A good question. The late Theodor Gaster once
mentioned in conversation that the inserted He
is a result of a switch in writing from the
Sumero-Akkadian syllabic to the the proto-Canaanite
alphabetic script. This, if memopry serves, was also
his opinion about the change from Sarai to Sarah.
I don't know if he has written on the subject.
On the other hand, that the full biblical name with
the He is derived directly from ABRM is clear from
the text. At least that's what the author/editor thought.
I don't think there is a need to search
for a meaning for a speculative 'rhm'.
Uri Hurwitz
Hi Uri,
While this is probably true for the name Abram, how
do you explain the He inAbraham? Does the word "raham"
have any meaning?