On the possible old Persian origin of the Aramaic śjm ṭʻm, "to issue a decree"
The Aramaic formula שים טעם 'to issue a decree,' first occurs in the Imperial Aramaic of Daniel, Ezra, and the Aramaic letters of the 5th century B.C.E. The regular use of this formula in the passive voice with a known agent caused E.Y.Kutscher to suspect Persian interference and argue tha...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Print Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
College
1997
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In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 1997, Volume: 68, Pages: 1-9 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Iran (Antiquity)
/ History 539 BC-330 BC
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RelBib Classification: | HB Old Testament TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East |
Further subjects: | B
Judiciary
B Aramaic language |
Summary: | The Aramaic formula שים טעם 'to issue a decree,' first occurs in the Imperial Aramaic of Daniel, Ezra, and the Aramaic letters of the 5th century B.C.E. The regular use of this formula in the passive voice with a known agent caused E.Y.Kutscher to suspect Persian interference and argue that the clause was probably a passivum majestatis of Old Persian origin. Expanding on Kutscher, this article proposes that שים טעם may be a Persian calque involving one of three Old Persian verbs: ništā-, framā-, or θah-. A detailed analysis of the verbs finds all three to be possible, but rates ništā- as the most promising. Old Aramaic and Hebrew parallels to שים טעם offer material that challenges this position; yet a closer examination of all the data reveals that the argument for שים טעם as an Old Persian calque is more convincing and gives a better account of the evidence. |
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ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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