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  • From: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] The meaning of "Hebrew"
  • Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:03:53 -0700 (PDT)

  The linguistic similarity, if not identity,
between 'Ibri and the cuneiform (Akkadian)
h_abiru was noted by many, and rejected by some;
among the latter was the late great Semiticst
Rainey. Among the former, however, is Meek,
the translator of the Hamurabi laws into
English in ANET, who of course also mentions
the occurrence of the term in Ugaritic and
Egyptian, where a P replaces its close
relative B.

He derives its meaning from the Hebrew
'to cross' in its transitive sense, and
'to be a crosser...a nomad' in its
intransitive sense.


Ezov Haqqyr,

  Uri Hurwitz                             Great Neck, NY 





  • [b-hebrew] The meaning of "Hebrew", Uri Hurwitz, 04/11/2012

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