From Persepolis to Jerusalem: A Reevaluation of Old Persian-Hebrew Contact in the Achaemenid Period

This paper examines the effects and mechanisms of Old Persian contact on Biblical Hebrew. I first reevaluate the number and distribution of Old Persian loanwords in the Hebrew Bible. Then I demonstrate that there was direct contact between speakers of Old Persian and speakers of Hebrew in the Achaem...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vetus Testamentum
Main Author: Wilson-Wright, Aren M. 1988- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2015
In: Vetus Testamentum
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Old Testament / Hebrew language / Old Persian language / Loanword / History 550 BC-330 BC
RelBib Classification:HB Old Testament
TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
Further subjects:B Late Biblical Hebrew language contact linguistic dating Persian period
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This paper examines the effects and mechanisms of Old Persian contact on Biblical Hebrew. I first reevaluate the number and distribution of Old Persian loanwords in the Hebrew Bible. Then I demonstrate that there was direct contact between speakers of Old Persian and speakers of Hebrew in the Achaemenid period beginning under Artaxerxes i, before proposing the existence of two Old Persian calques in Biblical Hebrew. The distribution of these Old Persian loanwords and calques strengthens the case for distinguishing between Late Biblical Hebrew and Classical Biblical Hebrew on linguistic grounds. With one exception, these features cluster in well-known Late Biblical Hebrew texts.
ISSN:1568-5330
Contains:In: Vetus Testamentum
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685330-12301191