Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<tladatsi AT charter.net>]

Hello,

There are two separate questions.  One is does QNH or QHN-BSM refer to 
cannabis (sativa or indica)?  The other is whether the Greek work Kannabis is 
a loan word from the Hebrew, the reverse, they may be faux ami, or they are 
two unrelated words.

Herodotus references hemp clothing (a version of canvas (=from Kannabis) 
probably) as far back as 450 BCE.  Greek sailors were using hemp ropes and 
canvas sails for hundreds of years before that.  This is from a time before 
extensive Greek-Hebrew interactions.  In any event I cannot think of any 
non-religeous Hebrew loan words to Greek, certainly not before the CE.  
Likewise Pedianos Dioskourides references the medical uses of kannabis in 70 
CE.

It would seem a Hebrew to Greek loan word is unlikely.  
--
Jack Tladatsi