Tuesday, 31 March 2015

UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE

Nash Papyrus vs Mesoretic text: Shema

The Nash papyrus fragment obtained by W. L. Nash in 1898 was, until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the earliest known Biblical Hebrew text. It is usually ascribed to the mid-2nd century C.E. but some have dated it to first century C.E. and others back even further to the second century B.C.E. 1

The small sheet of 24 lines contains a distinct version of the 10 Commandments and ends abruptly after the opening of the Shema.  Its use has variously been suggested as: part of a set of Tephilin, a teaching tool or as part of the daily morning prayers following the old custom of saying these two texts together as noted in the Mishnah Tamid 5:1 (32b in Talmud Bavli Tamid).2

Most discussion of the Nash papyrus has focused on its variant 10 Commandment version, which somewhat resembles the Septuagint.

In this blog the focus is on the Shema section which differs from the traditional, Mesoretic text.  


Issues and my position
Wikipedia and others not only suggest that the Nash Papyrus and the Greek Septuagint (which it closely resembles) are based on a common Hebrew Torah scroll, but they also imply that the underlying, long lost Torah scroll, which has textual differences, is much older than the Jewish Mesoretic version used by World Jewry today.

In the sections below I will argue that the Nash and Septuagint changes are post-Mesoretic, and the traditional Mesoretic Torah text is, in fact, more accurate.

Preamble to the Shema
The Shema appears in the Chumash/Pentateuch only once and as part of Moses’ sermons that are the book of Deuteronomy and where he is speaking to the new generation some 40 years after the Exodus.

In the Septuagint Greek translation and Hebrew Nash fragment, there is an addition to verse 3 before the Shema.3 

The Septuagint text is below with the additional section highlighted in yellow and labelled by me as (3a):

3 Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do them, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may be greatly multiplied, as the Lord God of thy fathers said that he would give thee a land flowing with milk and honey: (3a) and these [are] the ordinances, and the judgments, which the Lord [LXX; but Nash has Moses] commanded the children of Israel in the wilderness, when they had gone forth from the land of Egypt.”  .  


In Deuteronomy chapter 6, Moses is speaking to the new generation          40 years after the Exodus, as they are about to invade and conquer the Promised Land.

He advises and forewarns them as follows:

Verse 1  General introduction and command to follow the laws and ordinances of God.
Verse 2   reward #1 =You will have long life
Verse 3   reward #2 = You will enjoy the benefits of a land flowing with milk and honey

Verse 4 – 9  Shema Yisrael paragraph: including the mitzvoth of tephilin and Mezzuzots to be affixed to the entrances of one’s home and city gates (in the Promised Land).

Verse 10- 11 – Returns to and elaborates on the benefits of the Promised Land: great cities already built and the bounty of the land and its crops.

Verse 12- 16 Warning against Canaanite idol worship and God’s punishments if it happens.

Verse 17-19  – Repeats the opening introduction (Verses 1-3):  follow God’s commandments and then God will ensure an easy victory and the bounty of the land.

Verse 20 – 23 - Suddenly switches to discuss future generations and what to tell them at the Passover Seder (though not so named in ch 6.) regarding the Exodus from Egypt, which text is included in the Passover Haggadah.

Verse 24-25  These nicely complete Moses’ circle of thought by returning to the chapter’s opening words re: obeying the laws and ordinances given by God  and His promise of live long and prosper.


 Analysis re: Nash and Septuagint

Nothing in the first 3 verses before Shema and the subsequent verses 10-19 anticipate the Septuagint and Nash preamble insertion; an addition which crudely tries to redirect the Shema’s context of entering the Promised Land some 40 years after the Exodus. I.e., It clearly asserts the Shema was given to the Jewish people soon after the Exodus.

Only the much later verses 20-23, which discuss future generations and what to tell them at the Passover Seder have even the slightest logical link to the Nash and Septuagint additional verse (3a):


Put simply, the Nash and Septuagint preamble to Shema is totally out of place before verse 4. 

It totally distorts and alters the timeline context and only tangentially relates to the latter part of ch.6 used in the Haggadah.

It also violates the pattern of Moses’ speech: squeezing in a 4th general introductory verse which alters the stylistic balance of Moses’ sermon and its repeated emphasis on long life and prosperity in the Promised Land in its ‘introductions’.

Consequently, I suggest the preamble to Shema was a later addition.

It is a crude effort to deflect and unlink the Shema from the Promised Land – something that makes good sense for those living in the galut of Egypt.

It also tries to alter when the Shema prayer was first given to the Jewish people by Moses. The preamble tradition disagrees with the Mesoretic ‘plain meaning’ or peshat which places the introduction of the Shema at the end of Moses’ life. 

Finally, it might make sense as a standalone and devote preface to any reading of the Shema in a prayer book – as in the Nash papyrus -- where the entire context of Deut. ch 6 would not be needed for saying the Shema.
After all, the Nash correctly attributes the prayer to Moses – unlike the Septugint which attributes it to God.

 Added הוא
Secondly, and more importantly, the opening verse of the Shema in the Nash Papyrus has an extra word added:  הוא -- which matches the Greek Septuagint.

The Nash text is:
[ישראל] במדבר בצאתם מארץ מצרים שמ[ע]

[ישרא]ל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד
הוא וא[הבת]


The Septuagint is:               [from: http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-                                                                    texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=5&page=6]

4  ῎Ακουε, ᾿Ισραήλ· Κύριος  ὁ   Θεὸς   ἡμῶν Κύριος  εἷς   ἐστι·
  Literally:    Listen   Israel    Lord     the   God     our     Lord    one   He is

Smoothed out:  Listen, Israel, the Lord [is] our God, Lord he is one.

              The inclusion of ἐστι· (= He is) equals the Hebrew הוא as the verb ‘is’ is implied in Hebrew.


Analysis

That the extra word in the Nash Papyrus and Septuagint is again later than the Mesoretic Torah tradition is supported by stylistic considerations and Chumash usage.


STYLE

The Shema, like much in the Chumash/Pentateuch is poetic and designed to be heard. 

The text consequently uses a poetic word count cadence as well as a rhythm or beat based on audible vowels.


WORD COUNT

The Mesoretic traditional text has the following word count pattern:


שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד.  
      
                                                2       -      2          -       2

The Nash is:           הוא שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד
                                       3        -         2          -          2     


VOWEL COUNT AND BEAT

Also supporting the Mesoretic text is the vowel pattern and beat.

Jews do not pronounce the Eternal Tetragrammaton name of God and use ADONI , i.e., Master, as a substitute when reading silently or aloud. The exact vocalization and number of audible vowels has been lost.

Jehovah Witnesses assume there are 3 audible vowel sounds, but there may be only two.

As the Divine name recurs, the vowel pattern is still visible even if the exact pronunciation of the Hebrew Eternal is unknown. 


The Mesoretic vowel rhythm pattern is:                             
      
                             שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד. 
If Eternal has 3 vowels:              2     (3)               4        (3)               3        2

If Eternal has 2 vowels:               2      (2)             4         (2)              3        2                                                                                              
The Nash is:            הוא שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד

 If Eternal has 3 vowels:        1                 2          (3)          4         (3)               3        2

If Eternal has 2 vowels:         1               2            (2)           4        (2)               3         2




SUMMARY

As can be seen from the word count and vocalized vowel count, the Mesoretic text’s poetic qualities of symmetry and balance become ‘diluted’ in both word count and vowel sounds with the addition of the extra הוא.



NOT CHUMASH/PENTATEUCH usage

Finally, the Hebrew word הוּא - singular 3rd person, male – is rarely used in the Chumash/Pentateuch for people and almost NEVER USED in reference to God.
Yes, in praise passages in the Book of Psalms God is referred to using the 3rd person pronoun, e.g. Psalm 100, and so too once in the Book of Nehemiah, but these well post-date the Chumash/Pentateuch.

                              Psalms Chapter 100 תְּהִלִּים
דְּעוּ--    כִּי יְהוָה, הוּא אֱלֹהִים:
הוּא-עָשָׂנוּ, ולא (וְלוֹ) אֲנַחְנוּ--    עַמּוֹ, וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתוֹ.
3 Know ye that the LORD He is God; {N}
it is He that hath made us, and we are His, His people, and the flock of His pasture.

                                             Nehemiah Chapter 9 נְחֶמְיָה
ו  אַתָּה-הוּא יְהוָה, לְבַדֶּךָ--את (אַתָּה) עָשִׂיתָ אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם שְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכָל-צְבָאָם הָאָרֶץ וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ הַיַּמִּים וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם, וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת-כֻּלָּם; וּצְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם, לְךָ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים.
6 Thou art the LORD, even Thou alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee.
ז  אַתָּה-הוּא, יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ בְּאַבְרָם, וְהוֹצֵאתוֹ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים; וְשַׂמְתָּ שְּׁמוֹ, אַבְרָהָם.
7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham

However, In the Chumash/Pentateuch,  הוּא,  and the female היא,are normally ‘impersonal’ in usage and at time added in derogatory situations.

Examples:
Genesis 37: 27    
When Jacob’s10 sons decide to sell Joseph into slavery – הוּא is added though it is superfluous grammatically; but its use does emphasize that Joseph, while their brother and flesh, is an ‘outsider’  =   הוּא.
                                    Genesis Chapter 37 בְּרֵאשִׁית
כז  לְכוּ     --וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים--    וְיָדֵנוּ אַל-תְּהִי-בוֹ      --           כִּי אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ הוּא--      וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו.


          Word count pattern:      1 --  2  --   4  --   4 (with the הוּא)  -- 2
          Audible vowel pattern:    2  -  5    - 5  -   4  - 1+2+1 (=4) 
                                            – 1   - 3   -  4  - 1  (with the הוּא)   -  4   -  2

Genesis 38:25

At the climax of the story of Judah and Tamar, after she is accused of being a harlot and is about to be burned to death, the Chumash/Pentateuch  uses the impersonal הִיא /הִוא twice, almost back to back, as Tamar, referred here only as “she” makes her embarrassing revelation of Judah’s pledges as proof.
 
כד  וַיְהִי כְּמִשְׁלֹשׁ חֳדָשִׁים, וַיֻּגַּד לִיהוּדָה לֵאמֹר זָנְתָה תָּמָר כַּלָּתֶךָ, וְגַם הִנֵּה הָרָה, לִזְנוּנִים; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה, הוֹצִיאוּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵף.
24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.' And Judah said: 'Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.'
כה  הִוא מוּצֵאת, וְהִיא שָׁלְחָה אֶל-חָמִיהָ לֵאמֹר, לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-אֵלֶּה לּוֹ, אָנֹכִי הָרָה; וַתֹּאמֶר, הַכֶּר-נָא--לְמִי הַחֹתֶמֶת וְהַפְּתִילִים וְהַמַּטֶּה, הָאֵלֶּה.
25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: 'By the man, whose these are, am I with child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.'

Genesis 39: 22-23

When Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt and became the warden’s ‘viceroy’, the Chumash/Pentateuch, in referring to the tasks Joseph had to do to supervise and run the prison, reverts – twice – to the impersonal הוּא.

כב  וַיִּתֵּן שַׂר בֵּית-הַסֹּהַר, בְּיַד-יוֹסֵף, אֵת כָּל-הָאֲסִירִם, אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר; וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עֹשִׂים שָׁם, הוּא הָיָה עֹשֶׂה.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
כג  אֵין שַׂר בֵּית-הַסֹּהַר, רֹאֶה אֶת-כָּל-מְאוּמָה בְּיָדוֹ, בַּאֲשֶׁר יְהוָה, אִתּוֹ; וַאֲשֶׁר-הוּא עֹשֶׂה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ.  {פ}
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. {P}



Similarly, Exodus 34

In verse 9, Moses uses the word הוּא when referring in derogatory terms to the Jewish People, even switching from the “we” of the surrounding sections of the verse to the impersonal 3rd person ‘it” when saying:  “... for it is a stiff-necked people “.

ט  וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ, אֲדֹנָי, יֵלֶךְ-נָא אֲדֹנָי, בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ:  כִּי עַם-קְשֵׁה-עֹרֶף הוּא, וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ.
9 And he said: 'If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.'

הוּא also appears in God’s response and self-description in verse 14.
יד  כִּי לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, לְאֵל אַחֵר:  כִּי יְהוָה קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ, אֵל קַנָּא הוּא.
14 For thou shalt bow down to no other god; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God;

Now one might argue it is a precedent or parallel to the addition of   הוּא/ ἐστι  to the Nash and Septuagint Shema.

However, while the Shema’s opening verse is clearly positive in its intent and is followed by an entire paragraph encouraging the Jewish People to love God with all of one’s heart and soul, etc., the above verse 14 is negative in nature.

It indicates when God’s jealousy and wrath are aroused that He will become distant from the Jewish People, become ‘impersonal’ when issuing His punishments.

Therefore, I suggest any version of the opening line of Shema that contains the extra  הוּא is post- Chumash/Pentateuch. Only the Mesoretic text that is in keeping with the usage and idiom of the Chumash/Pentateuch.



OVERALL CONCLUSION

Any suggestion that the Nash Papyrus and Septuagint -- with their extra preamble and use of הוּא/ ἐστι  represent an older and more correct Hebrew text than the one passed on in Jewish Mesoretic tradition: based on age of surviving manuscripts and the two-beats-one logic, is inconsistent with the general style and word usage of the Hebrew Chumash/Pentateuch.


http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0506.htm

Deuteronomy Chapter 6 דְּבָרִים

א  וְזֹאת הַמִּצְוָה, הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם--לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ.
1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it--
ב  לְמַעַן תִּירָא אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-חֻקֹּתָיו וּמִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּךָ, אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבֶן-בִּנְךָ, כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ--וּלְמַעַן, יַאֲרִכֻן יָמֶיךָ.
2 that thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
ג  וְשָׁמַעְתָּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לְךָ, וַאֲשֶׁר תִּרְבּוּן מְאֹד:  כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֶיךָ, לָךְ--אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב, וּדְבָשׁ.  {פ}
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee--a land flowing with milk and honey. {P}
ד  שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד.
4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
ה  וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ.
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
ו  וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
ז  וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ.
7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
ח  וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
ט  וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.  {ס}
9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. {S}
י  וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב--לָתֶת לָךְ:  עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וְטֹבֹת, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-בָנִיתָ.
10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee--great and goodly cities, which thou didst not build,
יא  וּבָתִּים מְלֵאִים כָּל-טוּב, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-מִלֵּאתָ, וּבֹרֹת חֲצוּבִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-חָצַבְתָּ, כְּרָמִים וְזֵיתִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נָטָעְתָּ; וְאָכַלְתָּ, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ.
11 and houses full of all good things, which thou didst not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which thou didst not hew, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou didst not plant, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied--
יב  הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ, פֶּן-תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת-יְהוָה, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים.
12 then beware lest thou forget the LORD, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
יג  אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא, וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹד; וּבִשְׁמוֹ, תִּשָּׁבֵעַ.
13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; and Him shalt thou serve, and by His name shalt thou swear.
יד  לֹא תֵלְכוּן, אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים--מֵאֱלֹהֵי, הָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר, סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶם.
14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;
טו  כִּי אֵל קַנָּא יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּקִרְבֶּךָ:  פֶּן-יֶחֱרֶה אַף-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בָּךְ, וְהִשְׁמִידְךָ, מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה.  {ס}
15 for a jealous God, even the LORD thy God, is in the midst of thee; lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and He destroy thee from off the face of the earth. {S}
טז  לֹא תְנַסּוּ, אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם, בַּמַּסָּה.
16 Ye shall not try the LORD your God, as ye tried Him in Massah.
יז  שָׁמוֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן, אֶת-מִצְוֹת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְעֵדֹתָיו וְחֻקָּיו, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּךְ.
17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes, which He hath commanded thee.
יח  וְעָשִׂיתָ הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב, בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה--לְמַעַן, יִיטַב לָךְ, וּבָאתָ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה, אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ.
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers,
יט  לַהֲדֹף אֶת-כָּל-אֹיְבֶיךָ, מִפָּנֶיךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר, דִּבֶּר יְהוָה.  {ס}
19 to thrust out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken. {S}
כ  כִּי-יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר, לֵאמֹר:  מָה הָעֵדֹת, וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אֶתְכֶם.
20 When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: 'What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
כא  וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ, עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם; וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ יְהוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה.
21 then thou shalt say unto thy son: 'We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
כב  וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה אוֹתֹת וּמֹפְתִים גְּדֹלִים וְרָעִים בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל-בֵּיתוֹ--לְעֵינֵינוּ.
22 And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes.
כג  וְאוֹתָנוּ, הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם--לְמַעַן, הָבִיא אֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.
23 And He brought us out from thence, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers.
כד  וַיְצַוֵּנוּ יְהוָה, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-כָּל-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה, לְיִרְאָה, אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--לְטוֹב לָנוּ כָּל-הַיָּמִים, לְחַיֹּתֵנוּ כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
כה  וּצְדָקָה, תִּהְיֶה-לָּנוּ:  כִּי-נִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ.  {ס}
25 And it shall be righteousness unto us, if we observe to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as He hath commanded us.' {S}


Nash Papyrus

Translation and text facsimile from http://opensiddur.org/set-prayers/earth-cycle/daytime/morning/adventures-in-ancient-jewish-liturgy-the-ten-commandments-and-the-

shma-in-the-nash-papyrus/


   [  ] – text missing from fragment

[ואלה החק]ים והמשפטים אשר צוה משה את [בני]
[(?) And these are the statute]s and the judgments that Moshe commanded the [children of]

[ישראל] במדבר בצאתם מארץ מצרים שמ[ע]
[Yisrael] in the wilderness, when they went forth from the land of Egypt. Hea[r]

[ישרא]ל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד הוא וא[הבת]
[Yisra]el: YHVH our God, YHVH is one; and You shall lo[ve]

[את יהוה א]ל[היך בכ]ל ל[בבך. . . . ]
[YHVH your G]o[d with al]l y[our heart … . ].
The Nash Papyrus. Photo appearing in THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW 15 (1903) 392-408.



Exodus Chapter 34 שְׁמוֹת
ד  וַיִּפְסֹל שְׁנֵי-לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים, וַיַּשְׁכֵּם מֹשֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר וַיַּעַל אֶל-הַר סִינַי, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֹתוֹ; וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ, שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים.
4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone.
ה  וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בֶּעָנָן, וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם; וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם, יְהוָה.
5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
ו  וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל-פָּנָיו, וַיִּקְרָא, יְהוָה יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן--אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת.
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: 'The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;
ז  נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה--פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.
7 keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.'
ח  וַיְמַהֵר, מֹשֶׁה; וַיִּקֹּד אַרְצָה, וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
ט  וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ, אֲדֹנָי, יֵלֶךְ-נָא אֲדֹנָי, בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ:  כִּי עַם-קְשֵׁה-עֹרֶף הוּא, וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ.
9 And he said: 'If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.'
י  וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת בְּרִית, נֶגֶד כָּל-עַמְּךָ אֶעֱשֶׂה נִפְלָאֹת, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נִבְרְאוּ בְכָל-הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל-הַגּוֹיִם; וְרָאָה כָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה בְקִרְבּוֹ אֶת-מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה, כִּי-נוֹרָא הוּא, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי, עֹשֶׂה עִמָּךְ.
10 And He said: 'Behold, I make a covenant; before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been wrought in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD that I am about to do with thee, that it is tremendous.
יא  שְׁמָר-לְךָ--אֵת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי, מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם; הִנְנִי גֹרֵשׁ מִפָּנֶיךָ, אֶת-הָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי, וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי, וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי.
11 Observe thou that which I am commanding thee this day; behold, I am driving out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
יב  הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ, פֶּן-תִּכְרֹת בְּרִית לְיוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה, בָּא עָלֶיהָ:  פֶּן-יִהְיֶה לְמוֹקֵשׁ, בְּקִרְבֶּךָ.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest they be for a snare in the midst of thee.
יג  כִּי אֶת-מִזְבְּחֹתָם תִּתֹּצוּן, וְאֶת-מַצֵּבֹתָם תְּשַׁבֵּרוּן; וְאֶת-אֲשֵׁרָיו, תִּכְרֹתוּן.
13 But ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and ye shall cut down their Asherim.
יד  כִּי לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, לְאֵל אַחֵר:  כִּי יְהוָה קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ, אֵל קַנָּא הוּא.
14 For thou shalt bow down to no other god; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God;



1. See “Nash Papyrus” entries: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_14544.html; http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-OR-00233/1, Cambridge Digital Libraryhttps://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/nash-papyrus; Wikipedia.

2. http://opensiddur.org/set-prayers/earth-cycle/daytime/morning/adventures-in-ancient-jewish-liturgy-the-ten-commandments-and-the-shma-in-the-nash-papyrus/

3. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_14544.html

4.  http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/extras/Nash.html “Nash Papyrus”

NOTE: all Hebrew-English translation s are from Mechon-Mamre.org website.

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