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b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] Jerusalem - spelling, in historical perspective

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  • From: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Jerusalem - spelling, in historical perspective
  • Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 07:44:18 -0800 (PST)

  

Jerusalem is attested in a number of early extra-
biblical sources:

the well known Egyptian execration texts, 19th-18th
centuries BCE;

the famous El-Amarna tablets in fourteenth century;

the boasting of Sennacherib about his siege of
Jerusalem in 701 BCE.

In none of the above is there a Yud between the Lamed
and Mem.

Corresoponding with the above, and significant, is the
fact that Jerusalem is spelled in the Hebrew bible in
overwhelming number of cases without a Yud between the
Lamed and the Mem.

The name probably originated, in part, with the name $LM,
a Ugaritic deity. This can be supported in Gen. 14:18 in
the reference to Malchizedek, king of Shalem.

The diphthong at the end of the word does apear in the
vocalization of the MT. The debate about such a shift
- there other examples - is still going on. See Yuval Elizur
(in Heb.).

Thus ironically the English pronounciation Jerusalem is
closer to the original in the last two syllables than the
modern Heb. one.

Any reference to 'water' in this context is sheer fancy.
A better fancy would be 'shoes' ('na(alayim').

Uri Hurwitz Great Neck, NY









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