Identifying the Stones of Classical Hebrew

A Modern Philological Approach

Series: 

Author:
Ephraim S. Ayil
Since the translation of the Septuagint in the 3rd century BCE, scholars have attempted to identify the stones that populate the biblical text. This study rejects the long-standing reliance on ancient translations for identifying biblical stones. Despite the evident contradictions and historical inconsistencies, scholars traditionally presumed these translations to be reliable. By departing from this approach, this volume presents a novel synthesis of comparative linguistics and archeogemological data. Through rigorous analysis of valid cognates, it establishes correlations between Hebrew stone names and their counterparts in ancient languages, corresponding to known mineral species. This methodological shift enables a more accurate identification of stones mentioned in biblical texts, thus recovering their true historical context. The research not only advances our understanding of biblical mineralogy but also provides a fresh perspective on the material culture of the Ancient Levant, offering valuable insights for scholars and laymen, linguists and archaeologists alike.
Copyright Year:
2024
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Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-67800-2
Publication:
26 Aug 2024
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Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-67799-9
Publication:
29 Aug 2024
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About MyBook
Front Matter
Preliminary Material
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The Ḥōšen—Priestly Breastplate
Chapter 3 ‮אֹדֶם‬‎ ʾōḏem—Carnelian
Chapter 4 ‮פִּטְדָה‬‎ Piṭḏā—Peridot
Chapter 5 ‮בָּרֶקֶת‬‎ Bāreḳeṯ—Green Jasper
Chapter 6 ‮נֹפֶךְ‬‎ Nōp̄eḵ—Turquoise
Chapter 7 ‮סַפִּיר‬‎ Sappīr—Lapis Lazuli
Chapter 8 ‮יָהֲלֹם‬‎ Yāhălōm
Chapter 9 ‮לֶשֶׁם‬‎ Lešem—Amazonite
Chapter 10 ‮שְׁבוֹ‬‎ Šəḇō—Agate
Chapter 11 ‮אַחְלָמָה‬‎ ʾaḥlāmā—Red Jasper
Chapter 12 ‮תַּרְשִׁישׁ‬‎ Taršīš—Amber
Chapter 13 ‮שֹׁהַם‬‎ Šōham—Onyx
Chapter 14 ‮יָשְׁפֶה‬‎ Yošp̄e—Blue Chalcedony
Chapter 15 ‮שָׁמִיר‬‎ Šāmīr—Emery
Chapter 16 ‮גָּבִישׁ‬‎ Gāḇīš & ‮אֶלְגָּבִישׁ‬‎ ʾelgāḇīš—Crystal Quartz, Gypsum & Hail
Chapter 17 ‮כַּדְכֹּד‬‎ Kadkōḏ & ‮אֶקְדָּח‬‎ ʾeḳdāḥ—Garnet
Chapter 18 ‮צֹר‬‎ Ṣōr & ‮חַלָּמִישׁ‬‎ Ḥallāmīš—Flint/Obsidian
Chapter 19 ‮שַׁיִשׁ‬‎/‮שֵׁשׁ‬‎ Šayiš/Šēš & ‮גִּר‬‎ Gir—Limestone
Chapter 20 Other Classical Hebrew Lithonyms
Chapter 21 Final Analysis
Back Matter
Index of Publications concerning Stones in the Bible
Bibliography
Indexes
Ephraim S. Ayil (1998) holds a B.A. in Political Science from Touro University, and will be pursuing a J.D. at SMU Dedman School of Law in autumn of 2024. Most recently, he worked at Hillsdale College's Washington, D.C. campus. His research interests span multiple disciplines, reflecting a broad academic interest.
Acknowledgements

1 Introduction
 1 Methodology
 2 Terminology/Scope
 3 Limitations/Preface

2 The Ḥōšen—Priestly Breastplate

3 אֹדֶם ʾōḏem—Carnelian
 1 Defining Carnelian

4 פִּטְדָה Piṭḏā—Peridot
 1 False Etymologies
 2 Reexamining an Old Connection
 3 Identity

5 בָּרֶקֶת Bāreḳeṯ—Green Jasper
 1 Medieval Identifications
 2 Previous Etymologies
 3 Cognates
 4 A Semitic Etymology
 5 Possible Identities
 6 Putting the Data Together

6 נֹפֶךְ Nōp̄eḵ—Turquoise
 1 Derivation from Egyptian mfkꜢt
 2 Semantics
 3 פּוּךְ Pūḵ

7 סַפִּיר Sappīr—Lapis Lazuli
 1 The Biblical Sources
 2 Greco-Roman Sources for Σάπφειρος Sappheiros
 3 The Supposed Indian Origin
 4 Marginal Cognates
 5 Akkadian Analogue and a Revised Etymology

8 יָהֲלֹם Yāhălōm

9 לֶשֶׁם Lešem—Amazonite

10 שְׁבוֹ Šəḇō—Agate

11 אַחְלָמָה ʾaḥlāmā—Red Jasper
 1 Phonology
 2 Ancient Translations

12 תַּרְשִׁישׁ Taršīš—Amber
 1 Internal Evidence for the Color of Taršīš-Stone
 2 Tars̆īs̆ = Tartessos = A Stone from Tartessos
 3 Applying the Philological Method
 4 Other Previous Views
 5 Conclusion

13 שֹׁהַם Šōham—Onyx
 1 The Location of חֲוִילָה Ḥăwīlā
 2 Terminological Issues concerning Onyx
 3 Chalcedony Onyx in Arabia
 4 The Egyptian Word for Onyx
 5 Towards an Etymology
 6 New Biblical Interpretations

14 יַשְׁפֶה Yašp̄e—Blue Chalcedony
 1 Cognates
 2 Yaspids in Greek and Mesopotamian Sources
 3 The Elamite Yašpu
 4 Breaking My Own Rules
 5 Cultural Realia, Geography, Mythology: Towards an Etymology
 6 Conclusion

15 שָׁמִיר Šāmīr—Emery
 1 Cognates
 2 The Etymology of שָׁמִיר Šāmīr
 3 The Shamir Worm

16 גָּבִישׁ Gāḇīš & אֶלְגָּבִישׁ ʾelgāḇīš—Crystal Quartz, Gypsum & Hail
 1 Previous Hypotheses
 2 Phonological Analysis
 3 Hebrew Sources for Elgavish
 4 On גָּבִישׁ Gāḇīš
 5 Etymological History in Other Languages
 6 Semantics

17 כַּדְכֹּד Kadkōḏ & אֶקְדָּח ʾeḳdāḥ—Garnet
 1 כַּדְכֹּד Kadkōḏ
 2 אֶקְדָּח ʾeḳdāḥ
 3 Greek Ἄνθραξ Anthrax and Latin Carbunculus
 4 Ugaritic Pḥm and Akkadian Pēndȗ
 5 Historiography

18 צוֹר C̣ōr & חַלָּמִישׁ Ḥallāmīš—Flint/Obsidian
 1 צֹר C̣ōr
 2 חַלָּמִישׁ Ḥallāmīš
 3 Afterword: Implications for the Reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian Phonology
 4 Harmonizing the Data

19 שַׁיִשׁ/שֵׁשׁ Šayiš/Šēš & גִּר Gir—Limestone
 1 שַׁיִשׁ/שֵׁשׁ Šayiš/Šēš
 2 גִּר Gir
 3 Afterword

20 Other Classical Hebrew Lithonyms
 1 בַּהַט Bahaṭ
 2 בֹּחַן Bōḥan
 3 גָּפְרִית Gop̄rīt̠
 4 דַּר Dar
 5 מֶלַח Melaḥ
 6 נֶתֶר Neṯer
 7 שָׁשַׁר Shāshar

21 Final Analysis
 1 Patterns in Borrowing
 2 Reconsidering the Septuagint and a Potential Pattern
 3 A Theory of the Septuagint
 4 Frontiers for Future Research

Appendix: Index of Publications concerning Stones in the Bible
Bibliography
Index of Foreign Words
Index of Gemstones & Minerals
Hebrew lexicographers, archeogemologists, Hebraists, Semitic philogists, Mediterranean kulturwort specialists, Bible translators the world over, Old Testament scholars, religious Jews and Christians generally.
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