(also known as the Aleppo Codex). Earliest known complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. As a consequence of the long exile of the Jewish people, slight deviations cropped up in the text of the Bible as transmitted from generation to generation by scribes. To arrive at a definitive and correct version of the Book of Books, the Masoretes, in the period of the eighth through the tenth centuries CE, labored to ensure that every letter and vocalization mark would be correct. They achieved this by comparing a large number of scrolls: wherever the clear majority of texts showed a specific spelling, etc., it was assumed that the minority version must have been due to scribal error and could be disregarded.
The Keter Aram Zova was copied over a thousand years ago (in 935 CE) by the scribe Solomon ben Bouya'a. It was then checked and vocalized by Aaron Ben-Asher, the last and greatest member of the Ben-Asher family of Masoretes. This particular version, which was probably used by Moses Maimonides when he wrote out his copy of the Torah, is considered the most authoritative and accurate biblical text. In fact Maimonides, in his Yad ha-HĚŁazakah, mentions the Ben-Asher manuscript by name as the standard.
The Keter Aram Zova was written in Erets Israel but was evidently taken to Egypt by robbers at the end of the 11th century. Some time in the 14th century it arrived in the Jewish community of Aleppo, Syria, where it remained as the community's most treasured possession. In December 1947, the local populace in Aleppo rioted against the Jews and burned down the ancient synagogue where the Keter Aram Zova was kept. While 295 folios of the original 487 were saved, the rest---mostly from the beginning of the Bible---were destroyed in the fire. One way or another, the remaining folios of the Keter Aram Zova were brought to Israel in January 1958, where they are to be found today.
A facsimile edition of the Keter Aram Zova was published by the Hebrew University's Magnes Press in 1969. Bar-Ilan University is publishing a multivolume edition along with various biblical commentaries.
