Biblical Hebrew Forum

[furuli AT online.no]

Dear Walter,

I teach Accadian, so I know that the answer is negative.  I would 
just point out that in the Hebrew cognate language Accadian where 
they have the word ETEMMU  referring to the spirit of a dead person 
(the word can also denote a necromancer, ( cf. Hebrew (I++YM), even 
there NAPISTU  did not refer to an immortal soul.  There is no word 
in Hebrew denoting any immortal part of man, as there is in Accadian 
and Ugaritic.


Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo



> Rolf asked:
>
> "The Accadian word NAPI$TUM, which corresponds to Hebrew NP$, does it
> ever denote an immmortal soul ?"
>
>
> Dear Rolf,
>
> I am not a Linguist. I do know, however, where you can get the answer to
> your question. Try the ANE list hosted by the University of Chicago. They
> have Linguists trained in Akkadian that "hang out" over there who would know
> the answer (especially Bob Whiting who edits the Assyrian Annals series).
> Another source is the COMPREHENSIVE  multi-volumed "Real-Lexicon" on the
> Akkadian Language used by ALL professional Assyriologists (this work also
> noting Hebrew forms of Akkadian words and concepts).
>
> Regards, Walter
>
> Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld , M.A. Ed.
> www.bibleorigins.net