Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

The archaeological and historical record makes it clear that all of the five
major Philistine cities were major Bronze Age Canaanite towns before the
Philistines took them over, so I would assume that their names were Semitic.
Ashdod seems to be related to the root ShDD, meaning "strong", from which
Hebrew derived Shoded, "strongman/robber" and Shadai, "mighty", also a
epithet for God.
Ashkelon, which is mentioned by name in texts as far back as the 19th
century BCE, presumably comes from Shekel, weight, befitting its position as
a port (which Ashdod was not at the time). The a- prefix in both still needs
to be explained.

Yigal Levin

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Uzi Silber
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 5:08 AM
To: Isaac Fried
Cc: b-hebrew list
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ashdod

Yitzik Fried:

1) Isnt Ashdod a Philistine name?
2) In any case, you forgot Ashkelon, the similarly prefixed former
Philistine city down the coast from Ashdod.

Uzi Silber



On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 8:40 PM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> On a recent trip to Israel, traveling on route 1 from Jerusalem to
> Tel Aviv my eye caught a large road sign pointing to the city of Ashdod.
>
> What is this for a name: Ashdod?
>
> It readily crossed my mind that it is possibly the combination of the
> the two deity names A$ (AS, I$) and DOD.
>
> A$, AS or I$ abound in biblical names: ICXAQ (ISXAQ, I$XAQ), I$MAEL,
> ESAW, ISRAEL, A$ER, ISSAKAR, $IMON, AKIY$, ESTER, $MUEL, $AUL, $IYM
> $ON, KMO$, $EME$ and A$TORET.
>
> The combination A$-AD appears also in (EL) $ADAY of Gen. 17:1,
> leaving the letter Shin embossed, to this very day, on every mezuzah
> and every tfilin shel rosh.
>
> It appears to me that DOD is AD-HU-AD, and that AD = AZ as in AZAZEL
> = AZ-AZ-EL.
>
> In this connection we should also raise our hats in recognition of
> the slyness of the pious public readers, and eventually the
> NAQDANIYM, who deftly turned DOD into DAVID (and yet left his
> father's name as YI$AY.)
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University
>
> _______________________________________________
> b-hebrew mailing list
> b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew