Codes of Cairo and Aleppo
Over the centuries Judaism was strengthened in the system of vocalization said “tiberiense”, by school “Tiberias”, city on the lake, who developed this system.
Another system developed by the scribes bore the name of “Babylonian”, since it was the vocalization worked out by the rabbis of Babylon. There remain traces of this vocalization in the manuscripts found in the “Gheniza” (warehouse used for the conservation of sacred manuscripts no longer in use) of the synagogue in Cairo, built in 882 AD.
The recent discovery of these manuscripts, ranging from the 6th to the 9th century AD., he also introduced us to the existence of the original Hebrew of Sirach that, previously, we only knew in Greek. The earliest witnesses of the vocalization that asserted itself, the Tibetan one, they are the Code of the Prophets of Cairo and the Code of Aleppo.
CAIRO CODE OF PROPHETS
This code of 895-896 AD, it was probably transcribed by Moses ben Asher, father of Aaron ben Asher. This code contains the “earlier prophets” (Joshua, judges, 1-2 Samuele, 1-2 Re) e i “later prophets” (Isaiah, Geremia, Ezekiel, Minor Prophets).
ALEPPO CODE
Of 925-930 D.C.. (partly destroyed: He begins to Dt 28, 17 and some other parts of the text are missing). E’ considered by many to be the most faithful manuscript to the school of Ben Asher because according to tradition his masora was composed by Aaron ben Moses ben Asher and is the manuscript used for the text of “The Hebrew University Bible” (so far it has been published Isaiah 1-44).
