The epigraphic evidence, while limited, does show that at least for
suffixes the preference in Israel was YW (such as the in the Samaria Ostraca
names GDYW and $MRYW), while the preference in pre-exilic Judah was YHW.
This probably has to do with the same diphtong contraction shown in other
words in Israelean inscriptions, such as YN for "wine" instead of YYN.
Post-exilic
Judah prefered YH.
The forms given in the Bible are no proof of anything, since the Bible isSeems like a sweeping generaliziation Yigal. There is such a large
Judahite, and even the "pre-exilic" books were as least heavily edited in
the post-exilic period.
All this was noted by Tur-Sinai decades ago, when he published the Lachish
ostraca found in the 1930's.
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