Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jack Kilmon" <jkilmon AT historian.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Darrell Smith" <Darrell.H.Smith AT sceptreofjudah.org>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] logograms--an ode to Hebrew


> From: George F Somsel <gfsomsel AT juno.com>
>
> BTW:  "Me Tarzan, you Jane.  Ugh!"  No, I don't think Hebrew is an
> artificial language.  If it were then other Semitic languages would need
> to be as well.
>
> DHS: Of course!  All the Semitic languages are from the same ancestoral 
> language: proto-Hebrew. This language was still the language of Noah and 
> his sons (Gen. 11:1). Read Gen chapter 10 and 11. The non-Semitic 
> languages were introduced as mixed-up confusing hodge-podges in Gen 
> 11:7-8. Proto-Hebrew was preserved in the righteous line but as time 
> progressed and the different Semite groups strayed from righteousness 
> their tongues drifted from Hebrew proper. Nevertheless, all Semitic 
> languages are direct descendants of Proto-Hebrew!

This just is not true.  Akkadian was the earliest recorded Semitic language. 
Protosemitic divided into geographic divisions and Northwest Semitic 
consisted of Aramaic, Canaanite and Ugaritic. Ugaritic is important in the 
development of proto-Sinaitic and Canaanite and the evolution of these 
languages produced Phoenician, Hebrew and Moabite.  You need to explain to 
me what "proto-Hebrew" is.

Jack