Book of Contradictions: A Challenge

[Minimalist]

The earliest extant version we possess is the Septuagint which was written in Greek in the 3d century BC.

We have no historical references to a Hebrew version by any other writers.

That's why the Dead Sea Scrolls were so important. While dating to the mid 2d century BC at the earliest they remain the earliest writings in Hebrew even though a considerable percentage of them were written in Aramaic and Greek.

Min,perhaps a dumb question: What is the earliest extant copy of the Torah in Hebrew held by the Jews of which you are aware?

That's actually a very good question, Pad. Jews do not venerate old texts. * As a matter of ritual when sacred writings become too old to use they are buried. IIRC there is a copy of a 10th century Masoretic text in a museum somewhere but I don't recall off hand how it was preserved.

I could double check my Ehrman library for you but I think either or both the Codex Sinaiticus or Codex Vaticanus contain complete versions of the Septuagint. Of course, these are 4th century xtian bibles which would not exactly meet the terms of your question which was a Torah in Hebrew held by Jews.

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain most of the books which eventually made it into the canonized Torah but even the date of canonization is suspect. There is also a lot of stuff in there which is not even of a religious nature. Now, even though they are not compiled in any way I would say that with the exception of the Book of Esther...which is either missing or crumbled to pieces beyond recognition...the Dead Sea Scrolls come closest to meeting your terms as they are in the hands of "Jews"....even though not all of them are in Hebrew.


*

A genizah (or geniza; Hebrew: גניזה "storage"; plural: genizot or genizoth or genizahs)[1] is the store-room or depository in a Jewish synagogue (or cemetery), usually specifically for worn-out Hebrew-language books and papers on religious topics that were stored there before they could receive a proper cemetery burial, it being forbidden to throw away writings containing the name of God (even personal letters and legal contracts could open with an invocation of God).

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@Min- It's not spin it's actually quite clear.

I agree it's clear, Tacky. I also think you are seeing what you so desperately wish to see. Not that such is all that uncommon among believers.

The language is crystal clear. God was pooped and "Isaiah" ( or whoever ) fucked up.