Modern Hebrew manuscripts are written in what are called square characters, but

these are not the characters of the original. The Samaritan Pentateuch is written in the

earlier Hebrew letters, similar to those used on the Moabite Stone and the Siloam

inscription. The Moabite Stone dates from about B.C.890, and the Siloam inscription

about B.C.700. The modern square characters are supposed to have been brought back

from Babylon by Ezra, but this explanation is merely a traditional attempt to account for

the fact that a change actually occurred about Ezra's time.

One of the peculiar features of ancient Hebrew is that it contains no vowels, only the

consonants being written. It may help to make this point clear if we give an example in

English by way of illustration. If the reader had before him the letters BLL, he would not

know whether the word was BILL, BELL or BULL. But if the sentence containing the

word declared that the BLL had been paid, it would not require much learning to realize

that BLL stood for BILL. Similarly, the BLL might be tolled, or led out to grass. Some

momentary hesitation might occur if the manuscript stated that the BLL was RNG. A

bell may be rung, and also a bull--the latter by the insertion of a ring in the nose--but

the context will immediately settle the matter. We have resorted to these homespun

illustrations in order to avoid using Hebrew type and loading our pages with matter

requiring considerable translation to make the point clear. In the Variorum Bible will be

found several instances of the way in which vowels were at times wrongly supplied, and

cases where a division of opinion still exists. For example, in Deut. 28: 22, either

"sword" or "drought" may be intended; the same consonants occur in both words, sword

being chereb and drought choreb, and the context leaves the question undecided.

The fact that no manuscripts exist of a date earlier than the eighth century compels us

to seek light upon the sacred text from other sources, and the furthest point we can reach

as to the state of the test is that provided by the Targums. The latter are paraphrases

written in Aramaic, or, as it is called in the A.V., Chaldee, and the scene described in

Neh. 8: 1-8 shows how these paraphrases became necessary. Dr. Kitto's Cyclopaedia

mentions eleven Targums, of which the most important are those of Onkelos, of

Jonathan Ben Uzziel and the Jerusalem Targum.

The Targum of Onkelos is described by Kenyon as "a very simple and literal

translation of the Pentateuch, and . . . . . for that reason the more useful as evidence for

the Hebrew text from which it was taken". Onkelos was a disciple of Hillel. Hillel was

the grandfather of Gamaliel, at whose feet Paul was brought up as a Pharisee. The style

of this Targum approaches to that of Daniel or Ezra. It follows the original, word for

word, except where it deals with figures of speech, and where the Deity is spoken of

under the figure of a man (anthropomorphism). Wherever Onkelos departs from what is

called the Massoretic text (a term to be explained later), he is almost invariably supported

by ancient versions. The reader will readily appreciate the value of such a paraphrase to

a scholar seeking the text of the Hebrew original.