The Torah: Jewish and Samaritan Versions Compared [Hardcover]

If you find yourself on this page or even reading this review, let me save you some indecision: put it in your cart, not on your wishlist.

This is the only available Samaritan Torah I am aware of in print. Until Benyamin Tzedakah publishes his English translation of the Samaritan Torah, which at this date is beyond announced release, this tome will be the standard study text. I might add that Benny's uncle and father together made the first known Masoretic/Samaritan parallel text, but it is scarce if at all extant in any market.

The published Masoretic text is the Leningrad Codex, so you will find differences if you compare the Jewish Publication Society Torah (JPS) and the ArtScroll Torah with this published text; few and minor, but differences. The Jewish text has vowels but no trope. The QERE (traditional variant that is recited) is printed in the main with the KETIB (word actually written) in the footnotes, this is because the qere possesses the traditional meaning as well as aligning with the Samaritan text in many instances. This text is printed with its petuhot and setumot (opened and closed, pey and samech) sections which, as you will read below, can be compared to the Samaritan divisions.

The published Samaritan text is the Shechem Synagogue text. There is not really any "standard" Samaritan text, though this was chosen as the most available resource. The Samaritan text does not have any vowel markings, but it contains qitzim, ancient sectional divisions of the Torah. It is most interesting to follow the Samaritan textual divisions and compare them to the Jewish textual divisions. One of the reasons the qitzim may be different from the petuhot and setumot is that the Samaritans followed a different cycle of Torah readings, which are noted in the margins for both texts. One example of interest: The Torah portions of vYigash and vYechi are not separated but in the Samaritan Torah a new qitza begins in the second to the last verse of vYigash.

The texts are purely Hebrew throughout. Both texts are printed in standard block print. The Masoretic text and the corresponding Samaritan text are on opposite pages for easy comparison. The major plus in this work is the bold-type differences between the Samaritan and Masoretic texts. Most of the differences are orthographic (spelling), but many will be found to be theological, editorial, or traditional in nature. An example of a traditional variant is the age of Jared when Enoch was born: 162 according to the Masoretic text, 62 according to the Samaritan text, as well as 62 according to non-Samaritan extra-biblical literature.

There is a transliterated Samaritan reading of the Tower of Babel story in the Appendix for a sound of the Samaritan tongue.

I regret that I put this book on my wishlist, where it sat for months before I made the decision to buy. It is an amazing tool for the Biblical Textual Critic, truly one of a kind.

I have come to respect the opinions of the Samaritans as well as their claim to origins. I am not alone in this opinion as the renowned Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic Community, Hakam Moses Gaster shared this same opinion. They are truly Israelites and until that is recognized not much attention and discovery will result from their fragile existence.

When I saw a review explaining this volume and the work done, I immediately purchased the tome. The work is invaluable in that it provides a historical link necessary for the exposition of the original basis of the modern day Torah - the Masoretic text. Having read R. Joseph Albo's notes on the original alphabet used (referred to as 'proto-Hebrew') and how it was abandoned post-Babylonian Exile for the so-called Assyrian Block letter alphabet (see R. Joseph Albo, "Sefer HaIkkarim" - 'a book of Principles' Vol. III), Mark Schulson's book does much in a very concise and compact presentation to further the explanation of such a historical note. Though it would be nice to glimpse the Samaritan text against the 'Block-letter Hebrew', the saving of the reader from having to familiarize oneself with the nuances of the Samaritan text makes this book invaluable for what it purports to do: to compare the two versions. And it must be borne in mind that this Samaritan text is only one version of many that exist. His explanations of the Samaritan text alone, make this book a reference available to anyone. The presentation is straight-forward, the way a book should be presented. If you are someone studying the Torah or its historical references, get this book.

It was obvious that someone one day will compare there two Torahs, the Hebrew and Samaritan, and it suprised me why it took so long. And at last here is this book: in a simple, clear and readable way it compares the two version of this jewel of the human culture, the Torah, all this without taking any theological stand, withou expressing any personal opinion, just the great technical work of exact comparison leaving the reader to deduct whatever conclusions he wants. The book is printed in a very clear font, it is easily readable in its Samatitan part (it is in Hebrew letters) and it contains some basic introduction into the Samaritan writing just to give a reader the taste of the original.
The Samaritan culture was almost forgotten and this book will undoubtfully be an additional brick to rebuild the Samaritan historical heritage, as well as another tribute to the Jewish Torah, the crown of the Jewish nation.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars