Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yitzhak Sapir" <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>]

On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 9:08 PM, Charles Grebe wrote:
> Sorry. I mean the graphical vowel point system to represent the
> vocalization. When did they start writing these points (other than the mater
> letters), who first started to write these, where was this first done, etc.
>
> Charles Grebe
> Briercrest College and Seminary

I would suggest you read the section in Emanuel Tov's "Textual Criticism of 
the
Hebrew Bible" (2nd revised edition; Minneapolis, MI.: Augsburg Fortress, 
2001).
He suggests (in the Hebrew first edition) that these were originally formed in
the years 500-700 CE.  Four (perhaps five) different systems are known: the
Tiberian, the Eretz-Israel/Palestinian, the Babylonian, and the Samaritan.  It
appears that all communities using some form of the Bible incorporated these
marks after they were innovated, to different degrees.

Yitzhak Sapir