Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

I'd like to thank both Peter and Randall, for their comments regarding the
Mish(C) fragment. Both provided some insight into the problem.

There seem to be too many problems to come to a clear analysis of the
little that is there.

I also got a little side input from outside the list on two issues about
the fragment: 1) though Wise consistently transcribes the text as I gave
it, it is not seen by some others as he transcribed it, indicating that the
D is in the lacuna and that the R is in fact an L, and 2) that the B may in
fact be the final of a verb such as $WB -- if this is correct we might have
$WB HRQNWS ML[

Now I guess I'll have to somehow get an independent transcription of the
phrase.

Peter said:

>But I would also suggest that such a small fragment without a context 
>is all but meaningless. Michael Wise's translation is justified as a 
>word-for-word gloss which is about the best that makes sense.

The fragment has a few lines above and below that vaguely helps it be
placed in the schema of the mishmarot. Another fragment of the text dates
to the second year of the six year priestly cycle and so the fragment in
consideration can perhaps be dated reasonably closely. Another piece of
this text mentions Shelamzion, Hyrcanus's mother. Now in the sixth year the
text mentions that "Aemilius kills" this is probably around 63 BCE dating
the reference in our fragment to the final year of Salome's life. The
historical climate at the time would make a phrase like "Hyrcanus rebelled"
very rich and even consistent with the dating. However just the mention of
Hyrcanus in the fragment is valuable. It is consistent with other
historical figures in the text -- there are few historical references in
the DSS, so the more we have is more indicative of a general period of
reference of the texts. (There is no historical references after Aemilius
Scaurus.)


Thanks again.


Ian