Masora A COLLECTION Out of the Learned Master JOANNES BUXTORFIUS 's Commentarius Masorethicus By CLEMENT BARKSDALE Neque Omnia neque Nihil Iota unum non peribit LONDON Printed for Matthias Thurston and are to be sold at his Shop next the St. Johns-head Tavern within Ludgate 1665. PETRVS CVNAEVS Of the Hebrew COMMONWEALTH Lib. 1. Cap. ult WHat time the Christians understood scarce Three words of Hebrew how easie had it been for the Jews to corrupt those places which seemed to refute their Follies but Piety would not permit them Religion forbad them to move or alter any thing in the Sacred Text And truly when I look upon the unwearied diligence of the MASORITES I am almost amazed For all the parts of the Hebrew Bible being accurately revised and compared they signed with Impressed Notes They observed not only how many Verses and Words but also how many Letters every Book contained Wherefore that afterward when Barbarism orespread the World not one point of that Divine writing perished we owe next under God to them The INDEX MASORA whence so called 2. What are Traditions 3. Definition of Masora 4. The deligence of the Heb. Gods providence 5. Who the Authors of Masora two opinions 6. Aben Ezra and Elias Levita I. 7. The School of Tiberias the Hierusalem Talmud Rabbi Jehuda 8. The Babylon-Schools their Talmud 9. Hillel Hannasi his new compute Jos Scaliger 10. Tiberias decayed 11. St. Jerom his Hebrew Doctor 12 The Masorites of Tiberias not Authors 13. The Authority of the Babylon-Talmud 14. The Oral Kabala 15. Masora more antient then the Talmud 16. 17. The points before the Masoretic Notes 18. Dages and Mappik 19. The Accents noted 20. Masorites office 21. Masorites the Antients 22. Vowels from one Prick 23. Punctation before Talmud 24. Chaldee names of Points 25. Need of Points 26. Vowel Points not from the Tiberians why 27. The Septuagint 28. The Great Synagogue II 29. Ezra Nehemiah c. High Priest and Alex. M. 30. Scribes Ezra praised 31. Ezra Haggai Malachi Zorobabel c. 32. Nehem. 8. 8. expounded Tertul. and Chrysost 33. Beginning of Masora Division of the Bible Lu. 24. 44. 34. Subdivision into 22. 35. Distinction of Verses Fiction of the Kabalists Septuagint 36. Critical Learning The first Masorites 37. Reading of the words Vowels and Accents Letters numbred 38. Testimonies for the men of the Great Synagogue 39. Elias Levita Succession of Masorites Ezra the first Author 40. The Matter of the Masora The number of the Verses in Genesis c. 41. Notes upon the Verses Venice Edition of the Bible 42. Notes upon the Words 43. The writing and reading 44. VVords written fully or defectively 45. The place of VVords 46. Structure of Verbs 47. Ambiguous signification noted 48. Vowels and Accents observed 49. The Letters noted in their Figure and Number 50. Great Letters observed 51. Little Letters observed 52. The Letter Nun inverted 53. Pricked words 54. The Letters numbred The middle Letter of the Law 55. Raf. Saadia Gaon 56. The Form of the Masora The Edition of Daniel Bomberg and R. Jac. Ben Chajim 57. The Great and Little Masora Textual and Final 58. The end of the Masora The hedge of the Law Testimonies of Jews 59. Testimonies of Christians 60. Conclusion MASORA I. _ה 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masora Masoreth are Verbal Nouns derived from the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver and are here taken for a Doctrine or Knowledge which one delivers and communicates to another as it were from hand to hand The correlative Verb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receive i. to perceive know and understand for what is delivered by word of mouth is received with the Ear and so transmitted to the Mind So the Hebrews have a saying Moses received the Law from Sinai and delivered it to Joshua Joshua to the Elders the Elders to the Prophets the Prophets delivered it to the men of the great Synagogue Cap. 1. II. In the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tradition or delivery is usually taken for a Doctrine or Institution about certain Rites and Ceremonies so the Jews had many Traditions invented and prescribed by the Scribes and Doctors for the advancement of Piety that is to keep them by the observing of these in the better observation of Gods Commands whence in Syriac Tradition is called Perfection because they imagined that the Law of God comprehended in writing somwhat imperfectly was perfected and compleated by such Institutions but Christ hath disapproved them saying Ye have made void the Law of God by your Tradition Mat. 15. 6. Cap. 1. III. Masora as we take it here by a Synecdoche signifies the Critical Doctrine about the Holy Hebrew Text and may be thus defined A Critical Doctrine concerning the Hebrew Text of Holy Scripture ingeniously invented by the antient wise men of the Hebrews wherby the Verses Words and Letters thereof were numbred and all the variety of them marked and shewed in their several places with the particular Verses recited that so the constant and genuine reading of the Text might be preserved and for ever secured from all chang and corruption Hence is that saying of the Rabbins The Masora is the Hedge or Fence of the Law Cap. 2. IV. In this Study admirable was the diligence of the antient Hebrews their Zeal in conserving the Text of Gods Word most ardent inimitable and without example in any other Nation of the whole World was their Labor No less to be admired is the providence of God shining forth toward the Gentiles who were to be called to the knowledge of him by the Scripture For here through East and West the Word of God is of one reading the Books do all consent with perfect Harmony a Happiness granted to no other Nation no other Books in the World That most antient Writer of the Christian Church Justin Martyr justly ascribs it to the singular care and providence of God that the Jews so studiously in their Synagogues kept safe and sound the holy Writings for our use and benefit Serm. ad Gentes And St. Austin stiles the Jews our Servitors to carry our books for us in Psal 41. Cap. 2. V. The Authors of Masora are named by the Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Schools the Masoreths from their handling the Masora or Critical Doctrine Who they were indeed where or when they lived is not easily to be determined Two opinions there are especially among the Rabbins the one that the Authors were the wise men of the City Tiberias the other that the Masora was written by the men of the Great Synagogue or the great Council called by the Prophet Ezra Cap. 3. VI. They of the first opinion do not only attribute the Masora to the wise men of Tiberias but will have them to be the first Inventors of the Points Vowels and Accents Among these the first is R. Aben Ezra he flourished in the year of Christ 1150 who in his
Grammer plainly saith Thus was the Custom of the wise men of Tiberias for of them were the Authors of the Masora and from them have we received all the pointing and often doth he mention those wise men in the same Book and commends them several times for their skil in reading and genuine pronuntiation his second in this opinion is Elias Levita a Jew of Germany and a Famous Grammarian in the Last age and one that in the explication of the whole Masora and particularly in the curious handling of this part got the praise from all the Rabbins of his people In sundry Prefaces to his Masoreth Hammasoreth his opinion touching the original of Masora and the Vowel points is this in short 1. That there were innumerable Authors of the Masora in divers ages 2. That the time of the beginning of them and the end is uncertain 3. That the Hebrews of Tiberias first wrote the Masora and invented the points of Vowels and of Accents after the Talmud was finished i. long after 500. years since our Saviour Christ Cap. 3. VII The City of Tiberias which produced the Masoreth of all the Jews most expert in the Hebrew Tongue was in the Land of Galilee seated near the Lake of Henne-Caroth of whose Rise and Scituation Josephus that noble and most antient Writer of the Jewish Affairs informs us Antiq. lib. 18. c. 3. And when after the desolation of Jerusalem by the Roman Army some Reliques of the Learned Jews escaped into Babylon and some remained in Palestin these by a little and little in the more commodious places and cities restored their Schools and Assemblies and this Tiberias was one of those Cities celebrated in the writing of the Hebrews and adorned with some Names of wise and learned men and enjoyed that honor till the year of Christ 230. after which time the Chronicles of the Hebrews relate nothing very memorable concerning Schools and the Studies of good learning in Judea for here Rabbi Jehuda aftet the publishing of the Jerusalem Talmud died in the same or the following year and after his death the Studens in Judea were dispersed and the Schools translated into Babylon Cap. 4. 5. VIII Thus the Schools of Judea as it were expiring with R. Jehuda the Saint their Light and Life and the principal Schollars being removed about the year 230. out of Palestin into Babylon there did they renew their Studies with great Fervor chiefly did the Profession of the Jewish Law flourish comprehended in the Book Mischna their Corpus Juris as it were This was the Subject of thei Lectures and Disputations so that afterward in the year after the destruction of the City 436. as Elias puts it that is of Christ 506 came forth the Babylonian Talmund distinct into six principal parts and Sixty three Books by which even until this day the whole Nation of the Jews are governed In the year of Christ 1037 then the Babylonian Schools were altogether extinguished the wise Masters vanished thence and fixed themselves in another Sphear in Spain and other parts of Europe as R. Abraham and other Writers testifie Cap. 6. IX It seems yet that all Learning did not die in Palestin with Rabbi Jehuda the Saint for though the Chronicles give us nothing memorable after him yet the Hebrew History makes mention of some Doctors of Schools in the Land of Israel as may be seen in Juchasin fol. 106. In the year of Christ 340. Hillel Hannasi was famous among the Jews both a Philosopher and excellent Astronomer so that he made a new Compute and Jos Scaliger in his Book of De Emendatione Temp. p. 544. saith The new Compute was the worke of the Masters of Tyberias We read of none but this Hillel that reformed the Kalender therefore by the Masters of Tyberias we must understand Hillel the rather because all the Jews unto this day do follow his Computation and will follow it till the time of their Deliverer whom they expect as we see in Inchasin fol. 90. According to Scaliger then this Hillel lived in Tyberias and to that time Tyberias was not decayed Cap. 7. X. That something of the Schools in Palestin remained till this time appeareth by Schalschelet fol. 34. He R. Jehuda Nesia was the father of Rabbi Hillel the Prince who was promoted into a Master in the Land of Israel and the last of the promoted as may be seen in the Talmudical Book De Idololatria And in Tzemach David where is mention of this Hillel fol. 47. The promoted in the Jews of Israel ceased in him Now if Scholastical promotion here ceased it is very probable that professions and publick exercises ceased also being those Dignities are the rewards of an excellent learning ordained for the conservation and propagation of studies which is made more probable in that the Chronicles of the Hebrews relate nothing at all after this Hillel touching the Schools or Wise men of Palestin but pursue the Schools of Babylon to the last Cap. 7. XI Yet St. Hierom a very antient Writer of the Christian Church carries us a little farther For he when he translated the Hebrew Bible into Latin procured a Learned Jew from Tyberias whose help he used in the interpretation of the Book of Chronicles a certain Doctor of the Law admir'd among the Hebrews by whose assistance he was encouraged to go through with his translation as himself tell us in the preface to that Book Now St. Hierom as our Chronologers say ended his life at Bethelem in the year of Christ 420 or 422. I suppose he might be upon his interpretation about the year 400. being he spent some years about it and liv'd some years after it was finished to hear the censures of men for it or against it and to make his defence at sundry times Cap. 7. XII Thus we have searched into the studies of these Tyberians and followed them to the year 400. drawn on by some hope of finding the most wise College of Masoreths at Tyberias We have found indeed that learning after the waste of Jerusalem was a long time conserved in Palestin and especially in the City of Tyberias but being the Hebrew History pursues the course of studies and the several generations of wise men to a thousand years in Babylon and leaves off in Palestin or the Land of Israel about the year 340 ending with Hillel the Prince it is no way credible that after 500 or about 600. years from Christ or more so many mighty Scholars were extant at Tyberias who above all the Jews were most exercised in the Reading of holy Scriptures and were the authors of an invention so new so admired of such concernment to the most sober and most weighty handling of the sacred Letters and delivered the same without any witnesse without any history without any memory of Books delivered it I say as a divine Oracle to be accepted by all the Nation of the Jews yea by the whole world wheresoever
in the Letters is incorrupt and unchanged and that may be judge For the Vowels are the soul giving life to the distinct Words and the Word written with bare Consonants cannot be read nor understood without Vowels and especially in dark and difficult places one will adde these Vowels another those as every own shall attempt to draw forth the meaning Here is need of another Judge the Word written with naked Letters cannot speak for it self The Greek version of the lxx differs from the Hebrew Text not only in the reading of Vowels but Letters also so that it cannot be Judge Where will you seek another Shall the Servant give sentence upon the Lord the waiting Maid upon her Royal Lady or shall the living and most clear fountain be tryed by the Tast and Colour of the troubled and muddy stream Cap. 9. XXVIII The other Opinion of the Hebrews touching the Authors of the Masora is that the Masora was written by the Men of the great Synagogue whom they stile in their Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the great Council gathered by Ezra the Priest the President thereof after the Babylonian Captivity by whose help and assistance he restored the Church of Jerusalem and of all the Jews purging and reforming it from many corruptions errors and vices contracted in Babylon For this Office when he departed from Babylon to Jerusalem by the Grace of God and the Authority of King Artaxerxes was committed to him as appears by the Kings Letters Esr 7. Not long after him the King sent away Nehemias also as a most faithfull Colleague and zealous assistant who being armed with the Royal Commission and publick authority promoted the reformation of the City and the Church with great fervour of affection as the Book of Nehemiah shewes Cap. 10. XXIX Esra and Nehemiah associated to themselvs others of the prime Men of the people and the wisest so that the whole Council completed the number of 120. Men which Council is of most worthy memory frequently in the Writings of the Hebrews Hence in the Chronicle Juchasin fol. 13. It is read of this Counsell When Constitutions are named absolutely they are from Esra And the house of Judgement of Esra is that which is called the great Synagogue or the great Council which restored the Crown unto the antient estate The Hebrews had three Crowns of the Law the Priesthood and the Kingdome The Crown of the Law i. the Study of Wisdom and the knowledge of the Divine Law was the greatest of all according to that Prov. 8. 15. By me i. Wisdome Kings Raign This Crown Esra which his Colleagues reduced to the Primitive Condition i. e. He reformed the Ecclesiastical Common-wealth from the filth and pollutions of Babylon and reduced it to the old integrity and purged the Holy Scripture from the deceitfull Books of the false Prophets and from all corruptions Therefore in the Jerusalem Talmud in the Book Megilla c. 4. in fine When the men of the great Synagogue arose they restored magnificence i. The Crown of the Law then whose magnificence none is greater Don Isaac Abarbinel in the preface to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commemorates the principal men of this Council most of whom came from Babylon and Jerusalem with Zorobabel The Catalogue saith he of the men of the great Council are Hagaeus the Prophets Zacharias the Prophet Malachias the Prophet Zorobabel the son of Schealtiel Mordecai Bilsohan Ezra the Priest and Scribe Jehosua the Son of Johotzedek the Priest Seraja Realja Mispar Bigaeus Rachum Bana Nehemiah the Son of Chacilja These are the twelve prime Men c. The last man saith Rabbi Moses ben Mâ—jomen in whom the Council ended was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simeon the just he who went forth to meet the great Alexander in bis Priestly habit and inclined him to shew Clemency toward the City which story is famous among the Hebrews It happened according to their account in the fourth year after the building of the second Temple whence we gather that the men of this Synod supervived beyond forty years All this is to shew that the Hebrews esteemed this Synod of very great Authority Cap. 10. XXX The head and President of this Synod Ezra was above all the rest furnished with singular gifts of God for these affairs chiefly was he expert in the Divine Law in the interpretation and description of the Sacred Scripture most exercised for which he is commended Esr 7. 6. He was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Scribe he is called not so much à Scribendo from writing as from declaring and explaining the things contained in the Holy Scriptures For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an interpreter of Books a Doctor a Scribe And by no Book was gotten greater praise then by the Book of the Law whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lawyer who taught and interpreted the Law of God So in the New Testament they are sometimes stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scribes who instructed the people sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Skilfull of the Law Yet properly was he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scribe who did write Letters Instruments Books Contracts and such like as in Psa 45. 2. My Tongue is the Pen of a ready Scribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Esra was excellent both-wayes being at once a Learned expounder of the Law and a ready Writer of it For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel Statutes and Judgments Ez. 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence also they compare him to Moses for the excellency of his Dignity as we may read in both Talmuds and he was justly named Ezra for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is help St. Jerom renders it Adjutor a Helper XXXI Ezra therefore being sollicitous to help a decayed Church and to reform it distributed Offices Ecclesiastical instituted Sacrifices consecrated Vessels appointed for Divine uses celebrated Solemn Feasts proclaimed Fasts and Repentance cleansed the people from the Wedlock of Strangers and endeavoured to order and compose all things after the Prescript of Divine Law but that the Law it self and the whole Sacred Scripture might be extant amongst the people of God in the genuine and pure Integrity and that there might be a difference between the Writings of many false Prophets and the Books of the true and whatsoever spot by reason of the incommodities of their long Captivity had blemished the holy Letters might be stripped off there was great need of mature Advice of the provident care of Learned men exercised perfectly in the reading of the Sacred Scripture and of the vigorous aid of many Assistants To this purpose he had with him Divine Collegues endued with a prophetick Spirit Haggaeus Malachias Nehemias whose fervent and most ardent affection is testified openly by their Holy Sermons He had with him that most
valiant Leader Zorobabel whose Stock and Vertue is ennobled by the Genealogy of our Saviour Christ He had with him the High Priest Jeschua and other Chief Priests and Levites the companions of Zorobabel their Leader out of Babylon and he had also all that were Pillars of Piety among all the people These were the men designed for the Settlement of Religion not only for the present time but for the eternal benefit of Posterity from whom they knew the gift of Prophecy was now departing Cap. 10. XXXII In this Synod they thought it not sufficient to have delivered the Sacred authentick books unto the Church but the manner also how to read them cleerly and expound them was most prudently prescribed It appeareth by the learned Hebrews exposition of that place in Nehemiah chap. 8. vers 8. So they read in the Book in the sight of all the people and gave the sense and caused them t◠understand the reading that in the publick Synagogue they read first the Text of the Book of the Law in Hebrew distinctly and understandingly according to the pauses and then explained it in the Chaldee which was now the vulgar Tongue of the people brought from Babylon This Reformation of the Sacred Scripture by Ezra was not unknown to Tertullian a most grave Writer of the first Antiquity in the Christian Church for in his Book De Hab. Mul. he saith After the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Babylonians it is certain that all the Instruments of the Judaic Literature were restored by Ezra Chrysostome also ascribeth unto Ezra the same work where he writeth Attend and Learn Gods mercy to us of old He inspired Moses and he wrote the Tables of Stone He determined him forty days in the Mount and again so many days that he might give him the Law In after times he sent Prophets who suffered innumerable wrongs War rushed in it consumed all sorts of men the Books were burnt in the Fire But again he inspired another man that he might repair those admirable Scriptures I mean Ezra and enabled him to compose the Law anew out of their Reliques c. Hom. 8. in Epist ad Hebr. Cap. 11. XXXIII Now and henceforth were the Foundations of the Masora laid the work was begun in the partition of the Sacred Books in the distinction of the Text into greater Sections and into Verses and in the dinumeration of them as also of the Letters least one Prick or Tittle might afterward be changed or lost For first having constituted the number of Canonical Books and reduced them into one body of Scripture they divided it into three principal parts viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophets and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Writings or Hagiographa This Division was taken notice of by our Saviour and declared in that saying of his All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Luc. 24. 44. where the Psalmes are put for all the Books in that part entitled Hagiographa out of which also some things are cited in the new Testament as fulfilled Elsewhere he named only two parts The Law and the Prophets were until John Luc. 16. 16. And in another place a whole part of Scripture is set for one Book of that part as It is written in the Prophets Mark 1. 2. Jo. 6. 45. That is in that part of Scripture which contains the Prophets in that Volumne of the Prophets For that which was cited was not written in all the Prophets but in one of them the first in Mal. 3. 1. the other in Isa 54. 13. Thus is this division usuall in the most antient writings of the Hebrews In the Masora when any word is found only thrice and that in the three parts of Scripture then they say We meet with it three times once in the Law once in the Prophets once in the Hagiographia In the Talmudists one binds up the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa into one Book Again They brought unto us the Law the Prophets the Hagiographa bound into one Barabathra fol. 13. 2. Elias Levita in the third preface to his Masoreth where he speaks of the men of the great Synagogue and their labour in restoring of the Scripture writes thus For all the twenty four Books were not bound up together but they the Men of the great Synagogue conjoyned them and made three parts of them the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 11. XXXIV These three parts were afterward divided into others The Law according to the diversity of the matter and the History was subdivided into five Books which are entitled by us Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuternomy The Prophets were subdivided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former Prophets and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter Prophets The former are four in number which are named under the title of the Books of Joshua Judges Samuel and Kings or so called because in these Books it is treated of the first Prophets In these Samuel was reckoned at first for one Book and the Kings likewise for one which afterwards were distinguished into two Hence Samuel is called a Prophet as in that He gave them Judges until Samuel the Prophet Act. 13. 20. The latter Prophets are also four Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel and the Twelve Lesser These last were united in one Book that they might not be in danger by their smalnesse to be lost Hence is that to be taken Act. 7. 42. As it is written in the Book of the Prophets that is of the lesser Prophets to wit Amos 5. 25. and hence also we read in the Hebrew Doctors Those eight Prophets were bound in one Barabathra fol. 13. 2. to wit the four former and so many latter before mentioned as the Commentator there explains The rest of the Books are the Hagiographa and they were stiled in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Writings by a Synecdoche in asmuch as they were written by the Holy Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by immediate instinct of the Holy Ghost and not by a Prophetick spirit or by Prophecy properly so called So Daniel and Esra are accounted as it were Historical composing the History of the Church by divine instinct whither also pertain the Paralipomena or Chronicles whose Author Esra is supposed to have been David and Salomon have written most part things belonging unto piety and manners and Doctrin in adversity and prosperity albeit they have Prophetical matters David eminently often times intermixed The five small Books which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are likewise judged as Didactical and historical The Hagiographa therefore at first were accounted nine Books Psalmes Proverbs Job Canticles Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Esra Chronicles where Esra comprehends also Nehemiah and the two Books of Chronicles are taken for one The Book of Ruth was referred to the Book of Judges for the
the Word of God was communicated or to be communicated Cap. 7. XIII Moreover being the Elaboration Conscription authors and whatsoever pertains to the history of these books of both the Jerusalem and Babylon-Talmud was observed and noted with great care by the Hebrews how was it possible they should conceal that which concerned the genuine authentick and everlasting reading of the sacred Scripture Again being the most vaunting and self conceited Jews of Babylon dwelling in a most flourishing Empire by the authority and celebrity of their Doctrin quickly obscured at length wholly extinguished the Jewish Masters and their Schools left among the ruines and rubbish of poor Palestin how can we imagine that after so many ages in such vigour and pride of their studies at Babylon they would have given up the eternal praise and glory of this Critical study about holy Scripture and permitted these Tyberians alone to enjoy it Further being the Babyloan Jews overcame darkned and brought almost to nothing the Jerusalem-Talmud by their Babylonian-Talmud and obtained so much authority to theirs that thereby the whole Jewish Nation under heaven must be for ever ruled as it is this very day how could it be that they have not also procured to themselves the authority credit and renown of this Masoretical Learning Cap. 7. XIV Further yet if the Tyberian Jews after the Babylon Talmud studies flourishing a thousand years at Babylon were the authors of the Masora and the points of the sacred Reading how were they able to do such a work without the knowledge of the Babylonians with whom all the Jewish learning was in its height how could they affect it without their consent and common approbation Surely that Reading which was tyed to the external figures of vowels and confirmed by Masoretick notes required the testimony and approbation of all the Jewish Congregation to shew its conformity and agreement with the old Mosaick and prophetical authentick Reading in all and every one of the letters and vowels even to the least prick But of this either communication of Counsel or approbation of the enterprise there is not extant one tittle in all the history of the Jews No question if the first writers after the Babylon Talmud had wholly been silent yet the oral Kabala would never so have suppressed it or withdrawn it from posterity but that some time or other it would have been discovered by some body Lastly by the confession of Elias himself the Authors of the Masora were in divers generations almost innumerable their beginning and end uncertain how then can the Tyberians alone be said to be the Authors how is the beginning thereof ascribed to the time after the Babylon-Talmud Cap. 7. XV. Aben Esra as above said that the Masora and punctation proceeded from the Wise men of Tyberias Elias Levita defined the circumstance of time and said this came to passe and the Masora was written by them after the Talmud But if both the name it self and the things contained in the Masora as are the distinction of the Text into verses the noting of words according to their divers writing and reading and the observation of the same words written fully or defectively the quality of letters and the dinumeration of all the words and verses be mentioned in the Talmud if also the Talmud sometimes determines or disputes against the Masora then it follows that the use and knowledge of the Masora in the greatest part was before the Talmud and consequently the sentence of Elias cannot hold And these particulars are declared Cap. 8. XVI Elias saith the Tyberians invented the art of punctation and wrote the Masora whence they were called Masoreths But we may argue from the Masoretick notes themselves that the Masora now extant and the points had not the same Authors For example Gen. 16. 13. it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and verse 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Glosse of the Masoreths every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with Kametz the little i. tzere excepting six with Saegol If the Authors of the Punctation and Masora be the same what reason had they to point six only of so many hundred against the common form Why are those six here alledged in the Masora so pointed and no other why have they discovered the irregularity themselves by adding a note surely they were not the same men who made the Punctation and the Masora but the Masoreths who revised the Forms of words and found it so in the Copies pointed formerly did therefore specifie this Form for they did not give themselves this right to change the least prick in the Sacred Text nor would permit that License to any because the Authority of Holy Scripture ought to be inviolable whose Form being Authentick and Divine and so acknowledged by them no boldness of man could alter without extream Impiety They put a Note therefore to these six that even in the least the Text of Scripture might evermore remain Inviolate the only Scope of the whole Masora Cap. 9. XVII Another example hereof Gen. 19. 2. It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Masorites every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with Kametz the little i. tzere except this one Wherefore in so many places have they printed this word always alike this one place excepted Wherfore have they if themselves were Authors of this Punctation shewed their Novelty by their Gloss Why the Masoreths seeing this word in their Copies printed so in this place formerly by others added their note that none might alter it which every one might most easily have done according to Grammer Many more examples are set down Cap. 9. XVIII As of the Vowel-points so also the inconstant use of the Points Dages and Mappik is observed and noted by the Masoreths whence it may very probably be concluded that the Masoreths or the Authors of the written Masora were not withall the Inventors of these two points and then wrote a Masora of them but judged of their Inconstancy in the Books formerly pointed and added their Masoretical Notes that they founded it thus and thus in their Books nor was it lawfull for any man to amend the least point in Holy Writ least in time it should by Degrees degenerate from a Divine to a Humane sense For the boldness of man hardly contains its self within any bounds The Rule is that the four Guttural Letters admit not Dages yet the Masoreths noted the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be dagessed four times for so they found it in their Books Mappik hath a necessary use yet the Masoreths have observed and noted the omission of it in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice once in the Law once in the Prophets once in the Hagiographa for the same reason Cap. 9. XIX Also from the divers use of the Accents and the Notes upon them it appears that the Inventors of the Accents and the Authors of the