Sunday, June 14, 2009

On the Traditional Samaritan identification of the sabak

asking Benyamim what kind of tree a SBK sevach is (Samaritan pronunciation sǡbåk) is pointless, because it is not the name of a kind of tree. The question to be asked is what bush it is traditionally identified with IN THIS VERSE. The Samaritan Aramaic and Arabic versions all have words meaning thick foliage. One Arabic ms. has ‘abhar meaning storax, not the gum but the plant it comes from.

I think you will find the traditional identification is the kind of myrtle growing on the Mountain.


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