Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

On Monday 23 February 2004 00:39, Søren Holst wrote:
> A table in J. VanderKam & P. Flint "The Meaning of the DSS" (p. 143),
> summarizing the research of Tov, gives these figures:
>
> 47% of DSS biblical texts reflect MT
> 47% are "non-aligned"
> 3,3 % reflect LXX
> 2,5 % reflect Samaritan Pentateuch
>
> Obviously a lot may be subject to discussion here (e.g.: The non-aligned
> texts follow now this school now another -- and frequently have a
> completely independent version -- but do they show a tendency toward
> favouring one school over the other?), but the general picture is hardly
> going to be contested by anyone.

Most of the "non-aligned" texts are actually MT-based, with the vast majority 
of variants involving little more than spelling variations.  Based on my own 
research, I would guesstimate that at least 30% of these have what I would 
call an MT "flavor" while the other 17% are readings unique to the DSS 
themselves.  Tov tends to refer to the 30% as either "proto-Masoretic" or 
"Qumran type."  I have some doubts about these terms (because of certain 
assumptions that underly them, see his book) but the actual differences 
between these and what we know as the MT are fairly minor.

-- 
Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
Learning about Christianity from a non-Christian
is like getting a kiss over the telephone.