Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

I note that the Septuagint renders Massoretic Ai as Gai. Perhaps the Greek
rendering preserves the site name ? I note a Wadi El Jaya whose headwaters
begin at Et-Tell, and on the northside of the site is a spring called Ein
Wadi El Jaya. Perhaps the Septuagint's Gai is Arabic Jaya ? (cf. map of
Et-Tell Excavations, p. 48, Vol. 1, J.A. Callaway, "Ai," in Michael
Avi-Yonah, Editor,
Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, Oxford
University Press, London, 1975, ISBN 0-19-647923-1)

As regards John Ronning's attempt to identify Bethel with El Bireh, my
research endeavors suggest that mainstream scholarship is correct in Beitin
being Bethel.

Below are two messages recently posted to the ANE list hosted by the
University of Chicago, where I argue for the identity of sites who are
aligned "like sitting ducks in a row" to the west of Bethel/Beitin in the
description of Benjamin's northern border:

Aharoni and Avi-Yonah were unable to suggest sites for the Archites and
Japhletites (cf. Map No. 73, p.53, Yohanon Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah,
The Macmillan Bible Atlas, N.Y., [1968], 1977, ISBN 0-02-500590-1). These
sites eluded the 1993 edition as well (map No. 73, p.62). Articles in the
Anchor Bible Ditionary (1992) for Achites and Japhletites are unable to
suggest a site as well, noting only that they appear to be clan names.

After consulting various recensions of Joshua 16:1-3, I offer some proposals
suggesting that the elusive "clan names" are in existence as site names.

(RSV):

"...going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of
the Archites; then it goes down westward to the territory of the
Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth Horon, then to Gezer, and
it ends at the sea."

(LXX):

"...to Baethel Luza. And they will go out to Baethel, and will proceed to
the borders of Archatarothi. And they will go across to the sea to the
borders of Aptalim, as far as the borders of Baeth-horon the lower, and the
going forth of them shall be to the sea."


(Peshitta):

"...from the Jordan by Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, into
the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to mount Bethel and goes out from
Bethel to Luz and then passes along the border of Ebra and Ataroth, and goes
down westward to the border of Palta, as far as the border of Beth-Hauran
the lower, then to Gadar, and its limits extended to the sea."

Vulgate (Latin):

"...quae ascendit de Hiericho ad montana Bethel et egreditur de Bethel Luzam
transitque terminum Archiatharoth et descendit ad occidentem iuxtra terminum
Ieflethi usque ad terminos Bethoron inferioris et Gazer finiunturque
regiones eius mari Magno..."


Proposals:

Bethel is Beitin
Luz is khirbet el Lozeh (W of Beitin)
Ebra is khirbat el Bur (SE of Lozeh)
Ataroth is khirbet et Tireh (East of Ain Arik)
Archites is preserved at Ain Arik and wadi Arik (W of et Tireh)
Japhletites/Palta/Aptalim is khirbet el Hafy (W of Arik)
Gezer/Gadar is khirbet el Jedeir (SW of Beit Ur et Tahta)

(cf. Palestine Exploration Fund Map, 1878 scale: 1:60,000 for site
proposals)
Gary Greenberg made the following observation:

"Doesn't the bible frequently identify Luz as the original name for Bethel ?
"

He is quite right. Yet, some translators have seen fit to render "from
Bethel _to_ Luz" in describing the Benjaminite border, while others render
"Bethel Luz".

My research identifies a community just west of Beitin (Bethel) called
khirbet Lozeh, which seems to favor the translations rendering "from Bethel
_to_ Luz."

The New Jerusalem Bible (1990, Catholic):

"...from Bethel IT WENT TO Luz, and on towards the frontier of the Archites
at Ataroth; then passed downwards and westwards to the frontier of the
Japhelites as far as the border of Lower Beth-Horon..."

The Tanakh (1988, Jewish Publication Society):

"From Bethel IT RAN TO Luz and passed on to the territory of the Archites at
Ataroth, descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as
the border of Lower Beth-Horon..."

According to Johnson "Archites" is rendered in Hebrew as `arki  which seems
to be mirrored in the Arabic Ein Arik and Wadi Arik, to the west of Lozeh
and Beitin (cf. ABD 1.369, S.S. JOhnson, "Archite," 1992)

If any other scholar has made these proposals before I am not aware of the
fact and would appreciate being steered to the literature making these
identifications (khirbet Lozeh, khirbet et Tireh, khirbet Hafy and Ein
Arik).


All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany