Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>]

> > 2. Ancients were somewhat of farmers, and knew that mist could not
> > suffice to water the land.
>
> This is not quite true, it is very characteristic of tropical countries 
> that
> in the non-rainy seasons the dew in the morning often falls so heavily 
> that it
> is spread like a thick fog, profusely saturating the ground.
> See in this case Haggai 1:10 "For this cause the heaven over you is kept 
> from
> giving dew, and the earth from giving her fruit." So the ancients knew the
> effect of dew.

Haggai says, basically, "The drought is such that there is even no dew." 
Nothing implies that dew (tal, no 'ed) suffices to water the plants.

Vadim Cherny