Reposted
What if the Torah never became authoritative? The usual story is it was more like interesting divine advice until the Hellenistic period when it became canonical in an agonizingly drawn-out processl. What it was only the Halakha, the traditions around it, that ever really had authority?
February 14, 2026 at 4:23 AM
What if the Torah never became authoritative? The usual story is it was more like interesting divine advice until the Hellenistic period when it became canonical in an agonizingly drawn-out processl. What it was only the Halakha, the traditions around it, that ever really had authority?
"Aramaic, the death of written Hebrew, and language shift in the Persian period" by William M. Schniedewind
February 12, 2026 at 3:22 PM
"Aramaic, the death of written Hebrew, and language shift in the Persian period" by William M. Schniedewind
The Gezer Calendar
Inscription:
"The (two) months of harvest; the (two) months of sowing; the (two) months of late planting; the month of reaping flax; the month of reaping barley; the month of reaping and measuring; the (two) months of (vine-)tending, the month of summer(-fruit)."
Inscription:
"The (two) months of harvest; the (two) months of sowing; the (two) months of late planting; the month of reaping flax; the month of reaping barley; the month of reaping and measuring; the (two) months of (vine-)tending, the month of summer(-fruit)."
February 10, 2026 at 12:48 PM
The Gezer Calendar
Inscription:
"The (two) months of harvest; the (two) months of sowing; the (two) months of late planting; the month of reaping flax; the month of reaping barley; the month of reaping and measuring; the (two) months of (vine-)tending, the month of summer(-fruit)."
Inscription:
"The (two) months of harvest; the (two) months of sowing; the (two) months of late planting; the month of reaping flax; the month of reaping barley; the month of reaping and measuring; the (two) months of (vine-)tending, the month of summer(-fruit)."
"Diglossia and the Neo-Assyrian Empire’s Akkadian and Aramaic Text Production" by Karen Radner
January 30, 2026 at 4:22 AM
"Diglossia and the Neo-Assyrian Empire’s Akkadian and Aramaic Text Production" by Karen Radner
"The Arabic Dialect of Kbēse: An Oasis Dialect in Western Iraq" by Qasim Hassan
January 26, 2026 at 6:41 AM
"The Arabic Dialect of Kbēse: An Oasis Dialect in Western Iraq" by Qasim Hassan
The Aramaic inscription in mirror writing IV - III BCE.
January 24, 2026 at 4:05 AM
The Aramaic inscription in mirror writing IV - III BCE.
"Phonological Variation of /r/ in Selected Arabic Dialects" by Awad Alshehri et. al.
January 23, 2026 at 5:56 PM
"Phonological Variation of /r/ in Selected Arabic Dialects" by Awad Alshehri et. al.
This behavior interpretation of /r/ in Eblaite is amazing, there's something similar in Old Portuguese when l > r e.g. obligado > obrigado. In Arabic the definite /l/ assimilates totally to a following word-initial coronal including /r/ for instance /l-rəkba/ → [ər-rəkba].
phonological level, & that, at least in manuscript B of VE, the interchange is subject to a precise phonological conditioning: /r/ is spelled r when occurring as a geminate or as the onset of a stressed syllable, & l elsewhere. This hypothesis provides first insights into Eblaite word accent."
January 23, 2026 at 12:47 PM
This behavior interpretation of /r/ in Eblaite is amazing, there's something similar in Old Portuguese when l > r e.g. obligado > obrigado. In Arabic the definite /l/ assimilates totally to a following word-initial coronal including /r/ for instance /l-rəkba/ → [ər-rəkba].
"The Apparent Lambdacism of Eblaite and Eblaite Word Accent" by Carsten Peust
January 23, 2026 at 5:06 AM
"The Apparent Lambdacism of Eblaite and Eblaite Word Accent" by Carsten Peust
Ebla Digital Archives [EbDA] project aims to provide a digital edition of the entire corpus of Ebla texts ↴
ebda.cnr.it/index
ebda.cnr.it/index
EbDA
ebda.cnr.it
January 23, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Ebla Digital Archives [EbDA] project aims to provide a digital edition of the entire corpus of Ebla texts ↴
ebda.cnr.it/index
ebda.cnr.it/index
A chronology of semitic languages, graphic by Manuel Sanz (2012).
January 22, 2026 at 5:33 PM
A chronology of semitic languages, graphic by Manuel Sanz (2012).
The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD) Is free online:
isac.uchicago.edu/research/pub...
isac.uchicago.edu/research/pub...
The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD) | Institute for the Study of Ancient CulturesThe Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of...
Editor-in-Charge: Martha T. Roth Editorial Board: Robert D. Biggs, John A. Brinkman, Miguel Civil, Walter Farber, Erica Reiner, Martha T. Roth, Matthew W.
isac.uchicago.edu
January 22, 2026 at 1:07 PM
The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD) Is free online:
isac.uchicago.edu/research/pub...
isac.uchicago.edu/research/pub...
Reposted
Just finished the first draft of "The Origins of Ancient Israel and Palestine–Seeing Peoples Beyond States", my wrap-up of why population groups like the Amorites, Arameans, Philistines, and Israelites seem to fade in and out of historical existence, for my in-progress history of Israel and Judah.
January 21, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Just finished the first draft of "The Origins of Ancient Israel and Palestine–Seeing Peoples Beyond States", my wrap-up of why population groups like the Amorites, Arameans, Philistines, and Israelites seem to fade in and out of historical existence, for my in-progress history of Israel and Judah.
"On the dialectological landscape of Arabic among the Jewish community of Beirut" by Aharon Geva
January 21, 2026 at 6:27 PM
"On the dialectological landscape of Arabic among the Jewish community of Beirut" by Aharon Geva
The Spanish word "gasa" is widely used in a medical context to refer to a type of thin textile used to cover wounds. Its origin dates back to the 13th century in Gaza, Palestine, a city where fine fabrics were made. The French brought it there and called it "gaze," in English "gauze."
January 21, 2026 at 3:46 AM
The Spanish word "gasa" is widely used in a medical context to refer to a type of thin textile used to cover wounds. Its origin dates back to the 13th century in Gaza, Palestine, a city where fine fabrics were made. The French brought it there and called it "gaze," in English "gauze."
"Seeking refuge and the Ǧinn: two notes on Safaitic lexicography" By Ahmad Al-Jallad
doi.org/10.1484/J.SE...
doi.org/10.1484/J.SE...
Seeking refuge and the Ǧinn: two notes on Safaitic lexicography | Brepols Online
Abstract
This contribution investigates the etymology of two obscure Safaitic terms: the verb ʾlmn and the divine title ḏgn. It is argued that the former means “to seek refuge” and ultimately derives ...
doi.org
January 21, 2026 at 2:30 AM
"Seeking refuge and the Ǧinn: two notes on Safaitic lexicography" By Ahmad Al-Jallad
doi.org/10.1484/J.SE...
doi.org/10.1484/J.SE...
Arabic Linguistics - Volume 1, Issue 1, 2025
www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour...
www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour...
Volume 1, Issue 1 | John Benjamins
Welcome to e-content platform of John Benjamins Publishing Company. Here you can find all of our electronic books and journals, for purchase and download or subscriber access.
www.jbe-platform.com
September 5, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Arabic Linguistics - Volume 1, Issue 1, 2025
www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour...
www.jbe-platform.com/content/jour...
Reposted
PSA to students of Maltese-Romance syntactic contact:
qalhom ("he said them") != qallhom ("he said to them")
qalhom ("he said them") != qallhom ("he said to them")
August 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
PSA to students of Maltese-Romance syntactic contact:
qalhom ("he said them") != qallhom ("he said to them")
qalhom ("he said them") != qallhom ("he said to them")
"Diglossia as Ideology" by Kristen Brustad. In: The Politics of Written Language in the Arab World 🧶
July 29, 2025 at 1:50 AM
"Diglossia as Ideology" by Kristen Brustad. In: The Politics of Written Language in the Arab World 🧶
The same practice of genocide has been occurring in Gaza, the authors are the same: US, UK and Israel.
The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence
www.mfa.gov.cn
July 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The same practice of genocide has been occurring in Gaza, the authors are the same: US, UK and Israel.
The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence
www.mfa.gov.cn
July 4, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/zy/gb/20...
"Egypto-Semitic comparison: Some considerations on bilabials and dentals relationship" by Massimiliano Franci
July 3, 2025 at 3:34 PM
"Egypto-Semitic comparison: Some considerations on bilabials and dentals relationship" by Massimiliano Franci
Reposted
On the etymology of Portuguese "Saudade": an instance of multiple causation? By Leo Pap
June 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
On the etymology of Portuguese "Saudade": an instance of multiple causation? By Leo Pap
Decolonizing Linguistics. Edited by Anne Hudley, Christine Mallinson & Mary Bucholtz
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197755259.001.0001
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197755259.001.0001
July 1, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Decolonizing Linguistics. Edited by Anne Hudley, Christine Mallinson & Mary Bucholtz
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197755259.001.0001
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197755259.001.0001