THE EARLY SCOPE OF PARASHAT SHEQALIM.

At the time when the Four Parashiyot were read as independent lections--rather than as additions to the weekly scriptural lection - they were required to contain a number of verses that would suffice for seven readers (i.e., at least 21 verses per parasha). The length of the parashiyot Zakhor, Para and ha-Hodesh has been documented in the Genizah, in siddurim, as well as in fragments of targumim of the relevant parashiyot. This evidence indicates that their extent was greater than that which is found in current usage. However, the original length of Parashat Sheqalim has not yet been documented. This article presents early, unrhymed piyyutim for Parashat Sheqalim that versify the entire lection of the parasha. The information provided by these piyyutim is highly significant, since they antedate by many hundreds of years the evidence that may be gleaned from Genizah fragments. On the basis of the piyyutim it becomes clear that in its early form, Parashat Sheqalim began, as it still does, with Exodus 30:11 and terminated at 31:17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]