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  • From: "Tony Costa" <tmcos AT hotmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Valley of Baca-Psalm 84:6
  • Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 11:14:54 GMT


Dear Friends,

I had a question regarding Psalm 84:6 where it mentions the "Valley of Baca". I understand the Hebrew word "BAKA" as a noun means a "balsam-tree" according to the BDB Lexicon p.113.This word appears in the plural in 2 Sam 5:23-23 (1 Chron 14:14-15) I understand there is another word in Hebrew also written BAKAH which as a verb means "weep, bewail". This text in the Psalm 84 is referring to the "pilgrimage" obviously to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem because it makes reference to appearing "before God in Zion." (vs.7) No doubt this is a pilgrimage to observe one of the High Festivals in Jerusalem as commanded in the Torah. Where is the exact location of Baca? I noticed as well that the LXX translates the Hebrew word "Baca" as "the valley of weeping". Could this translation of "balsam-tree" to "weeping" be due to the fact that the words BAKA and BAKAH are homophones and the LXX translators may have confused one word for the other? Or are they really linguistically related? I noted as well that the Jerusalem Bible translates Psalm 84:6 the "Valley of the Weeper". There is a footnote which says "The balsam tree; this valley was the last stage of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem."
As a side note, I have noticed that some Muslims have attempted to make the claim that the "Valley of Baca" is really the Valley of Mecca, and that the pilgrimage, is really the 'haj' ('Pilgrimage' in Arabic) to Mecca!! I think this is a phonetic fallacy on their part, because Jerusalem, not Mecca was the centre of worship in ancient Judah. Any comments on this passage would be helpful. Thank you.

Tony Costa
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