From: rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu (Eric Rescorla)
Subject: Re: The Adam and Eve Thing
Organization: Rescorla for himself.
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:39:31 GMT

In article <fSAc5IX@quack.sac.ca.us> pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey) writes:
>In article <1992Sep12.191909.4387@cs.yale.edu> 
>rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu (Eric Rescorla) writes:
>>Ratshit. Go read a textbook on Hebrew Bible. You clearly don't understand
>>anything about this issue.
>
>Right away, oh great source of BUSHit. I should have known all along that
>those crafty chosen people would not allow just anyone to know this. But
>are you sure it isn't Yahweh or Jehovah? And what are the Hebrew
>meanings for those words?
You really are a genuine imbecile.
Let me give you a clue. Early written Hebrew is a consonantal language.
It is written without vowels. Therefore the Name of God is written
Yod He Vau He--in English YHVH or YHWH. It is pronounced approximately
like the English Yahweh. Jehovah is a mistake. It's what happens
when you attach the vowel marks that belong to Adonai(used to
indicate that YHWH was to be pronounced Adonai, rather than saying the
Name) to the vowels YHWH.(JHVH). The problem is in mapping the Name
from Hebrew to English.

>>Yes, that's right, but it is most certainly a name.
>>"I am that I am" is a pun, you dolt. In Hebrew, it's something like
>>"eh yeh aser eh yeh".
>>The entire exchange goes something like:
>>"Who are you? I am that I am. But who shall I say has sent me. Tell
>>them I am (eh yeh) has sent you. ..." eh yeh is a pun on Yahweh.
>>In fact, the source is linking it to the verb to be.
>>The J source is quite clear that YHWH is a name. 
>I assure you that "I am that I am" is more than just a pun.
Yes. it is more than just a pun. It's also connecting YHWH with
the verb "to be". That's part of why it's commonly thought that that's
what YHWH means.

>>This is a much later development. The early Yahwists do not appear to have
>>had any qualms about pronouncing the name. Later on, vowel marks are
>>added to indicate that it is to be pronounced Adonai(Lord) or Elohim
>>(God). YHWH is no less a name than Baal or Marduk.
>Pronounce the name? Do you mean YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah? And this
>verbalization by the early Yahwehists, I assume you have tape, audio or
>video proof? Or is this some more divine inspiration?
As I stated before, YHWH is simply the consonantal form of the
divine name. Jehovah is a mistake. Yahweh is an approximate English
rendering of the pronunciation. To be honest, I'm not quite sure
why it's generally thought that it was pronounced Yahweh. Probably
in part from this punning.

But this is kinda irrelevant.
Several things are clear:
1) The divine name was written YHWH in Hebrew.
2) Modern scholars have attempted at various times to determine a
vocalization for the name. Yahweh and Jehovah are two such attempts.
Jehovah is almost certainly wrong, because we now know how it
was derived.

In fact, if you'd taken the time to check even the most minimal
of references, you would have known this. It's explained quite
clearly in the introduction to the RSV and NRSV, and in almost
any text on the Hebrew Bible.

>>Mystical bullshit. You clearly have no clue of what you speak, sir.
>
>Yes, and you of course do. As always.
I do this time, sir. And quite clearly, you do not.

-Ekr


-- 
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Eric Rescorla, DoD#431 (Nighthawk S)              rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu
Former chemist now CM400 mechanic                 ekr@eitech.com(preferred)
                       I will hack Unix for food.