Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

I've actually never been asked that particular question, but if I was to be 
asked, and since I'm not an expert on Hurrian toponyms, I’d tell the student 
to look it up. HALOT would obviously be one source that I'd refer him to, but 
there are a dozen other lexica and dictionaries and encyclopedias that are 
much more up-to-date. I'd also suggest that the name is a play on the word 
"Rasha'", "evil", befitting the king of evil Gomorra. And I'd readily admit 
that I don't really know for sure.

End of discussion for me.

 

Yigal Levin

 

From: JimStinehart AT aol.com [mailto:JimStinehart AT aol.com] 
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 1:51 AM
To: fournet.arnaud AT wanadoo.fr; leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il; 
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] HALOT Etymologies

 

Dr. Fournet:
 
You wrote:  “I read it as a polite though ironic request not to defend that 
point of 


view...”
 
1.  When the freshmen ask Prof. Yigal Levin what the name BR$( at Genesis 14: 
2 means, do you think he answers as follows?
 
“Per HALOT at p. 163:  ‘Arabic…ugly’.”