Masorah (Noun)
Meaning
A vast body of textual criticism of the Hebrew Scriptures including notes on features of writing and on the occurrence of certain words and on variant sources and instructions for pronunciation and other comments that were written between AD 600 and 900 by Jewish scribes in the margins or at the end of texts.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The masorah was compiled by Jewish scribes who sought to establish a standardized text of the Hebrew Bible.
- Scholars rely heavily on the masorah when studying the textual history of the Hebrew Scriptures.
- The masorah provides valuable information about the pronunciation and interpretation of certain words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible.
- The work of the masoretes who wrote the masorah is crucial for understanding the development of the Hebrew text over time.
- In examining the masorah, researchers are able to uncover detailed accounts of variant readings and scribal practices.