With the labours of the Massorites the final stage in

the history of the Hebrew text is reached.  The word 'Massorah' is derived

from masar, 'to deliver something into the hand of another'.  The labours of

the Massorites had a twofold object -- the exhibition of a perfect orthoepic*

standard for the Hebrew language, and the recording of a correct and

inviolable text of the Hebrew Scriptures.

*

Orthoepic -- Pertaining to correct pronunciation.

To accomplish their task the Massorites first collected all that could

be found in the Talmud concerning the traditional vowel points and

punctuation, and produced a text provided with a series of points indicating

vowel sounds.  The Hebrew Bible at that time had neither chapter nor verse,

and the Massorites divided the several books into:

greater sections;

chapters; and

When the division was completed, the number of verses in each book was

notified by a technical word.  The middle verse, or clause, and the middle

letter were registered, and the number of letters in each book counted.

Notes were made of places where words or letters appeared to have been

altered, omitted or added, and a whole mass of intricate detail recorded that

still leaves the mind overwhelmed by its sheer mass.  The results of this

prodigious labour were placed in the margin of scrolls, and those who know

anything of the labours of Dr. Ginsburg will have some idea of the range and

distribution of these notes.  The Massorites, moreover, introduced a series

of accents that were intended to answer four purposes:

To

certify the meanings of words.

To

indicate the true syllables.

To

regulate the cantillations#  of synagogue reading.

To

show the emphasis of an expression.

#

Cantillation -- A chanting; recitation with musical modulation.

The Massorah is truly called 'a fence to the Scriptures'.  It does not

contain comments; but registers only facts.  However trivial some of the

calculations of the Massorites may appear to modern eyes, for example, the

counting of the number of occurrences of each letter in a given book, they

had the effect of fixing the text, so that in literal truth, not one jot or

tittle could pass away or be lost.  If we consider the Massoretic labours,

together with the minutely detailed instructions to the copyist, we shall

realize how very certain we may be today that we have the text of

the Hebrew Scriptures unaltered as it left the hands of the Sopherim who,

under Ezra, began the great work of standardization.

We have seen how the text of the Hebrew Scriptures

as authorized by the Sopherim was fixed beyond the possibility of alteration

by the labours of the Massorites.  We now look further afield for evidence