Abstract
This paper examines the preservation of the Old Testament through the combined roles of language, documentation practices, and divine providence, set against the wider background of Ancient Near Eastern record-keeping traditions. It argues that the survival and relative textual stability of the Old Testament are not accidental outcomes of history, nor the result of human effort alone, but the product of a sustained interaction between divine intention and disciplined human responsibility. Drawing on linguistic evidence, archaeological discoveries, and comparative Ancient Near Eastern documentation practices, the study analyses how writing systems, materials, scribal institutions, and archival cultures contributed to the faithful transmission of Israel’s sacred texts. Particular attention is given to the Hebrew language, the role of scribes, the transmission process from the original compositions to the Masoretic Text, and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for assessing textual consistency. The study adopts a library-based qualitative methodology, using primary biblical texts and secondary scholarly literature. It concludes that Old Testament preservation reflects a theological model in which God’s Word is sustained through human diligence within specific historical and cultural contexts, with important implications for modern biblical studies, translation, and faith communities.
Keywords: Old Testament manuscripts; Hebrew language; Ancient Near Eastern record-keeping; scribal tradition; divine preservation; textual transmission; Dead Sea Scrolls.
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i02.028
author/Tambou, Ebimobo-Owei Donatus, Ph.D.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(2) | November 2025 |
