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  • From: Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Micrayim vs Misr and Syria
  • Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:27:37 -0700 (PDT)

  As always, Yigal knows his material. However, one
can add the following observation: of the hundreds
of place names in the Heb. bible, only a small
number end in -ayim, whatever this suffix means.
As he points out, in a few cases the dual represents
only one alternative.

   Micrayim may well be a case of a dual, since the
ancient Egyptians under the Pharaohs distinguished
between 'upper' and 'lower lands' of  Egypt.

  It is also not an accident that the Arabs,
who entered that country long after Pharaonic Egypt
ended, named the country  Misr, which is sing,
and call it by this name to this day. Dual forms
exist in Arabic of course.

  I have no opinion about the etymological development
of Mem Carei Resh root, nor about the MT 'Yerushalayim'
vocalization, except the assumption that the -ayim
suffix is late. In my opinion the LXX transliteration,
is closer to the original name, as is the much
much earlier mention in the execration texts.

  As for the source of the name Syria, Uzi, two
people gave different amswers. I'm familiar only
with the one given by Yigal.

  The most delightful part of these exchanges was
John's report that even nowadays people responded
to a "bi adoni" greeting.

  Uri Hurwitz

 















  • [b-hebrew] Micrayim vs Misr and Syria, Uri Hurwitz, 04/30/2013

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