Some Comparisons of Two Kaifeng Torah Scrolls

 

Since the Jesuits "discovered" the Kaifeng Jews in 1605 there was a fixation on their Torah scrolls.  As no Christological references were ever found in their scrolls (or other books!) they were more of less forgotten about after 1851.  Even legitimate Jewish studies questions about their scrolls has been largely ignored.  The scrolls are considered posek, not fit for ritual use, and therefore unfit for scholarly research.  

But there is much to learn. I have images of the SMU Kaifeng Scrolls, and images of the microfilm of the Vienna Kaifeng Scroll.  I will use this space to compare them.  We will start with variants from modern scrolls, and variants among scrolls.   Eventually I will have access to images of the microfilm of six of the seven Kaifeng scrolls that Pollak deposited at the SMU Library (sometime later this year).  He writes:

"I have been able to secure microfilms of six of the seven extant Kaifeng scrolls known to me, and have therefore had ample opportunity to check the textual data given in the present study which refer to these six scrolls. (The one exemplar for which I have not obtained a microfilm copy is that at the Jewish Theological Seminary; and unfortunately, two of the microfilms I do have are incomplete reproductions of the scrolls from which they were made).  The six microfilms in my possession are being deposited in the Harrison Collection at Bridwell Library" - The Torah Scroll of the Chinese Jews, pg. 118, note 5 

Let's look at some variations:

4:15

Here is the text "all who kill Cain" in three Kaifeng version.  The first is SMU, the second Vienna, and the third HUC .  The Vienna scroll appears to have a yod following the gimel in hareg.  Is this a scribal error?  It is not present in SMU or HUC 951.

17:21

The Vienna Scroll has a nun, where it should have a resh.  Both HUC 952 and the SMU scroll have the resh in Sarah.

19:8

Here the text reads l'anashim hael, to these men.  One is the SMU, and two is Vienna, and the third to modern version.  The word hael, which means these, is typically spelled with a hey at the end.  The modern version has a variant spelling.  Either this variant was "fixed" by each scribe, or, more likely, in the example they copied from; we will see this kind of variant a great deal in Kaifeng scrolls. 

20:13

The Vienna Scroll spells m'bet, from the house, with a hey, rather than a bet.  The SMU and modern version have the bet.

31:6 

                                          I do not have this part of the SMU Scroll

31:27

  I do not have this part of the SMU Scroll

41:26

Here is a common variant in the Vienna Scroll: vav has been added to alot.  This is a variant spelling not found in the modern version or in the SMU Scroll

41:26

Here, both the SMU and Vienna Scrolls add vavs to paroth and tovoth, while the modern version lacks them.

41:26

Here, the SMU and Vienna Scroll have added vav for hatovot, while the modern version does not.

41:26