Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Gen 14:13 Abraham the Hebrew

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>
  • To: Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>
  • Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Gen 14:13 Abraham the Hebrew
  • Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 16:45:52 +0200


Hello all,
Many scholars, among them Anson Rainey, whom I heard at a lecture recently,
claim that
one cannot equate 'ibri with habiru because of the long a vowel in habiru,
lacking in
'ibri. Well, opinion is not unanimous that this really matters. Perhaps the
Masoretic
pronunciaton is off.

In any case, as to Gen. 14, my late teacher Prof. Benjamin Mazar once pointed
out that
the only time Abraham is ever called an 'ibri is also the only time that he
appears as
a warrior at the head of a military force. This is significant in view of the
texts
alluding to the military activities of various habiru, for example iin the
Tel
El-Amarna and the Mari letters.
Sincerely,.
--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office 44905
Israel






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page