The Torah (Five Books of Moses) is the Word of God. But there are two separate Hebrew textsSamaritan and Masoretic (Jewish) - and the Samaritan is the older. Which is more authoritative?

Date: Monday 17 December 2007

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: The Spiro Ark Centre - 25-26 Enford St, W1

Price: £10

C14th. Samaritan Torah Codex: Exodus 20

written in proto-Hebrew in which Samaritan Torah

texts are still written to this day

“And on the SEVENTH day” (ba-yom ha-shevi-i) “God finished His work” (Gen. 2. i). Er……well, er……no! It was actually, according to the Samaritan version of the Torah, on the SIXTH day (ba-yom ha-shishi) – which, if you think about it, makes more sense!

There are some six thousand or so discrepancies between the Samaritan and Masoretic versions. Many of them are matters of form to do with spelling (orthography) and are uncontroversial. But there are further differences in content – one of which is very controversial. The Samaritans believe that the Masoretic text has not elaborated the full Ten Commandments (Ex. 20 and Deut. 5). So for centuries, Jews and Christians have been sailing along with only nine! Oh Dear!

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear Dr. Binyamin Tsedaka of the Institute of Samaritan Studies in Holon, Israel outline differences in the two texts. You will also hear the solution to the mystery of the missing tenth commandment. This will also be a first opportunity for you to order Dr. Tsedaka’s new book in English detailing the differences by chapter and verse.