Are the Te’amim Significant?

Are the Te’amim Significant?

The history of the te’amim is shrouded in mystery.  Opinions range from the belief that they were given to Moses at Sinai to the belief that they were created by the Masoretes.  There seems to be enough historical evidence to establish that they were much more ancient than the time of Masoretes like Moshe ben Asher and his son Aaron ben Asher.  Some scholars have believed that the te’amim are at least as ancient as the time Ezra.  Other scholars have asserted that they could be as old as the Bible texts themselves.  This , of course, we do not know.

Why all the fuss about the te’amim since they have been ignored by most Christian scholars over many centuries?  One explanation of why Christian scholars have been nearly silent about their existence may be that we have a tendency to ignore what we do not know or understand.  One thing that we do know with certainty is they do exist in ancient manuscripts and they are considered authentic by a host of Jewish scholars.  Certainly, Christian Bible scholars should at least give  serious thought in their writings to why they exist in Scripture and what they mean.

There is general agreement among Jewish scholars that they are a musical notation.  However, there is much disagreement among them about whether they are or are not a precise or nearly precise notation.  Also, Jewish scholars generally agree that all of the OT was intended to be sung  (i.e. intoned, cantillated).  Therefore, Christian scholars should struggle with why there they exist and if they have meaning for Christians in the 21^st century.  If the te’amim are as ancient as the Scripture itself and if  they are actually a melos (i.e. text and melody conceived and produced as a unit), then they have great significance to all who read and trust the authenticity of the OT.  Even if the existence of the te’amim is not as old as the texts themselves, they are ancient and should be considered seriously by Christian OT scholars.