Masora

Masora or Masorah (Hebrew, “tradition”), term applied to the Hebrew tradition (originally transmitted orally) as to the precise form and correct pronunciation of the text of the Old Testament, and also to the marginal notes in written editions of the Scriptures that indicate various elements of this traditional form. The writing of the annotations, done by numerous Hebrew scholars known as the Masoretes, is variously believed to have begun sometime between the 2nd century bc and the 8th century ad, and to have been completed about 1425. The annotations consist chiefly in adding vowels to the text, as the Hebrew alphabet does not have vowels, and punctuation of the text to indicate its traditional pronunciation and intonation. Some textual criticism is also added, involving the addition and substitution of words, euphemistic changes in words, and some elementary explanation of the text. The notes were written partly in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. Annotations in the side margins of the written text are known as Small Masora, and those on the top and bottom margins as Large Masora.