Bible Scrolls in Eastern and Western Jewish Communities from Qumran to the High Middle Ages
The study surveys and discusses the modes of preparation of the following writing-skins, which appeared in the range of successive Jewish communities: the European parchment, i.e. the Pergament skin, whose method of working is known from the beginning of the 8th century onwards; the talmudic skins,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
1985
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| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 1985, Volume: 56, Pages: 21-62 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Old Testament
/ Hebrew language
/ Handwriting
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Text organisation
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| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | The study surveys and discusses the modes of preparation of the following writing-skins, which appeared in the range of successive Jewish communities: the European parchment, i.e. the Pergament skin, whose method of working is known from the beginning of the 8th century onwards; the talmudic skins, three types of which belonged to the stage preceding the tanning (maṣṣah, ḥippaʾ, diphtheraʾ), while three other types were tanned and suitable for writing (gewîl, qelap̱, duksustos); the Arab raq, the mode of preparing which is specified in some Gaonic reponsa. The historical setting of each one of these as well as their role in Jewish life are also elucidated. Thus, there is no substantial proof that the beginnings of Pergament can be traced outside of Europe or well before the 4th century C.E. (though in the last centuries of the pre-Christian era the production of skins did reach a high level of quality). The elements of the talmudic skin-preparation derive from an Eastern heritage, the essentials of which can be traced in Mesopotamia in the first millenium B.C.E. The gewîl, being the skin in its natural thickness, must have been older than the qelap̱ and the duksustos (indeed, in Qumran only gewîlîm are found). The separation between the latter two was apparently achieved by splitting the skin through its thickness. Several sages (in particular, R. Benjamin Mussafia, Western Europe, 17th century) assumed that the duksustos was prepared by slicing off pieces of skin from both of its surfaces, after the manner of the European Pergament, but this explanation is shown to be anachronistic. The authorities of the oriental Jewry were careful not to identify the Arab raq with one of the talmudic skin-types (which were taken to be the only skins fit for the writing of sacred texts), but in the course of time the Jews were attracted by the Arab skin, while the Rabbis were forced to relax their opposition. In Europe, by contrast, the Jews adopted the local Pergament for copying Holy Writ with no reservation or dogmatic compunction. The socio-historical reasons for the easy and immediate acceptance of the Pergament by the Western Jewry are set forth in the last section. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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