Scribal Secrets

“In this, alas posthumous, work, the author invites his readers to explore with him an area of Hebrew Bible studies that is often ignored, namely that of the para-textual markings in the Torah text: the dotted words, large and small letters, and much more. In an engaging and non-technical style, the author guides the reader through the multitude of explanations that have been advanced over the years to explain these singular scribal curiosities. This book is warmly recommended for anyone interested in the text of the Torah and printed editions of the Hebrew Bible.”


—David Marcus, Jewish Theological Seminary





“A remarkably readable discussion of several obscure markings in Torah scrolls and the Hebrew Bible that are overlooked by most readers. Diamond (z.l.) has set aside the ‘numbingly technical’ analysis of these extraordinary points—dots marking ten words in the Torah, large and small letters, inverted nuns—and guides us through the many ways these phenomena have been interpreted by rabbis and exegetes.”


—Harold P. Scanlin, United Bible Societies Consultant (Emeritus) on Scholarly Editions and Helps