COLUMN 2 — THE GREAT ISAIAH SCROLL FROM QUMRAN (1QISAA): ORTHOGRAPHIC AND SCRIBAL FEATURES, ANALYSIS, AND TRANSLATION

Description COLUMN 2 — THE GREAT ISAIAH SCROLL FROM QUMRAN (1QISAA): ORTHOGRAPHIC AND SCRIBAL FEATURES, ANALYSIS, AND TRANSLATION Željko StanojevićIndependent Researcher in Hebrew Linguistics and Biblical PhilologyORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0717-6184 Full text and additional versions of this work are available at: https://sites.google.com/view/hebrejski-jezik?usp=sharinghttps://osf.io/a8vwx/https://works.hcommons.org/records/8mpd1-b6w63 Abstract This paper presents a detailed philological, orthographic, and textual analysis of Column 2 of the Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa), encompassing Isaiah 1:26–2:21. The study integrates examination of the physical characteristics of the manuscript with a systematic comparison between the Qumran text (K) and the Masoretic Text (M). Particular attention is devoted to scribal practices, including omissions, additions, orthographic variation, and morphological differences characteristic of Second Temple Hebrew. The analysis identifies significant textual divergences, including the omission of phrases and entire verses, variation in verbal morphology and pronominal suffixes, and the presence of secondary corrections and scribal markings. In several instances, the Qumran text preserves grammatically or contextually preferable readings when compared to the Masoretic tradition. These findings are evaluated within the broader framework of the development and transmission of the Hebrew biblical text. The paper includes a complete translation of Column 2, reflecting the specific readings of 1QIsaa and its deviations from the Masoretic Text. The results contribute to ongoing scholarly discussions in textual criticism, Hebrew linguistics, and Qumran studies, highlighting the complexity of early textual traditions and their relationship to later standardized forms of the Hebrew Bible. Keywords Great Isaiah Scroll; 1QIsaa; Qumran; Dead Sea Scrolls; Isaiah; Hebrew Bible; textual criticism; Masoretic Text; orthography; scribal practices; Second Temple Hebrew; biblical philology; manuscript analysis; Hebrew linguistics; variant readings; 1QIsaa column analysis series; 1QIsaa column analysis series columne 2