Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>]

   If indeed these roots are the origin of the names, would not the pre-fixed 
Aleph in both be prothetic?   For example the Aleph in a word like )Etzba 
(finger) ?   Uri Hurwitz 

.....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


>From George.Athas AT moore.edu.au  Thu Jan 12 17:33:40 2012
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From: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
To: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Thread-Topic: [b-hebrew] Ashdod
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ashdod
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Isn't the aleph an old noun prefix for nouns that would otherwise have a 
consonant cluster at the beginning? Compare, for example, àøâæ (chest, carry 
bag; Syriac: rgazta).


GEORGE ATHAS

On 12/01/2012, at 2:47 PM, "Yigal Levin" <Yigal.Levin AT biu.ac.il> wrote:

> 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
>> 
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