Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<gs02wmr AT panther.Gsu.EDU>]

Shalum Achshaav!

I was perusing a web page of a local cult in my area, and on one of their
pages they make the claim that the word "Shalom" is really suppoed to be
"Shalam." Their logic is as follows:

-----------
The word SHALAM means peace. The reason why we spell the word SHALAM
with an "A" instead of an "O" (SHALOM), is because when you look at the
Hebrew alphabet there is no "O". The using of the letter "O" is incorrect!
This is how the word is written in the Ancient Hebrew(Shalam), and in the
Assyrian Hebrew(ShAlAm). The Hebrew Israelites spoke and wrote in
the ancient Hebrew dialect. 

The reason why so many of our records today are written in the Assyrian
Hebrew, is due to, when we were in captivity under the Assyrian Empire.
Read II Kings Chapter 17, verse 23 says, "Until the Lord removed Israel
out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was
Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day." In
the process of time, as we were held captives by the Assyrians (for
approximately 200 years), we began to speak and write in a different
form/dialect of the ancient Hebrew language."
-------------------------------------

They give us 2 pictures, HEBREW1.GIF is supposed to be the original
Biblical Hebrew alphabet, and HEBREW2.GIF is the "false" Assyrian Hebrew
alphabet. 

So according to their logic, are they correct? Is the word "Shalom" really
supposed to be pronounced "Shalam" ?

Thank you.

Wondell M. Rachman

Attachment: hebrew1.gif
Description: GIF image