Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>]

Has anyhone checked CAD or AHw on this? Our library has neither, but I
remember birtu from the Akkadian texts I have read as "fortress".
Sincerely,
Jonathan D. Safren, Editor
Mo'ed - Annual for Jewish Studies
Center for Jewish Culture
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office
44905 Israel
Tel.: 972-9-7476396
Fax: 972-9-7476397
e-mail: moed AT beitberl.ac.il


----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>
To: "Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 1:05 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Birah


> Dear All,
> I discuss the term birah in my article "The Political Struggle of Fifth
> Century Judah," in Transeuphratene 24 (2002):9-21
> A birah is a citadel, an acropolis. It is part of a city , often
> the capital of a province, which houses a fort and a garrison.
> The term is well-attested. Birah is a loan-word from Akkadian birtu.
> It is used throughout the Achaemenid Empire in Aramaic birta' to refer to
> the city of Elephantine/Syene in Egypt, Sardis in Lydia, and
> Xanthus in Lycia, and probably others.
> Best,
> Liz Fried
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Karl Randolph
> > Sent: Tue, March 09, 2004 5:45 PM
> > To: Hebrew
> > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Solomon's palace in 1 Kings 7:1-8
> >
> >
> > Dear Chemorion Chosefu:
> >
> > I would hesitate to claim that BYRH refers to
> > a capitol or seat of government: of the four
> > times it is used apart from the name $W$N,
> > twice it is used for Solomon's as of yet
> > unbuilt temple (1 Chronicles 29:1,19) and once
> > for a structure in Jerusalem when Jerusalem
> > was a minor governor's city in the Persian
> > Empire (Nehemiah 7:2). That is unless we read
> > the temple as being the seat of God's
> > government and even a minor governor has a
> > seat of government.
> >
> > As for HYKL in 2 Chronicles 36:7, I had read
> > it as referring to the building that contains
> > the large meeting room. But you may be right.
> >
> > Karl W. Randolph.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chemorion" <chosefu_chemorion AT wycliffe.org>
> >
> > >
> > > > BYRH seems to indicate an edifice, a large,
> > > > imposing building.
> > > I think this was usually the headquarters of the rulership. In
biblical
> > > terms, Washington DC would be the BYRAH of America just as
> > Shusan in Esther
> > > 1:5, Nehemiah 2:8,
> > >
> > > > HYKL refers to a large meeting room. By
> > > > extension, it also refers to the building that
> > > > houses such a room. It can be in a tent or a
> > > > building of wood and/or stone.
> >
> > > Your observation here is very interesting. Traditionally, lexicons
have
> > > understood this term in two senses. It is thought to refer to a house
of
> > > splendour  that is usually associated with kings or a
> > magnificent building
> > > dedicated to divinities. Basically, the term is usually translated as
> > > either a Palace or a temple. In many cases, this term is
> > rendered as Temple.
> > > However, a close examination of how this term is used in 1
> > Kings 6:3, 5ff,
> > > reveals that HYKL was a one of the rooms in a bigger complex
> > structure. I
> > > think you are right. Your explanation could be useful in
> > understanding the
> > > usage of this term in 2 Chronicles 36:7, where  NIV says
> > "Temple" but CEV
> > > says "palace". From your explanation I would render HYKL in  2
> > chroincles
> > > 36:7 as a "a large room" which was probably used to store the
> > valuables of
> > > Nebuchadnezzer. I hope I am not too wrong!>
> > >
> > > Chemorion Chosefu
> > > Sabaot Bible Translation
> > > P.O.Box 6645 Eldoret (Kenya)
> > > Tel.Office- 053 33794, Personal- 0733 360873
> > --
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>
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