Adapted, by permission, from Israel Yeivin, Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah, translated and edited by E. J. Revell. Copyright © 1980 by the Society of Biblical Literature.

Note that this is a loose adaptation of the work of Yeivin and Revell: while some sections are faithfully rendered, I’ve taken great liberties with others. I’ve tried to relegate actual ideas of my own to footnotes, but I may not have observed that discipline fully.

Introduction

375

# Masoretic treatises such as the following naturally deal with matters of vocalization:

• the Kitāb al-Khilaf (Sefer ha-Ḥillufim)
• the Diqduqe ha-Ṭeʿamim
• the “Treatise on the Shewa”
• the Horayat ha-Qore

These are outside the scope of this book, but two phenomena, dagesh and shewa, form such an important part of the subject matter of such treatises that it seems advisable to include a discussion of them in an appendix. It must be noted, however, that they are discussed here from the point of view of the masoretic treatises, which is different from that of modern grammarians. So, statements made here may conflict with modern grammars (particularly introductory grammars), since statements made here are based on historical considerations.