Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Moshe Shulman <mshulman AT ix.netcom.com>]

At 07:30 PM 12/16/2004 -0500, you wrote:
> Before the Masorites invented the vowel points, all Hebrew was read 
> without points with no problem. All I have done is to return to 
> pre-Masoritic practice. The pre-Masorites were able to read Tanakh quite 
> well, and I find that I prefer to read the unpointed text as it often 
> makes more sense.
> All you need is to read in context, know Biblical Hebrew grammar and what 
> are the possible pronunciations and acceptable alternate spellings, have 
> an understanding of Biblical Hebrew vocabulary, then most of the text can 
> be read easily and readily understood. No problem. Oh yeah, occasionally 
> you have to analyse a sentence to discern which is the subject, verb and 
> object if any, but as long as you know what you are looking for, and what 
> is allowed and not allowed from the grammar and written text, and the 
> meaning usually follows.


Karl, this is very true. I am quite fluent, and I find that it is easier to 
read the texts that do not have vowels then the ones that do. Most of the 
printed Hebrew texts do not have vowels.

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