Page "Masoretic Text" Paragraph 40

Among the earliest technical terms used in connection with activities of the Scribes are the " mikra Soferim " and " ittur Soferim.

" In the geonic schools, the first term was taken to signify certain vowel-changes which were made in words in pause or after the article ; the second, the cancellation in a few passages of the " vav " conjunctive, where it had by some been wrongly read.

The objection to such an explanation is that the first changes would fall under the general head of fixation of pronunciation, and the second under the head of " Qere " and " Ketiv " ( i. e. " What is read " and " What is written ").

Various explanations have, therefore, been offered by ancient as well as modern scholars without, however, succeeding in furnishing a completely satisfactory solution.