The Medieval Bible — Jewish Textual Transmission

The Aleppo Codex

c. AD 930

The Aleppo Codex is an exceptionally authoritative Masoretic manuscript, although significant portions are now missing.

Full Account

Produced in Tiberias, the codex once contained the complete Hebrew Bible. Its consonants, vowels, accents, and Masoretic notes were carefully prepared, and Maimonides later praised a codex in Egypt widely identified with it.

After centuries in Aleppo, the manuscript was damaged or dispersed amid unrest in 1947. Most of the Torah and other leaves are missing, but the surviving portions remain of extraordinary importance.

Historical Significance

The codex is a premier witness to the Ben Asher tradition and provides a standard for modern editions of the Hebrew Bible.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: Shlomo ben Buya'a; Aaron ben Asher; Maimonides
Key places: Tiberias; Jerusalem; Cairo; Aleppo
Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic