DailyHebrew.com

I'm a PC.  But on a day when Apple introduces an exciting new product, it is difficult not to peer on with interest and even a bit of glee.  By combining features of the netbook and the Kindle, the iPad is primed to launch the tablet into the mainstream.  That said, one thing I found extremely interesting about the aforementioned device is its physical form.

Does this remind you of something else?

(Cornell University Library)

Notice that the beveled back and flat front are analogous to that of the cuneiform tablet.  Unlike the molded plastic, glass, and aluminum of the iPad, the clay tablet's shape is determined pragmatically by the conditions of its composition—upon completion, a tablet typically was left to dry with the recto (i.e. the reverse) facing upwards, thus gravity would pull the edges downward forming the characteristic shape of a flat front side and curved back.  It should be noted, though, that Steve Jobs is not the first to copy this shape in a non-clay medium, imitations of the distinctive contour were made in stone and bronze in the ancient near east, and now it has been replicated in the iPad three millennium after the extinction of the original form.  Let no one say that cultural memory is short! 

Now if only the Apps store had a copy of the Ba'al Cycle…

Some of you may be interested in a short article in the most recent Bulletin of American Schools of Oriental Research  entitled, "Two New Inscriptions from Zincirli and Its Environs" (Table of Contents).  Others (who are not related to me) will find the other articles by the Zincirli excavation team more to your liking, including Pardee's editio princeps. 

Be sure to check out BASOR 356, it is a great edition put together by Jim Weinstein dedicated to the recent finds of the Oriental Institute expedition, most notably the "Kuttamuwa" (KTMW) inscription.

(The back story may be found here, here, and here.)

Along with a translation, a copy of the text  is provided at EurekAlert!

View the previous DH.com posts here.

(HT: agade)

וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם׃ 27 וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח הָאֶחָ֜ד אֶת־שַׂקֹּ֗ו לָתֵ֥ת מִסְפּ֛וֹא לַחֲמֹרֹ֖ו בַּמָּל֑וֹן וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כַּסְפֹּ֔ו וְהִנֵּה־ה֖וּא בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּוֹֽ׃ 28 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ הוּשַׁ֣ב כַּסְפִּ֔י וְגַ֖ם הִנֵּ֣ה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י וַיֵּצֵ֣א לִבָּ֗ם וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַה־זֹּ֛את עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים לָֽנוּ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 26

            שׁבר noun: "grain" (BDB, 991)

            חמר noun: "donkey" (BDB, 331)

Verse 27

            פתח verb: "open"

            שׂק noun: "sack" (BDB, 974)

            מספוא noun: "fodder" (BDB, 704)

            חמר noun: "donkey" (BDB, 331)

            מלון noun: "lodging place" (BDB, 533)

            אמתחת noun: "sack" (BDB, 607)

Verse 28

            אמתחת noun: "sack" (BDB, 607)

            חרד verb: "tremble, be terrified" (BDB, 353)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 26

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם): V-O-M
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם): V-M

Verse 27

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח הָאֶחָ֜ד אֶת־שַׂקֹּ֗ו לָתֵ֥ת מִסְפּ֛וֹא לַחֲמֹרֹ֖ו בַּמָּל֑וֹן): V-S-O-M
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כַּסְפֹּ֔ו): V-O
• Clause Structure 3 (וְהִנֵּה־ה֖וּא בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּוֹֽ): S-P
• The independent pronoun may be omitted in verbless clauses with הנה, but here both are present (J-M 146h).

Verse 28

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ הוּשַׁ֣ב כַּסְפִּ֔י וְגַ֖ם הִנֵּ֣ה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י): V-M-O
• Embedded Structure A (הוּשַׁ֣ב כַּסְפִּ֔י): V-S
• Embedded Structure B (וְגַ֖ם הִנֵּ֣ה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י): S-P
• Unlike the previous verse, the pronoun is omitted here (J-M 146h; GKC 147b).
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיֵּצֵ֣א לִבָּ֗ם): V-S
• Clause Structure 3 (וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַה־זֹּ֛את עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים לָֽנוּ): V-S-M
• For the nuance of אישׁ אל אחיו in this clause with the verb חרד, see GKC 119gg, J-M 133b and W-O 11.2.2a n. 19.
• Embedded Structure A (מַה־זֹּ֛את): P-S
• Embedded Structure B (עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים לָֽנוּ): V-S-M
• This clause is asyndetic and should be understood as a relative.

וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּינֹתָֽם׃ 24 וַיִּסֹּ֥ב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ וַיָּ֤שָׁב אֲלֵהֶם֙ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּם֙ אֶת־שִׁמְע֔וֹן וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ר אֹתוֹ֖ לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ 25 וַיְצַ֣ו יוֹסֵ֗ף וַיְמַלְא֣וּ אֶת־כְּלֵיהֶם֮ בָּר֒ וּלְהָשִׁ֤יב כַּסְפֵּיהֶם֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־שַׂקֹּ֔ו וְלָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם צֵדָ֖ה לַדָּ֑רֶךְ וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃

Vocabulary

Verse 23

            ליץ verb (Hiphil participle m.s. absolute): "interpret; deride" (BDB, 539)

Verse 24

            סבב verb: "turn (around); surround"

            בכה verb: "weep"

            שׁמעון name: "Simeon" (BDB, 1035)

            אסר verb: "bind" (BDB, 63)

Verse 25

            בר noun: "grain" (BDB, 141)

            שׂק noun: "sack" (BDB, 974)

            צדה noun: "food, provision(s)" (BDB, 845)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 23

• Clause Structure 1 (וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּינֹתָֽם): S-V-O
• Clause Structure 2 (שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף): V-S
• Clause Structure 3 (כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּינֹתָֽם): S-P
• The participle may best be taken as a substantive (W-O 13.5.1e).
• The preposition בינת is a biform of בֵּין "between."

Verse 24

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּסֹּ֥ב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם): V-M
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ): V
• Clause Structure 3 (וַיָּ֤שָׁב אֲלֵהֶם֙): V-M
• Clause Structure 4 (וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם): V-M
• Clause Structure 5 (וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּם֙ אֶת־שִׁמְע֔וֹן): V-M-O
• Clause Structure 6 (וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ר אֹתוֹ֖ לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם): V-O-M

Verse 25

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיְצַ֣ו יוֹסֵ֗ף): V-S
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיְמַלְא֣וּ אֶת־כְּלֵיהֶם֮ בָּר֒): V-O-O
• The present command formula with a conjunction and a finite form may have also been written, למלא, that is, as an infinitive (as in the following infinitival clauses), albeit with a slight variation in meaning (GKC 120f; J-M 177j).
• The Piel of מלא takes two objects: the item being filled and the substance filling it (W-O 10.2.3e).
• Clause Structure 3 (וּלְהָשִׁ֤יב כַּסְפֵּיהֶם֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־שַׂקֹּ֔ו): V-O-M
• The pronominal form of כספיהם combines the singular base (*qatl) with the plural morpheme, -ey, yielding an unexpected form (GKC 93m; cf. J-M 96Ad).
• Clause Structure 4 (וְלָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם צֵדָ֖ה לַדָּ֑רֶךְ): V-M-O-M
• Clause Structure 5 (וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן): V-M