Review of Bereshit - The Vienna Scroll

Scroll Number 6 (the Zebulun Scroll) from the Kaifeng Community is currently at the Austrian National Library in Vienna.  Here is the link about this scroll from a previous entry: Vienna Scroll

I have finished examining Bereshit, with an eye for divergences in this scroll and modern copies of Genesis in terms of word order and spelling.  I did not pay attention to any other anomalies. I was using a scan of a microfilm copy, and in some areas the microfilm was defective, or the original ink was so light I was unable to read the Hebrew.  In one or two cases, the original microfilming was defectively done, and large portions of the scroll were not scanned. 

With that in mind, I will share the results.  I count 19 divergences of the Vienna Scroll with modern scrolls.  We will take them in turn.  Ideally we would check these anomalies with the Square Portion Books at HUC and elsewhere, but this was possible only with one anomaly. 

1.    4:15, extra yod for horeg, kills

HUC 951 contains the modern version of this word:

2.    17:15, Sarah, shin, resh, hey, is spelled shin, nun, hey.

This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

3.    19:8, the word ha'el, is spelled with an extra hey. 

This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.  It appears this was a "correction" of the text.  The standard way of writing this would be the Kaifeng/Vienna version, and the modern version is not standard.

4. 20:5, gam hu, and she

The Kaifeng version is missing the mem following the gimel.

5. 20:13, mibet, from the house.

The Kaifeng scrolls substitutes het for bet. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

6. 31:6, kohi, my power.

The Kaifeng version has substituted a mem for the chet and does not have a yod. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

7.  31:27, b'tof with tabret (a drum) 

                                                       

The Kaifeng Scroll add as vav for the "o" sound.   Is the final letter correct? This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

8. 41:2, alot, came up.

The Kaifeng scroll adds a vav between the lamed and tet for the "o" sound.  It appears it was added after the word was written. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

9. 41:26, parot, cows

The Kaifeng scroll has added a vav between the resh and tav, for the "o" sound.  It may have been added after the word was written. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

10.    41:26, hatovot, goodly.

A vav was added to between he vet and tet in the Kaifeng version.  This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

11. 41:26,  hatovot, goodly.

A vav was added between he vet and tet in the Kaifeng version.  This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

12. 41:27,  ha'raoth, ill-favored (poor)

A vav was added between the ayin and tet to provide on "o" sound.  This was certainly added once the word was written. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

13. 42:24, Shimon - Simeon.

Here, the vav between the ayin and nun was left out of the Kaifeng version.   I am unaware of this variant spelling for this name. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

14.    43:15, Binyamin, Benjamin

Here the Kaifeng Scroll "corrects" a variant spelling of Binyamin, adding a yod between the min and nun.  This is the more common version of the spelling.  From the text, it seems like the original Binyamin (without a yod) was erased and "corrected." This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

15. 48:18, habikkur, first born.

The Kaifeng Scroll has a (small) vav between the kof and the rest, for the "o" sound.  This was most likely written after the word. This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

16.    49:6 tehad, united.

The Kaifeng Scroll has a he, while the modern has a het.  This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

17.    49:25, birkot, blessings.

The Kaifeng Scroll has added a vav between the kof and the tet for the "o" sound, most likely after the word was written.   This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

18. 49:25, birkot, blessings.

The Kaifeng Scroll has added a vav between the kof and the tet for the "o" sound, most likely after the word was written.   This portion is not found in the surviving Kaifeng Square Section books.

19. 49:25, rovetzet, that crouches

A dagesh has been added into the tav in the Kaifeng Scroll.

RESULTS:

I count nine spelling variations without any mitigating factors:

1 - 6, 13, 16, 19

I count ten spelling variation that betray a knowledge of Hebrew in excess of what his typically granted to Kaifeng Jews. Nine of these are defectiva (חסר - ḥaser) to plene (מלא - maleh) variations in Hebrew.  All except except one is the addition of a vav to form an "o" sound.  One is the "correction" of Benjamin - the spelling in this part of the Torah should be defectiva, but a scribe most likely erased it and supplied the plene spelling.