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b-hebrew - Re: Habiru. Was: Meaning of term Hebrew

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  • From: "uri hurwitz" <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Habiru. Was: Meaning of term Hebrew
  • Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 15:46:01 -0400


Ian wrote:
>
>" How does Meeks explain the long medial vowel in Akkadian and
> Western Peripheral Akkadian, but not in the Hebrew? If the
> word is actually Akkadian how does one explain the initial /x/
> and an ayn in Hebrew (given that numerous cognates between the
> two languages starting with chet exist)? If it isn't, how can
> one hope to explain any connection??"
>
> Ian,if this Habiru-'Ibri matter is of real interest to you, may I suggest
> that we let Th. Meek in Hebrew Origin speak for himself; he is the
> translator of the Hammurabi Code in ANET, so he knows a little Akkadian.
> Obviously the medial long vowel does not concern him in this case.The book
> is worth reading for the lucidity of the discussion and the elegance of the
> style, not to mention its view and approach. But thats another matter.
Also ,Ian, we seem to have factual differences: the Akkadian sign stands
for both h(-) and 'Ayin , thus the possible conncection to'Ibry. .
>
"We know, however,
> that during the reign of Merneptah there was a tribal entity
> called Israel which seems geographically already around the
> area later to become the realm of Israel, ie the north, which
> suggests that this Israel is not even derived from those habiru
> mentioned in the Amarna letters, the most famous of whom had
> hold of Gezer (also mentioned by Merneptah)."

> If you check your Amarna letters you'll find quite a few habiru in the
> north, by that I mean in the area that is now Lebanon and
> elsewhere.Furthermore,one cannot postulate that the sitatution between the
> Amarna age, and one hundred fifty years later in Merneptah's time remained
> frozen, especially with non sedentary people.
But all this is outside the range of this list. >
Uri





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