Sofer
Sofer ( Hebrew סֹפֵר, pronunciation: [ soˈfɛʀ ], plural : [ sofˈʀim ], "scribe, scribe") is a term from Judaism . At the time of the first temple , this was the name given to a scribe . At the time of the second temple it was the name of a Jewish scribe . It is possible that there were also female scribes (Soferet סופר damals) at that time, cf. Esr 2.55 EU and Neh 7.57 EU .
Since Talmudic times it has again been used to describe a writer of Hebrew texts. The Sofer writes Torah scrolls , mezuzot , tefillin and documents such as marriage contracts by hand . This profession requires a solid education and is very respected within Judaism.
The biblical texts are written with a bird feather ( goose quill or turkey feather ) and an ink without metal additives, which the Sofer usually makes himself. The base is always only for this purpose from the skin of pure animals such as cattle , sheep , goat or deer hand-produced parchment . The Hebrew texts are unvocalized , but have special decorations, which are also referred to as "crowns". The texts must be written precisely and without errors. The sofer must not write from memory, but must copy each letter individually from the template . Every single letter has a precisely prescribed spelling. The text must not be adorned with ornaments , as ornaments could alter the original text or impair legibility. If an error is discovered in a text, it is ritually impure , that is, not suitable for Torah , Tefillin or Mezuzah .
Texts written by the Sofer that have been damaged mechanically or through wear and tear or old age and thus become unusable are not disposed of in the usual way, but kept in a geniza or buried in a Jewish cemetery .
literature
- Eric Ray: Sofer: The Story of a Torah Scroll . Torah Aura Publications, Los Angeles 1999. ISBN 0-933873-98-0 .
- Helge Stadelmann : Ben Sira as a scribe. An investigation into the occupational profile of the pre-Maccabees Sofer taking into account his relationship to priesthood, prophet teaching and wisdom teaching. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 1980, ISBN 978-3-16-143511-9 .
- David Stern: The Jewish Bible: A Material History . University of Washington Press, Seattle / London 2017. ISBN 978-0-2957-4148-2 .
