Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary, The

The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. By Page H. Kelley, Daniel S. Mynatt, and Timothy G. Crawford. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998, xiv + 241 pp., $26.00 paper.

Although Page Kelley (1924-1997) died shortly before the completion of this book, his collaborators-Daniel Mynatt (Anderson College) and Timothy Crawford (Bluefield College)-were able to "complete the volume without his guiding hand" (p. xiv), since the bulk of the work, which represents the fruit of more than a decade of study in a graduate seminar, was done.

Chapters 1-4 provide necessary background for chap. 5, introducing the topic of Masorah and giving students the basic skills necessary to reading Mp (chap. 1), such as recognizing the circule and its significance, distinguishing Mp notes with and without index numbers, and reading Qere/Ketib notes. The information in chaps. 2 ("History of the Masorah") and 3 ("The Proto-Masoretic Text") is widely available in various sources (as the authors admit); these may be, however, the best brief pedagogic presentations of this material in print. The material in chap. 3-"Orthographic Peculiarities" (e.g. large and small letters, suspended nun) and "Irregularities Mentioned in Oral Tradition" (e.g. tiqqune and itture sopherim)-is often found in introductory discussions of textual criticism, but is here described with special clarity, and well illustrated. Chapter 4, "Working with Masoretic Notes," is another outstanding discussion, describing different types of notes (e.g. "frequency notes," "qualitative notes," "notes giving parallels"), and ending with a narrative interpretation and explanation of 14 Mp notes.

The heart of the book, however, is chap. 5, "A Glossary of Masoretic Terms," which contains an alphabetical list of nearly every term found in Mp of BHS, an explanation of the term, alternate forms, and several examples of its use, which are fully and accurately explained (with the very rare confession that the precise meaning or significance of a particular note is unknown). This section is easy to use and written clearly enough to benefit students just beginning to read the Hebrew Bible.

Pedagogically, the book would be strengthened by examples of how the choice of, e.g. qere or ketib, affects the reading of the text (or, even better, where different translations have followed one reading or the other), which might help motivate students to learn more about the Masorah. That is, granted the presence of Mp in BHS (and, presumably, BHQ), why should students learn [about] this apparently pedantic material? Any teacher can address this need, but some examples would strengthen an already most impressive tour de force.

This work is not intended to displace Ginsberg (which does not address the interpretation of the Masorah) or Yeivin (which seems to be designed for those who do not really need it), but it will encourage students, not frighten them away, and should draw them into the study of this fascinating field.

With an extensive bibliography (including a list of thirteen reviews of BHS), and a Scripture index, this book will be a most useful tool that fulfills its authors' goals. I am delighted to recommend it most highly.

Frederic Clarke Putnam

Biblical Theological Seminary, Hatfield, PA

Copyright Evangelical Theological Society Mar 2001
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