Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

In most of the ANE, the "map" that people refered to was "oriented" towards
the east. Thus "Qedem" ("forward") is east, "Axor" (backward) is west (the
Medditerranean was sometimes called "Hayyam Ha)axaron", the behind sea),
"Semol" (left) is north and "Yamin" is south. There were other terms for
each of these as well, such as Mizrax ("sunrise"), Ma(arav (sunset), Capon
and Darom.

Yigal


----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
> George, please stop insulting me and then trying to hide it with a bad
> joke aout rednecks. I do NOT know that the word means "Southern". I
> agree that YAMIN can mean "south", but it can also mean "right hand" -
> and that is not just evangelical derivation from Gen 35:18, it is the
> basic meaning given by BDB. As for why this particular tribe or tribal
> ancestor was called this, we really have no idea, except that Gen 35:18
> might offer a clue. Probably not because he was right-handed, but the
> name can still mean "right-handed" - just as your name means "farmer"
> although you were probably not given it because you are a farmer.
>
> --
> Peter Kirk
> peter AT qaya.org (personal)
> peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
> http://www.qaya.org/
>
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