Editing Parashah (section)

== History ==

''Parashot'' appear in manuscripts as early as the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], in which the division is generally similar to that found in the masoretic text.<ref>"The division of the text in the Qumran scrolls into content units reflects in general terms the system of ''parashiyyot'' that was later accepted in M: a space in the middle of the line to denote a minor subdivision and a space extending from the last word in the line to the end of the line, to denote a major subdivision..." (Tov, p. 210). "Although the medieval manuscripts continue the tradition of the proto-Masoretic texts from Qumran in general, they often differ with regard to the indication of individual section breaks..." (ibid., p. 50). Data on the manuscript evidence for ''parashot'' beginning with the Dead Sea Scrolls is collated in the ''[[Hebrew University Bible Project]]''.</ref> The idea of spacing between portions, including the idea of "open" and "closed" portions, is mentioned in early midrashic literature<ref>''Dibbura de-Nedava'' (introduction to ''Sifrei'' on Leviticus).</ref> and the Talmud. Early masoretic lists detailing the Babylonian tradition include systematic and detailed discussion of exactly where portions begin and which type they are.

As a group, [[Masoretic Text|Tiberian Masoretic]] codices share similar but not identical ''parashah'' divisions throughout the Bible. Unlike the Babylonian ''[[Niqqud|mesorah]]'', however, Tiberian masoretic notes never mention the ''parashah'' divisions or attempt to systematize them. This is related to the fact that the Babylonian lists are independent compositions, while the Tiberian notes are in the margins of the biblical text itself, which shows the ''parashot'' in a highly visible way.

In the centuries following the Tiberian Masoretic Text, there were ever-increasing efforts to document and standardize the details of the ''parashah'' divisions, especially for the Torah, and even for [[Nevi'im]] and [[Ketuvim]] as time went on.