Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Randall Buth <ButhFam AT compuserve.com>]

shalom 

> "The biblical record quite definitely indicates 'ibri is derived
>from Eber, the name of one of Shem's sons (Gen 10:21; 11:14, 16).
> Abraham is identified as a descendant of Shem, of Eber's line 
>(Gen 11:26)." 'ibri is used of the descendants of Eber,

Yes, but there is a 'ringer'.

The above could be expaned to argue 
that Canaanite is NOT related to Hebrew, 
because Gn 10 has Canaan linked with Egypt/Mitsrayim and 
not with Shem and Eber. 

For those unacquainted with Hebrew, Phoenician, Moabite, ElAmarna
Canaanite IS Hebrew, or better the otherway around, 
Hebrew is Canaanite. 
And Canaanite is not the direct descendent of Hamitic languages. 

What would have been better is to read Gen 10 as reflecting the 
politics of the 2nd millenium BCE, and not to ask linguistic questions
of it.

blessings

Randall Buth
www.biblicalulpan.org
Jerusalem