Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

You may well be right, yet I would not discount the possibility that 'electron' is of 

Phoenician origin, as I don't discount the possibility that the Greek Cadamus is 

'the man of קדם QEDEM, the east', making 'academia' the place of study of the 

arts, such as writing, of the east.

The Greeks imported their cult of the many goods from the east, and the names 

of their deities may still harbor a discernible hint as to their distant origin. 

Isn't Apollo but the eastern בעל BAAL, or אב-הוא-אל-הוא AB-HU-EL-HU? 

Isn't Athena but our דינה DIYNAH, or אדינה ADINAH, 'the mistress'? Isn't 

Pallas just בעלת BAALAT? And isn't Zeus but עז-הוא-עז AZ-HU-AZ, corresponding 

to the biblical עזאזל AZAZ-EL of Lev. 16:8; or possibly עז-הוא-איש AZ-HU-I$ similar

to our אל שדי EL $ADAY = I$-AD-HI-HI of Gen. 17:1?

Isaac Fried, Boston University

 

On Oct 12, 2012, at 7:51 AM, George Athas wrote:

Isaac,

That sounds like midrashic etymology to me. Similar to Philip of Macedon who, upon hearing that his wife was pregnant, ordering his chefs to make her favourite meal by commanding, "All eggs under the grate!" He thereby determined fate that his son would be known as "Alexander the Great".

GEORGE ATHAS

Dean of Research,

Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)

Sydney, Australia

From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
Date: Thursday, 11 October 2012 8:38 PM
To: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
Cc: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [b-hebrew] XA$MAL - electricity

I once heard it being said that 'electricity', coming from the Greek word 

'electron' for 'amber', is actually a biblical term. Phoenician hawkers 

sitting by Greek temples and selling this aromatic substance advertised 

their wares by shouting out at the worshipers: לאל-קטר, לאל-קטר

 LA-EL-QATER, LA-EL-QATER, 'offer incense to the gods', 'offer incense 

to the gods', giving this substance its name.  

Isaac Fried, Boston University

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