In Sefer Tagin
Fragments from the Cairo Genizah, Marc Michaels transcribes and recreates fragments of arguably the earliest found manuscript of the manual for
sofrim (scribes) concerning the decorative
tagin (tittles) and 'strange' letter forms that adorn certain words in the
Torah. Comparing these found fragments against other core and secondary sources of
Sefer Tagin (including several pages of a new secondary source), Michaels establishes the most likely readings to assist the reconstruction of the fragments and shed light on the original intention of the author of
Sefer Tagin.
Marc Michaels is studying for a PhD at Cambridge University (FAMES). A Strategy and Creative Director, he is also a
Sofer S"TaM presenting and writing on topics related to scribal practice (www.sofer.co.uk).
Acknowledgements List of Assigned Sigla List of Figures, Tables and Reconstructions Note on Transliteration
1
Introduction 1
The ‘Strange Letters’, Visual midrash and Sefer Tagin 2
A Brief Introduction to tagin 3
Sefer Tagin—A Manual for sofrim (Scribes) 4
The Corpus of Textual Witnesses to Sefer Tagin—Core and Secondary Sources 5
Some Example Uses in Sifrey Torah 6
Adding to the Core Corpus, Oxford Bodleian MS. Heb. d. 33/3 (fol. 9), a Known Fragment from the Cairo Genizah
2
A New (Partial) Witness 1
T-S D1.42—Two New Pages from a Version of Sefer Tagin Identified from the Cairo Genizah 2
Dating and Locating T-S D1.42 3
Identifying Additional Joins, T-S AS 139.152, T-S NS 287.11 and T-S AS 139.144 4
An Additional Find, a Secondary Source T-S Misc. 24.182 from the Cairo Genizah 5
Dating T-S Misc. 24.182
3
Transcription and Analysis 1
Diacritical Conventions 2
Digital Composition and Font Construction
Part 1
4
Critical Analysis of T-S D.142 1
End of Listing of Instances for the First Special Letter he Form 2
Description and Example Forms of the First Special Letter he 3
Description and Example Forms of the Second Special Letter he 4
Listing of Instances for the Second Special Letter he 5
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter vav 6
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter vav 7
Description and Example Forms of the First Special Letter zayin 8
Listing of Instances for the First Special Letter zayin 9
Description and Example Forms of the Second Special Letter zayin 10
Listing of Instances for the Second Special Letter zayin 11
Description and Example Forms of the First Special Letter ḥet 12
Listing of Instances for the First Special Letter ḥet 13
Description and Example Forms of the Second Special Letter ḥet 14
Listing of Instances for the Second Special Letter ḥet 15
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter ṭet 16
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter ṭet 17
Summary—T-S D1.42
Part 2
5
Analysis and Reconstruction of Joined Fragments 1
Reconstruction of Additional Pages of Our New Core Source 2
Continuing the Listing for the Special Letter ṭet 3
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter yod 4
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter yod 5
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter kaf 6
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter kaf 7
Description and Example Forms of the First Special Letter kaf sofit 8
Listing of Instances for the First Special Letter kaf sofit 9
Description and Example Forms of the Second Special Letter kaf sofit 10
Listing of Instances for the Second Special Letter kaf sofit 11
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter lamed 12
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter lamed 13
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter mem 14
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter mem 15
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter mem sofit 16
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter mem sofit 17
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter nun 18
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter nun 19
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter tav 20
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter tav 21
Conclusion of Sefer Tagin 22
Summary—CG Joined Fragments
Part 3
6
Oxford Bodleian MS. Heb. 33/3 (fol. 9) 1
Critical Analysis of MS. Heb. d. 33/3 2
Continuing the Listing for the Special Letter nun 3
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter nun sofit 4
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter nun sofit 5
The ‘Upside Down’ nun sofit of Haran 6
Continuing the Listing for the Special Letter nun sofit 7
Description and Example Forms of the Special Letter samekh 8
Listing of Instances for the Special Letter samekh 9
Description and Example Forms of the First Special Letter ʿayin 10
Listing of Instances for the First Special Letter ʿayin 11
Summary—Oxford Heb. 33/9
Appendix 1: Transcription and Annotation of T-S Misc. 24.182 Appendix 2: Enhanced Imagery of Sefer Tagin from Sassoon 82 (JUD. 022) Bibliography
Anyone interested in Jewish scribal practice and Jewish
halacha (law), Hebrew manuscripts and the Hebrew script, findings from the Cairo
Genizah and general
Torah/Bible studies.