A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.

SECT. VI. Of the Massora, the Keri and Ketib, and the Cabala.

THE Word Massora in Hebrew signifies Tradition, which may be understood in general of all Doctrines or Practices that are transmitted from hand to hand, and from Father to Son: But the Name of Massora is particularly given to the Criticks on the Hebrew Text, which the Jews pretend they have received from their Ancestors by Tradition. Buxtorf hath defined it to be a Critical Doctrine upon the Hebrew Text, invented by the Ancient Doctors of the Jews, by means of which they numbred the Verses, Words and Letters of the Text; and they observed all the Diversities of them, to the end they might preserve the true Reading from all manner of Change. There∣fore the Rabbies call'd it Pirke Avoth, the Hedge or the Inclosure of the Law. The Arabs have taken the same Precaution as to the Alcoran, and perhaps in Imitation of the Jews.

The Authors of the Massora are call'd Massorites, or Doctors of the Law, some carry the Origin of the Massora as high as Moses; Others fix their Commencement in the time of Esdras; Elias Levita the Jew, ascribes it to the Jews of Tiberias, as he does also the Invention of the Points. As to the latter, we have proved, That 'tis later than the Talmud; but as to the Massora it began some time before the Talmud, was complea∣ted, though it was not perfected and collected into a Body till a long time after. The way how this might be done is thus: The Rabbies made divers Critical Remarks upon the Hebrew Text of the Bible (a) 1.1 at different times. Those that followed them took care to collect the Ancient Remarks, and to add to them; and in this manner the Body of the Massora was formed, as we have it at present, and which was Printed by Bom∣bergue in his Great Hebrew Bible at Venice in 1528. and 1618. and in the Bible of Basle, published by Buxtorf in 1618.

The Matter of the Massora consists in Critical Remarks upon the Verses, Words, Let∣ters and Vowel Points of the Hebrew Text. The Massorites were the first who distingui∣shed the Books and Sections of Books into Verses, and mark'd the number of the Verses, and of the Words, and Letters in each Verse; the Verses where they thought there was something forgot, the Words which they believed to be changed, the Letters which they thought Superfluous, the Repetitions of the same Verses, the different Rea∣dings, the Words which are redundant or defective, the number of times that the same Word is found in the beginning, middle or end of a Verse, the different Significa∣tions of the same Word, the Agreement or Conjunction of one Word with another, the Number of Words that are Pointed above, which Letters are pronounced and which are not, it was they who distinguished the great Letters from the small ones, those that are turn'd upside down, and such as hang perpendicular, and took the number of each. It was they, in fine, who invented the Vowel Points, the Accents, and made divers Critical Remarks upon the Punctuation, and abundance of other trifling things.

The Massora is wrote in Chaldee, and ordinarily divided into Great and Small. The Great is partly on the Top and Bottom of the Margins of the Text, and sometimes in the Margin, underneath the Commentaries, and in part at the end of every Bible, which occasions the division of this Grand Massora, into the Massora of the Text, and the final Massora. The little Massora is wrote upon the inner Margin, or sometimes the outer Margin of the Bible, it is an Abridgment of the great Massora, wrote in small Characters, with abundance of Contractions, Symbolical Words and Citations of Scripture, by one only Term of the Text.

It cannot be denied, but the Labour of the Massorites was extrordinary Great, the question is, Whether it was as Useful as Great, and if it affords a Profit answerable to their Pains. The Author of the Book Cozri and the Rabbi Aben-Ezra seem to make no Account of it, and speak of it as an unprofitable Work. The latter compares it to the Labour of a Person that spends his time in turning over the Leaves of a Book of Phy∣sick, and numbers the Pages, without making use of any of the Medicines prescrib'd by the said Book. Father Morin and Capel seem perfectly to despise the Massora. On the contrary, most other Interpreters Roman Catholick and Protestant, believe it to be of very great Use. To keep a just Medium betwixt those two opposite Sentiments, we must distinguish betwixt the Parts of the Massora, and accordingly make a different Judgment of them. There are some of them altogether Useless, some of them Super∣stitious, and some of them may be of use to preserve the Text in its Purity. The useless are that scrupulous Affectation of observing how many times the same Letter or Word is found in the Bible, of the same Nature must we reckon the Observations they have made upon the Redundant and Defective Words, and abundance of other Trifles. The Distinction of Verses may be of use if well done; but many times the Massorites have not made that Distinction as the Sense required they should. As to the number∣ing of the Letters and Words, it seems to be Superfluous enough, both because it is a very hard Matter to be certain of it, and that in Writing or Counting, there is no Let∣ter forgot, and that the Letters may be changed without changing the Number, and likewise because by this Means we cannot be assured of the Correction of the Hebrew Text, but by counting affresh all the Words and Letters, which cannot be done with∣out abundance of Time and Labour. But besides, those useful things, there's a great deal of Superstition in the Massora, as the Distinction and Enumeration of Great and Small Letters, the Mystery of those that are suspended, turn'd upside down or final Characters, the Words pointed above, those that are to be writ, and not read, and abundance of other Observations, which give occasion to the Rabbies to forge Myste∣ries in things which happened accidentally, and where there is no Mystery to be found. All that is any way useful in the Massora is the fixing of the Punctuation, and Reading, the different Readings and some Critical Observations upon the Correction of the Text.

But of all the Parts of the Massora there's none more Useful than the Keri and Ke∣tib. The Keri signifies that we must read so, and the Ketib, that it is so wrote in the Text. Therefore when we see the Word Keri in the Margin design'd by the Letter Koph, it signifies that we are to read it as in the Margin, and not as it is in the Text. Ordinarily they take the Points of the Text to read the Words in the Margin, and the Rabbies have thereupon made themselves particular Rules. The Variation observed in the Margin relates to nothing but the Consonants or Entire Words, but besides the Variation that may comefrom the Uncorrectness of the Text, there are other Places of the Keri, which are founded upon another Cause, for in some Passages the Rabbies have on pur∣pose

left a blank Place in the Text, for some Words which they have put in the Mar gin, with this Note, Kerive Lo Cetib, that is to say, that they ought to be read, tho' they be not wrote, and there are other Passages, where they put on the Margin, Cetibve Lo Keri: That is to say, that they Write, but don't Read the Word in Question, to which they put no Points, but this last comes only from the Superstition of some Jews, who be∣lieved that they were not to pronounce certain Words that seemed not to be very hand some.

Authors are no less divided about the Invention of the Keri and Ketib, than about the other Parts of the Massora. Some carry them as high as Moses, and the first Au∣thors of the Sacred Books which is absurd; others ascribe the Invention to Esdras, who in his Review of the Canonical Books, did according to them, observe the Differences he found betwixt the Copies he had, by putting one reading in the Margin, and the other in the Text. But if that were so, why should we find the same Differences ob∣serv'd in the Books of Esdras and Nehemiah, and in those of Zechariah and Malachi, could they have been any ways in doubt of the true Reading of their own Writings. Moreover had Esdras been the Author of the Marginal Notes of Keri and Ketib, the Jews would have preserv'd them with Uniformity. But it is certain, that there's a Dif∣ference in this Matter, betwixt the Jews of the East and those of the West; and that they are mix'd with diverse Observations of the new Massorites. Further, if those Marginal Notes had been in the Copies made use of by the LXX, the Chaldee Para∣phrasts, or by Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion, when they made their Versions, they would have read and translated according to Keri, whereas sometimes they follow the Keri and sometimes the Ketib; which shews that the Reading was not then fixed by any Marginal Note, which was looked upon to be of Authority. In fine, they never spoke of the Keri and Ketib in the Misna or Gemara, there they only observe, that there are in the Sacred Books 8 Words that are read and not Writ, and 5 which are Writ and not Read; but there's no foot-step of the other Differences which compose the Keri and Ketib. The Massorites have also changed in the Keri and Ketib, the number of the Words which are Read and not Writ, or which are Writ and not Read; for they have added two to the Eight, and six to the Five last. Josephus, Philo, Origen and St. Jerom make no mention of those Marginal Notes, they are later than those Au∣thors, and are the Work of the Jews, who in Reading and Comparing their Copies, have set down those Differences in the Margin, partly upon the Authority of the Copies, and partly by their own Conjectures.

As to the Nature of those Differences. we must observe in the First Place, That they are of small Consequence, and that most times it is of no Importance, which of 'em be followed. Secondly, Tho' the Jews observe, that we must prefer one of the Rea∣dings, yet it is not always the Best, nor that which the Interpreters have followed, therefore we are not always obliged to follow Keri; on the contrary, it's proper to follow the Ketib, when it's more Authoriz'd by the Ancient Versions, and makes bet∣ter Sense. Thirdly, All the Manuscript Copies and Editions of the Bible don't agree in all the Remarks of the Keri and Ketib, for some have more than others. Fourthly, There are Places where the Keri, that is to say, the Reading which is in the Text, is manifestly Vitiated. Fifthly, The greatest part of the Remarks of the Keri, are use∣less and frivolous, and relate only to the Orthography, Grammar, or other small Mat∣ters that signifie nothing to the Sense. Sixthly, There are Readings of the Keri, which are plainly faulty. In fine, The Massorites have not observ'd in the Keri all the dif∣ferent Readings or Faults of the Text; for it must be confess'd, that many of them have escaped their Diligence: Besides the Differences of the Keri and Ketib, which are the most Ancient, there are others betwixt the Eastern Jews, that is to say those of Babylon, and the Western Jews, that is to say those of Palestine, who have wrote differently in their Copies, and those may perhaps be more Ancient than the Keri and Ketib. There are others that have been observ'd by Ben Ascher, a Rabbi of Tiberias, and Ben Napthali of Babylon, who liv'd in the beginning of the 11th Age. The West∣ern Jews did ordinarly follow the Reading of Ben Ascher, and the Eastern Jews that of Ben Napthali, but the Difference betwixt them is almost nothing but about the Punctation and Accents, and are many times of no Consequence.

We must also reckon among the different Readings the Tikkun Sopherim, or the Cor∣rections of the Scribes, which is found in 18 Places, and the Jtur sopherim, or Re∣trenchments of the Scribes, which consists in five Words, from which they pretend we must cut of the Vau as useless. We must join likewise thereunto, the Marginal Notes Sebirin, that is to say, the Conjectures of the Massorites, that we must read in

such a Manner. The Difference betwixt those last Notes and the Keri is, that in the Keri they affirm positively, we must read so, whereas in the Sebir the Reading is held doubtful, and advanced only by way of Conjecture. But both one and 'tother are meerly founded on the Judgment and Pleasure of the Rabbies, who thought good to determine and conjecture so and so.

In fine, Notwithstanding the Care and Precautions of the Massorites and Jews, who have Wrote or Printed the Hebrew Bibles, there's still a great many Differences be∣tween the Manuscript and Printed Bibles, as Buxtorf hath observed in his Rabinnical Library, and Cappelle after him. There are Differences in the Punctation, about the Consonants, and whole Words and Verses: Which shews, That let them be never so diligent, it is impossible but some Faults will slip in, either in the Copying or Printing of a Work. God would not preserve the Holy Scripture from that Fate, which is common to all Books. He could not have done it but by a continual Miracle, which was no way necessary for the Preservation of Religion: For, as we have already said, and which cannot be repeated too often, all those Variations or Faults don't touch Re∣ligion in the least, they do no prejudice to the Authority of the Holy Scripture, they don't hinder but that we find the Truth of Religion in it, or that we ought to look upon it's Authority as Divine.

The Cabala which we join to the Massora, hath in its Etimology a Signification op∣posite to that of the Massora; for the one signifies Tradition and the other Reception. But Custom hath determined the Word Cabala to signifie a Tradition of hidden and my∣sterious Things. The Jews have a mighty Esteem for this Science, and think they make great Discoveries by Means of it. The Cabala is ordinarily distinguished into three sorts. The first which is supposed to have been in use before our Saviour's Time, is a Mysti∣cal, Allegorical or Anagogical Explication of Passages of Scripture that are not Writ∣ten, but which the Doctors of the Law pretend to have preserv'd by Tradition, fan∣cying that Moses learned this Mysterious Sense from God himself, that he communi∣cated them to 70 Ancient Men; and that they were preserved by Tradition till the time of Esdras, from whom the other Jews learned them. 'Tis of this Cabala that we must understand the Author of the Book of Esdras, Chap. 14.46 & 47. when he speaks of certain things, he had wrote which God commanded him to preserve, and not to communicate but to the wisest of the People, who had the Spring of Understanding the Fountains of Wisdom, and the Stream of Knowledge. 'Tis certain, that the Jews in our Saviour's time were accustomed to give a Mystical Sense to Passages of Scrip∣ture: But we don't find that they supported that Sense by so Ancient a Tradition. Many times their Allegories or Morals were only a flourish of Wit and an Effort of their own Invention as may be seen in Philo. 'Tis true, there were Passages that they unani∣mously understood of the Messiah, according to Ancient Tradition, but those Passages excepted, it will be difficult to prove, That the Mystical Sense which those first Jews gave to some Passages of Scripture, had any Foundation in Ancient Tradition; so that it is without Reason to suppose an Ancient Cabalistick Art amongst the Jews.

The second sort of Cabala is not an innocent Art, but a sort of Magick or Necro∣mancy, in which the Impious or Superstitious Jews imployed the Words and Letters of the Scripture, which they distorted and ranked differently for their Use, to make An∣gels Familiar with them, to work Miracles, cure Diseases, chase away Devils and to work abundance of other Sorceries of the Magical Art; for that end they made use even of the Holy Name of GOD. This Art is so far from being any way useful, that it can be looked upon to be nothing else but a damnable Impiety, or Criminal Super∣stition.

The third sort of Cabala among the Jews, and which they properly call'd Cabala, is an Art by which they found their Mysterious Expositions upon Allusions, Transpositions, Changes, Conjunctions, Abreviations, Figure or Arithmetical Value of the Letters. This Art is very obscure in it self, and the Jews who think themselves Masters of it, render it still more obscure, by their Way of Expressing it, and their Care of keeping it con∣cealed. The Principal Methods they make use of for discovering those pretended My∣steries are. First to take the Letters of a Word, and to substitute in their room as many Words which begin with each of those Letters. Thus it is they pretend to discover the Curse which Shimei pronounced against David, where 'tis said in the Text, 1 Kings 2.8. That he cursed him with a grievous Curse; in Hebr. Nimretseh, by separating the Let∣ters of this Word, and forming of them as many Words which begin with each of those Letters, viz. Noeph, which signifies Adulterer, Moab Moabite, Rosseach a Murderer Tsa∣ruch Leprous, Toheba Abomination; they conjecture, That Shimei cast all those Re∣proaches

upon David, that he upbraided him with his Adultery with Bathsheba, with his Descent from Ruth a Moabitess, and with the Murder of Uriah, by which he de∣served to have been treated as a Leprous and Abominable Man. This is witty but not solid. This Example is found in the Hebrew Traditions upon the first Book of the Kings, ascrib'd to St. Jerom, which are the Work of a Jew of the 9th Age, as Raban hath observed. The Cabalists furnish us with many others. It is by the same Method that they find in Beresith the first Word of Genesis, this Sentence, In the beginning God saw that the Israelites would accept the Law; by supposing Words that begin by the Letter of the Word Beresith. They make use also of the final Letters; and according to this Rule, they explain this Sentence, The beginning of your Words is the Truth; because they find the Word Truth, in the three Words which follow Beresith, by ta∣king the three final Letters of them. 'Tis by this Artifice that some Greek Fathers have found in the Word Adam the four Parts of the World; because their Greek Names begun by the four Letters of that Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the East, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the West, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the North, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the South. To this Art we must also refer, the Dexterity of for∣ming a whole Sentence out of a single Word, and divers Sentences which begin with the Words of one and the same Phrase.

The second Method made use of by the Cabalists is to join the Letters otherwise, or to transpose or unite them differently one with another. Thus it is they find abun∣dance of Mysteries in this Word Beresith; for dividing it into Bara, Sith, it signifies, He hath created the Foundation; reading it Bar Aschit, it signifies, I will put the Son. They find abundance of other things in it, by transposing and joining the Let∣ters in different Manners. This Answers to our Anagrams. They take also the Liberty to change Letters, by taking the last of the Alphabet for the first; as they allege that Jeremy, Chap. 25. v. 25. hath put Sesac instead of Babel, by putting instead of the two Beths of Babel, which is the second Letter of the Alphabet; the Sin which is the last but one, and in place of Caph, which is the 11th Letter descending, the Lamed which is the 11th Letter ascending. St. Jerom took this Observation from the Jews, and inserted it in his Commentary on this Place.

The third Method, and the most Mysterious, is that they call Gematrie; which con∣sists in explaining a Term by the Arithmetical Value of the Letters. Amongst the He∣brews all the Letters serve to signifie Numbers; they count the Number which the Letters of the Word produce, and afterwards substitute another Word, whose Letters make the same Number. For Example, on those Words of Zach. 3.8. I will make my Servant to come, [in the English Translation, I will bring forth my Servant the Branch,] where the Hebrew Word is Tsemach; Rabbi Kimhi observes, that we must understand the Messias by this Word, and to prove it, says, That the Messia is called Menahem, which signifies Comforter; and that the Hebrew Letters whereof the Word Menahem is composed, make the same Number in the Total, which the Letters do that compose Tsemach. By the same Method he finds in the beginning of Genesis Beresith Bara; In the beginning he created; this other Sentence, He formed in the Law; because the Hebrew Words of the one and the other Sentence form the Number of 913. They pre∣tend also by this Method, to divine when a thing will happen, by counting the Num∣ber which the Letters of a Name makes up. The Author of the Revelation, Chap. 13. made use of the like Method by concealing the Name of the Beast or of Antichrist, under the Number whereof the Letters were to form his Name. In like manner the Cabalists do also draw Mysteries from the Numbers they meet with in the Text, and form Names of them.

The fourth Method made use of by the Cabalists, is carefully to observe the Figure of the Letter, and therein to find some Mystery. They draw Mysteries also from this, That Letters were Writ and not Read, or Read and not Writ; that they are Great or Little, Suspended or turn'd upside down, Full or Defective, Pointed above or Accented in an Irregular Manner. In a Word, There's not the least Trifle but the Cabalists found their Dotages upon it, which have no other Foundation or Rule, but their Fancy and disorderly Imaginations.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  The Rabbies made divers Critical Remarks, &c. At first they wrote those Remarks in single Sheets; and Elias the Levite, says, There was a very great number of them, and that they did very much sur∣pass the Text of the Bible. The modern Authors have collected what the Ancients had said, and added to it; some of the Copiers did, for conveniency, put them in the Margin of the Bible. There are of them to be found in divers Manuscript Hebrew Co∣pies of the Bible, but they are writ there very con∣fusedly, and in extraordinary small Characters; and besides there is only one part of them. The first who made a compleat Body of them, was a Rabbi of Tu∣nis, called Jacob Ben Chaiim, who from a great num∣ber of Jewish Memoirs, chose them that he judged best to make up the Body of the Massora, which he composed, digested and caused to be Printed in such manner as we see.