The Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (1QIsaa): Orthographic and Scribal Features, Analysis, and Translation — Column 3

Abstract This study presents a detailed philological, orthographic, and text-critical analysis of Column III (Isaiah 2:21–3:24) of the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) from Qumran. The research focuses on the identification and classification of scribal features, including orthographic variation, corrections, additions, omissions, and spacing phenomena, alongside a diplomatic translation that preserves the structural and textual characteristics of the manuscript. The analysis demonstrates that most textual differences between the Qumran scroll and the Masoretic Text can be attributed to systematic orthographic and scribal practices. However, their distribution suggests that orthography functions as an active component in the structuring of the textual profile rather than as a secondary or derivative layer. At the same time, certain variants may reflect alternative textual traditions within the pluriform textual landscape of the Second Temple period. By integrating textual criticism, Hebrew linguistics, and manuscript analysis, this study contributes to a more refined understanding of scribal transmission and textual plurality in early biblical texts. Keywords Great Isaiah Scroll; 1QIsaa; Qumran; Dead Sea Scrolls; Isaiah; Column III; textual criticism; orthography; scribal practices; textual variation; Masoretic Text; Second Temple period; Hebrew linguistics; biblical philology; manuscript analysis