Željko Stanojević
Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature, Belgrade
Independent Researcher in Hebrew Linguistics and Biblical Philology
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0717-6184
Published: 2026
ABSTRACT
This study presents a detailed philological, orthographic, and scribal analysis of Column 11 of the Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa), focusing on the textual segment corresponding to Isaiah 11:12–14:1. The research examines the physical characteristics of the manuscript, including stitching traces, surface damage, margin irregularities, and ink-related phenomena, providing insight into the material transmission of the text.
Structural features such as paragraph divisions and the use of spatia are analyzed, demonstrating a system of textual segmentation that reflects an early stage of textual organization, only partially corresponding to later Masoretic divisions. Particular attention is devoted to scribal practices, including orthographic expansion, supralinear insertions, omission and addition of consonants, duplication of lexical elements, and correction marks indicating active scribal intervention.
A systematic comparison with the Masoretic Text reveals a wide range of variations, primarily orthographic and morphological, including differences in suffixation, verbal forms, lexical selection, and phonological representation. These features indicate that the Qumran manuscript preserves a parallel textual tradition characterized by a relatively full orthography and flexible scribal conventions.
The study contributes to a broader understanding of Qumran Hebrew, scribal culture, and the transmission of the biblical text in the Second Temple period, presenting Column 11 as a significant witness to early textual development and variation.
KEYWORDS
Great Isaiah Scroll; 1QIsaa; Dead Sea Scrolls; Qumran; Qumran Hebrew; Biblical Hebrew; Hebrew philology; textual criticism; scribal practices; orthography; manuscript studies; Masoretic Text; Isaiah 11; Isaiah 12; Isaiah 13; Isaiah 14; Second Temple period; matres lectionis; textual transmission; paleography; biblical linguistics
DOI (Permanent Scholarly Version)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20044128
FULL TEXT AND ACCESS
Direct PDF (institutional version): DOWNLOAD PDF
HCommons (open access version):
https://works.hcommons.org/records/cfd1z-mtn85
Academia.edu version:
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Stanojević, Željko. 2026.
Column 11 — The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa): Orthographic and Scribal Features, Analysis, and Translation.
Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20044128
RESEARCH PROJECT
The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa): Orthographic and Scribal Features, Analysis, and Translation (Columns 1–54)
This study forms part of a comprehensive research project dedicated to the systematic philological, linguistic, and text-critical analysis of all fifty-four columns of the Great Isaiah Scroll. The project integrates orthographic data, scribal features, and comparative textual evidence across the entire manuscript.
DESCRIPTION
Column 11 is examined through an integrated philological and text-critical framework, with particular emphasis on orthographic variation, scribal intervention, and the classification of textual variants. The study includes detailed analysis of the manuscript’s physical condition and textual layout, including spacing (spatia), paragraph segmentation, and evidence of scribal corrections and supralinear additions.
Special attention is given to the transition between Isaiah 11, 12, 13, and 14 as reflected in the Qumran manuscript tradition. Patterns of orthographic expansion, consonantal variation, lexical duplication, and selected morphological features are identified and compared systematically with the Masoretic Text.
The analysis further explores the role of matres lectionis within the orthographic system of Qumran Hebrew, highlighting processes of phonological representation, scribal normalization, and textual variation. In addition to the analytical component, the work provides a structured English translation of the column, preserving key orthographic and textual features of the manuscript.
NAVIGATION
Next Column 12:
AUTHOR
Željko Stanojević is a Serbian Hebrew linguist and independent researcher specializing in Biblical Hebrew, Qumran studies, and textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. His work focuses on orthographic systems, scribal practices, and the transmission history of ancient biblical manuscripts, with particular emphasis on the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa).