Menachem Katz, The Open University of Israel, The Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Society Hillel Gershuni, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Society Categorization of Textual Variants in Digital Synopses and its Research Potential 2016 EVA/Minerva Jerusalem International Conference on Digitisation of Cultural Heritage http://2016.minervaisrael.org.il http://www.digital-heritage.org.il

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12/7/20161
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Menachem Katz
‫דיגיטלי‬ ‫סינופטי‬ ‫במאגר‬ ‫נוסח‬ ‫חילופי‬ ‫של‬ ‫סיווגם‬
‫בו‬ ‫הגלומות‬ ‫והאפשרויות‬
Categorization of Textual Variants in Digital
Synopses and its Research Potential
Menachem Katz Hillel Gershuni
Academic Director
The Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Society
‫יד‬ ‫כתבי‬ ‫חקר‬ ‫לקידום‬ ‫העמותה‬
EVA / Minerva 2016 XIIth Conference, July 10th, Jerusalem

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Menachem Katz
Classical critical editions
Sifre Bemidbar, Kahana (2011-
2015)
Sifre Dvrarim, Finkelstein (1940)

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Menachem Katz
Various types of printed Talmudic variations
Dikduke Sofrim HashalemGemara Shlema, Nae Dikduke Sofrim, Rabinovich
Steinsaltz edition

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Menachem Katz
Synopses
Lines synopsis – Bava Metzia, S.Y. FriedmanColumns synopsis – Yerushalmi,
Tubingen

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Menachem Katz
Diplomatic and Photo editions
Bavli A.z. – Ms. JTS Rab. 15, photo
edition
Yerushalmi ms. Leiden, Hebrew Academy

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Menachem Katz
Digitized editions – A new era
Friedberg’s “Hachi Garsinan” project fully uses the advantages of the
digitized edition:
 For the first time, we can offer various sorts of editions
 No lack of space
 Maximum flexibility

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Menachem Katz
7
High-
Resolution
image & Visual
transcription –
Photo edition
AND
diplomatic
edition in one
place

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Menachem Katz
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The site can
present 2 types
of diplomatic
edition:
Visual
Transcript &
Classical
Transcript
Classical TranscriptVisual Transcript

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Menachem Katz
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Columns
Synopsis

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Menachem Katz
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Lines
Synopsis

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Menachem Katz
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Textual
variations
on Vilna
page

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Menachem Katz
How can we display only “major” variations?
 If we present all of the variations, the significant data will be hard to
notice within the noise.
 If we present only what we think is “major”, we could miss variations
that the user think is indeed major.
 The difference between the types of users make the mission even
harder.

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Menachem Katz
How detailed should it be? Two different approaches
Sifre Bemidbar, KahanaMishna Ketubbot, Brody

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Menachem Katz
The mission: Teaching the computer to single out the
“major” variations
Bavli Ta’anit,
30a

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Menachem Katz
Taking the opposite direction: singling out the “minor”
variations instead
 The computer cannot know which of the variations is major.
 We can teach it what variation is probably minor.

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Menachem Katz
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Textual
equivalencies

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Menachem Katz
Categories of Equivalency – Group A
 Abbreviations and their full versions [‫אמ‬'–‫אמר‬]
 Acronyms and their full versions [‫אע‬"‫פ‬–‫פי‬ ‫על‬ ‫אף‬]
 Variations in the way numbers are written [‫ג‬'–‫שלוש‬]
 Vocalizing vowels and their omission [‫קבל‬–‫קיבל‬]
 The way of writing G-d's name [‫ה‬'–‫ייי‬]
 Partial textual fault (tear or blurring) [‫בר‬...‫ת‬–‫בראשית‬]
 Words joined together [‫עולם‬ ‫של‬–‫שלעולם‬]
 Graphic variants [‫כעכין‬–‫כעבין‬]
 Phonetic variants [‫כעור‬–‫כאור‬]

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Menachem Katz
Categories of Equivalency – Group B
 Linguistic variants [‫עומדין‬–‫עומדים‬]
 Letters that signify prepositions and their omission [‫לשם‬–‫שם‬]
 Semantic variants [‫גוי‬–‫נכרי‬]
 Variations in personal names [‫לקיש‬ ‫ריש‬–‫ר‬'‫לקיש‬ ‫בן‬ ‫שמעון‬]
 Variations in place names [ ‫אלכסנדריה‬-‫אלסכנדריה‬ ]
 Shortening or lengthening of Verses (Psukim)

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Menachem Katz
Now we can emphasize the major changes

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Menachem Katz
…And also emphasize what other people would think
is minor, but we think is the real deal

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Menachem Katz
What’s next?
 Searching not only for words, but also for variations?
 Searching for frequent non-equivalent variations?
12Count
‫רבינא‬‫רבא‬790
‫שמואל‬‫רב‬661
‫אסי‬‫אמי‬657
‫יוסי‬‫יהודה‬534
12Count
‫מותרין‬‫מותר‬792
‫כיצד‬‫צד‬ ‫זה‬ ‫כאי‬787
‫שמעת‬‫שמע‬680
‫חכמ‬'‫חכם‬679
12Count
‫כוכבים‬ ‫עובד‬‫נכרי‬748
‫נכרים‬‫גוים‬686

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Menachem Katz
Lines synopsis combined with categorization – a new
powerful tool

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12/7/201631
31
Menachem Katz
‫דיגיטלי‬ ‫סינופטי‬ ‫במאגר‬ ‫נוסח‬ ‫חילופי‬ ‫של‬ ‫סיווגם‬
‫בו‬ ‫הגלומות‬ ‫והאפשרויות‬
Categorization of Textual Variants in Digital
Synopses and its Research Potential
Menachem Katz Hillel Gershuni
Academic Director
The Friedberg Jewish Manuscript Society
‫יד‬ ‫כתבי‬ ‫חקר‬ ‫לקידום‬ ‫העמותה‬
EVA / Minerva 2016 XIIth Conference, July 10th, Jerusalem