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“Pointing to the Accents in the Scroll”: Functional Development of the Masoretic Accents in the Hebrew Bible
- Hebrew Studies
- National Association of Professors of Hebrew
- Volume 55, 2014
- pp. 73-88
- 10.1353/hbr.2014.0022
- Article
- Additional Information
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It is widely recognized that the accents developed by the Masoretes have three functions: they mark (1) stress, (2) musical notations, and (3) punctuation. However, the order in which these functions developed remains contestable. The present study demonstrates that indication of stressed syllables was a secondary rather than primary function that became dominant at a relatively late stage. It is most likely that the punctuational function of the accents for recitation gave rise to other relational divisions of a unit. Then the accents came to be used for cantillation in addition to punctuation, although this never fully developed into a system of musical notation. The masoretic accents that we know are thus reflective of an unfinished transition to such notation, intended for singing, from punctuation designed for recitation.