Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Liz:

Actually, in Tanakh there are numerous references to washing; most often to 
washing of the feet, and hands, though also full body washes (baths, showers) 
are mentioned. Many of the ritual washings were full body washes. A washing 
was done before applying oil to the skin.

True, in closer times to us historically baths were rare, does that mean that 
they were rare then? A daily shower may not have been in the works, as is 
often the case today, but never bathing?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>

> 
> 
> Dear Karl,
> Interesting theory, but people didn't bathe or
> shower
> in them thar days. They anointed themselves with
> oil.
> Maybe they bathed once before their wedding day,
> and
> menstruating women (which were rare) once a month.
> This verse refers to a man sending out his water.
> There's only one way a man does that, that I know
> of.
> Liz
> 
> Lisbeth S. Fried, Ph.D.
> Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and the
> Department of Near Eastern Studies
> University of Michigan
> 2068 Frieze Bldg
> 105 S. State St.
> Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Karl Randolph
> >
> > Uri and Liz:
> >
> > Those words are in the context of taking off
> their
> > clothes, rather they just rinsed themselves off
> dressed
> > instead of stripping and taking a dip in a tub.
> That's
> > how I read it.
> >
> > Basically, Nehemiah was fairly competant in
> Hebrew
> > language, but as a post Exile Jew from Susa,
> Hebrew
> > was not his native tongue. As a result, this was
> his
> > way to try to say that he, his brothers and so
> forth
> > simply took quick showers with their clothes on.
> >
> > Karl W. Randolph.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: lizfried AT umich.edu
> >
> > >
> > > Hi Uri,
> > > I dicuss this in my book. I translate it that
> > > they didn't even take the time to go to the
> bathroom
> > > (to send out his water)!
> > > Best,
> > > Liz
> > >
> > > Quoting Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>:
> > >
> > > >
> > > >   Any suggestion for the meaning of the last
> three
> > words in Neh. 4:17,  ish
> > > > shilh(.)o hamayim?
> > > >
> > > >  Each word is perfectly clear but not when
> > combined in a phrase. I seem to
> > > > remember that it was omitted in one of the
> LXX
> > versions; I interpret this to
> > > > mean that the ancient translator felt, like
> me now,
> > that the phrase was too
> > > > garbled to have a meaning..
> > > >
> > > >   Uri
> >
-- 
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