Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Patrina" <patrina AT bestmail.us>]

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:11:55 -0600, "Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>
said:
Being a big fan of the simplest explanation 
> possible, I tend to vote for the idea that they're merely two different 
> spellings, either one acceptable in polite company (so to speak), with
> one or the other gaining popularity for a time from one period to the next.

Dave

That being the case, wouldn't you expect to find both YHDH and YHWDH
attested in the biblical texts (assuming some are from differing
periods)?  Surely different scribes were involved in copying texts,
making it more likely that variations would show up at least
occasionally...  yet approx. 800 occurences in the Tenach are all YHWDH.

It's pretty amazing to read about Hezekiah's seals and see the images,
not only regarding the spelling of Judah, but also the use of Egyptian
solar symbols.  On the one hand it brings the Tenach to life, and yet on
the other hand leaves us wondering about the extent of Hezekiah's
reforms.  

Patrina Nuske Small
Adelaide, South Australia