Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yitzhak Sapir <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>]

Tov discusses the "Tiqqune Sofrim" in his handbook to textual
criticism.  He concludes
that although some scholars believe they are real corrections, they
are interpretations.
They are referenced already in early Rabbinical works such as the
Mekhilta or Sifre,
and some of the names do seem to reference Mishnaic authorities.  They
usually deal
with a change of pronoun suffixes.  They therefore probably date from the 
early
centuries CE or possibly a century beforehand, and attempt to provide
interpretations
of the Bible based on known scribal methods in the Greek world.

The description of Qari/Kativ as based on consonantal vs. matres
lectionis is also
incorrect.  There are quite a few Qari/Kativ that differ on all words.

Yitzhak Sapir