nagogue. This work is ascribed to
learned Jews of Tiberias, called _Masoretes_, from _Masora_,
_tradition_; and the Hebrew text thus furnished by them is called the
_Masoretic_, in distinction from the _unpointed_ text, which latter is,
according to Jewish usage, retained in the synagogue-rolls. From
reverence to the word of God, the _punctuators_ (as these men are also
called) left the primitive text in all cases undisturbed, simply
superadding to it their marks of distinction. After giving with great
minuteness the different _vowel-signs_ and marks (commonly called
_diacritical_) for the varying pronunciation of the consonants, they
superadded a complicated system of _accents_. These serve the threefold
office of guides in _cantillating_ the sacred text (according to ancient
usage in the synagogue-reading); of indicating the _connection in
meaning_ among the words and clauses; and of marking, though with
certain exceptions, the _tone-syllables_ of words. In addition to all
the above, they added a mass of _notes_, partly of a critical and partly
of a grammatical character, relating to various readings, grammatical
forms and connections, modes of orthography, and the like. These are
called collectively the _Masorah_, of which there is a fuller Masorah
called the _greater_ (found only in Rabbinical Bibles), and a briefer,
called the _less_, the main part of which is found in common editions of
the Hebrew Bible. To illustrate the _Masoretic_ as contrasted with the
_unpointed_ text, we give the first verse of Genesis, _first_, in its
simple unpointed form; _secondly_, with the vowel-signs and diacritical
marks for the consonants; _thirdly_, with both these and the accents,
the last being the complete Masoretic text.

[Hebrew: br'shit br' 'lhim et hshmym vet h'rts]

[Hebrew: bere'shit bara' 'elohim et hashamayim veet ha'arets]

[Hebrew: o bere'shit bara' 'elohim et hashamayim veet ha'arets]

_ha-arets. ve-eth hasshamayim eth elohim bara Bereshith

the-earth. and-it the heavens them God created In-the-beginning_

The round circle above the initial letter in the third line refers to a
marginal _note of the Masorah_ indicating that it is to be written
_large_.

Respecting the origin and antiquity of the Hebrew points a warm
controversy existed in former times. Some maintained that they were
coeval with the language itself; others that they were first introduced
by Ezra after the Babylonish captivity. But their later
or