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The ancient Land of Israel rite was most well-known for its three-and-a-half-year Torah-reading cycle, but until recently very little was known about the hafṭarot recited alongside this cycle. Through studies of piyyuṭim and midrashim lists of opening verses to the hafṭarot were reconstructed, but an opening verse does not a full hafṭarah make. All that changed when the St. Petersburg Manuscript, MS. EVR II B 42, was rediscovered by Prof. Ezra Shevat and publicized in this blog post (2017). This manuscript, which had been lumped in as just another of the many codices haphazardly gathered by Abraham Firkovich, actually records what may be our most complete record of the hafṭarot of the ancient Land of Israel rite, at least as kept in one community.
In the introduction to Binyamin Elizur’s 2023 paper “הפטרות החגים כמנהג בני ארץ ישראל,” where the festival and special-Sabbath haftarot in this manuscript are analyzed, he notes that the hafṭarot in the Land of Israel rite “were chosen not according to their subject but according to the language of their opening: the basis for choosing Land-of-Israel-rite hafṭarot is a prominent word both in the first (or second) verse of the seder and in the hafṭarah.” This is true in all the cases recorded here — often the content of the hafṭarah is entirely unrelated to that of the portion, but there’s always, without exception, linguistic crossover in the opening verse. These haftarot are also substantially shorter than Babylonian norms, with some as short as three verses. It seems the Babylonian prohibition on hafṭarot shorter than twenty-one verses was not taken into account in the West! (It’s unclear whether this was a universal norm in the Land of Israel rite, or exclusive to the community that used this book.)
* = part of the page is torn; portion is reconstructed based on parallel texts and size of missing space
| Parashah | Haftarah |
|---|---|
| Genesis 1:1–2:3 | Isaiah 65:17–24 |
| Genesis 2:4–3:21 | Isaiah 51:6–11 |
| Genesis 3:22–4:26 | Ezekiel 28:13–19, Ezekiel 28:25–26 |
| Genesis 5:1–6:8 | Isaiah 29:18–23 |
| Genesis 6:9–7:24 | Isaiah 54:9–13 |
| Genesis 8:1–14 | Habakkuk 3:2–6 |
| Genesis 8:15–9:17 | Isaiah 42:7–10 |
| Genesis 9:18–10:32 | Isaiah 49:9–13 |
| Genesis 11:1–32 | Zephaniah 3:9–12 |
| Genesis 12:1–13:18 | Joshua 24:3–5 |
| Genesis 14:1–24 | Isaiah 41:2–6 |
| Genesis 15:1–21 | Isaiah 1:1–8 |
| Genesis 16:1–16 | Isaiah 54:1–5 |
| Genesis 17:1–27 | Isaiah 54:10–13 |
| Genesis 18:1–33 | Isaiah 33:17–22 |
| Genesis 19:1–38 | Isaiah 17:14–18:4 |
| Genesis 20:1–18 | Isaiah 61:9–62:3 |
| Genesis 21:1–34 | I Samuel 2:21–26 |
| Genesis 22:1–23:20 | Isaiah 33:7–12 |
| Genesis 24:1–41 | Isaiah 51:1–3 |
| Genesis 24:42–67 | Isaiah 12:3–6 |
| Genesis 25:1–18 | II Samuel 5:13–16 |
| Genesis 25:19–26:11 | Isaiah 65:23–66:1 |
| Genesis 26:12–34 | Isaiah 62:8–63:1 |
| Genesis 27:1–27 | Isaiah 45:25–46:4 |
| Genesis 27:28–28:9 | Micah 5:6–8 |
| Genesis 28:10–29:30 | Hosea 12:13–14, Hosea 13:3–4 |
| Genesis 29:31–30:21 | Isaiah 60:15–17 |
| Genesis 30:22–31:2 | I Samuel 1:11–17 |
| Genesis 31:3–32:3 | Micah 6:3–8 |
| Genesis 32:4–33:17 | Obadiah 1:1–4, Obadiah 1:21 |
| Genesis 33:18–35:8 | Nahum 1:12–2:1 |
| Genesis 35:9–36:43 | Isaiah 43:1–7 |
| Genesis 37:1–36 | Isaiah 32:18-33:2 |
| Genesis 38:1–30 | Isaiah 37:31–35 |
| Genesis 39:1–40:23 | Isaiah 52:3–7 |
| Genesis 41:1–37 | Isaiah 29:8–12, Isaiah 29:18–19 |
| Genesis 41:38—42:17 | Isaiah 11:2–5 |
| Genesis 42:18–43:13 | Isaiah 50:10–51:2 |
| Genesis 43:14–44:17 | Jeremiah 42:10–12 |
| Genesis 44:18–46:27 | Joshua 14:6–9 |
| Genesis 46:28–47:31 | Zechariah 10:6–12 |
| Genesis 48:1–22 | II Kings 13:14–17 |
| Genesis 49:1–26 | Isaiah 42:22–25 |
| Genesis 49:27–50:26 | Zechariah 14:1–5 |
| Exodus 1:1–2:25 | Isaiah 27:6—13 |
| Exodus 3:1–4:17 | Isaiah 40:11–13 |
| Exodus 4:18–6:1 | Isaiah 55:12–56:1 |
| Exodus 6:2–7:7 | Isaiah 42:8–12 |
| Exodus 7:8–8:15 | Joel 3:3–4:1 |
| Exodus 8:16–9:35 | Isaiah 34:11–17 * |
| Exodus 10:1–29 | I Samuel 6:6–14 * |
| Exodus 11:1–12:28 | Micah 7:15–20 |
| Exodus 12:29–51 | Isaiah 21:11–12, Isaiah 21:22–23 |
| Exodus 13:1–14:14 | Isaiah 46:3–9 |
| Exodus 14:15–16:27 | Isaiah 65:24–66:1 |
| Exodus 16:28–17:16 | Isaiah 58:13–59:1 |
| Exodus 18:1–19:5 | Isaiah 33:13–17 |
| Exodus 19:6–20:23 | Isaiah 61:6–9 |
| Exodus 21:1–22:23 | Isaiah 56:1–5 |
| Exodus 22:24–23:19 | Isaiah 48:10–15 |
| Exodus 23:20–24:18 | Malachi 3:1–10 |
| Exodus 25:1–40 | Isaiah 60:17–22 |
| Exodus 26:1–30 | Isaiah 66:1—5, Isaiah 66:10 |
| Exodus 26:31–27:19 | Ezekiel 16:10–13 |
| Exodus 27:20–28:43 | Hosea 14:7–10 |
| Exodus 29:1–46 | Isaiah 61:6–9 |
| Exodus 30:1–38 | Malachi 1:11–2:1 |
| Exodus 31:1–17 | Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 40:13–16 |
| Exodus 31:18–32:14 | I Kings 5:9–12 |
| Exodus 32:15–34:26 | II Samuel 22:10–17, II Samuel 22:51 |
| Exodus 34:27–36:38 | Jeremiah 31:33–35 |
| Exodus 37:1–38:20 | I Kings 8:8–11 |
| Exodus 38:21–39:32 | Jeremiah 30:18–22 |
| Exodus 39:33–40:38 | Isaiah 33:20–22 |
| Leviticus 1:1–3:17 | Micah 6:9–15, Micah 7:5–7 |
| Leviticus 4:1–35 | Ezekiel 18:4–9 |
| Leviticus 5:1– 6:11 | Zechariah 5:3–5 |
| Leviticus 6:12–7:38 | Malachi 3:4–6 |
| Leviticus 8:1–10:7 | I Samuel 2:28–35 |
| Leviticus 10:8–20 | Ezekiel 44:21–28 |
| Leviticus 11:1–47 | Isaiah 40:16–22 |
| Leviticus 12:1–13:28 | Isaiah 66:7–11 |
| Leviticus 13:29–59 | Isaiah 7:20–24, 8:2 |
| Leviticus 14:1–32 | Isaiah 57:17–19 |
| Leviticus 14:33–57 | Isaiah 5:8–16 |
| Leviticus 15:1–24 | Hosea 5:15–6:2 |
| Leviticus 15:25–16:34 | Isaiah 4:4–6 |
| Leviticus 17:1–16 | Isaiah 66:3–5 |
| Leviticus 18:1–30 | Isaiah 40:17–22 |
| Leviticus 19:1–22 | Isaiah 4:3–6 |
| Leviticus 19:23–20:27 | Isaiah 65:22–24 |
| Leviticus 21:1–16 | Ezekiel 44:25–28 |
| Leviticus 21:17–23:8 | Isaiah 56:6–8 |
| Leviticus 23:9–25:13 | Joel 4:14–17 |
| Leviticus 25:14–34 | Isaiah 24:2–15 |
| Leviticus 25:35–26:2 | Isaiah 35:3–10 |
| Leviticus 26:3–27:1 | Isaiah 1:19–27 |
| Leviticus 27:2–34 | Judges 11:30–32 |
| Numbers 1:1–54 | Isaiah 35:1–4 |
| Numbers 2:1–34 | Isaiah 49:6–10 |
| Numbers 3:1–4:16 | Isaiah 45:19–22 |
| Numbers 4:17–5:10 | Isaiah 48:9–15 |
| Numbers 5:11–6:21 | Hosea 4:14–5:2, Hosea 5:15–6:3 |
| Numbers 6:22–7:47 | Isaiah 44:3–6 |
| Numbers 7:48–89 | Jeremiah 31:20–23 |
| Numbers 8:1–9:23 | Zechariah 4:2–6 |
| Numbers 10:1–11:15 | Isaiah 27:13–28:5 |
| Numbers 11:16–22 | Isaiah 24:23–25:4, Isaiah 25:8 |
| Numbers 11:23–12:16 | Isaiah 59:1–6, Isaiah 59:16 |
| Numbers 13:1–14:10 | Joshua 2:1–5 |
| Numbers 14:11–45 | Isaiah 52:5–7 |
| Numbers 15:1–41 | Isaiah 56:6–8 |
| Numbers 16:1–17:15 | Hosea 10:2–8, Hosea 10:12 |
| Numbers 17:16–18:24 | Isaiah 11:1–5 |
| Numbers 18:25–20:13 | Isaiah 62:8–63:1 |
| Numbers 20:14–22:2 | Obadiah 1:1–8, Obadiah 1:21 |
| Numbers 22:3–23:9 | Micah 7:16–20 |
| Numbers 23:10–24:25 | Isaiah 49:23–25 |
| Numbers 25:1–9 | Joel 4:18–21 |
| Numbers 25:10–26:51 | Malachi 2:5–7 |
| Numbers 26:52–27:14 | Isaiah 57:13–15 |
| Numbesr 27:15–28:25 | Isaiah 40:13–22 |
| Numbers 28:26–30:1 | Malachi 3:4–6 * |
| Numbers 30:2–31:24 | Ezekiel 25:14–17 |
| Numbers 31:25–54 | Isaiah 49:24–26 * |
| Numbers 32:1–42 | Joshua 22:8–14 * |
| Numbers 33:1–56 | Isaiah 11:16–12:3 * |
| Numbers 34:1–35:8 | Ezekiel 45:1–4 |
| Numbers 35:9–36:13 | Joshua 20:1–6 |
| Deuteronomy 1:1–2:1 | Jeremiah 30:4–9 * |
| Deuteronomy 2:2–30 | Obadiah 1:21, Jonah 1:1–9 * |
| Deuteronomy 2:31–3:22 | Joshua 10:12–14 |
| Deuteronomy 3:23–4:40 * | Isaiah 33:2–6 * |
| Deuteronomy 4:41–6:3 * | Joshua 20:8–21:3 |
| Deuteronomy 6:4–7:11 * | Zechariah 14:9–11 * |
| Deuteronomy 7:12–8:20 * | Isaiah 54:10–13 * |
| Deuteronomy 9:1–29 | Joshua 1:10–14 |
| Deuteronomy 10:1–11:9 | I Kings 8:9–11 |
| Deuteronomy 11:10–12:19 | Isaiah 30:23–26 |
| Deuteronomy 12:20–13:19 | Isaiah 54:2–5 |
| Deuteronomy 14:1–15:6 | Isaiah 46:3–9 |
| Deuteronomy 15:7—16:17 | Isaiah 29:19–23 |
| Deuteronomy 16:18–17:13 | Isaiah 1:26–2:3 |
| Deuteronomy 17:14–20:9 | Isaiah 32:1–4 |
| Deuteronomy 20:10–22:5 | Isaiah 66:12–20 |
| Deuteronomy 22:6–23:9 | Isaiah 31:5–32:1 |
| Deuteronomy 23:10–21 | Isaiah 1:16–19 |
| Deuteronomy 23:22–24:18 | Isaiah 19:21–25 |
| Deuteronomy 24:19–25:19 | Hosea 10:12–11:1 |
| Deuteronomy 26:1–27:26 | Ezekiel 44:30–45:4 |
| Deuteronomy 28:1–29:8 | Isaiah 55:2–7 |
| Deuteronomy 29:9–30:10 | Isaiah 60:21–61:3 |
| Deuteronomy 30:11–31:13 | Isaiah 48:18–20 |
| Deuteronomy 31:14–30 | I Kings 2:1–3 |
| Deuteronomy 32:1–52 | Isaiah 1:2–11, Isaiah 1:18–19 |
| Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12 | Joshua 1:1–5 |
“Sedarim and Hafṭarot for a Triennial Torah-reading Cycle, according to the nusaḥ Erets Yisrael as recorded in the “St. Petersburg Manuscript” (NLR Ms. EVR II B 42)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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St. Petersburg Manuscript (NLR Ms. EVR II B 42) fol. 7r
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