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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Does the Name Caleb Mean "Dog"? Not.

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  • From: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • To: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Does the Name Caleb Mean "Dog"? Not.
  • Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:57:41 +0000

"To the best of my knowledge, no one but me has ever analyzed the names
“Kenites”, “Kenizzites”, and “Jebusites” as being Hurrian-based Patriarchal
nicknames, featuring the Hurrian version of an Akkadian verb plus one or more
standard Hurrian suffixes. In my opinion, that is why no convincing
etymologies for those three names have been possible to date."

You're probably correct on that front: no one has done this.




"After I set forth all those many cases when the Bible uses KLB as a Hebrew
common word in an extremely derogatory manner, you still think that Joshua’s
trusted comrade has a west Semitic name that means “Dog”? No way! KLB is
KL-B, a Hurrian name of a Kenizzite, Kelip, meaning “It Pleases [Deity]”."

Sorry, but "No way!" is not an argument of substance. As Yigal outlined,
these types of unusual names are around. They are just unusual, that's all.
Do you think in 3000 years people might say: "'Moon-Unit Zappa' isn't an
English name. Neither is 'Meatloaf'! No way! They are both Hurrian." You
haven't shown grounds to go looking for Hurrian.




"If Genesis 15: 18-21 reflects the Amarna Age, as I think it does, then…"

And here is the crux of your argument: IF. There is absolutely no certainty
in this if, and of all the things you've posted about this connection, there
is nothing, I repeat n-o-t-h-I-n-g that shows any warrant for this
connection. In fact, you persist with this despite being shown hard evidence
to the contrary. So really, you should be writing: "If Genesis 15: 18-21
reflects the Amarna Age, as I think it does, even though the evidence goes
completely against it, then…" I'm sorry, Jim, but this argument occupies the
realm of fantasy, not real scholarship.




GEORGE ATHAS
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia






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