description Leningrad Codex (Codex Leningradensis) Overview
The Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in the Masoretic textual tradition that remains extant. Copied on parchment in Cairo and dated to 1008 or 1009 CE, it includes the biblical text together with vowel signs, cantillation marks, and extensive Masoretic annotations. It is preserved at the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg and provides the base text for several modern scholarly editions of the Hebrew Bible.
help Leningrad Codex (Codex Leningradensis) FAQ
Why is the Leningrad Codex important for modern Hebrew Bibles?
It is the oldest complete surviving manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in the Masoretic textual tradition. Its consonants, vowel points, accents, and marginal notes became the basis for major scholarly editions, including Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.
Who copied the Leningrad Codex?
Its colophon identifies Samuel ben Jacob as the scribe and connects the text with corrected books associated with Aaron ben Moses ben Asher. The manuscript was copied in Cairo in the early 11th century.
Is the Leningrad Codex older than the Aleppo Codex?
No. The Aleppo Codex is earlier, but significant portions of it are missing today. The Leningrad Codex is therefore the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible, not the oldest surviving Masoretic manuscript of any kind.
Why is it called the Leningrad Codex if it was made in Cairo?
The name refers to the city where the manuscript was preserved, not its place of production. It remains in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg, which was called Leningrad for much of the 20th century.
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