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Introduction
The Massoretico-Critical edition of the Hebrew Bible is based on the
Received Text (
Textus Receptus
), namely that of the Second Rabbinic Bible
prepared by Jacob ben Chayim in 1524–25 which was faithfully preserved
by Dr Christian David Ginsburg and published in 1894 by the Trinitarian
Bible Society in London. Both the text and the numerous footnotes found in
Ginsburg’s Major and Minor Editions published by the British and Foreign
Bible Society for its Centenary were also extensively used in the preparation
of this volume.
The main features of this edition are as follows:
•
No variations, however strongly supported by the Hebrew manuscripts
and printed editions have been introduced into the text but were rele-
gated to the margins and the footnotes.
•
The footnotes contain important information about the textual vari-
ants and facts from the printed Massorah preserved from perdition by
Jacob ben Chayim and Dr. Ginsburg. The total number of footnotes
in this revision is 4507.
•
This is a very traditional ancient Massoretic text, which understands
and abides by the strict rules of transmitting the Hebrew Scriptu-
res down through the centuries. Thus, features include the correct
display of closed and open sections, sedarim, parashiyot, large and
small letters, dotted letters, inverted nun, the correct use of Raphe and
the accents, the Massoretic summaries associated with the parashiyot
and books of the Torah, etc.
•
While the modern divisions of chapters and verses are noted for the
sake of convenient reference, the text is arranged according to the an-
cient chapters and sectional divisions of the Massorah and the MSS.,
which are thus restored.
•
Massoretic summaries at the end of each book are for the first time
(in a Hebrew Bible edition as far as I know) given with their English
translations.
•
We uniformly reproduce the
Dageshed
and
Raphed
letters, which are
found in all the best Massoretic Manuscripts, but which have been
omitted in all the current printed editions of the Hebrew Bible.
•
The ancient Massoretic chapters, called
Sedarim
, are also indicated
in the margins against their respective places.
•
In the Massoretic summaries for individual parashiyot of the Torah
the signs found in Jacob ben Chayim’s Second Rabbinic Bible 1524–
25 (first printed Hebrew Bible with the Massorah) are given in addition
to the standard signs usually found in the standard Codices.