The Masoretes were groups of Jewish scribes who set up a system to ensure that the text of the Hebrew Bible was transmitted accurately. They lived in communities—the most famous one in Tiberias, Israel—during the sixth through tenth centuries C.E. While the original Hebrew text contained only consonants, the Masoretes added vowel pointings and cantillation marks to the consonantal text to indicate how particular words were pronounced. They also added notes (masorah) to explain textual issues and to prevent alterations. The Hebrew text we use today relies on their meticulous work.
