To store the text intact. On the masoretic tradition of judaism.

Abstract

Keeping the text of the Jewish Holy Scriptures intact is a goal that has accompanied many generations of adherents of Judaism. The conviction that the biblical text is the Word of God obliged scrupulous care for faithful transmission. Jewish scholars called Masoretes developed a system of accents and vowels for the texts of the Hebrew Bible. Their concern also included ensuring that nothing was altered in the transcription of the sacred texts. The statistics they included at the end of the books, and the marginal notes became a safeguard for the message. The results of their work are an invaluable aid to biblical and cultural studies.