Emanuel Tov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emanuel Tov
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| Born | 15 September 1941 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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| Nationality | Dutch, Israeli |
| Alma mater | Harvard University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Occupation | Biblical scholar |
| Spouse(s) | Lika (née Aa) |
| Children | Three |
| Awards | Honorary doctorates from the University of Vienna, University of Salzburg, and University of Copenhagen Israel Prize in biblical studies |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Thesis | "The Septuagint Translation of Jeremiah and Baruch" (1973) |
| Doctoral advisor | Shemaryahu Talmon, Frank Moore Cross |
Emanuel Tov (born Menno Toff on September 15, 1941) is a famous Dutch-Israeli expert on the Bible and languages. He is a retired professor of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For many years, he has been deeply involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls. From 1991, he was the main editor for publishing these ancient texts.
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Biography
Emanuel Tov was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on September 15, 1941. This was during the time when Nazi Germany occupied the Netherlands. When he was just one year old, his parents were sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust. They left him with a kind Christian family to keep him safe. After the war, he grew up with his uncle and aunt, who treated him like their own child.
When he was 14, Emanuel became active in a youth movement called Habonim. This group supported Zionism, which is the movement for a Jewish homeland in Israel. At 18, the group encouraged him to go to Israel for leadership training. In 1960, he became the general secretary of Habonim in the Netherlands. He then moved to Israel in 1961.
Emanuel Tov is married to Lika. They have three children and four granddaughters.
Education
Emanuel Tov went to primary school in Amsterdam. At age 12, he started learning Latin and Greek language at Spinoza Lyceum. This is where he met his future wife, Lika. By age 18, he had finished his studies, learning many classical and modern European languages. He also learned Hebrew from his Bar Mitzvah teacher.
He spent a year in Israel from 1959 to 1960. He studied leadership for the Habonim youth movement. He also sang in a choir and learned to play the flute. After this, he returned to the Netherlands.
In October 1961, Tov decided to return to Israel to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Greek literature in 1964. In 1967, he received his Master of Arts degree in Hebrew Bible. He also worked as an assistant in the Bible Department. From 1967 to 1969, he continued his studies at Harvard University. He earned his PhD from the Hebrew University in 1973. His main research was on the Septuagint translation of the books of Jeremiah and Baruch.
Teaching
In 1986, Emanuel Tov became a professor at the Hebrew University. By 1990, he was named the J. L. Magnes Professor of Bible Studies. He has also been a visiting professor at many universities around the world. These include Oxford, Uppsala, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Academic Work
Emanuel Tov has been a key figure in studying ancient biblical texts. He was an editor for the Hebrew University Bible Project. He also serves on the editorial boards of important academic journals.
From 1990 to 2009, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the international Dead Sea Scrolls Publication Project. During this time, his team published 33 volumes of the Discoveries in the Judean Desert series. These books contain the official publications of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
He also created digital versions of the non-biblical Qumran scrolls. He made a six-volume printed edition of the scrolls for everyone to read. He also created electronic versions of the Hebrew and Greek Bibles.
Prizes and Honorary Titles
Emanuel Tov has received many awards for his important work.
- 1999–2004 – Humboldt Research Prize, Germany
- 2003 – Ubbo Emmius medal, University of Groningen
- 2004 – Emet Prize for Biblical Research, Israel
- 2006 – Appointed Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy
- 2008 – Honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna
- 2009 – Israel Prize in biblical studies
- 2010 – Samaritan Medal for Humanitarian Achievement
- 2012 – Appointed Member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 2017 – Appointed Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2019 – Honorary doctorate from the University of Salzburg
- 2021 – Honorary doctorate from the University of Copenhagen
- 2023 - The Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Award for Scholarly Excellence in Research of the Jewish Experience
- 2024 - Awarded lifetime status of “Highly Ranked Scholar” by ScholarGPS (Bible, # 1, worldwide)
Research
Emanuel Tov's research helps us understand how the texts of the Bible changed over time. He studies ancient copies of the Bible to see how they are different.
Septuagint Studies
Tov's work on the Septuagint is very important. The Septuagint is an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. He studied how this translation was made and how it compares to other Hebrew versions. His research helps us understand the original Hebrew text of the Bible. He showed that the Septuagint can help us understand how some Bible books developed.
How the Bible Text Developed
Emanuel Tov believes that the Bible text changed and grew over time. He looks at old manuscripts to see these changes. For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls show that many different versions of the Bible were used long ago. He studied these differences to understand how the Bible text became what it is today.
He found that some early versions of books like 1 Samuel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were different from the versions we have now. This suggests that there wasn't just one "original" text. Instead, there might have been a series of "original texts" that changed over time.
The Torah's Textual Journey
Tov also focused on how the text of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) developed. He found that the Torah's text history is special. He divided its ancient copies into two main groups.
One group is similar to the Masoretic Text, which is the standard Hebrew Bible text today. The other group includes the source of the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch. This second group often has texts that are simpler or try to make different parts of the Bible agree. Tov believes the first group is closer to the more original text.
Dead Sea Scrolls and Their Scribes
Emanuel Tov has studied many parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. His most important work is about the scribes who wrote them. In 2004, he published a detailed book on how these scribes worked. This helps us understand the scrolls better.
He looked at things like how the scrolls were measured and how mistakes were corrected. He also studied their spelling and writing styles. Tov suggested that the scrolls can be divided into two groups based on these features.
One group of scrolls was written with a special spelling and unique writing habits. Most of the scrolls from the Qumran community belong to this group. Tov believes these were copied by the Qumran scribes themselves. These scribes copied both biblical and other texts. The other group of scrolls was likely brought to Qumran from other places.
Computer-Assisted Bible Research
Emanuel Tov believes that computers are very helpful for studying the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. He has helped create many computer tools and databases. In the 1980s, he helped create a digital version of the Leningrad Codex, an important Hebrew Bible manuscript.
He also worked on a project called CATSS (Computer Assisted Tools for Septuagint Studies). This project created a database that compares every word in the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint. This program allows researchers to do advanced searches and statistical studies.
Another database he edited contains all the non-biblical Dead Sea Scrolls. It includes the original texts, translations, and search programs. These tools are used by scholars all over the world.
See also
In Spanish: Emanuel Tov para niños
- List of Israel Prize recipients
