Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Numberup AT worldnet.att.net]

In Hebrew, Egypt is mitsrayim, supposedly reflecting Middle Egyptian
terminology of the "two Egypts" (upper and lower Egypt).  A Jewish
source, "Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts," by Philip Birnbaum, Hebrew
Publishing Company, N.Y. (1975) says on page 481: "The biblical spelling
of the name for Jerusalem is, except in very few places, without the
letter yod.  But it is pronounced Yerushalayim in the many passages
where it occurs without a yod.  The dual termination ayim is
attributable to Jerusalem's situation upon two hills."  Probably as good
an explanation as any.  Of course, the esoteric-minded can come up with
a number of other good reasons why the two-ness of the city might have
been highlighted.  Probably we will never know exactly.   Or when,
exactly.

Solomon Landers
Memra Institute for Biblical Research
http://www.memrain.org