Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Jim:

Define "linguist working today"? Do you limit it to someone who is 
working in academia?

There are some linguists working today who accept the theory that 
Hebrew, as written in Genesis, is the original semitic language, 
but they don't have university chairs nor are they allowed to 
publish in academic peer reviewed journals.

I personally accept this proposition, that Hebrew was the original 
language, but I realize that it is predicated upon the acceptance 
of Genesis as an accurate historical source, not upon linguistic 
principles. The arguments for "Proto-Semitic" are based on 
assertions that don't even fit known histories of other languages, 
therefore I don't find them convincing. But we are not here to 
argue history where, because of a dearth of data, there is no 
possibility of resolution, rather to discuss what we can see, 
namely the texts as they stand. Can we cool it, both sides?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim West" <jwest AT highland.net>
>
> At 03:30 PM 12/22/2004, you wrote:
>
> >  Nevertheless, all Semitic languages are > direct descendants 
> of Proto-Hebrew!
>
> Um.  I don't think any linguist working today accepts this as a 
> historical possibility.
>
> Jim
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++
> Jim West, ThD
> Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies
> Quartz Hill School of Theology

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