These lists of variant readings are based on Zohar manuscripts and other textual witnesses (including the Mantua and Cremona editions). The individual line numbers in the lists correspond to the Margaliot edition of the Zohar. The variants are also accessible via a link in the top-right of each Aramaic Zohar HTML page.

For a list of the sigla of the manuscripts and other witnesses, see the file “Sigla.” Among the most reliable manuscripts are the following:

• Cambridge 9
• Escorial 1, 3
• London 2, 3, 27
• Moscow 3, 4
• Munich 7
• New York 23
• Paris 1, 2, 4
• Parma 6
• Rome 1
• Toronto 1
• Vatican 3, 5, 6, 7, 16, 20, 22

The text of the Cremona edition is frequently superior to that of the Mantua edition (and nearly all later printed editions, based on Mantua).

The lists were compiled by three researchers between the years 1997-2015, under the guidance of Daniel Matt. Barry Mark prepared the variants for Vol. 1 and the first parashah of Vol. 2 (Parashat Lekh Lekha). Merav Carmeli prepared the variants for the rest of Vol. 2 and Vols. 3-9. Jonatan Benarroch prepared the variants for Vols. 10-12. He also identified, collected, and scanned numerous Zohar manuscripts in preparation for listing the variants. Furthermore, he configured the lists of variants for Stanford’s website.

We would also like to thank Data Conversion Laboratory for their work converting the Aramaic and Variants to HTML, and Christopher Cosner for integration into the Zohar website.