Biblical Hebrew Forum

[JimStinehart AT aol.com]

James Spinti:
 
You could help clarify a lot of dating issues, both as to the Amarna 
Letters (which are filled with non-Semitic names) and chapter 14 of Genesis, 
for 
Karl and for me and for many other people, if you would answer the following 
questions about 3 apparently non-Semitic names in the “four kings against 
five” at Genesis 14: 1-11.
 
1.  )RYWK
 
What is the meaning of this Hurrian name?  Though a Hurrian name, is it 
based on a Hittite word, which in turn is based on an Indo-Aryan word, and 
does 
it mean:  “Mr. Aryan”?  In any event, what is the meaning of the Hurrian 
name )RYWK at Genesis 14: 1, 9?
 
2.  )LSR
 
Is Arioch’s kingly title the Hittite word “elassar”?  If so, why would the 
kingly title of a person with a Hurrian name be a Hittite word?  Does 
)LSR/elassar mean “place of omens” in Hittite?  In any event, from what 
language 
is )LSR at Genesis 14: 1, 9 coming, what does it mean, and what is the 
significance of its meaning?
 
3.  XCCN TMR
 
Is this city name at Genesis 14: 7 a Hurrian name?  Does it mean “the 
wisdom of nine”?  If XCC is the root of XCCN TMR, do you think that Yigal 
Levin 
and Anson Rainey have found a bona fide match in the Roman-era village Tamar, 
either as to the name (a name which has nothing remotely like XCC), or as 
to the timing (with the village of Tamar not being attested until over 1,000 
years after the date as of which many scholars see chapter 11 of Genesis as 
having been composed)?  Is that claimed scholarly match so rock-solid that 
we should ignore the obvious fact that the Amorites referenced immediately 
before XCCN TMR at Genesis 14: 7 are attested out the wazzoo in Lebanon in 
the 
Late Bronze Age, while never being historically attested south of the Dead 
Sea?  If chapter 14 of Genesis is truly ancient, as many scholars see it as 
being, then how could it be so clueless as to the geographical locale of the 
Horites/Hurrians in Genesis 14: 6 and the Amorites in Genesis 14: 7, as 
scholars unanimously assert is the case?  Does the scholarly view of these 
issues make sense?  You could greatly help in clearing up this confusion by 
telling us from what language XCCN TMR is coming, and what it means. 
 
You could go a long way in convincing Karl and me and others that 
university scholars are honest and above-board, and are not hiding some big 
secret, 
if you would give substantive answers to the foregoing questions about 3 
names in chapter 14 of Genesis that appear to be non-Semitic names.  If we 
can 
understand these names in the Masoretic Text, then we can decide if these are 
the types of non-Semitic names that are commonplace in the Amarna Letters.  
That in turn will help date both the Amarna Letters and chapter 14 of 
Genesis.
 
We would all like to learn from your scholarly expertise in the ancient 
languages as to the specifics of the foregoing 3 names from the “four kings 
against five” at Genesis 14: 1-11.
 
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois