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  • From: peter_kirk AT sil.org
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Jerusalem, neuter plural
  • Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 21:35:05 -0400


We might be able to help in answering Jonathan's question ("the
pronunciation Yerushalayim is a late development. How late?") by
looking at forms in other Middle Eastern languages. For example, I
understand that an Arabic form something like YERUSALIM exists
(although Arabs call the modern city AL-QUDS) - does anyone know how
ancient this form is? What forms are used in various modern Aramaic
dialects, Christian and Jewish? What about Coptic, Ge`ez or Amharic,
etc? Although some of these could be influenced by Greek forms, they
may well give evidence of the pronunciation of the city name by
speakers of those languages at the time of writing or translation of
ancient texts. If the name were indeed pronounced as a dual at those
times, I would expect that to be reflected in at least some of the
forms found in other languages.

Some further evidence: the form $FL"M (Shalem) in Gen 14:18 and Psa
76:3, LXX and NT SALHM (Gen 14:18, 33:18, Jeremiah 48:5, Judith 4:4,
Hebrews 7:1,2), which was understood in ancient times as an
abbreviation of the full city name.

Joe Friberg suggested that the upsilon in the Greek form HIEROSOLUMA
is derived from the Hebrew sequence of letters -AYI-. Well, that is
not impossible. But it could equally be derived from a long E sound,
in Hebrew as in Aramaic. The closest to the upsilon would be a long I
sound, as in the Arabic spelling above. On the other hand, I have read
that the form HIEROSOLUMA is derived from an assimilation to a Greek
popular etymology: HIERO = "Holy" and SOLUMA = ??

I have done a quick look at LXX renderings of other Hebrew names which
appear to be dual in form. I have only included case where the LXX is
a recognisable transliteration of the Hebrew, in a verse which my
software recognises as parallel (it became confused in Jeremiah).

Reference RSV LXX

GEN 14:5 Ashterothkarnaim Astarwq Karnain
GEN 15:20 ++ Rephaim Rafain
GEN 38:14 + Enaim Ainan
GEN 41:52 ++ Ephraim Efraim
NUM 32:37 ++ Kiriathaim Kariaqaim
NUM 33:46 + Almondiblathaim Gelmwn Deblaqaim
JOS 13:6 Misrephothmaim Maserefwqmaim
JOS 13:26 + Mahanaim Maanain
JOS 13:30 + Mahanaim Maanaim
JOS 15:36 Shaaraim Sakarim
JOS 21:22 Kibzaim Kabsaim
JDG 3:8 ++ Cushanrishathaim Cousarsaqwm
2SA 2:8 ++ Mahanaim Manaem
2SA 4:3 Gittaim Geqqaim
2SA 13:34 Horonaim Wrwnhn
2SA 17:24 ++ Mahanaim Manaim
2KI 17:24 ++ Sepharvaim Sepfarouain
1CH 2:30 + Appaim Affaim
1CH 4:23 Netaim Nataim
1CH 8:8 Shaharaim Saarhm
2CH 3:6 Parvaim Farouaim
2CH 11:9 Adoraim Adwraim
2CH 16:4 Abelmaim Abelmain
EZR 2:57 Pocherethhazzebaim Faceraq-asebwin
NEH 7:59 Pocherethhazzebaim Facaraq uioi Sabaim
ISA 15:5 Horonaim Arwniim
ISA 15:8 Eglaim Agallim
ISA 36:19 + Sepharvaim Sepfarim
EZK 47:10 Eneglaim Ainagalim
EZK 47:16 Sibraim Sebraim
HOS 1:3 Diblaim Debhlaim

Summary: The majority of Hebrew dual form names are rendered as -aim
or -ain in LXX. There is some inconsistency, especially in the
renderings of "Mahanaim" (which is also often translated as
"Parembolai") Some have shortened endings such as -an. Only once is
there an ending -hm (cf. Greek Yerusalhm). There are no cases of an
upsilon corrseponding to the Hebrew -AYI-, and there are no cases of a
suffixed -a or any other declinable Greek ending. This suggests that
it is very unlikely that the Greek form HIEROSOLUMA is derived from a
Hebrew dual ending.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Jerusalem, neuter plural
Author: yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il at internet
Date: 06/09/1999 02:06


If, in Akkadian, Jerusalem is Urushalimmu, and in the LXX it is
Ierusalem, and in the MT the word generally appears without a yod, AND
moreover, if the GN is theophoric, containing the DN Shalem, we can
assume that the pronunciation Yerushalayim is a late development. How
late? Later than the stabilization of the MT consonantal text.
Sincerely,
--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Beit Berl Post Office
Israel

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