Qumran manuscripts destroy the infallibility of the Bible and testify to the Samaritan Torah - Mount Ebal or Gerizim?

 

An ancient textual problem that has persisted for hundreds or thousands of years and is considered one of the most important pillars of the dispute between the Hebrew Jews, who take Jerusalem as their qiblah , and the Samaritan Jews, who take Mount Gerizim as their qiblah . This dispute goes back to the text of Deuteronomy 27:4 : When you cross the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal , and you shall whitewash them with lime. The Samaritans accuse the Hebrews of distortion and that they replaced the original text that read " ב הר גריזים - on Mount Gerizim" and which is currently in the Samaritan Torah with the current Hebrew Torah text that reads " ב הר עיבל - on Mount Ebal" . The matter is almost settled for the Hebrew Jews and those Christians who followed them, who agreed on the validity of the Hebrew Torah against the Samaritan Torah , that the distorters were the Samaritan Jews due to religious motives and their sanctification of Mount "Gerizim"! http://st-takla.org/Pix/Bible-Illust...figure-001.jpg The Bible Dictionary says : “The Samaritan text differs from the Hebrew text in approximately six thousand places. For example, the Samaritan Torah replaced Ebal with Gerizim (Deuteronomy 27:4 and 8) in order to increase the honor of their holy mountain . Most of these differences are attributed to errors in translation that occurred on the part of the scribes at the time of writing or to deliberate errors that they made deliberately and persistently.” [SUP] [1] [/SUP] Also, the "Encyclopedia of the Bible": "The text in the Samaritan Torah represents a revised text of the Hebrew Torah , sometimes differing from the Hebrew or the Septuagint, and sometimes differing from both. There are about 6,000 differences between the Samaritan version and the Masoretic Hebrew version, most of which are errors in copying and do not affect an essential truth. The Samaritan text agrees in about 1,900 places with the Septuagint translation. It is clear that some of the differences between the Samaritan and Masoretic Hebrew are due to intentional changes to support some of their beliefs, such as changing Ebal to Gerizim (Deut. 27:4). " [SUP] [2] [/SUP] Therefore, most Arabic, English, and other translations of the Holy Bible have adopted the text of the Hebrew Torah against the text of the Samaritan Torah :



















(Smith and VanDyke) Deuteronomy - Chapter 27:4. When you have crossed the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall whitewash them. (Life) Deuteronomy - Chapter 27:4. And when you have crossed the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and whitewash them. (Common English Translation) Deuteronomy - Chapter 27:4. And when you have crossed the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and whitewash them. The only thing that contradicted this was the Jesuit Catholic translation, which preferred to read the Samaritan Torah , which is different from the Arabic Torah and the Masoretic text relied upon by most Christian sects: (Jesuit) Deuteronomy - Chapter 27: 4. And when you have crossed the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you to set up today, on Mount Gerizim , and you shall plaster them with lime. Then it explains in the commentary the reasons for preferring this reading, which is different from all other Arabic translations: “In the Samaritan text ((on Mount Gerizim)) , but in the Hebrew text we have ((on Mount Ebal )) . Perhaps the Samaritan text is the old text that was changed because of the controversy that arose to respond to the Samaritans, whose place of worship was on Mount Gerizim, which is the old tradition. In verses 12-13 and in 29/11, blessings are recited on Mount Gerizim.” [3] And thus the series of confusion, doubt, and accusation continued between these and those, between supporters and opponents, between accuser and accused, between attacker and defender?! And God Almighty spoke the truth when He said: {And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah, nor will you be a follower of their qiblah, nor will some of them be a follower of others . And if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers.} [Al-Baqarah: 145] - Analysis of the text in its languages ​​and ancient translations: 1- The Hebrew text (Masoretic Text): Deuteronomy Chapter 27 ד וְהָיָה, אֶת-הָאֲבָנים בְּעָבְרְכֶם Contact us עֵיבָל ; וְשַׂדְתָּ אוֹתָם, בַּשִּׂיד. 27:4 Hebrew OT: BHS (Consonants & Vowels ) אֶת־הָאֲבָנִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם Contact Us OT : WLC (Consonants & Vowels) וְהָיָה בְּעָבְרְכם Contact Us More information More information

































Read more about the book 's text

27:4 Hebrew OT: Aleppo Codex

דוהיה אתכי מצוה אתכם היום בהר Read more about

the Old Testament - Interlinear Translation - [Hebrew - Arabic] Thus all Hebrew texts agree on reading “ on Mount Ebal . ” 2- The Samaritan Pentateuch:

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Arabic translation of the Samaritan Torah - edited and introduced by Hassib Shahada

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In Mount Gerizim = In Mount Gerizim

, the special form and distinctive Samaritan style of writing the text is noted here , as there is no distinction between the preposition, the word mountain, and the name Gerizim (בהרגריזים) , as it was supposed to be written separately in the form (בהר גריזים) , as is the case in the Hebrew Torah , which writes it in this traditional form (הַר גְּרִזִים) , as came as an example in Deuteronomy 27:12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Joseph.” And Benjamin. The scholar James H. Charlesworth says : The Samaritans consider it a commandment (mizwot) to write “Mount Gerizim” with seven letters. [ 5 ] Translation : The Samaritans consider it a commandment (mizwot) to write “ Mount Gerizim ” with seven letters. 3- The Greek text (Septuagint translation): ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί καὶ κονιάσεις αὐτοὺς κονίᾳ The Apostolic Bible Polyglot

















ἐν ὄρει γαιβαλ = On Mount Ebal ( γαιβαλ = Gaibal )

4- Targums [SUP][6] [ /SUP] (Targums) :

- Targum Onkelos :

תְקִימֻון יָת אַבנַיָѐ More information about this topic בְסִידָא׃

When you have passed the Jordan, you shall set up those stones which I command you this day, on the mountain of Ebal , and plaster them with lime; [ SUP

] [ 7 ] [ / SUP ]​​​​ ​Read more Read more about this topic בגירא When you pass over Jordana, you shall erect the stones that I command you on the mountain of Ebal , and plaster them with lime; [ SUP ] [ 7 ] [ / SUP ]







the mountain of Ebal = on Mount Ebal

5- The Latin text (Vulgate):

qundo ergo transieritis Iordanem erige lapides quos ego hodie praecipio vobis in monte Hebal et levigabis calce

in monte Hebal = ב הר עיבל = on Mount Ebal (Hebal)

6- The Aramaic text [SUP][6][/SUP] (Peshitta): ܘܡܐ ܕܥܒܪܬܘܢ ܝܘܪܕܢܢ܂ ܐܩܝܡ ܟܐ̈ܦܐ ܗܠܝܢ ܕܡܦܩܕܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܒܛܘܪܐ ܕܓܒܠ܂ܐ ܘܐܟܠܫ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܒܟܠܫܐ܂ (Peshitta - Lamsa Translation - Deuteronomy 27:4) : Therefore when you have crossed the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, on mount Gebel , and you shall cover them with plaster. 6tc Smr reads “ Mount Gerizim ” for the MT reading “ Mount Ebal” to justify the location of the Samaritan temple there in the postexilic period . This reading is patently self-serving and does not reflect the original . In the NT when the Samaritan woman of Sychar referred to “this mountain” as the place of worship for her community she obviously had Gerizim in mind (cf. John 4:20). New Revised Standard Version of the Bible - DEUTERONOMY 27:4 : So when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about which I am commanding you today, on Mount Ebal , and you shall cover them with plaster. Conclusion: Most of the biblical texts and ancient translations agree with the reading of the Hebrew Torah text which reads “ ב הר עיבל - on Mount Ebal” and therefore most of the Arabic, English and other translations came in agreement with this reading. While the Samaritan Torah text agrees with the old Latin text (Vetus Latina) which also reads (Garzin - Garzin - Gerizim) , as acknowledged by biblical scholars such as the scholar “Eugene Ulrich” [SUP] [8] [/SUP]
























(Eugene Ulrich), where he says: An Old Latin manuscript agrees with the Samaritan Pentateuch in reading “Mount Gerizim” at Deut 27:4, [SUP] [9] [/SUP] Translation: An Old Latin manuscript agrees with the Samaritan Pentateuch in reading “Mount Gerizim” at Deut 27:4, [SUP] [9] [/SUP] Translation: An Old Latin manuscript agrees with the Samaritan Pentateuch in reading “Mount Gerizim” at Deut 4:27 . This was also mentioned by the “Joint Arabic Translation” in the footnote to the text: 4: Ebal . In Samaritan and Latin : Gerizim . See 29:11 H. But after all this , could the situation have changed in any way and it became clear that the older and more correct text is the text of the Samaritan Pentateuch and that the distorted one is the text of the Hebrew Pentateuch despite the testimony of all these texts and translations that claim the authenticity of the Hebrew text against the Samaritan one?! This is what actually happened after the discovery of the Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls during several archaeological exploratory missions. During that period and after, many scrolls , manuscripts , and fragments were found , including a fragment of the text of Deuteronomy 4:27 known as (Deut 27:4b-6) . Scholars believe that it dates back to the period between (35:175 BC) . It was published by the scholar " James H. Charlesworth " with permission from " Azusa Pacific University " [SUP][10][/SUP ] .

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Upon examining the fragment, the phrase " ב הר גריזים - on Mount Gerizim" appears clearly, in agreement with the form and drawing of the Samaritan Torah : The transcription of the fragment (Transcription) with the translation [ SUP] [5] [/SUP] : ב הר גריזים = on Mount Gerizim . The discovery of this fragment had a great impact on reshaping the critical vision of this text, as most contemporary textual criticism scholars agreed with the opinion that the oldest and most correct original reading is the Samaritan Torah reading " ב הר גריזים - on Mount Gerizim" , and that those who changed the name of the mountain from Gerizim to Ebal were the Hebrew Jews in their Torah , and among these scholars is the scholar "James H. Charlesworth" himself, where he says: Copying scribes altered the text in good faith in the attempt to restore the correct reading and to remove possibilities of misunderstanding.















They sought to serve the circle of Jews for whom the copy was intended. I suggest that our fragment preserves the original reading and indicates that the MT and related textual traditions reflect alterations . [ SUP ] [ 5 ] [ / SUP ] This can only be explained by haste, bad thinking, belief, and an emotional reaction towards “Mount Gerizim . ” The scholar “Jozsef Zsengeller” says : [SUP][12][/SUP] : Translation: We must realize that reading the text













The Masoretic version of Deuteronomy 4:27 " Bi har aybal - on Mount Ebal" is certainly an ideological correction , as opposed to the original historical text " Bi har girazim - on Mount Gerizim" preserved in the Samaritan and Old Latin Torahs . [13] Finally, the scholar Jan Dušek [14] [ /SUP]

presents a summary of the current position of textual critics on the original reading of this text: Translation: For a period, scholars suspected that the Samaritan Torah version was the original and that the Masoretic text reflected a polemical distortion against the Samaritans. This is the accepted view among most scholars today. The reading of “Mount Gerizim ” instead of “Mount Ebal” is documented and attested in three ancient versions : in the Greek text of one of the Septuagint copies in the “ Papyrus Giessen, ” in the Old Latin translation (Vetus Latina) , and also in one of the Hebrew fragments of the text of Deuteronomy 27:4-6 discovered in approximately the fourth cave of Qumran. - And if we speak more precisely, the discovery of this piece of the text of Deuteronomy 4:27 within the Qumran manuscripts was not the only basic component of the opinions of these scholars, but was a confirmation of their previous critical opinions through the context of the texts that confirm that the text must be read “ ב הר גריזים - on Mount Gerizim” instead of the current distorted reading “ ב הר עיבל - on Mount Ebal” , since the Bible has confirmed that the blessing was on Mount Gerizim while the curse was on Mount Ebal as stated in the text: Deuteronomy 11:29 And when the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess it, you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim . Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal. It is absolutely unthinkable that the Lord would command the altar to be built on the cursed Mount Ebal and not the blessed Mount Gerizim ! Professor Kristin De Troyer says : That the altar was built on Mount Ebal might seem strange. After all,











Mount Ebal has been associated with the curses that the Israelites uttered at the event of the covenant-renewal ceremony of Deut 11:29 (see also Deut 27:13). [ SUP][16][/SUP] The construction of an altar on Mount Ebal may seem strange. After all, Mount Ebal has always been associated with the curses that the Israelites uttered at the event of the covenant-renewal ceremony of Deut 29:11 and also Deut 13:27. The famous commentator Adam Clarke says in his commentary on Deut 4:27: Many still think Dr. Kennicott 's arguments unanswerable, and have no doubt that the Jews have here corrupted the text through their enmity to the Samaritans . From the above, it is clear that: most textual critics today agree that the original reading of the text is the Samaritan text reading " ב הר גריזים - on Mount Gerizim" which is attested to by the old Latin text (Vetus Latina) and one of the Septuagint papyri , then the strongest evidence is the testimony of one of the Qumran manuscript fragments (Deut 27:4b-6) . In the same context, most textual critics acknowledged the distortion of the later Hebrew text which reads " ב הר עיבל - on Mount Ebal" , and for this there are several evidences: first, the textual evidence: which testified against the reading of the Hebrew text that contradicts the older texts and translations, and second, the historical evidence: represented in the context of the texts that always link "Mount Ebal" to the curses of the children of Israel upon it, which makes it logically impossible for the Lord to command the construction of an altar on the cursed mountain "Ebal" without the blessing mountain "Gerizim"! The importance of this research and what is learned from studying this type of distortion? First: Proving that Jewish writers and copyists distorted their holy book throughout the ages, as the forms and reasons for this distortion vary between ideological, intellectual, doctrinal and political differences. The distortion of the text of Deuteronomy 4:27 is considered one of these many examples that the Holy Book is full of, and God Almighty helped us to discover some of them, while the greater part remains hidden due to the absence of any original text or manuscript of the Holy Book, and that is













All scholars and researchers acknowledge this fact, for example , the "Dictionary of the Holy Bible " refers to this fact , saying:

"The original manuscripts of the Old Testament were written in either Hebrew or Aramaic, and the original manuscripts of the New Testament were written in Greek. However, we do not have these original manuscripts that were written by the writers of the Holy Books , but there are thousands of manuscripts that are copies of the books of the Old and New Testaments." [SUP][17][/SUP]

Second: In response to the claim that it is impossible to distort the Holy Book , claiming that it is widespread throughout the world , Bishop Bishoy, Bishop of Damietta, says : "How can anyone then collect all these copies spread throughout the world and distort them?!" [SUP] [18] [/SUP] Another says: "The Bible is unique in its spread and distribution: its distribution exceeds that of any other book by dozens of times. In 1998, 20,751,515 complete copies of the Bible were distributed in 2,212 languages ​​and dialects." [SUP][19][/SUP] We have seen how distortion can be early and generalized to all ancient and widespread texts and translations of the Bible,

especially texts of common tradition. The distorted reading of the Hebrew text " ב הר עיבל - on Mount Ebal"
has spread to almost all ancient texts and translations from the "Masoretic Text" to the "Septuagint" to the "Vulgate" to the "Targuments" to the "Peshitta" .... etc.
And God Almighty spoke the truth in what He told His noble, unlettered Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace: {Do you then hope that they will believe you while a party of them used to hear the word of God and then distort it after they had understood it while they were knowing?} [Al-Baqarah: 75]

Sources: [1]: Dictionary of the Holy Bible - Explanation of the Word - The Samaritan Torah [2]: The Biblical Encyclopedia - Samaria - The Samaritan Torah [3]: The Holy Bible - The Jesuit Fathers Edition [4]: ​​" James H. Charlesworth": Professor of the New Testament and Director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at Princeton Theological Seminary. http://goo.gl/EkYIV [5] : Announcing a Dead Sea Scrolls Fragment of Deuteronomy http://www.ijco.org/?categoryId=84964&itemId=193993 [6] : The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon [7] : Pentateuchal Targumim, The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel, On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee, by JW Etheridge, MA, First Published 1862 [8] :


















Eugene Ulrich : Professor of Old Testament and Theology at the University of Notre Dame, editor of the Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls Texts and co-editor of the Qumran Scrolls International Publication Project. http://goo.gl/SvWuB , http://goo.gl/Ibxop [9]: Textual Criticism and Dead Sea Scrolls Studies in Honor of Julio Trebolle Barrera, p. 361 [10]: Azusa Pacific University : One of the most prominent private Christian universities, founded in 1899, is located in the San Gabriel Valley campus of Azusa. The university's west campus is home to the College of Nursing, Applied and Behavioral Sciences, Education, and the School of Theology. [11]: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, VOLUME 92: The Dead Sea Scrolls Transmission of Traditions and Production of Texts, p. 222. [ 12 ] : Jozsef Zsengeller , Ph.D. in Theology 1998, Professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological Academy, Hungary. http://goo.gl/OykkJ







[13] : Samaria, Samarians, Samaritans: Studies on Bible, History and Linguistics (Studia Samaritana), p. 28 [ 14] : Jan Dušek : PhD in History and Archaeology of the Ancient World in 2005, Research Fellow at the Centre for Biblical Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Charles University in Prague http://goo.gl/rv131 [15] : Kristin De Troyer : Professor of Old Testament at St Mary's University, School of Theology, University of St Andrews, UK http://goo.gl/3NlYP






[16] : Reading the Present in the Qumran Library: The Perception of the Contemporary by Means of Scriptural Interpretations, p. 156 [17] : Dictionary of the Bible Commentary on the Word - Manuscript | Manuscript | Manuscripts [18]: Book of a series of lectures on simplifying the faith - Bishop Bishoy, Bishop of Damietta - 54- How can the Bible be distorted?! [19]: Years with people's emails! Questions about the Holy Bible - Has the Book of God Almighty been distorted?! - Question: Your Holy Bible is distorted!