Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

----- Original Message -----
From: "Read, James C" <K0434995 AT kingston.ac.uk>

> 
> 
> Hi b-he-brewers,
> 
> I have another question for you which I have never had completely answered.
> 
> The schewa of she'ol is vocal right?
> But the schewa of eh:yeh isn't,right?
> 
> How do we know this?

We don't.

Our present pronunciation is our interpretation of 
Masoretic pointing. Masoretic pointing was invented long 
after Hebrew ceased to be spoken on the street as the 
everyday language (how long? that is a matter of dispute). 
More than one of us are convinced, and others allow that 
we may be right, that the pointing does not reflect the 
pronunciation used when Hebrew was spoken as a native 
language, but the lack of native speakers leaves that 
pronunciation a matter of speculation.

Karl W. Randolph.

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