Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>]

  The linguistic similarity, if not identity,
 between 'Ibri and the cuneiform (Akkadian)
 h_abiru was noted by many, and rejected by some;
 among the latter was the late great Semiticst
 Rainey. Among the former, however, is Meek,
 the translator of the Hamurabi laws into
 English in ANET, who of course also mentions
 the occurrence of the term in Ugaritic and
 Egyptian, where a P replaces its close
 relative B.

  He derives its meaning from the Hebrew 
 'to cross' in its transitive sense, and
 'to be a crosser...a nomad' in its
  intransitive sense. 


  Ezov Haqqyr,

  Uri Hurwitz                             Great Neck, NY