Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Joel Stucki" <joel AT stucki.ws>]

On 8/13/06, Christopher V. Kimball <mail AT cvkimball.com> wrote:
> The Aleppo Codex is considered by some to be superior to the Leningrad
> Codex.  I'll soon a have a printed version of the Aleppo Codex on loan.
> Where are the "obvious" the differences between the two codices?    Are
> the differences primarily in the cantillation markings or in the vowels
> and consonants?  Do any of the differences produce substantial changes
> in meaning?
>
> Chris Kimball

You won't find wild earth shaking differences between the two. They
both come from the Ben Asher tradition although the Aleppo Codex is
considered more authoritative of the two. Most of the differences are
with paragraphing, verse and chapter divisions, and the Masoretic
notes and pointing. These are all minor however. The differences are
the kind that allow scholars to spend hours on mailing lists arguing
over fine points of grammar not the kind that causes poeple to rethink
theological conclusions :)

Unless you follow a deeply traditional religous model, these
differences pale in importance compaired to the differences between
the Ben Asher texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls. But even these are
remarkably similar.

Previous to the DSS scholars speculated on how much wild revision was
poured on the Hebrew text from the Second Temple period until 1000 AD.
Now that they are found and we see how little revision was done,
scholars now believe wild revisions took place in the few centuries
before the DSS.

Joel Stucki