Biblical Hebrew Forum

[jimstinehart AT aol.com]

Ishinan Ishibashi:

1.  You wrote:  “Try MadA'in SAliH of ThAmuwd in the northern Arabian 
peninsula nearby the modern Saudi town of Tubuwk.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mada%27in_Saleh”

(a)  That cite says:  “Mada'in Saleh (Arabic: مدائن صالح, madāʼin Ṣāliḥ), 
also called Al-Hijr or Hegra (so in Greek and Latin, e.g. by Pliny), is a 
pre-Islamic archaeological site located in the Al-Ula sector, within the Al 
Madinah Region of Saudi Arabia.  A majority of the vestiges date from the 
Nabatean kingdom (1st century CE).”

The 1st century CE is too late for the Patriarchal narratives.

(b)  That cite also says:  “The long history of the place and the multitude 
of cultures to have occupied the site have led to the several names that are 
still in use to refer to the area.  The place is currently known as Mada'in 
Saleh, Arabic for "Cities of Saleh," which was coined by an Andalusian 
traveler in 1336 AD.”

1336 AD is too late for the Patriarchal narratives.

2.  You wrote:  “Also mentioned on a carved stele commemorating Sargon's II 
victory over Thamud  (705-721)  B.C.   [National Museum of Saudi Arabia, 
Riyad]”

As far as I know, the name that is attested on that stele is “Thamud”, not 
“Mada-in”.

Although scholars might like an 8th century BCE date for the composition of 
the Patriarchal narratives, in my opinion that date is too late.  The dozens 
of non-Semitic names in the Patriarchal narratives suggest a mid-14th century 
BCE date for both the Patriarchal Age and the composition of the Patriarchal 
narratives, including the dating of the name “Hebrew”/(BR-Y, which I see as 
being the non-Semitic name E-bi-ir-ya meaning “God Is Lord”.

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois