Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Your Name" <colin AT s-m-i-t-h.com>]

    Thanks. I was my understanding that the Egyptians used bricks. 


Do you
   happen to have a citation for "on the bricks." The Hebrew term "stones"
   is in the dual it would be interesting to see if it is in the dual in
   the Egyptian reference as well.
   
   As for bricks/stones ... I was wondering whether it might have anything
   to do with concepts of ritual purity. In much later Jewish halakah,
   bricks might be considered to be unsuitable for reasons of ritual
   purity. Stone was the material of choice for vessels/utensils in
   frequent use that required ritual purification. I wouldn't want to push
   the point too far, but I wondered if the ancient Hebrews might not have
   had the same conception (no pun intended) of stone as a more appropriate
   material for the birthing blocks.
   
   Colin Smith