient 1379, 2349 and 2365 it is clearly explained that instead of reading
“but Abraham stood yet before the Lord” was not the original reading.
The original reading was “
but the Lord stood yet before Abraham” and the commentary explains that the text was altered.
In the earlier text, it was the Lord, who stood before Abraham and it was to the Lord’s presence that Abraham drew nigh, and it was the Lord who departed from Abraham. Thus such small changes can have significant theological implications.
Ginsberg explains that because the phrase to “stand before another” sometimes was used as a stock phrase indicatinng a state of inferiority and homage and thus, it was deemed derogatory to God to to say that the Lord “stood before” Abraham. “Hence in accordance with the above rule to remove all indelicate expressions the phrase was altered by the Sopherim. “
One point to note is that
the motivation to make such changes to the text were not done for evil reasons but the sopherim may have felt that they were keeping God from dishonor by making such changes to the original text. Such corruptions are still corruptions, but they were made with good intentions.
Regarding unintentional corruptions to the Masoretic Bible
Pearl pointed out : “ important manuscripts from Cave 4 of Qumran, as well as the most useful recensions of the Septuagint, have been consulted in the preparation of 1 and 2 Samuel.”
I am quite impressed that you are aware of the influence of the DSS on both creating and repairing modern biblical texts.
I think the Catholic (and the creators of other bibles) use of the Dead Sea Scrolls to correct Masoretic deficiencies has been wise and important and a good example for others who seek to gain insight regarding what the original texts may have said.
It has been long known that variant Readings are COMMON in ancient versions of Jewish texts. Students reading biblical Hebrew simply need to look at the footnotes (i.e. "The critical apparatus") of the scholars’ edition of one of the most commonly used scholarly
Hebrew Bibles (i.e. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) to discover that
variant readings are listed on every page of this bible. Students reading Jewish Midrashic compilations such as Stone’s Chumash (which contains various content from multiple midrashic accounts as well as accounts of the sages") will notice frequent multiple various readings of Jewish texts.
Incomplete and Lost Narratives : As Justyn Martyr claimed, there are multiple narratives that have changed. There is much lost or corrupted data that would have made the scriptures more clear. (Whether the Jews would have accepted Jesus if such changes had not occurred in their scriptures is another matter)
To use your reference to the DSS text of Samuel as an example :
In this example, the missing paragraph belongs to 1 Samuel 11:1. It presents forty nine words (49) which are missing in the Hebrew Bible as well as in other Jewish texts in this single verse. With the restoration of this passage, the final verse in Chapter 10 transitions smoothly and with a better understanding as we enter the first verse in chapter 11.
With such textual restorations of the text,
the entire context of the story can be put into it’s proper perspective: After restoring the missing words, the translated Jewish text reads:
"And Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, oppressed harshly the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had fled from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead (1 Sam.11:1)
The restoration of the missing text helps readers to better understand the historical situation; the conditions of the treaty of Nahash, and the underlying motive to rally around King Saul and the prophet Samuel. It elucidates the Israelite motive to Slay many Ammonites and to cause the others to flee.
Missing text in the ancient records is NOT a rare occurrence. There are also smaller, but significant additions in verses 11, 13, 18, 22, 23 and 24 IN JUST THE FIRST CHAPTER OF SAMUEL. This is partly the reason the New International Version Bible prefers the DSS textual readings over the traditional hebrew text. The NIV is NOT the only bible trying to correct corruptions and deletions from the traditional manuscripts. "Today’s English version"; "Revised Standard Version", the "New Revised Standard Version", "The New English Bible", The "New American Bible", etc. have ALL changed their text using DSS corrections over the prior traditional biblical text.
These are examples
that support your point that DSS texts are used to influence other bibles.
Thank you for some of your insights regarding corrupted texts.
Clear
δρφυτωσιω
