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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Hurrian and the Masoretic Text
  • Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:20:00 EDT


The Masoretic Text is world-famous for its pinpoint accurate recall of
ancient Hebrew names. But can it accomplish that same feat with a
geographical
place name from the non-Semitic language of Hurrian? Let’s check it out.

The town name XCCN TMR (in the defective, original spelling)/Hazezon Tamar
at Genesis 14: 7 makes no sense in any Semitic language. The first part of
XCCN looks a bit like the Hebrew verb “to chop”, and TMR could be the
Hebrew word “date palm tree”. But certainly no town would be named “to chop
date palm tree”. However, could this be a Hurrian town name, recorded with
pinpoint accuracy in the Masoretic Text?

The Hurrian analysis of Hazezon Tamar/XCCN TMR is as follows. XCC is the
Hurrian word for “wisdom”. Wisdom/Hasis is associated with the Hurrian god
Ea at RS 24.274 in Laroche (1968: 504-507) “Offerings to El [ilum]”, at
line 11. Arnaud Fournet and Allan R. Bomhard, “The Indo-European Elements in
Hurrian” (2010), La Garenne Colombes, Charleston, at p. 22 and p. 87. [For
the first time, in 2010 we now at long last have a good source for Hurrian
words and grammar. Check out this dandy Hurrian language site on the
Internet: _http://www.nostratic.ru/books/(432)bomhard-hurrian.pdf_
(http://www.nostratic.ru/books/(432)bomhard-hurrian.pdf) ] The suffix –nun/N
in Hurrian
means “the”. At p. 122. TMR is often viewed as meaning “nine” in Hurrian.
(Alternatively, TM can be viewed as meaning “nine”, with the suffix –R
meaning “together with”, so that TMR would literally mean “together with nine”
. At pp. 102, 126.) The number nine is a magical number frequently found
in Hurrian mythology. For example, a mythical Hurrian king is said to rule
nine years (ages?) in heaven. The full town name then means, in Hurrian: “
the wisdom (of) nine”. It makes perfect sense in Hurrian, and it’s a
perfect seven-letter exact match to the defective spelling of what’s in the
Masoretic Text.

The Masoretic Text amazes us once again: a perfect 7-letter match to a
non-Semitic geographical place name from the Bronze Age. Neat!

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois




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