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  • From: "Jimmy Doyle" <jimmy AT liquidthinking.org>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Number of Hebrew MSS
  • Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:01:54 -0700

Thanks for those of you who responded to my question concerning Hebrew MSS
(both here and personally). It seems that this isn't something that is very
well known. I have Tov's most recent edition of Textual Criticism of the
Hebrew Bible, but only in one place does he suggest a possible number of
MSS, and that is only of the Masoretic Text.

I contacted Dr. Tov personally, and he graciously took the time to answer my
question. For those interested, here is his answer:

before 1500 ce we reckon with some 6000 masoretic mss, 200 fragmentary
dss, and a large number of fragmentary texts from the cairo genizah.
for the latter i have no number, i trust you will find the sources (if
you would pressure me i would say 200-500, but this is a mere guess)

Thanks
Jimmy Doyle




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