What is the Masoretic Text?

Answer

The Hebrew text of the Old Testament is known as the Masoretic Text because it is currently based on the Masora—the Hebrew textual tradition of the Jewish scholars called the Masoretes (or Masorites). The Masoretes, who were rabbis, dedicated themselves to correcting the errors that had entered the Old Testament text during the Babylonian captivity and ensuring that it would not be altered in the future. They initially distinguished between the apocryphal and canonical books, dividing the latter into twenty-two books, corresponding to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Subsequently, they further divided each book into sections and verses.

There is much debate about the timing of the writing of the Masoretic Text, but it was likely finalized in the 10th century AD. While various editions existed with significant variations, the accepted and authoritative text is that of Jacob ben-chayim ibn Adonijah, who meticulously organized and refined previous works on the subject. This version was released in 1524.

Although the existing copies of the Masoretic Text only date back to the tenth century, two other crucial textual discoveries support the confidence of textual critics in the accuracy of the Masoretic Text. The first is the successive unearthing of manuscripts at Qumran near the Dead Sea since 1947, which unveiled portions of manuscripts several centuries older than any previously known. The second is the comparison of the Masoretic Text with the Greek translation known as the Septuagint (or LXX), which was produced between 200 and 150 BC. The oldest surviving manuscript of the LXX dates back to the fourth century AD. Both the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit remarkable consistency with the Masoretic Text, affirming that God indeed safeguarded His Word divinely and sovereignly through millennia of copying and translating. For further details, refer to “Ancient Manuscripts That Validate the URL.

**Bible’s Old Testament** published by Josh McDowell Ministries here.