Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JimStinehart AT aol.com]

Karl:

Let me briefly clarify my own view of %DYM, and then I will move on to
examine your views.

1.  The articles I cited reflect the common scholarly view that %DYM
derives from %DD.  %DD means to smooth down the furrows (break the clods) of a
recently plowed field, which is part of the overall process of plowing a field
and making it ready for planting.  We see %DD at Isaiah 28: 24, Job 39: 10
and Hosea 10: 11.

To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a valley south of the
Dead Sea featuring fields that were plowed and harrowed, to which the Hebrew
words %DD and %DYM would apply.  That type of activity is routine, however, in
all time periods in the Jezreel Valley.

If %DYM is coming from %DD, per the scholarly view, then the phrase “valley
of %DYM” fits the Jezreel Valley perfectly, while not fitting at all the
area south of the Dead Sea.

2.  But now let’s move on to your proposed etymology of %DYM.  You see %DYM
as coming from %WD or %YD, meaning lime or whitewash.  Based on the Google
map of the area south and southeast of the Dead Sea, that big white spot on
the northern end of the Arabah, straight south (not southeast) of the Dead
Sea, could be redolent of %YD.  So I am deducing that on your view, the “
valley of %DYM” is the Arabah, straight south of the Dead Sea.

I presume you may agree that there were no cities, wealth, or any
substantial number of people living in the Arabah at any time.  However, 
based in
part on that Google map, but also on maps from ancient history, there were a
series of oases just east of the northern Arabah in ancient times.  Today,
there is some agriculture done there.

So if I have figured out your view correctly, (i) the valley of %DYM is the
desolate Arabah, whereas (ii) Sodom and Gomorrah were thriving cities just
east of the northern Arabah (just east of the Valley of Siddim).

You have also stated, repeatedly, that in Abraham’s day, the Northern Negev
“Desert” was a nice savannah, nothing like the desolate area it is today.
I am quite sure you agree with scholars that Genesis 14: 7 is reporting
four invading rulers making a series of conquests of thriving cities in the
Northern Negev.  In your view, the Northern Negev at that time was not a
desert, but rather was an attractive savannah.

Do I have your views right?

The obvious question raised by your views is whether there is any support
in the secular history of the ancient world for seeing the Northern Negev and
the area southeast of the Dead Sea as being prosperous areas in the Bronze
Age, filled with large cities that had large, permanent buildings and many
people, and that had a very considerable amount of lootable wealth that might
well attract major league brigands like the four invading kings.  I
understand that sheep could be pastured in the Northern Negev at some times 
in the
ancient world.  And there certainly were oases southeast of the Dead Sea.
But I myself know of nothing in secular history that suggests that that part
of the world was ever prosperous, ever had substantial cities, ever boasted
a large population, ever offered the soft city life desired by Lot, or ever
had any significant amount of lootable wealth (that would attract invaders
who, on the traditional view, are grand monarchs from Mesopotamia and east of
Mesopotamia).

Everyone knows that the Jezreel Valley would easily qualify for all of
those characteristics.  The Jezreel Valley was prosperous, it had many big
cities, a lot of people lived there, and there was probably more lootable 
wealth
in the Jezreel Valley than almost any other place in Canaan.  (On my view,
three of the four invaders are mere princelings, and all four attacking
rulers are from north of Canaan proper, not from Mesopotamia, much less from
Elam.)

Karl, can you document any substantial wealth in the Northern Negev, or
southeast of the Dead Sea, in the Bronze Age?  Everything I have ever seen is
to the contrary.  In order for your view of the case to be plausible, we need
to see some evidence in secular history of lootable, substantial wealth in
the Northern Negev and southeast of the Dead Sea, in the time period of the
Bronze Age.

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois

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