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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Year 13 Hebrew Grammar

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  • From: Yigal Levin <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year 13 Hebrew Grammar
  • Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:02:39 +0300

Jim, didn't you read my whole post? I specifically wrote that I thought that
at least the context demands "in the 13th year". In my opinion, this is more
important than the grammar. Let's remember that the text was written by
humans (or dictated by God "bilshon benei adam"), and human language often
takes "literary license". However, this works both ways. So I don't think
that the grammar "proves" anything, and I still think that your theory is
wrong.



Yigal Levin







From: jimstinehart AT aol.com [mailto:jimstinehart AT aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 2:36 PM
To: Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il; b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year 13 Hebrew Grammar





Prof. Yigal Levin:



You wrote (in part): “…they served 12 years, they rebelled 13 years, on the
14 year Chedorlaomer arrived. Some (not all) of the rabbinic sources
actually understand it that way, and Seder-Olam Rabbah (the post-Talmudic
tract that calculates the chronology of the world, from which the Jewish
calendar gets 5771 A.M. for the present year) actually counts this as 26
years.”



Thank you so much for that invaluable information about the Seder-Olan Rabbah
interpretation of Genesis 14: 4-5. Much appreciated.



However, could you please comment specifically as to whether or not, based on
Hebrew grammar, Genesis 14: 4 could legitimately be interpreted to say and
mean: “…and Year 13 they rebelled”?



If that is not possible in Hebrew grammar, could you explain why?



(Thanks again for the Seder-Olam Rabbah info.)



Jim Stinehart

Evanston, Illinois






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