The Unicode/XML Leningrad Codex (UXLC) is a digital representation of the Leningrad Codex (LC, Firkovich B 19 A)
in the Russian National Library (Saltykov-Shchedrin), St. Petersburg.
Occasionally, controversy arises about the fidelity of the UXLC to the LC.
In order to demonstrate this fidelity and resolve controversies,
this site contains the option to view a high-quality, color image of the LC page
corresponding to any text selected in the UXLC.
The images are provided through the courtesy of sefaria.org.
The option requires that your browser allow pop-up windows and be capable of viewing JPG files.
Operation
Select and view any text in the Book page. The "reference verse" is the first verse in the text selection.
At the bottom, left side of the page go to the "Links" pulldown list, select
"Sefaria LC image", and press "Go". Two additional pages
will appear in a new browser window or tab:
- BIB_LENCDX_Fxxxz.jpg: A JPG image of the page in the LC containing the reference verse is displayed.
The 3 digit number xxx is the folio number; the z is either A (recto) or B (verso) to define
which side of the folio sheet contains the reference verse. Folio numbers are marked in modern script at the top,
left of the LC recto pages.
- Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: The UXLC text for the page of the LC
containing the reference verse is displayed. Bookname c:v - clast:vlast is the range of text
on the page. The range includes starting and ending verses that may not be
entirely in the image.
The first title gives the folio identification and the range of verses on the image.
An 'a' after a verse number indicates it's the first half of a partial verse, a 'b'
after a verse number indicates it's the second half.
Sometimes a page has two books on it. The second, centered title indicates if this is the case.
If so, the displayed text
is only for that portion of the image containing the particular book of the reference verse.
Hints for locating the selected text are also provided in the third, left-aligned title.
Often verses are split between pages. The start of the reference verse will always be on the
page; however, its end may be on the next page. To see the remainder of the reference verse,
change the reference verse to the verse suggested by the Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: page
and look at the top of the page.
Locating text in the image
Many people will have difficulty locating the reference verse in the image. Here are some tips:
First, arrange your screen so that both the Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: page and the LC_Folio_Nz
page are visible.
- Look at the position of the reference verse within the Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: page.
Although the layout
of the LC is much different, being aware of adjacent text may be helpful.
- The third title on the Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: page will indicate if the reference verse is the first full
verse or the last verse on the page.
Otherwise,
The third title will give the position of the reference verse as an approximate percentage into the
LC text from the start of the LC text. Also given are the number of samekh (ס) and pe (פ) spacings in the text before the reference verse.
Samekhs and pe symbols do NOT occur in the image itself, but represent mid-line gaps (closed, ס) in the text
or new lines (open, פ). The Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: shows both the symbols and the mid-line gaps/new lines.
These mid-line gaps and new lines may be recognizable on the LC page.
Some pages contain text from two books. In most cases, books are separated by one or more spacing lines.
For the division between 1/2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings, 1/2 Chronicles this is not
the case and care will be required in determining the division between the two books.
Another possible source of confusion are ketiv and qere variants. The LC text contains
the ketiv variant with qere vowelization with a circule over the variant, i.e. ( ֯◌ ).
The consonants of the qere variant are written in the margin
of the text column above a qof (ק). The Bookname c:v - clast:vlast: page shows both the qere and ketiv and will not
match the columnar text of the LC at the position of the variant.