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  • From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>
  • To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Saadia Gaon
  • Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 15:46:43 +0200



If I remember correctly, Saadia Gaon in his commentary on Isaiah 44
interpreted the words etz lo mesukan as a mesukannu tree. He didn't know

Akkadian, but was heir to some ancient Mesopotamian traditions. Perhaps
Chaim Cohen can correct me on this one.
Jonathan D. Safren

-----Original Message-----
From: gs02wmr AT panther.Gsu.EDU [mailto:gs02wmr AT panther.Gsu.EDU]
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2000 6:53 PM
To: Biblical Hebrew
Cc: Biblical Hebrew
Subject: RE: Saadia Gaon: Where did Hebrew Come From?


On Fri, 18 Feb 2000, Niels Peter Lemche wrote:
> Saadia Gaon never saw a line of Accadian, never a fragment of
Ugaritic. He
> did not know about the existence of ancient inscriptions, i.e. his
only
> reference would be Arabic and maybe some Syriac. So how could he in an

> environment that traced everything oriental back to the Arabic
peninsula
> think otherwise?


Shalum,

So what you're saying is that his premises were based on the available
information. I'd never heard of Saadia Gaon before, and assumed he was a

modern linguist that had access to all of the above.

Is there anything in his writings that is credible or substantiated,
then?

Shalom,

Wondell M. Rachman





--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office 44905
Israel





  • Re: Saadia Gaon, Jonathan D. Safren, 02/20/2000

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