Benjamin J. Noonan, «Hide or Hue? Defining Hebrew #x$ At%A», Vol. 93 (2012) 580-589
The word #$xAtA% has long puzzled Hebrew lexicographers. The present paper evaluates the most common definitions for this elusive Hebrew word, focusing particularly on Stephanie Dalley’s recent consideration of this term. Dalley’s proposal that #$xAtA%A% is derived from Akkadian dušû and means «faience beadwork» falls short linguistically as well as contextually. More plausibly, Hebrew #$xAtA% originates with Egyptian ths, a term used with reference to leather. This well suits the contexts in which #$xAtA% occurs and reflects Egyptian influence on the tabernacle and its terminology.
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582 BENJAMIN J. NOONAN
moreover, contend that God specially created this multi-colored, one-
horned animal for its usage in the wilderness by the Israelites. The mirac-
ulous creature described in these sources is nothing other than the
mythological unicorn 7.
As prevalent as this tradition may be, it cannot be accepted because it
identifies Hebrew #$xA tA% with a mythological creature. The materials used
for constructing the tabernacle are otherwise real materials, and the an-
cient Israelites would not have portrayed the tabernacle as being made
from the skin of a creature that does not exist.
III. Hebrew #$xAtA% as “Badgerâ€
The KJV’s rendering of #$xAtA%% as “badger†can be traced back to Martin
Luther ’s translation of the Old Testament into German, first published in
its complete form in 1534. Assuming that the German and Latin languages
descended from Hebrew, thought to be the original language of humanity,
Luther thought that the German form of Hebrew #$xA tA% was simply its
phonologically corresponding form in German; hence his translation of
Dachs, “badger†(cf. Latin taxea and Late Latin taxus, “badgerâ€) 8.
Although considered a perfectly legitimate translation technique dur-
ing Luther’s day, we now know that all the world’s languages did not de-
scend from Hebrew. One cannot translate an unknown Hebrew word with
a similar-sounding alleged “cognate†in the target language. Hence, defin-
ing Hebrew #$xA tA% as “badger†is unacceptable.
IV. Hebrew #$xAtA% as “Dugongâ€
The Hebrew lexicographers Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles
A. Briggs argued that #$xAtA%% means “dugong†(a large marine animal similar
to the manatee) or “dolphin†in their lexicon. They arrived at this defini-
tion through comparison with Arabic tuḫas “dugong, dolphin†9. Frank
Moore Cross also adopted this etymology, claiming that the usage of dol-
phin skins for the Israelite tabernacle stems from El’s watery abode 10.
AHITUV ‒ TADMOR, “#$xAtA%%â€, VIII, 520.
7
P. COOPER, “Of Badger Skins and Dugong Hides: A Translator’s Guide
8
to Tabernacle Coversâ€, Bible Review 16.6 (2000) 30.
BDB 1065.
9
F.M. CROSS, JR., “The Priestly Tabernacle in the Light of Recent Re-
10
searchâ€, The Temple in Antiquity. Ancient Records and Modern Perspectives,
Based on a Symposium Held at Brigham Young University in March 1981 (ed.
T.G. MADSEN) (Religious Studies Monograph Series 9; Provo, UT 1984) 95-96.
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