Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

Dave Washburn has expressed reservations about "Hail stones" in association
with fire, as coming from heaven, as noted in the Assyrian hymn.

I am aware of only two meterological events that the term "stones" (coming
from heaven) might refer to:
1) A shower of Meteorites
2) A shower of Hail Stones

Meteorites are a rather rare phenomena, and only infrequently observed. I
know of only a few cases in antiquity where a meteorite was believed to have
been recovered and worshipped as a divine being (this may lie behind the ANE
notion of a stone being inhabited by a divine being, cf. the stone erected
by Jacob and called Beth-el, the house of God, Ge. 35:14-15, the Greeks
calling these sacred stones betyls)

Hail stones are a much more common phenomena. It may be that the Assyrians
simply called them "stones," not distinguishing them with a word like "Hail"
as we do, and thus the reason for Parpola's added clarification within
parentheses (hail).

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany