The images below are from a page of Ecclesiastes (Qohelet) from the Leningrad Codex, which was hand-written in Cairo in 1008 CE. This is the codex that modern versions of the English Old Testament use as a base (in the printed form known as the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia). It is amazing to me that I can pull this up and study it with a click. What a time to be alive. There is a time and a season for everything under the sun. This is our time.
Continue readingTag Archives: Hebrew
“Hevel hevalim…”: The fleeting vapor of Ecclesiastes and a Lost Son
This past year I have been following the readings in Hebrew Bible with a group of people. This week’s readings include Ecclesiates (Qohelet) and Song of Songs. The reading plan is the entire Hebrew Bible in a year, and the readings are necessarily quick. The overview readings allows little time for full study, and almost daily I wish we could slow down and engage deeply in the beauty of the passages we are reading. Hopefully, the overview will draw readers into further study later.
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10th Century Manuscript of Exodus, in Hebrew transliterated with Arabic and with traditional Hebrew vowel points
Viewable online at the British Library is a fragmentary codex of Exodus (containing Exodus 1:1-8:5 in 21 folios, including covers) with Hebrew transliterated into Arabic, but with traditional Hebrew vowel points. The work is incredible and beautiful and dates from the 10th century. It was purchased from an antiquities dealer in Jerusalem in the 19th century.
Here’s a summary of the contents from the British Library:
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The Oldest existing manuscript of Origen’s Hexapla, his parallel Bible.
I encourage everyone interested in biblical manuscripts and transmission of the biblical texts, to read this informative Cambridge library article about manuscript Taylor-Schechter 12.182 (T-S 12.182), the oldest known fragment of Origen’s Hexapla. It contains very good information and great explanatory illustrations.
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AH YO! Mother to Your Word: The Matres Lectionis
Part fifteen of the video series for online Hebrew classes. This is a quick introduction to the matres lectionis, the “mothers of reading” consonants.
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Hebrew Alef-Bet Part 3: Alef through Vav
In this video I introduce the Hebrew alef-bet (alphabet), how to sound the first 6 letters, and how write them in both square script and modern cursive Hebrew.
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