Hebrew 604-Canaanite Dialects Syllabus

Canaanite Dialects (HEB 604) -- Fall 2004
Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison
MW 8:25-9:40, 1351 Van Hise

Instructor John A. Cook
1340 Van Hise, 262-9553; e-mail: jacook@juno.com
Office Hours: MW 10:00-11:00 (and by appointment)

Goals of the Course

To learn the phonology, morphology, and the Canaanite dialects, and to understand the salient linguistic characteristics of each;
To compare the linguistic features of the Canaanite dialects to the Hebrew as found in the Masoretic Text;
To study the epigraphy of the texts so as to read them in their original script;
To learn to apply historical grammar and comparative semitics to the study of these texts;
To consider the importance of the Canaanite texts to an understanding of the biblical text.

Requirements of the course
1. Class attendance is critical. Unexcused absences will negatively affect your grade.

2. Class preparation and participation. In preparing a text for class, you are expected to:

be able to read the text from a photo or line drawing
transliterate the text from a photo or line drawing
identify lexically and morphologically all words in the text
recognize dialectal features of the text
vocalize the text
situate the text in its historical context
understand difficulties in interpretation of the text

3. Each student will serve as epigrapher for one of the inscriptions. The tasks of the epigrapher are (1) to compile a script chart for the inscription; (2) to compile a list of various ways to read and/or reconstruct the text; and (3) to evaluate the script of the text. The epigrapher should provide each member of the class with the results of his/her labors one week before the inscription is scheduled to be read in class.

4. Each student will serve as historian/archaeologist for one of the inscriptions. The tasks of the historian/archaeologist are (1) to provide a summary of the historical background of the inscription; (2) to provide a summary of the archaeological context of the inscription. The historian/archaeologist should provide each member of the class with the results of his/her labors one week before the inscription is scheduled to be read in class.

5. Each student will serve as biblical scholar for one of the inscriptions. The tasks of the biblical scholar are (1) to summarize linguistic connections between the inscription and the text of the Hebrew Bible; (2) to summarize implications the inscription has for our understanding of ancient Israelite history/culture/religion. The biblical scholar should provide each member of the class with the results of his/her labors one week before the inscription is scheduled to be read in class.

6. Paper. The paper will comprise your independent work on a text not prepared for class. Consult with me concerning your interests in the content/genre of the text and to stake your claim for a text. The paper should be structured as if it is the initial publication of the text, including your transcription, vocalization, translation, and line-by-line observations on relevant features of orthography, morphology, syntax, and interpretation. The paper should be written in clear, coherent English and adhere to normal academic format as represented, for example, in the Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian. The written version of the paper is due on December 11 at the beginning of class. One letter grade will be deducted for each day (i.e., 24 hour period) the paper is late.

7. Midterm (Mon. Oct. 11) and final exams (10:05 am Fri. Dec. 17).

Grading
Grading will reflect your service as epigrapher (10%), historian/archaeologist (10%), and biblical scholar (10%), the paper (25%), and the midterm (20%) and final (25%) exams; your class preparation and participation will held determine borderline grades.

Canaanite Inscriptions -- Potential paper topics
If the inscription you choose is very short, do more than one. Be sure to have your inscription approved by me.

Phoenician: Any of the inscriptions in KAI 1-60 that we do not read in class, especially KAI 4 (Yeh. imilk), 18 (Umm el-Ahmed), 37 (Cyprus Tariff), 43 (Lapethos), 50 (Saqqara). An interesting Punic inscription is CIS 5510. Note also the interesting new inscription from Cebel Ires Dai (Cilicia).

Hebrew: Any of the Lachish or Arad letters not read in class. Izbet Sarta, silver amulets.

Ammonite: Tell Hisban, Nimrud, Amman citadel.

Schedule

N.B. We will attempt to adhere to the schedule; changes are possible, with due notice.

1) 8 Sept Introduction

2) 13 Sept Gezer Calendar (KAI 182)

15 Sept Siloam Tunnel (KAI 189), Silwan Tomb

3) 20 Sept two Mousaiëff letters

22 Sept Mead ašavyahu (KAI 200)

4) 27 Sept Lachish Letters 3, 4 (KAI 193, 194)

29 Sept Arad Letters 1, 18, 24

5) 4 Oct Samaria (KAI 183-188)

6 Oct Khirbet el-Qôm, Kuntillet Ajrud

6) 11 Oct Midterm

13 Oct Mesha (KAI 181)

7) 18 Oct Mesha (con't)

20 Oct Mesha (con't)

8) 25 Oct Mesha (con't)

27 Oct Ekron

9) 1 Nov Ahiram (KAI 1), Ahiram Graffito (KAI 2)

3 Nov Tabnit (KAI 13)

10) 8 Nov Yaaumilk (KAI 10)

10 Nov Yaaumilk (con't)

11) 15 Nov Kilamuwa (KAI 24)

17 Nov Kilamuwa (con't)

12) 22 Nov No class -- SBL

24 Nov Karatepe (KAI 26, A i and A ii)

13) 29 Nov Karatepe (con't)

1 Dec Karatepe (con't)

14) 6 Dec Arslan Tash (KAI 27)

8 Dec Tell Siran

15) 13 Dec Marseilles Tariff (KAI 69); Paper due

15 Dec Marseilles Tariff (con't)

Basic Bibliography -- Canaanite Inscriptions
A. Text Editions

Ahituv, Shmuel. [Handbook of Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions]. Jerusalem: Mosad, 1992.
{Excellent photos}
[PJ5034.8 AVX6494.P3 A84]

Aharoni, Yohanan. Arad Inscriptions. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1981.
[PJ5034.8 I8 A28]

Cooke, G. A. A Text-Book of North-Semitic Inscriptions: Moabite, Hebrew, Phoenician, Aramaic, Nabatean, Palmyrene, Jewish. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1903.
{Treatment of inscriptions in Moabite [Mesha Stone], Hebrew [Siloam Tunnel], Phoenician [Byblos, Sidon, Tyre, etc.], Punic, neo-Punic, Aramaic, Nabatean, Palmyrene. Dated, but still useful.}
[GRR; PJ3085.C7]

Corpus Inscriptionem Semiticarum. Paris: E Republicae Typographeo, 1881-. = CIS
{Excellent photos and line drawings. Translations are in Latin.}
[PJ3081.C6 oversize]

Davies, G. I. Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions: Corpus and Concordance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
[PJ5034.8.P3.D38]

Donner, H. and Röllig, W. Kanaanäische und Aramäische Inschriften. Vol. 1: Texte. Vol. 2: Kommentar. Vol. 3: Glossar, Indizes und Tafeln. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1966, 1968, 1969. = KAI
[PJ3085.D6]

Gibson, J. C. L. Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions. Vol. 1: Hebrew and Moabite Inscriptions. Vol. 3: Phoenician Inscriptions. Oxford: Clarendon, 1971.
[PJ3081.G5]

Lemaire, André. Inscriptions hébraiques. Tome 1: Les ostraca. Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1977.
{Ostraca of Samaria, Lachish, Arad, the Ophel, Tell Qasile, Ramat Rahel, Mead ašavyahu, Beer-sheba, El-Meshash}
[PJ5034.8.P3.L4]

Lidzbarski, Mark. Handbuch der nordsemitischen Epigraphik nebst ausgewählten Inschriften. 2 vols. Reprinted. Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1962.
[Memorial Library Reference PJ3085.L6]

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
[Memorial Library Reference DS56 O9]

Pardee, Dennis; Sperling, S.; Whitehead, J. David; Dion, Paul E. Handbook of Ancient Hebrew Letters. Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1982.
[PJ5031.P3]

Renz, Johannes; and Röllig, Wolfgang. Handbuch der althebräischen Epigraphik. Band 1: Die althebräischen Inschriften: Text und Kommentar. Band 2: Die althebräischen Inschriften: Zusammenfassenden Erorterungen, Palaographie und Glossar. Band 3: Texte und Tafeln. Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft, 1995.
[PJ5034.8.P3 R46]

B. Dictionaries

Hoftijzer, J.; and Jongeling, K. Dictionary of the North-west Semitic Inscriptions. Leiden: Brill, 1995.
{Second, thoroughly revised edition of DISO.}
[PJ71.H3 Abt. 1, Bd. 21. T 1-2]

Tomback, Richard S. A Comparative Semitic Lexicon of the Phoenician and Punic Languages. New York: Ktav; Missoula, MT: Scholars Press, 1978.
[BS 511.2.S6 no. 32]

C. Grammars

Friedrich, Johannes. Phönizisch-punische Grammatik. Analecta Orientalia, 32. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1970.
[PJ 4175.F7]

Gogel, Sandra. A Grammar of Epigraphic Hebrew. Resources for Biblical Study, 23. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998.

[PJ4564 G69]

Harris, Zellig S. A Grammar of the Phoenician Language. New Haven, Conn.: American Oriental Society, 1936.

Jackson, Kent P. The Ammonite Language of the Iron Age. Harvard Semitic Monographs, 27. Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1983.
[PJ4143.J3]

Segert, Stanislav. A Grammar of Phoenician and Punic. Münich: C. H. Beck, 1976.
[PJ 4175.S4]

van den Branden, A. Grammaire phénicienne. Beyrouth: Librairie du Liban, 1969.
[PJ4175.B7]

D. Epigraphy

Cross, Frank Moore; and Freedman, David Noel. Early Hebrew Orthography: A Study of the Epigraphic Evidence. American Oriental Series, 36. New Haven, Conn.: American Oriental Society, 1952.
{The classic study of matres lectionis in NorthWest Semitic.}
[PJ3019.C7]

Diringer, David. The Story of Aleph Beth. London: Lincolns-Prager, 1958.
[PJ4589.D5]

Harris, Zellig S. Development of the Canaanite Dialects: An Investigation in Linguistic History. New Haven, Conn.: American Oriental Society, 1939.
[AP.A5115.R5 S16]

Naveh, Joseph. Early History of the Alphabet: An Introduction to West Semitic Epigraphy and Palaeography. 2d edition. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1987.
[P211.N29 in College Library Reserve Book Collection]

Peckham, J. Brian. The Development of the Late Phoenician Scripts. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1968.
[PJ4173.P4]

Renz, Johannes. Schrift und Schreibertradition: Eine paläographische Studie zum kulturgeschichtlichen Verhältnis von israelitischem Nordreich und Südreich. Abhandlungen des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins, 23. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1997.
[PJ5034.8 P3 R45]

Sass, Benjamin. Studia Alphabetica: On the Origin and Early History of the Northwest Semitic, South Semitic and Greek Alphabets. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, 102. Freiburg: Universitätsverlag, 1991.
[PZ11.S374]

Zevit, Ziony. Matres Lectionis in Ancient Hebrew Epitaphs. Cambridge, Mass.: American Schools of Oriental Research, 1980.
[PJ 4583.Z4 in College Library Reserve Book Collection]

E. Comparative Semitics

Lipiñski, Edward. Semitic Languages: Outline of a Comparative Grammar. Vol. 80, Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta. Leuven: Peeters, 1997.
[PJ3021 L56]

Moscati, Sabatino; Spitaler, Anton; Ullendorff, Edward; and von Soden, Wolfram. An Introduction to the Comparative Grammar of the Semitic Languages: Phonology and Morphology. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1964.
[PJ3021.M6 1969]

F. Bibliographic (none of these items are on reserve)

Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus
{Before 1964, volumes are bound with Biblica [AP B5816]}
[Memorial Library Reference Z7770.E63]

Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaften und Grenzgebiete. 1951-
[Memorial Library Reference Z770.I57]

Langevin, Paul Émile. Bibliographie biblique, Biblical Bibliography, Biblische Bibliographie... 3 vols. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 1985.
[GRR; BS410.L35]

Lemaire, A. [various epigraphic notes in Semitica 1982, 1985]
[AP S4725]

Moscati, S.; Garbini, G.; Matthiae, P. "Bibliographie sémitique." Orientalia 1947-
[AP O708]

Old Testament Abstracts
[GRR; BS410.O42]

Pohl, A.; Deller, K. H.; Klengel, H. "Keilschriftliche Bibliographie." Orientalia 1940-
[AP O708]

Suder, Robert W. Hebrew Inscriptions: A Classified Bibliography. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 1984.
[PJ5034.4.S93.1984]

Teixidor, J. "Bulletin d'épigraphie sémitique." Syria 1967-1980.
{Also contains useful epigraphic notes on various inscriptions.}
[APS996]

Zeitschrift für Althebraistik
[AP Z494.A437]

G. Other

Dearman, Andrew. Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1989.
[PJ4149.S7]

Layton, Scott C. Archaic Features of Canaanite Personal Names in the Hebrew Bible. Vol. 47, Harvard Semitic Monographs. Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars, 1990.
[BS1199 N2 L38]

Lipiñski, Edward. Dieux et déesses de l'univers phénicien et punique. Studia Phoenicia, 14. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta, 64. Leuven: Peeters, 1995.
[BL1660.L56]

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Latest revision date: 8/4/2004