THE OLD COLLECTION OF HEBREW MANUSCRIPTS THOROUGHLY STUDIED

AZG Armenian Daily
01/10/2008

Science

The old collection of Hebrew manuscripts kept in Matenadaran
includes the manuscripts brought from Etchmiatsin in 1940. The new
one consists of more than 100 parchment scrolls of the 19th century
brought form Ukraine in 1980s. The old collection was enriched
in 1920-50s; overall, 21 manuscripts are registered. Yosif Amusin,
Dr. of Institute of Oriental Studies of Russia’s Academy of Sciences,
studied 13 of these manuscripts in 1969.

>From March of this year, Matenadaran’s new scientific worker Ruzan
Poghosian, specialized in Hebrew language at Jerusalem Jewish
University in 2000, started the study of all the 21 manuscripts.

Among the 7 manuscripts, studied first time, she found out a Sanskrit
manuscript received from Varuzhan Malatian in 1967.

Especially the 185-page leather manuscript aroused interest. In
contrast to other manuscripts, it is not just a rewriting of the books
of the Old Testament but an interpretation of both the Old Testament
and several books of the Talmud. There are also several unfamiliar
titles, for example, After Death (akharey mavet), which she cannot find
in the Old Testament in Hebrew or in Internet materials about Talmud.

According to the Hebraist, long time is needed to study the manuscript
thoroughly as it is written in illegible, small letter and peculiar
handwriting. In order to work on a manuscript of that volume, to
acquire the necessary skills and to make the study easier it is
necessary to establish a relationship with Jerusalem Institute of
Hebrew Manuscripts.

Most of the manuscripts of the old collection are extracts from the
books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Esther of the Old
Testament. There are also three Charms that, according to Poghosian,
give sufficient grounds to studies based on comparison of the Charms
in Armenian.