[B-Greek] Dating Beta Fricativization

R Yochanan Bitan Buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Tue Sep 13 05:48:43 EDT 2005


EGRAPSEN BADEIM
>I offer another explanation, that Theodoret transliterated written YHWH
(Y->I)(H->A)(W->B)(final H->E), not recorded actual pronunciation.
Stand-alone waw is surely beta, not ou.
 
I seem to have missed something here, now that BETA 'b' is "surely" the way
to transcribe Hebrew vav/wau. 
The LXX, begun at a time when everyone agrees that Greek BETA was 'b', tells
us what? 
DAUEID//DAUID. 
This LXX DAUEID is carried over in NT as DAUEID/DAUID in the old uncials
[often we get nomina sacra "DAD" in the continuing tradition]. Later, DABEID
also enters the tradition. This, of course, lines up with my reading of the
phonetics and with expected phenomena of historical spellings, but
contradicts the thesis that "Stand-alone waw is surely beta, not ou." (And
Josephus mentions a certain OUESPASIANOS, also OUALERIOS, OUAROS, K.T.L.,
showing a good etymological understanding of Greek OU= Latin V/W, though
writing at a time when we start getting our VETA's, like New Testament p46
SILBANOU in the next century.) 
 
What I am starting to see between the lines is that this is a matter where
you want to interpret Theodoret's IABE as not being [yave//yawe] or related
to actual sound. You can surely claim that IABE is a conjecture, only based
on written evidence "YHWH", as you have done. A fricative VETA is irrelevant
to your concern. 
 
ERRWSO
Randall BUth

 

 

Randall Buth, PhD

Director, Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

Director, Biblical Studies in Israel

Rothberg International School

Hebrew University

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




More information about the B-Greek mailing list