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[[File:Masora.jpg|thumb|This is a picture of one of the Biblical texts including Masoretic annotations. <ref>“The Masoretic Text.” ''Insight of the King'', 2025, [https://www.insightoftheking.com/the-masoretic-text.html www.insightoftheking.com/the-masoretic-text.html]. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.</ref>]]
The Masora, or Masorah, served as an index for the first millennium of the Christian era in textual traditions of the Hebrew Scripture. It was compiled by groups of Jewish scribes, the most notable being Masoretes, who worked to preserve the Old Testament and develop notes based on their traditions. The Masora is also referred to as the Masoretic Texts and was most likely completed in the 10th century AD even though there were many disputes about the date it was compiled. <ref name="Book"> Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society : An Introduction to Print Culture. Broadview Press, 2014. </ref> In their article, Martin-Contreras writes, “The assumption that one single Masora was transmitted orally until it was written down in lists and later added in the margins of the manuscripts in a single act of copying has deterred scholars from investigating and exploring the copious evidence of later additions made by various hands that can be seen with the naked eye in the annotations contained in the most medieval Hebrew Bible manuscripts” (Martin-Contreras 36-37). <ref> Martín-Contreras, E. (2022). Multiple hands in the marginal annotations of the hebrew bible codex madrid M1 (biblioteca histórica marqués de valdecilla, BH MSS1). Manuscript Studies, 7(1), 36-75. Retrieved from http://libgateway.susqu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/multiple-hands-marginal-annotations-hebrew-bible/docview/2784899588/se-2 </ref>

== The Torah and Hebrew Bible ==

The biggest difference between the Torah and Hebrew Bible have to deal with punctuation and vowel notations in the texts. In their book, Robinson writes, “These notations were regularized by scribes in eight- and ninth-century Palestine who specialized in copying biblical texts, the Masoretes. According to historian Leila Avrin, the Masoretes wanted to ensure that not a single word of the scripture was lost. When tenth- and eleventh-century masoretic books, such as the Leningrad Codex or the Aleppo Codex, are compared with similar texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the consonant shapes and placement are extraordinarily close” (Robinson 56) and “When copying Hebrew Bibles, for example, one scribe would typically copy the consonantal text, another would add the vowel and punctuation marks, and a third would add the Masora, additional word lists and counts that served as a kind of index, to the margins” (Robinson 57). <ref name="Book" />
There are considered to be three different types of notes in the Masora which are Masora Parva, Masora Magna, and Masora Finalis. <ref name="Origins"> “The Masora: Origins, Development, and Impact on Biblical Texts.” DivineNarratives, 2 July 2024, [https://divinenarratives.org/the-masora-origins-development-and-impact-on-biblical-texts/ divinenarratives.org/the-masora-origins-development-and-impact-on-biblical-texts/.] Accessed 7 Nov. 2025. </ref>
[[File:Masora 2.jpg|left|thumb|This image includes more Masoretic annotations. Other references are shown from other Biblical texts. <ref>“Figure 3 - Scribal Notations in the Masoretic Text.” ''Academia.edu'', 2025, [https://www.academia.edu/figures/3110591/figure-3-scribal-notations-in-the-masoretic-text www.academia.edu/figures/3110591/figure-3-scribal-notations-in-the-masoretic-text]. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.</ref>]]

=== Masora Parva ===
The annotations found in Masora Parva are brief notes next to the Biblical texts. They’re found in the side margins and often point out repeated words and phrases as well as references to other texts found in the Bible. Scholars often reference and utilize these annotations when looking at other translations or versions of the Bible. <ref name="Origins" />

=== Masora Magna ===
The annotations found in Masora Magna are longer notes above and below the Biblical texts. They’re found in the top and bottom margins, often pointing out deeper meanings in the text and giving an analysis for the text as well as sometimes pointing out repeated words or phrases. Scholars often look to these annotations for a deeper understanding of the text and the Bible as a whole. <ref name="Origins" />

=== Masora Finalis ===
The annotations found in Masora Finalis are usually summaries of the text and found at the end of the Biblical texts. They often summarize the text itself as well as the number of books, verses, or even words found in the text. Scholars often look to these annotations for inaccuracies and clarification to correct any errors. <ref name="Origins" />

== Publishing Industry ==
The Masoretic texts were important for the foundation of Jewish canon. Jewish canon are books in the Hebrew Bible that are considered to have been written of divine nature and are considered to be part of their book. Books that aren’t canon include the Apocrypha and other texts that aren’t included in the Jewish Bible. The Protestant Church only includes canon in their Bibles while the Catholic Church includes non-canon texts in their Bibles. <ref name="Origins" />

The Masoretes played a significant role in the modern day Bibles by preserving the Hebrew Bible through their scribe work.

== Notes ==

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[[Category: Glossary]]
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