יואל אליצור

The Names of God and the Dating of the Biblical Corpus

The Believer and the Modern Study of the Bible, Edited by T. Ganzel, Y. Brandes, and C. Deutsch,, 2019

Biblical Criticism and the Dating of Biblical Sources-A Brief Survey The "documentary hypothesis,... more Biblical Criticism and the Dating of Biblical Sources-A Brief Survey The "documentary hypothesis," the most famous theory of critical biblical scholarship, originated in the eighteenth century from the examination of what appeared to be contradictions and repetitions in biblical stories and legislation. Scholars concluded that the Torah is comprised of four primary sources that differ from each other in language and content. Two of these sources are called after the names of God that characterize them: source "J" frequently uses the Tetragrammaton YHWH (in old scholarly literature "Jehovah" erroneously following the seemingly masoretic punctuation of this divine name), while source "E" uses often the name Elohim. There are two additional sources: "P," the Priestly source, which discusses sacrifices, ritual, and the priesthood, and favors numerical sums, and "D," the source of the book of Deuteronomy. Several chapters in the early prophets are also attributed to the Deuteronomic school. "D" mandates the centralization of the ritual in a location to be chosen by God, and takes special interest in the subject of exile and redemption and the fate of the Israelite people. Scholars usually date "D" to the end of the First Temple period and "P" to the Second Temple period. There have been, and continue to be, many adherents of these theories. There have also been many opponents-primarily, but not exclusively, Jewish and Christian religious fundamentalists. The greatest of the contributors to the documentary hypothesis in the nineteenth century was Julius Wellhausen. The most famous among the early critics of the theory was Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann who, shortly after the publication of Wellhausen's research, published in 1903 a rebuttal entitled Decisive Evidence against the Graf-Wellhausen Theory.

Download

Plene Spelling and Defective Spelling in the Hebrew Bible The Question of Dating JAOS 143 4

JAOS, 2023

All information about the Society and the Journal, including membership dues and the Journal styl... more

Download

A New Bltmya Inscription from Kamed el-Lawz: An Addendum

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1987

Names, Naming (Places)

Encyclopedia of the Bible Online, Apr 12, 2022

The Altar at Tel Dothan -A Trace of Josiah's Reform

JANES, 2023

A broken incense altar found in Tel Dotan in 2013 as well as graves and human bones inserted into... more A broken incense altar found in Tel Dotan in 2013 as well as graves and human bones inserted into the ground near it teach about Josiah's reform that took place there. The article reviews another eight sites where there may be evidence of the removal of the bamot 'high places' by Hezekiah or Josiah.

Download

The Biblical Names of Jerusalem

Maarav

עדי אבד - בית מקרא תש''פ

Beit Mikra, 2020

The phrase עדי אבד occurs twice in one context in the Hebrew Bible, namely in the fifth prophecy ... more The phrase עדי אבד occurs twice in one context in the Hebrew Bible, namely in the fifth prophecy of Balaam dealing with Amalek and the seventh one that terminates with Eber (Num 24:20, 24). In the light of its context and parallels inside the Bible on the one hand, and the meaning of its root in both Hebrew and Arabic on the other, this phrase must be interpreted as bearing an intentional ambiguity: "for ever" beside "unto destruction". Balaam wanted to curse but he was ought to bless. His blessing echoes for generations, but in fact the immediate consequence of the encounter with him was the plague of Baal Peor, which is connected to Balaam explicitly in Num 31:16 and implicitly by the key words הַקֻּבָּה and קֳבָתָהּ. It seems that the Scripture deliberately leaves it obscure who will be destructed and who will gain eternity.

Download

EMERGENCE AND DISAPPEARENCE OF WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN PRE-EXILIC BIBLICAL HEBREW

Revue Biblique, 2022

This paper discusses, in alphabetical order, 17 biblical words and expressions which appear to ha... more This paper discusses, in alphabetical order, 17 biblical words and expressions which appear to have undergone change during the biblical period prior to the Babylonian exile. Several of these came into being at a certain point, not having been current before, while others ceased to be in current usage, or changed their form or meaning. In the present paper, the author pursues the approach set out in his earlier publications. The basic rationale of the diachronic approach is the understanding that any living language undergoes processes of change, and there is no reason for biblical Hebrew to behave any differently. RÉSUMÉ Cet article examine, par ordre alphabétique, 17 mots et expressions bibliques qui semblent avoir changé au cours de la période biblique précédant l'exil babylonien. Plusieurs d'entre eux ont vu le jour à un certain moment, n'étant pas courants auparavant, tandis que d'autres ont cessé d'être d'usage courant, ou ont changé de forme ou de signification. Dans le présent article, l'auteur poursuit l'approche exposée dans ses publications antérieures. La logique de base de l'approche diachronique est la compréhension que toute langue vivante subit des processus de changement, et il n'y a aucune raison pour que l'hébreu biblique se comporte différemment.

Download

EMERGENCE AND DISAPPEARENCE OF WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN PRE-EXILIC BIBLICAL HEBREW

Revue Biblique, 2022

This paper discusses, in alphabetical order, 17 biblical words and expressions which appear to ha... more This paper discusses, in alphabetical order, 17 biblical words and expressions which appear to have undergone change during the biblical period prior to the Babylonian exile. Several of these came into being at a certain point, not having been current before, while others ceased to be in current usage, or changed their form or meaning. In the present paper, the author pursues the approach set out in his earlier publications. The basic rationale of the diachronic approach is the understanding that any living language undergoes processes of change, and there is no reason for biblical Hebrew to behave any differently. RÉSUMÉ Cet article examine, par ordre alphabétique, 17 mots et expressions bibliques qui semblent avoir changé au cours de la période biblique précédant l'exil babylonien. Plusieurs d'entre eux ont vu le jour à un certain moment, n'étant pas courants auparavant, tandis que d'autres ont cessé d'être d'usage courant, ou ont changé de forme ou de signification. Dans le présent article, l'auteur poursuit l'approche exposée dans ses publications antérieures. La logique de base de l'approche diachronique est la compréhension que toute langue vivante subit des processus de changement, et il n'y a aucune raison pour que l'hébreu biblique se comporte différemment.

Download

Four-homed altar discovered in Judean hills

Biblical Archaeology Review, 2004

A stroll on the West Bank leads to a remarkable find: a Biblical-era stone altar for animal sacri... more

The Divine Name ADNY in the Hebrew Bible: Surprising Findings

Liber Annuus, 2015

The Tetragrammaton and ADNY The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is mentioned more than 6,800 times in the H... more The Tetragrammaton and ADNY The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is mentioned more than 6,800 times in the Hebrew Bible. The divine name ADNY, on the other hand, is mentioned some 440 times, 1 134 of which unaccompanied by YHWH, 2 and the rest together with the Tetragrammaton, mostly in the order ADNY YHWH, but in five places YHWH ADNY. In an additional forty occurrences we find YHWH Elohim (20 of these in the Garden of Eden narrative in Genesis 2-3). The books of the Prophets and the Hagiographa, as well as the epigraphy of the First Temple period, made free and constant use of the Tetragrammaton. 3 In a certain time in the first half of the Second Temple period, sometime between the composition of the Latter Prophets and the Septuagint, in which YHWH and ADNY are both translated !"#$%& "lord", the Tetragrammaton became an exalted word,

Download

A New bltmya Inscription from Kāmed El-Lawz in the Lebanon Valley

Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1985

This article discloses for the first time the discovery of a Syriac inscription from the beginnin... more This article discloses for the first time the discovery of a Syriac inscription from the beginning of the eighth century A. C. near Kamed el-Lawz in the Lebanon Valley. The inscription refers to a quarry (&#39;bltmyʾ̇) and belongs to or relates to a &#39;rēš pathora&#39; (assumed to be a Christian religious leader) named Mar-Addai who came here from Kurdistan. More than 25 similar inscriptions, all written at the same time were discovered on the same mountain range during the thirties (and one in 1968). The subject matter of these inscriptions, as well as some of the linguistic expressions which appear in them several times, are unique to this group of inscriptions, and are still open to further investigation and interpretation.

Download

Deir in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic and Toponyms of the "Deir-X" Type / 'דיר' ונווה ושמות מקומות מטיפוס דיר- X בארץ-ישראל

Dead

catchm chang cal an the ch torica low la levels and 70 period fact th alone.

Download

The Names of God and the Dating of the Biblical Corpus

The Believer and the Modern Study of the Bible, 2019

Biblical Criticism and the Dating of Biblical Sources-A Brief Survey The "documentary hypothesis,... more Biblical Criticism and the Dating of Biblical Sources-A Brief Survey The "documentary hypothesis," the most famous theory of critical biblical scholarship, originated in the eighteenth century from the examination of what appeared to be contradictions and repetitions in biblical stories and legislation. Scholars concluded that the Torah is comprised of four primary sources that differ from each other in language and content. Two of these sources are called after the names of God that characterize them: source "J" frequently uses the Tetragrammaton YHWH (in old scholarly literature "Jehovah" erroneously following the seemingly masoretic punctuation of this divine name), while source "E" uses often the name Elohim. There are two additional sources: "P," the Priestly source, which discusses sacrifices, ritual, and the priesthood, and favors numerical sums, and "D," the source of the book of Deuteronomy. Several chapters in the early prophets are also attributed to the Deuteronomic school. "D" mandates the centralization of the ritual in a location to be chosen by God, and takes special interest in the subject of exile and redemption and the fate of the Israelite people. Scholars usually date "D" to the end of the First Temple period and "P" to the Second Temple period. There have been, and continue to be, many adherents of these theories. There have also been many opponents-primarily, but not exclusively, Jewish and Christian religious fundamentalists. The greatest of the contributors to the documentary hypothesis in the nineteenth century was Julius Wellhausen. The most famous among the early critics of the theory was Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann who, shortly after the publication of Wellhausen's research, published in 1903 a rebuttal entitled Decisive Evidence against the Graf-Wellhausen Theory.

Download

The Interface Between Language and Realia In the Preexilic Books of the Bible

Hebrew Studies, 2018

The distinction between the Standard Biblical Hebrew of the preexilic period and Late Biblical He... more The distinction between the Standard Biblical Hebrew of the preexilic period and Late Biblical Hebrew of the postexilic one is at present widely accepted in the scholarship. Some scholars have provided evidence for the claim that various linguistic layers can be discerned in Standard Biblical Hebrew as well. As a proponent of the latter approach, I present here ten examples of linguistic developments that most probably occurred during the preexilic period, which can perhaps be linked to historical and archeological data. Thus, the discussion of this significant topic advances the discussion of the dating of the books of the Hebrew Bible from relative to absolute dating.

Download

Nahal Zered in the Bible and the Baraita De-Tehumin

Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 2013

As a result of a mistaken interpretation of the Madaba map, biblical Nahal Zered is often identif... more As a result of a mistaken interpretation of the Madaba map, biblical Nahal Zered is often identified in the scho- ̣ larship as Wadi Al-hsa which marks the boundary between Moab and Edom southeast of the Dead Sea. In reality, the brook of Zered does not appear on the Madaba map and the sole documentary evidence available for its identification is the Bible, which situates Nahal Zered near Nah ̣ al Arnon. The author proposes Wa ̣ ̄di Nkheile, which spills into the Arnon from the southeast, as the most likely candidate for the biblical Zered. This identification perhaps also sheds light on the conflicting biblical sources regarding the question of whether or not the Moabites allowed the Israelites to pass through their territory en route to Canaan. In the postbiblical era Nahal Zered appears in the boundaries baraita (baraita de-teh ̣ umin) as part of the eastern border of ̣ the land of Israel and the article demonstrates that the identification of Nahal Zered as Wadi Nkheile is consistent with the geographical logic of the baraita

The Abba Cave: Unpublished Findings and a New Proposal Regarding Abba's Identity

Israel Exploration Journal, 2013

Prof. Y.M Grintz’s hypothesis that the magnificent ossuary found together with the Aramaic inscri... more Prof. Y.M Grintz’s hypothesis that the magnificent ossuary found together with the Aramaic inscription of Abba son of Eleazar the priest “the oppressed, the pursued, who was born in Jerusalem and went to exile into Babylonia, and carried up (for interment) Mattathi[ah] son of Jud[ah] and I buried him in the cave which I purchased by the writ,” belonged to Mattathias Antigonus, the last Hasmonean king, received compelling scientific corroboration in a television program broadcast in December 1974. On the program, the anthropologist Prof. Nicu Hass, who analyzed the bones, presented a sketch of a decapitated skull that in his view had belonged to a tall 25-year-old man, who was tortured until he lost consciousness, after which he was beheaded, a description that is consistent with the manner in which Mattathias Antigonus was executed, as described by Josephus and Dio Cassius. However, these findings were not published scientifically and were forgotten. Nicu Hass suffered a head injury a month after the broadcast and never regained consciousness. The bones, left in cardboard boxes in his office, were reexamined by Prof. Patricia Smith who maintained that the decapitated skull had belonged to a short old woman. In light of her findings, a general consensus took root in the scientific community that rejected Grintz’s analysis. The current paper will (1) survey the history of the subject, including the comments made on the television program that are as yet unpublished, and argue that Hass’s diagnosis is preferable; (2) add unpublished information or information not properly published (a second ossuary found years later apparently containing the bones of Abba the priest, an examination of the caves and the order in which they were dug, the return of the bones of Mattathias son of Judah to their resting place; (3) advance a hypothesis that will try to identify Abba the priest and his family with a family mentioned in Josephus Flavius’s Antiquities of the Jews.

The Siloam Pool — 'Solomon's Pool' — was a Swimming Pool

Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 2008

Abstract The Herodian Siloam pool discovered recently by Reich and Shukron was probably the '... more

Ancient Place Names in the Holy Land: Preservation and History. By Yoel Elitzur. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, Magnes Press; Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2004. Pp. xiii + 466. $59.50

Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2008

Uploads

Papers by יואל אליצור

Log In