Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Yaakov,

Some say that SAPIR is from Sanskrit, but who knows what comes from  
what. Merchants may carry names of their wares half the world around,  
with a buyer possibly adopting a seller's term, or a seller a buyer's.
Otherwise, all I can do is this. Assuming that SAPIR is a native  
Hebrew word, then its root is SPR, which is a relative of
DBR, ZBR, TBR, SBR, CBR, $BR, TBR; CPR, $PR, TPR
all betokening some sort of aggregation, CABIR, or cleavage, $ABIR.  
So it is possible that what R' AKIBA calls $AYI$ TAHOR [CAXOR?] is  
the obviously crystalline [notice how close 'crystal' is to  
'gristal', as though it comes from the Hebrew root GRS, 'crush']  
white marble, called by the Romans marmor --- the sparkling  
particulate [CABIR] stone.
I don't know if what he said was before or after his visit to Rome,  
which must have certainly put him aghast.  Yet, he must have reasoned  
that the King of Kings, MELEK (ELION, surely deserves sitting on a  
throne, set on a gleaming floor, at least as worthy as that of the  
perishable sack of bones called Augustus.
Technically speaking, the W-TAXAT RAGLAYW of Exodus 24:10 is, in my  
opinion, 'below his feet', not 'under his feet', as is commonly  
translated. God is sitting upon the ceiling [le ciel] of the world  
not on its floor.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On May 15, 2008, at 12:51 AM, Yaakov Stein wrote:

> Isaac,
>
> > I have an inkling that SAPIR is, natural or artificial, glass and by
> borrowing,
> > quartz and other clear, precious and semiprecious stones.
> > It is remarkable that such a common material as glass is barely
> explicitly mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
>
> I agree that glass was considered a very precious material in ancient
> times,
> for example Job 27:17 compares its value with that of gold.
>
> However, I am wondering whether the word SPYR could possibly
> have been understood by Rabbi Akiba as meaning marble.
>
> In the famous story of the four who went into the PRDS,
> everyone remembers the expression HCYC WNPG(
> but there are other interesting expressions.
>
> Before setting off on their journey, Akiba gives his three companions
> some advice.
> He tells them that when they come upon the stones of pure marble  
> ( (BNY
> $Y$ THOR )
> they should not call out "water water", for "liars shall not stand
> before me" (Ps 101:7).
>
> Rashi explains that when they get to heaven,
> the pure marble floors will be so reflective that they might think
> that they are seeing impassable water, and turn back.
> There is also a Talmudic passage on why the word water is said twice
> (the water above and below the RQY( ).
>
> My question is why Akiba thought that the heavenly throne sits on
> marble.
>
> Of course he might be thinking of the floors of the second temple,
> which we believe were of marble at least at some point
> (there is a discussion about the priests becoming ill because of
> eating too much meat and standing barefoot on cold marble floors).
>
> But I think it more likely that he found the reference to marble
> in one of the prophecies about the heavenly throne.
> The two obvious possibilities are Ezekiel's X$ML and the present SPYR.
>
> When we combine that with the discussion of large slabs (LBNH) of SPYR
> and it being white (LBN), it makes some sense that at least Akiba
> interpreted SPYR as what in his time was called $Y$ THOR.
>
> Yaakov (Y) Stein