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  • From: jimstinehart AT aol.com
  • To: sevillanomail AT yahoo.com, b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Purim
  • Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:44:40 -0400 (EDT)


David Sevilla:

The traditional analysis of the meaning of "Asher", based on the explicit pun
set forth at Genesis 30: 13, is correct. The early Hebrew author of the
Patriarchal narratives had no interest whatsoever in the pagan goddess
Ashera, and had no reason to name one of Jacob's sons after a pagan goddess,
nor was Ashera important in Naharim, where Asher is portrayed as being born.

Since Asher is born in the heart of Hurrianland, there may be a secondary pun
in Hurrian. )$-xu means "high, upward" in Hurrian, and in Hurrian,instead of
the suffix -xu, which literally means "coming from", one could substitute the
comitative suffix -ra, which means "together with". The Hurrian meaning of
)$-ra is somewhat similar to the meaning of the Hebrew common word )$R. Many
of the names of Jacob's sons born in Naharim in the heart of Hurrianland can
be viewed as having certain secondary elements that are redolent of the
Hurrian locale of their birth. Although Nahor's descendants are not ethnic
Hurrians, Leah and Rachel likely had native proficiency speaking Hurrian,
since most of their neighbors spoke Hurrian.

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois


Shalom,
hats the meaning of the name Asher?
Does it mean "happy" as I have read?
Thank you very much
avid Sevilla
pain.





-----Original Message-----
From: Sevillano Hispalis <sevillanomail AT yahoo.com>
To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Fri, Mar 16, 2012 6:09 am
Subject: [b-hebrew] Purim


Shalom,
hats the meaning of the name Asher?
Does it mean "happy" as I have read?
Thank you very much
avid Sevilla
pain.

saac,
During a brief speech at my son's brit mila on Taanit Esther 2003 at the
ldridge Street Synagogue on the Lower East Side, I raised that very issue:
he distinct possibility (and I suspect probability) that Asher was the
asculine counterpart of Canaanite Ashera (Ashtoret/Ishtar/Esther). It's
ertainly interesting that the traditional symbol of the Tribe of Asher is
tree.
What made it especially fun is that members of my very frum family in the
ews stared at me aghast as if I'd just landed from Mars.
Uzi Silber
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