Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 21/09/2004 20:20, Michael Banyai wrote:

> ...
>
> I don´t read neither a general interdiction of jewels for the Israelites, nor 
> is this an act of mourning, which we could document with biblical habits. As 
> such, as a mourning gesture this is an invention of Peter Kirk, basing more 
> on assumptions or common sense, which however is a no lead. It either is or 
> not is a known gesture of mourning by the Hebrews. And should one go with 
> Peter, than why does this same gesture in the story of Dinah? Is it not 
> rather a signature of the Judahite redactor re-using his own previous 
> recepture?
>  

The idea that Exodus 33:4-6 is a mourning gesture is certainly not my 
invention. Use of the word "mourn" in v.4 goes back at least to KJV, as 
a rendering of the Hebrew 'BL Hithpael, which is the common word for 
"mourn".

As for whether removing jewellery was a sign of mourning ('BL Hithpael, 
'EBEL, 'ABEL) among the Israelites: It is entirely clear that mourning 
was associated with wearing sackcloth and other mourning clothes: Gen 
37:34; 2 Sam 14:2; Est 4:3; Psa 35:13,14; Isa 61:3; Jer 6:26; Ezk 
7:27(?), 24:17; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:8. This is something hardly 
compatible with wearing jewellery. See also Ezk 26:15-17, where taking 
off embroidered garments is clearly a sign of mourning. In fact I would 
think that it is more or less a cultural universal that people wear less 
adornment as an indication of mourning. Does anyone know of any 
counter-examples?

And what is this about a parallel in the story of Dinah? I don't know 
what you are talking about.

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