Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>]

"To the best of my knowledge, no one but me has ever analyzed the names 
“Kenites”, “Kenizzites”, and “Jebusites” as being Hurrian-based Patriarchal 
nicknames, featuring the Hurrian version of an Akkadian verb plus one or more 
standard Hurrian suffixes.  In my opinion, that is why no convincing 
etymologies for those three names have been possible to date."

You're probably correct on that front: no one has done this.




"After I set forth all those many cases when the Bible uses KLB as a Hebrew 
common word in an extremely derogatory manner, you still think that Joshua’s 
trusted comrade has a west Semitic name that means “Dog”?  No way!  KLB is 
KL-B, a Hurrian name of a Kenizzite, Kelip, meaning “It Pleases [Deity]”."

Sorry, but "No way!" is not an argument of substance. As Yigal outlined, 
these types of unusual names are around. They are just unusual, that's all. 
Do you think in 3000 years people might say: "'Moon-Unit Zappa' isn't an 
English name. Neither is 'Meatloaf'! No way! They are both Hurrian." You 
haven't shown grounds to go looking for Hurrian.




"If Genesis 15: 18-21 reflects the Amarna Age, as I think it does, then…"

And here is the crux of your argument: IF. There is absolutely no certainty 
in this if, and of all the things you've posted about this connection, there 
is nothing, I repeat n-o-t-h-I-n-g that shows any warrant for this 
connection. In fact, you persist with this despite being shown hard evidence 
to the contrary. So really, you should be writing: "If Genesis 15: 18-21 
reflects the Amarna Age, as I think it does, even though the evidence goes 
completely against it, then…" I'm sorry, Jim, but this argument occupies the 
realm of fantasy, not real scholarship.




GEORGE ATHAS
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia