Cases where a vowel could readily be mistaken were to some extent catered for at an early period by inserting consonants to help the reader: h for an a sound, y for e or i and w for u (although many ambiguities remained). Neither of these omissions was important as long as Hebrew was a spoken language. “The earliest Hebrew manuscripts, in common with many ancient languages, had no punctuation system (except for starting a new line to indicate a new topic) and Hebrew had no vowels in its alphabet. It indicated what we would call a new paragraph. In Aristotle’s day, the only known punctuation was a line to indicate when a new topic would follow. In general they state that ancient languages were not punctuated. Here’s a link to an interesting, 26 page, PDF file published by the British and Foreign Bible Society which gives an outline of how punctuation developed and evolved in Masoretic Hebrew texts: The following information might provide a useful starting point for further study: the Latin Vulgate? What do you mean when you say ‘written’? Do you mean what type of paper/parchment were they written on? Were they written in uncials or miniscules? Were they in scroll or codex form?Īnyway, your additional question identifies only punctuation, spaces and paragraphs … so in a nutshell, the experts tell us that the original Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the Koine Greek, the language of the Septuagint (the Old Testament translated into Greek) and the New Testament - generally speaking - didn’t have any kind of punctuation or spaces. Your Title question doesn’t make clear which manuscripts you’re referring to – Masoretic texts, Septuagint ones, Koine Greek, original autographs, copies, translated ones, e.g.
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