Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com>]

On 16/07/2003 02:51, Trevor & Julie Peterson wrote:

> Peter wrote:
>
>  
>
> > So, my question at last is: Are there scholarly publications (more
> > recent than BDB!) which quote inscriptional Aramaic, Phoenician,
> > Samaritan, paleo-Hebrew etc as well as Hebrew? In such cases, what
> > scripts are used for Aramaic, Phoenician etc? BDB (1906) quoted these
> > and even south Arabian inscriptions in Hebrew script. But what is the
> > modern practice? Are ancient alphabets (other than Hebrew, Arabic,
> > Syriac etc which are in  modern use) ever used in such publications?
> >    
> Are
>  
>
> > these languages ever transcribed in Hebrew script, or only in Latin
> > script transliteration? I am interested in practice in Israeli
> >    
> journals
>  
>
> > in modern Hebrew as well as in journals in western languages.
> >    
>
> As far as I know, they are normally transcribed in Latin or Hebrew
> letters. There may be some need for Samaritan as its own script, but
> generally speaking the epigraphic scripts are better hand-drawn where
> necessary. BTW, has there been any talk about introducing non-Tiberian
> vowel points for Hebrew and Aramaic? I'm thinking particularly of the
> Babylonian pointing system.
>
> Trevor Peterson
> CUA/Semitics
>
>
>  
Thanks for the quick reply. May I pass this on to the Unicode list? I 
needn't include your name if you prefer. I could just call you a PhD 
candidate in Semitics at a major US university, if that is accurate.

Someone has been working on a proposal for the Babylonian and other 
non-Tiberian vowel points, but progress has been slow or non-existent. 
Probably more expert help is needed, which you, Trevor, might be able to 
give. I could put you in touch with the intending proposer, off list. 
Mind  you, the Aramaic, Phoenician etc outline proposals have not been 
progressing for several years either, but they are in the queue and the 
roadmap so a little ahead of the Babylonian etc pointing. But it is the 
kind of queue which can be jumped quite easily if anyone wants to put in 
the necessary effort e.g. to draft a formal proposal and to gather some 
scholarly and technial support. The proposals that languish are ones 
which are put forward for completeness rather than usefulness.

--
Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/