MANUSCRIPTS, BIBLICAL. These are either Hebrew or Greek ; we shall treat of them separately. 1. Jewish MSS. are divided into (a.) Synagogue rolls or sacred copies; and (b.) Private or common copies.
(a.) The synagogue rolls contain the Penta teuch, the appointed sections of the prophets, or the book of Esther, which last is used only at the Feast of Purim. The three are never put together, but are written on separate rolls. They are in the Chaldee or square Hebrew character, without vowels and accents, accompanied with the panda cxtraordinaria, and having the unusual forms of certain consonants. The parchment is prepared in a particular manner by the hands of Jews only ; and made from the hides of clean animals, which, when duly wrought, are joined together by thongs made out of the same material. They are then divided into columns, the breadth of which must not exceed half their length. These columns, whose number is prescribed, must be of equal length and breadth among themselves, and con tain a certain number of lines, each line having no more than three words. The Talmud contains strict rules concerning the material, the colour, the ink, letters, divisions, writing-instrument, etc., which are closely followed, especially in the Pen tateuch. These rules are extracted from the Tal mud, and translated in Adler's Yuclreorum Codicis Sacri rite scribendi leges ad recte autimandos Codices illanuscriptes antiques perveteres. Ex libello Tal mudic° in Latinism converses et adnotationibus ne cessariis explicates, eruditis examinandas tradit, etc., Hamburg 1779, 8vo. The minuteness of such regulations renders it a most irksome task far the sopher or scribe to write out a synagogue roll. The revision of the Torah, as the synagogue roll is often called, must be undertaken within thirty days after its transcription, else it is unfit for use. Three mistakes on one side or skin are allowable ; but should there be four, or should there happen to be an error in the open and close sections of the law ; in the position of the songs in Exod. v. and Deut. xxxii., which are the only portions of the Pentateuch written in poetical lines, then the whole copy is worthless. The great beauty of penman ship exhibited in these synagogue copies has been always admired. They are taken from authentic exemplars, without the slightest deviation or cor rection. Seldom do they fall into the hands of Christians ; since, as soon as they cease to be em ployed in the synagogue, they are either buried or carefully laid aside, lest they should be profaned by coming into the possession of Gentiles.
(b.) Private MSS. are written partly in the square or Chaldee character, partly in the Rab binical. They are held in far less esteem than the synagogue rolls, and are wont to be denominated profane (pesulim). Their form is entirely arbitrary. They are in folio, quarto, octavo, and duodecimo. Of those written in the square character, the greater number are on parchment, some on paper. The ink of the letters is always black, but the vowel points are usually written with ink of a different colour from that of the consonants. Initial words and letters are frequently decorated with gold and silver colours. The prose parts are arranged in columns ; the poetic in parallel members. Some copies are without columns. The columns are not always occupied with the Hebrew text alone ; for a version is frequently added, which is either written in the text after the manner of verses, or in a column by itself, or in the margin in a smaller character. The number of lines is not prescribed by the Tal mud. The upper and lower margin are filled with the Great Masora, and sometimes with a Rab binical commentary ; as also with prayers, psalms, and the like. The external margin is for correc tions, scholia, variations, notices of the haphtaroth (sections from the prophets), parshioth (sections from the law), the commentaries of the Rabbins, etc. etc. The inner margin, or that between the columns, is occupied with the little Masora. The single books of the O. T. are separated from one another by spaces, except the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, which are written continuously. The sections of the law and prophets are generally marked. In the MSS. of different countries the books are differently arranged. These copies generally pass through various hands before they are finished. The con sonants proceed from the sopher or scribe. When the same person writes both consonants and vowels, as is frequently the case—he never makes them at the same time—the former are finished before he begins to append the latter. The K'ris in the margin uniformly proceed from the vowel-writer. It is probable that these copies were in no instance made by Christians.