TY - JOUR

T1 - Формирование древнееврейской идентичности: к вопросу о религиозно-политической составляющей библейских обозначений «протоизраильтян» и израильтян

AU - Тантлевский, Игорь Романович

PY - 2025/1

Y1 - 2025/1

N2 - The article deals with the evolution and semantic field of the term hā-'ibrî, first used in the Bible in Gen. 14:13 in relation to Abram (Abraham; 'abrām/'abrāhām), in the context of the Sutī'ū hypothesis of the origin of the Israelite' ancestors. The term sutī'ū is probably a rendering of the Amorean šәtī'u, i.e., “descendants of Shutu (resp. Sutu),” to whom the biblical Sheth (LXX: Σηθ; third son of Adam and Eve) is identical. The “Y” source attests to the tradition that the Name of God YHWH was revealed as early as the time of Sheth and his son Enosh (Gen. 4:26). According to the genealogies of the Book of Genesis, it is to Sheth and his son Enosh (lit. “Man”) — a “new” Adam (hā-'ādām; actually “Man”) — that all mankind is traced back, for Cain's offspring perished in the Flood, which only Sheth's descendant Noah and his family survived. The term 'ibrî testifies to the Mesopotamian past of the Hebrews. Thus, Abraham's ancestor in the direct line is called 'Ēber (from the verb 'ābar, “to cross (often, over a river)”), i.e., “Crossing”, or perhaps “Beyond the River.” Hence the adjective 'ibrî “(a man) from 'Ēber / resp. Beyond the River” (one who came from across the Euphrates; cf. e.g., Josh. 24:2–3). Thus, hā-'ibrî in Gen. 14:13 is not an ethnonym but rather an indication of origin: 'abrām hā-'ibrî, Abram From-Beyond-the-River. (And this is how he might have been labelled in this context by a foreigner in a non-Israelite source, rather than by an Israelite or Judahite writing for his tribesmen.) Note in this connection that the “P” source correlates the name 'abrāhām with the notion of “father of many nations (gôyim)” (Gen. 17:5); that not only the Hebrews, the nation of Israel, are descended from Abraham is evidenced by the “Abrahamic” genealogies as well. Similarly, the term 'ărammî in Deut. 26:5 should be understood not in the sense that Jacob was ethnically Aramean, but in such a way that the patriarchs' homeland was Mesopotamia: the family of Abraham came directly to Canaan from Aram-Naharaim, i.e., “Aram of Mesopotamia” (cf, e.g., Gen. 24:3-4 and 10 [source “Y”]) = Paddan-Aram, i.e., “the Plain of Aram” (cf., e.g., Gen. 25:20, 28:5 [source “P”]), located in northwestern Mesopotamia, originally an area within the great bend of the Euphrates, extending to the river Habur, which flows into it. That is, 'ărammî here is not an ethnonym for "Aramean" but a term indicating place of origin — “from Aram” (as probably also in Gen. 25:20, 28:5, 31:20, 24 'ărammî indicates a place of residence). In Deut. 32:15, 33:5, 26, and Is. 44:2, the designation yәšūrûn is used as a synonym for the name-ethnonym ya'ăqōb (identified in biblical tradition with the eponym yiśrā'ēl, Israel), literally meaning "straightened", hence “straight,” “righteous,” etc. (cf.: yāšār in Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18; cf. also: 3 Kng. 8:53a [LXX]). One could say that yәšūrûn is yiśrā'ēl ideally, i.e., Israel, who adequately kept the Law of the Lord. This name may have arisen among the Israelites as a kind of reaction to the interpretation by some of their neighbours (Edomites?) of the ethnonym ya'ăqōb as “deceitful” (cf., e.g., Gen. 27:36). Variants of the etymology of the term yiśrā'ēl itself are also considered. In particular, the author concludes that the “struggle” of Jacob-Israel “with gods and men ('ĕlōhîm wa-'ănāšîm)” stated in Gen. 32:29 may be interpreted in terms of his struggle with foreign cults, primarily the cult of deified ancestral spirits, as well as with the military and political enemies of the Israelites. It is also possible that the story has been interpreted as an allegory of the conquest of nations, whose lands are “patronized” by their “gods.”.

AB - The article deals with the evolution and semantic field of the term hā-'ibrî, first used in the Bible in Gen. 14:13 in relation to Abram (Abraham; 'abrām/'abrāhām), in the context of the Sutī'ū hypothesis of the origin of the Israelite' ancestors. The term sutī'ū is probably a rendering of the Amorean šәtī'u, i.e., “descendants of Shutu (resp. Sutu),” to whom the biblical Sheth (LXX: Σηθ; third son of Adam and Eve) is identical. The “Y” source attests to the tradition that the Name of God YHWH was revealed as early as the time of Sheth and his son Enosh (Gen. 4:26). According to the genealogies of the Book of Genesis, it is to Sheth and his son Enosh (lit. “Man”) — a “new” Adam (hā-'ādām; actually “Man”) — that all mankind is traced back, for Cain's offspring perished in the Flood, which only Sheth's descendant Noah and his family survived. The term 'ibrî testifies to the Mesopotamian past of the Hebrews. Thus, Abraham's ancestor in the direct line is called 'Ēber (from the verb 'ābar, “to cross (often, over a river)”), i.e., “Crossing”, or perhaps “Beyond the River.” Hence the adjective 'ibrî “(a man) from 'Ēber / resp. Beyond the River” (one who came from across the Euphrates; cf. e.g., Josh. 24:2–3). Thus, hā-'ibrî in Gen. 14:13 is not an ethnonym but rather an indication of origin: 'abrām hā-'ibrî, Abram From-Beyond-the-River. (And this is how he might have been labelled in this context by a foreigner in a non-Israelite source, rather than by an Israelite or Judahite writing for his tribesmen.) Note in this connection that the “P” source correlates the name 'abrāhām with the notion of “father of many nations (gôyim)” (Gen. 17:5); that not only the Hebrews, the nation of Israel, are descended from Abraham is evidenced by the “Abrahamic” genealogies as well. Similarly, the term 'ărammî in Deut. 26:5 should be understood not in the sense that Jacob was ethnically Aramean, but in such a way that the patriarchs' homeland was Mesopotamia: the family of Abraham came directly to Canaan from Aram-Naharaim, i.e., “Aram of Mesopotamia” (cf, e.g., Gen. 24:3-4 and 10 [source “Y”]) = Paddan-Aram, i.e., “the Plain of Aram” (cf., e.g., Gen. 25:20, 28:5 [source “P”]), located in northwestern Mesopotamia, originally an area within the great bend of the Euphrates, extending to the river Habur, which flows into it. That is, 'ărammî here is not an ethnonym for "Aramean" but a term indicating place of origin — “from Aram” (as probably also in Gen. 25:20, 28:5, 31:20, 24 'ărammî indicates a place of residence). In Deut. 32:15, 33:5, 26, and Is. 44:2, the designation yәšūrûn is used as a synonym for the name-ethnonym ya'ăqōb (identified in biblical tradition with the eponym yiśrā'ēl, Israel), literally meaning "straightened", hence “straight,” “righteous,” etc. (cf.: yāšār in Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18; cf. also: 3 Kng. 8:53a [LXX]). One could say that yәšūrûn is yiśrā'ēl ideally, i.e., Israel, who adequately kept the Law of the Lord. This name may have arisen among the Israelites as a kind of reaction to the interpretation by some of their neighbours (Edomites?) of the ethnonym ya'ăqōb as “deceitful” (cf., e.g., Gen. 27:36). Variants of the etymology of the term yiśrā'ēl itself are also considered. In particular, the author concludes that the “struggle” of Jacob-Israel “with gods and men ('ĕlōhîm wa-'ănāšîm)” stated in Gen. 32:29 may be interpreted in terms of his struggle with foreign cults, primarily the cult of deified ancestral spirits, as well as with the military and political enemies of the Israelites. It is also possible that the story has been interpreted as an allegory of the conquest of nations, whose lands are “patronized” by their “gods.”.

KW - 'abrām/'abrāhām

KW - 'ărammî

KW - the designations hā-'ibrî

KW - ya'ăqōb

KW - yiśrā'ēl

KW - yәšūrûn

KW - “Proto-Israelites” and Ancient Israelites identity

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/b1d2110d-88d3-3721-8ca8-5e2d20fb92ce/

U2 - 10.25205/1995-4328-2025-19-1-262-273

DO - 10.25205/1995-4328-2025-19-1-262-273

M3 - статья

VL - 19

SP - 262

EP - 273

JO - SCHOLE. ФИЛОСОФСКОЕ АНТИКОВЕДЕНИЕ И КЛАССИЧЕСКАЯ ТРАДИЦИЯ

JF - SCHOLE. ФИЛОСОФСКОЕ АНТИКОВЕДЕНИЕ И КЛАССИЧЕСКАЯ ТРАДИЦИЯ

SN - 1995-4328

IS - 1

ER -