[B-Greek] PASXA and SIKERA --transliteration from Hebrew

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Mon Apr 2 14:27:26 EDT 2007


On Apr 2, 2007, at 2:00 PM, Ken Penner wrote:

> Dear Al,
> You wrote:
>>  " Yes, I am aware of what Randy is saying but unless I see a lot 
>> better evidence than what is being cited I am not convinced, and that 
>> includes the use of HEBRAISTI +. You are not suggesting, are you, 
>> that HEBRAISTI refers to the Hebrew language as opposed to the 
>> Aramaic language?  "Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting. This 
>> is the conclusion of my 2004 SBL paper “Greek Names for Hebrew and 
>> Aramaic: A Case for Lexical Revision,” Society of Biblical Literature 
>> Annual Meeting, Greek Language and Linguistics Section, November 
>> 2004, the handout of which is attached. Yes, I think Rabshakeh 
>> addressed the Jerusalemites in Hebrew. What do you think?
It would take a lot of solid evidence to convince me of that.  
Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.
Al
>  
> Ken
>  
>
> Ken M. Penner, Ph.D. (McMaster)
> Dead Sea Scrolls scholars' list owner, 
> http://mailman.mcmaster.ca/mailman/listinfo/g-megillot
>  
>  
>  
>  To me it means nothing more than the language the Jews commonly used, 
> Aramaic. Hebrew was even WRITTEN in Aramaic square script. Did 
> Rabshakeh address the Jerusalemites in Hebrew? The LXX in Isaiah and 
> Kings calls it Judean.
>> Perhaps most importantly, unlike Josephus, the translators of the LXX 
>> should little concern for Greek pronunciation of Semitic terms. But 
>> as I said, the role of Hebrew as opposed to Aramaic in the second 
>> temple period is not a topic for this list.
>> Al
>>> We should add to Pascha and Sabbata (Josephus, Antiquities 1.33) the 
>>> word Asarta (Josephus, Antiquities 3.252), and also Bethzatha or 
>>> Bethesda or Bethsaida in John 5:2, Gabbatha in John 19:13, Golgotha 
>>> in John 19:17. All of these words are said to be "Hebrew" 
>>> (Hebrais/Hebraisti/in language of the Hebrews).
>>>
>>> The following words called Hebrew look Aramaic:
>>> 1. John’s Βηθζαθα/Βηθεσδα (Ἑβραΐστι in John 5:2)
>>> 2. John’s Γαββαθα (Ἑβραΐστι in John 19:13)
>>> 3. John’s Γολγοθ(α) (Ἑβραΐστι in John 19:17)
>>> 4. Josephus’ σάββατα (κατὰ τὴν ῾Εβραίων διάλεκτον in A.J. 1.33)
>>> 5. Josephus’ ἀσαρθὰ (ἣν Ἑβραῖοι καλοῦσι in A.J. 3.252)
>>> 6. Philo’s Πάσχα (῾Εβραῖοι πατρίῳ γλώττῃ καλοῦσι) in Decal. 159 and 
>>> Spec. Leg. 2.145
>>>
>>> The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible has Aramaic-looking 
>>> transliterations (σικερα, Πασχα, σάββατα) because alpha endings are 
>>> used to help Greek pronunciation (BDF §141(3)) (cf. άλφα, βητα, 
>>> δελτα, from אלף, בית, דלת, etc.) Alpha was a natural sound to add, 
>>> to keep the word from ending with a consonant. According to Smyth, 
>>> something similar happened in the transformation of the accusative 
>>> singular ending nu into alpha in the third declension.
>>>
>>> What evidence will help us decide whether the A is from Aramaic or 
>>> added to help Greek pronunciation?
>>>
>>> Ken
>>>
>>> Ken M. Penner, Ph.D.
>>> Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies,
>>> Acadia Divinity College,
>>> Wolfville, Nova Scotia,
>>> Canada B4P 2R6.
>>> (902)585-2213
>>> http://purl.org/net/kmpenner/
>>>
>>>> PASCA, however,
>>>> happens to be Aramaic, not Hebrew (as determinative final A
>>>> indicates). The phenomenon as such —— and SIKERA belongs
>>>> here too—— testifies to the extensive influence of the lingua
>>>> franca of the Persian period (Aramaic) among Jews as well as others.
>>>> The same influence is underscored by the fact that the Greek
>>>> translators of the LXX often 'Aramaized' their Hebrew source, i.e.
>>>> ascribing Aramaic meanings to Hebrew words and morphemes.
>>>> Al
>>>>
>>>> Albert Pietersma
>> 21 Cross Street,
>> Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
>> Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
>> Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm
>>
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—
Albert Pietersma
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm



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