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'Men of Judah' in the 14th Century B.C.E.? Is this the earliest reference to the tribe of Judah?
Watch Jerusalem magazine [Gerald R. Flurry] ^ | March 21, 2020 | Christopher Eames

Posted on 03/29/2020 7:11:47 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

One of these Amarna letters (EA 39) came to light just before the turn of the previous century (1900). Researchers noted references to "ameluti Ia-u-du" and "ameluti tsabe Ia-u-du." The spelling of Ia-u-du is identical to that of later Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions referring to Judah (Judah is our Anglicized form of the Hebrew Yehuda). As such, we would have a translation of the above two passages as "men of Judah" and "soldiers of Judah."

Prof. Morris Jastrow Jr. (1861–1921) wrote an article titled "'The Men of Judah' in the El-Amarna Tablets"... the inscription was related to territory in the extreme north of Canaan (midwest-Syria) -- perhaps around the region of Tunip, a peculiar place to find "men of Judah." There was some dissent that this referred to a slightly different, but similar-sounding word meaning "they have witnessed." Jastrow, however, refuted this by showing that the context identifies Ia-u-du as a proper name for a clan or group...

Perhaps an even more definitive link is found in 2 Kings 14:28, which states that the territory of "Damascus, and Hamath ... belonged to Judah" (King James Version). This was when the northern kingdom of Israel had been divided from the southern kingdom of Judah for quite some time -- and yet the tribe of Judah somehow held an outpost north of Israel. There is a possible reference to this Judahite land -- as well as the Judahite king at the time, Uzziah -- on an Assyrian inscription (see here for more detail).

(Excerpt) Read more at watchjerusalem.co.il ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 18thdynasty; amarna; bc; catastrophism; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; judah
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'Men of Judah' Amarna Letter EA169 [Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative'

'Men of Judah' Amarna Letter EA169 [Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative'

1 posted on 03/29/2020 7:11:47 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: 75thOVI; Abathar; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AnalogReigns; AndrewC; aragorn; ...
One of *those* topics.



2 posted on 03/29/2020 7:12:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

3 posted on 03/29/2020 7:12:56 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

what is bce?


4 posted on 03/29/2020 7:16:43 PM PDT by Vehmgericht (12)
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To: SunkenCiv

You mean 14th Century BC, right?

“BCE” has no meaning. We date our years since the time of Christ. If somebody doesn’t like that, then adopt a firrerent dating calendar, maybe one that starts from the founding of Rome. That would make this the year 2476 or something like that

But if we’re going to call the current year, 2020, then we’re counting from the time of Christ, so it’s AD, and before it is BC.


5 posted on 03/29/2020 7:17:11 PM PDT by rintintin (qu)
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  1. The el-Amarna Letters were written not in the fifteenth-fourteenth century, but in the middle of the ninth century.
  2. Among the correspondents of Amenhotep III and Akhnaton are biblical personages: Jehoshaphat (Abdi-Hiba), King of Jerusalem; Ahab (Rib Addi), King of Samaria; Ben-Hadad (Abdi-Ashirta), King of Damascus; Hazael (Azaru), King of Damascus; Aman (Aman-appa), Governor of Samaria; Adaja (Adaja), Adna (Adadanu), Amasia, son of Zihri (son of Zuhru), Jehozabad (Jahzibada), military governors of Jehoshaphat; Obadia, the chief of Jezreel; Obadia (Widia), a city governor in Judea; the Great Lady of Shunem (Baalath Nesse); Naaman (Janhama), the captain of Damascus; and others. Arza (Arzaja), the courtier in Samaria, is referred to in a letter.
  3. Mesha, King of Moab, is often mentioned in the Letters by his name (Mesh). The omission of the name of the rebel king by the translators of the Letters is not warranted.
  4. The King of Hatti, who for years invaded and harassed Syria, was Assurnasirpal and after him Shalmanassar.
  5. The following correspondents of Amenhotep and Akhnaton are known from the inscriptions of Shalmanassar; Adima, Prince of Siana and Irqata; Mut-Balu (Matinu-Bali), Prince of Arvad.
  6. Burnaburias is the Babylonian name of Shalmanassar, and under this name he corresponded with Amenhotep III and Akhnaton. In the Letters he is also referred to as Shalmajati.
  7. The military chief who opposed Shalmanassar at Karkar was the governor of MegiddoBiridri (Biridia), one of the Pharaohs correspondents. The identification of Ben Hadad with Biridri is wrong.
  8. Sumur of the Letters is Samaria; Gubia is Jezreel. The new residence of the king of Israel was named in honor of his wife Jezebel.
  9. Jarimuta or Rimuta of the Letters is Ramoth in Gilead; Sigati is Sukkoth; Ambi - Moab; Durnui - Edom; Rubuti - Raboth in Ammon; Kilti - vadi Kelt.
  10. "Elippe" in a number of el-Amarna Letters means "a man over a thousand" or a chief, and not a "ship". Several cities (Sumur being one of them) are incorrectly located on the seashore because of the mention of "elippe".
  11. The scriptural penman also confused "elippe", the chief, with the same word meaning a thousand, and thus a correction of the text is required in the story of twenty-seven thousands killed by the wall of Aphek.
  12. Ahab was faithful to the Egyptian protectorate. Ben Hadad, supported by Shalmanassar, inspired Mesha to revolt.
  13. The capture of Ben Hadad and a covenant signed between him and the King of Samaria are events also related in the Letters.
  14. The sieges of Samaria, the negotiation about sending Egyptian detachments, and the flight of the Syrians at the spreading of a rumor about the arrival of the Egyptian troops, can also be read in the Letters.
  15. King Ahab was not killed at Ramoth in Gilead, but merely wounded. He survived Jehoshaphat by two years. The version 2 Kings 3, 2 is erroneous, and the rival version 2 Kings 1, 17 is correct.
Immanuel Velikovsky, "Theses for the Reconstruction of Ancient History", June 10, 1945

6 posted on 03/29/2020 7:21:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Vehmgericht; rintintin
BCE means Before Common Era -- and that has been explained amply over the years in every topic where it has appeared, so quit pretending you didn't know and quit trolling this topic.

7 posted on 03/29/2020 7:23:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

BCE is meaningless Political Correctness

If you have a problem with dating from the time of Christ, date from another historical milestone, like the enthronement of Charlemagne 800 years after Christ’s birth.

But if you’re using the timeline that starts from the time of Christ - and you are - then you’re just LYING by denying that’s what you’re doing


8 posted on 03/29/2020 7:27:04 PM PDT by rintintin (qu)
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To: Vehmgericht

he wasnt the author of the article, your criticism is aimed at the wrong person


9 posted on 03/29/2020 7:30:28 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Vehmgericht

what’s BCE?

It’s a lying politically correct deception that tries to hide the fact that our calendar counts its years from the time Christ. (BC and AD)

If we counted our years from the birth of George Washington, this would be the year 288. But since we count our years from the birth of Christ (or what the calendar-writers thought to be his birth year) this is the year 2020


10 posted on 03/29/2020 7:31:04 PM PDT by rintintin (qu)
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To: Secret Agent Man

he wasnt the author of the article, your criticism is aimed at the wrong person”

I’m criticizing the headline, whoever wrote it.


11 posted on 03/29/2020 7:32:18 PM PDT by rintintin (qu)
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To: SunkenCiv

That is impossible because the standard Egyptian chronology and thus the date of the will not allow it.It would be too early by centuries and put the date of the exodus in the middle bronze age period./s


12 posted on 03/29/2020 7:52:13 PM PDT by D Rider
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To: SunkenCiv

I had heard of this before. Interesting read.


13 posted on 03/29/2020 7:52:16 PM PDT by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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To: SunkenCiv

Be warned Gerald R. Flurry is a false prophet and an abusive cult leader descended from another false prophet and cult leader Herbert W. Armstrong.


14 posted on 03/29/2020 7:59:25 PM PDT by fso301
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To: SunkenCiv

There is no event held to be common, so stop being obtuse and attempting to get people who don’t accept one that there is anyway.

The attempt to do so has been pushed for many years, it never has garnered widespread support outside of academia even with teaching it in schools.

That technique hasn’t fared any better than the exact same technique has in implementation of the Global Warming scam and its just as stupid applied to both topics.

You may find yourself employing the term professionally but don’t lash out at other people who have never bought into it.

Quit trolling people trying to bash them into capitulating to far left redefinition of language.


15 posted on 03/29/2020 8:00:53 PM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: SunkenCiv

You are correct SunkenCiv. I did know what BCE stands for. It is a designation of the year based on the birth of the baby Jesus. It is very popular among people who despise Christianity. My beef is with Wednesday. It is named after a pagan god. While we are at it let’s change everything in this sinking civilization.


16 posted on 03/29/2020 8:03:53 PM PDT by Vehmgericht (12)
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To: SunkenCiv
"men of Judah" and "soldiers of Judah" in the Amarna Letters - just 'Wow!' And Velikovski risen from the dead, so to speak. Just 'Wow!'

I think I always held out for the possibility of Akhenaten being the Pharaoh of Joseph, son of Jacob, converted to monotheism... but it always seemed far fetched in most chronologies.

As to to the trolls stealing the thread for pointless arguments, have them raise an army and conquer Asia and convert them to Christianity. I am a dedicated Christian and struggled with this 'BCE - CE' thing. We have the whole world (except Star Trek) using our calendar. If they want to say 'Common Era' and I wish to say 'Christian Era' who is any the worse off? They are using the Christian calendar.

But if the trolls want to start a new era of Crusades, let them raise a Holy Army and go and conquer the heathen and force them to convert... isn't that how Christ did it? Or was that Muhammed?

17 posted on 03/29/2020 8:35:43 PM PDT by Bob Ireland (The Democrap Party is the enemy of freedom.They use all the seductions and deceits of the Bolshevics)
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To: rintintin

>>>BCE” has no meaning. We date our years since the time of Christ

But this is an artice out of Israel. As far as they are concerned, we are still BC.


18 posted on 03/29/2020 9:34:49 PM PDT by oincobx
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To: Bob Ireland
I think I always held out for the possibility of Akhenaten being the Pharaoh of Joseph, son of Jacob, converted to monotheism... but it always seemed far fetched in most chronologies.
There's a hack Egyptian writer (I've got the book, but, uh, I only have a vague notion of where it is, out in the garage) who claimed that various Israelite rulers of Israel were instead Egyptian pharaohs, and produced an imaginary causality loop in the process because, y'know, he didn't know what he was talking about. He also claimed Egyptians invented ballet, other stuff (maybe yodeling, I can't remember).
In later years Fomenko came along with his balderdash which put the Egyptian guy's chauvinistic horse-pucky to shame. My favorite off-the-rails whack job still has to be the guy who claimed the entire Roman Empire was a hoax. What about things like the coliseum and Hadrian's Wall? Built later to reinforce the hoax, I guess when everyone was out of town for a carnival and didn't realize there'd been a change when they got back.

19 posted on 03/29/2020 9:56:52 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Vehmgericht
BCE is not named after a pagan god, so knock it off.

20 posted on 03/29/2020 9:57:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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