Customer Reviews

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia

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If you are going to buy the Old Testament in Hebrew than this is the one to buy. It is the standard that is used by almost all scholars. It is the one we used in my University courses. If that doesn't convince you the introduction will. It is a lengthy descripiton of how the text came to be and about the various scholars who worked on it. Furthermorre it explains the many footnotes which show variations in the Targum, Syriac, and other famous editions. It's worth the price.

In the field of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies, 'BHS' carries a well-deserved resonance, much like 'Mercedes' or 'Beamer' does among enthusiasts of quality cars that are within the mainstream.

The Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft's BIBLIA HEBRAICA STUTTGARTENSIA has no rivals except its own periodic updates. Like Mercedes and BMW, each edition represents improvements made to a venerable tradition, in this case one that associates its name with the renowned German scholars Alt, Eissfeldt, Kittel and their successors.

Following introductions in the major European languages and indices to the sigla that one uses to follow the textual information presented in the two 'apparati' (running footnote references) on each page of the text, one launches without comment into the biblical text itself. The gruntwork of editing and annotating each biblical book has been placed into the hands of particular scholars. As a result, the reluctance or daring with which the editors present evidence gleaned from Hebrew manuscripts and the early versions varies, but always within the general parameters established by the Biblica Hebraica tradition.

BHS is a 'diplomatic' edition. This means that a given text is presented as received. The apparati then provide the scholar with data from which he or she chooses to opt for a different 'reading' at any point along the way. The text in this case is variously known, but commonly called 'Leningradensis', a superb 11th-century manuscript in the Massoretic tradition. It is the earliest complete exemplar of the Massoretic biblical/textual tradition, thanks to the wear and scarring suffered by its slightly older cousin, the Aleppo Codex.

BHS is not a visual 'copy' of Leningradensis - one of this is available - but rather a machine-type presentation of that manuscript's contents. The quality of workmanship is awe-inspiring. Though I have worn out my share of BHS's, this is due to intensive use and occasional mistreatment in a backpack or overstuffed briefcase. I can scarcely imagined a more durable book.

The Gesellschaft will eventually produce the successor to BHS, to be titled BIBLIA HEBRAICA QUINTA. It will provide its reader with even more textual data, much of it gleaned from the Dead Sea manuscripts.

Quinta will earn its welcome. However, it is only with deep nostalgia that I will cede pride of place to the Quinta after having journeyed so long and contentedly with the incomparable BHS.

This is "BHS," the edition that most Christian seminaries require for courses that require the original-language text. It's a reliable text.

Granted, neither the BHS text nor the idealized Massoretic Text is problem-free. Still, take the "critical apparatus," the notes at the bottom of each page, with a grain of salt. They represent work by mostly Christian scholars from the 1600's CE to today, who have been trying to reduce the number of "text problems." The work will remain debatable until Judgement Day. Pay attention to your "Exegetical Methods for Hebrew" professor, and read about textual criticism.

Also, the text layout in BHS has some annoying features.

...If you must use BHS for your seminary course, get BHS. The small edition is easy to carry to class; the large edition is easier on the eyes.

BHS is a scholarly edition of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Christian Old Testament. The text is based on the Leningradis codex. It contains pointed Hebrew text with cantilations, masora parva with references to masora magna, masora finalis and critical apparatus. The critical apparatus notes textual variations from all major and significant manuscripts. The introductory chapter has a pretty good discussion of the text and various editions. It's all very useful and handy, making this edition the best value in a single package.

It is definitely the text of choice for scholars. It's scholarly content should not detract from student's or a lay reader's experience. The size of the book is standard for text critical editions like Aland's New Testament, LXX, Vulgata or others. Some folks like large fonts for their reading, but that should not be a problem either. BHS has pretty decent size font, except of course for masora parva and the critical apparatus where the fonts are pretty small. But the text itself is pretty reasonable size and readable. I personally rarely read from the book itself, but copy the passages I want to study (either 1:1 or sometimes enlarged) and then take notes on the copied pages. So I would recommend people who need large fonts to do the same. But I would definitely recommend this edition of the Hebrew Bible to anyone. It's a must.

The Biblia Hebraica was exactly as described and arrived on time. I was a little dismayed that the tag on the book left behind a slightly sticky mess when I removed it, but, for the price, I'm not complaining any more than that.

I was hoping the print would be larger. If you have eyesight problems you will need magnifying glass. Wish I could find one with bigger print so I don't have stuggle to see the the letters and especially the vowel points. It is great to have a scriptures in Hebrew so until I can find one bigger this is a good one.

This is the oldest complete copy of the Jewish Old Testament written in Hebrew. To understand the OT, one must study this!

If you want to read the Tanakh, read BHS.