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
ABSTRACT
The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), one of the most significant manuscripts among the Dead Sea Scrolls, represents a primary textual witness to the early transmission of the Hebrew Bible. This study provides a detailed philological and text-critical analysis of Column 9 of 1QIsaa, focusing on orthographic variation, scribal practices, and textual structure within Isaiah 9:11–10:14.
The research examines patterns of orthographic expansion, including the systematic use of matres lectionis, supralinear additions, and scribal corrections, all of which reflect a controlled yet dynamic process of textual transmission. Particular attention is given to deviations from the Masoretic Text, classified into orthographic, morphological, and lexical categories.
The findings demonstrate that orthographic variation constitutes the dominant layer of divergence, especially through the consistent use of vav and yod, while morphological and lexical variants remain limited but textually significant. The study further highlights scribal segmentation through spatia and paragraphing, revealing a structural logic that does not consistently correspond to later Masoretic versification.
This contribution situates Column 9 within the broader textual and linguistic framework of the Great Isaiah Scroll and provides further evidence for the complexity of Hebrew textual transmission, scribal culture, and linguistic development in the Second Temple period.
KEYWORDS
Great Isaiah Scroll; 1QIsaa; Dead Sea Scrolls; Qumran Isaiah; Isaiah 9–10; Hebrew Bible; Textual Criticism; Orthographic Variation; Scribal Practices; Matres Lectionis; Biblical Hebrew; Qumran Hebrew; Masoretic Text; Hebrew Philology; Manuscript Studies; Isaiah Scroll; Second Temple Period; Scribal Tradition
FULL TEXT AND ACCESS
HCommons (open access version):
https://works.hcommons.org/records/65bhs-kst11
Zenodo (DOI – permanent scholarly version):
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19713444
DESCRIPTION
This study represents the ninth unit within a comprehensive research project dedicated to the systematic analysis of all fifty-four columns of the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa). Column 9 is examined through an integrated philological, linguistic, and text-critical approach, with particular emphasis on orthographic variation, scribal intervention, and the classification of textual variants.
The analysis includes a detailed examination of the physical and textual characteristics of the manuscript, including spacing (spatia), paragraph segmentation, and evidence of scribal corrections and supralinear additions. Special attention is devoted to the structural transition between Isaiah 9 and Isaiah 10, as reflected in the Qumran manuscript tradition.
Patterns of orthographic expansion, consonantal variation, and selected morphological deviations are identified and evaluated in direct comparison with the Masoretic Text. The study further explores the role of matres lectionis within the orthographic system of Qumran Hebrew, as well as broader indications of scribal standardization, phonological awareness, and textual fluidity.
In addition to the analytical component, the work provides a structured English translation of Column 9 (Isaiah 9:11–10:14), preserving the manuscript’s orthographic and textual features with a high degree of philological precision.
CITATION
Stanojević, Željko. 2026.
COLUMN 9 — The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa): Orthographic and Scribal Features, Analysis, and Translation.
Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19713444
RESEARCH PROJECT
The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa): Orthographic and Scribal Features, Analysis, and Translation (Columns 1–54)
This project provides a complete column-by-column philological, linguistic, and text-critical analysis of the Great Isaiah Scroll, integrating orthographic data, scribal features, and comparative textual evidence across the entire manuscript.
RELATED STUDIES
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 research focuses on orthographic systems, scribal practices, and the transmission history of ancient biblical manuscripts, with particular emphasis on the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa).