Evaluating (Proto-)MT

Published December 8, 2017

I believe that the frequent harmonization of the non-MT sources in the Torah was created by its popularity causing an increased interest in its embellishment and improvement. This feature was developed in the Torah only, although there is enough occasion for harmonization elsewhere. To each of the five books of the Torah I devoted a separate study, summarized in “Textual Harmonization in the Five Books of the Torah: Summary,” forthcoming.
See my analysis in “2.1. Textual History of the Pentateuch,” in Textual History of the Bible, vol. 1B, Pentateuch, Former and Latter Prophets; ed. Armin Lange and Emanuel Tov (Leiden: Brill, 2017), 3–21.
Editor’s note: For more on Greek Esther, see Aaron Koller, “A More Religious Megillat Esther?” TheTorah.com (2014).

Prof. Emanuel Tov is J. L. Magnes Professor of Bible (emeritus) in the Dept. of Bible at the Hebrew University, where he received his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies. He was the editor of 33 volumes of Discoveries in the Judean Desert. Among his… Read More