Genesis 1:14 and the Dead Sea Scrolls

It's a long shot, but are you in or near Houston tomorrow? Emanual Tov, the head Hebrew scholar of the Dead Sea Scrolls, will be teaching a Hebrew reading class at a local theological library.

He's been doing it for the last few weeks and we've been going through the first chapter of Genesis. I can't read a lick of Hebrew, but its interesting to hear him exegete the text while he helps those who can read it read it better.

I don't take notes, but if my memory serves me, he discussed something like your question recently. I doubt if I asked him I'd remember his answer, but if you like, give me your question and I'll ask him via email and post his written response, when and if I get it. Maybe flesh out your question a little more by including the scroll in question and any other concise details you think might be helpful.

Alex Scott said:

I guess I'm in over my head on this one, but maybe some scholar out there can help.

Our Bible based on the Masoretic text has "and let them be" for signs etc., and the scroll fragment apparently has "and they were" for signs etc.  

The Masoretic text, without the vowels would read  והיו  Maybe this is where I'm wrong, but wouldn't the Hebrew without the vowels for "and they were" be the same?

And a related question - there are all sorts of resources out there and in Logos that have translations of the fragments, but is there nothing available that has either an image or better yet the Hebrew letters that appear on the fragment?

 

 

The DSS of Gen 1.14 doesn't really differ from the standard MT so it is merely a matter of interpretation.