Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] DWD or DWYD, YHDH or YHWDH

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] DWD or DWYD, YHDH or YHWDH
  • Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 03:21:10 -0700

On 27/06/2004 14:48, Uri Hurwitz wrote:

Other interresting extra-biblical evidence bearing direrctly on this can
be found in the many seal impressions (bullae) from the time of the Persian
rule. Judea was then a province or satrapy whose name was written in Hebrew
letters as either YHD, without the Waw or YHWD,with the Waw!
An earlier inscriptional mention occurs in Arad ostracon no.40, where the name
appears with a Waw: "....MLK YHWD[H]...". This is dated to shortly before the
end of the Judean kingdom.
Uri


Also the place name Yehud is found in the Hebrew Bible in Joshua 19:45 (only), and without the Vav! Interesting, although its relation to the name Yehuda is uncertain.

Part of the distinction could be phonological. In later times (and even in modern Hebrew I think), although apparently not in the time of Hezekiah, a long U was almost always written with a Vav and a short U almost always without. Yehuda must be pronounced with a long U in an open syllable. Yehud may be pronounced with either short or long U in a stressed closed syllable. So Yehud without Vav is a valid spelling, but, with that convention, Yehuda without a Vav is an anomalous one.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page