Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 07/10/2006 23:10, Vadim Cherny wrote:
> > So, it is *a fact* that  there are no proofs that
> > WAYYIQTOLs existed before the Masoretes. I did not discuss speculation and
> > beliefs; I discussed morphological evidence.
> > Rolf Furuli
> >     
>
> It is very much possible that the Masoretes invented wayyiqtol. They had a
> good reason to do that.
> As I see it, tense forms developed as follows:
> - qatal for the past tense, weqatal for the future
> - new FT form yiqtol
>   

Indeed? When exactly do you think that YIQTOL was "new"? At any time 
relevant to biblical Hebrew?

> at that point, there were two forms of the future tense, and one form for
> much more common past tense. Someone should have got a bright idea of
> developing a form for the past tense symmetrical to weqatal. Thus, wayiqtol
> is likely an artifical form.
>
> Could the MT wayiqtols been originally weyiqtols. Very much! ...
>   

I accept "Could". I do not accept "*a fact*". Speculate as much as you 
like, but speculation does not imply fact.

> A note to Peter: logically, Rolf correctly equates absence of positive
> evidence with negative evidence. That is the way of proof in all sciences
> but mathematics. Perhaps some future experiments would invalidate the speed
> of light limit, but before that, we take that limit for proven. Science
> develops through refutations, not positive proofs.
>
>   
Vadim, your idea of science is very limited. This is not how science 
works. The "speed of light" limit is not an experimental one but a 
theoretical one.

Rolf, do you want supporters like this?

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/