Maps and charts for the book Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt Vol. 4 - Ostraca and Assorted Inscriptions .

This volume continues the series Textbook of Aramaic Documents (TAD) begun with vol. 1, Letters (1986), vol. 2, Contracts (1989), and vol.3 Literature, Accounts, Lists. The standard set by previous volumes is maintained here, and the authors are to be congratulated for producing an edition that, without exaggeration, deserves to be called definitive. Published in 1999, vol. 4 is subtitled Ostraca and Assorted Inscriptions. It is the biggest of the four volumes with 24 chapters, divided as follows: D1-5 Papyrus fragments; D6 Leather fragments; D7-11 Ceramic Inscriptions; D8 Accounts; D9 Lists; D10 Abecedaries; D11 Jars; D12 Stone Plaques; D13 Wooden Plaques; D14 Seals, Bullae, Stamps; D15 Libation Bowls; D16 Statuettes; D17 Dedication stone; D18-21 Funerary Inscriptions; D22 Graffiti; D23 Sheikh Fadl Cave inscription; D24 Aramaica Dubiosa.There are, of course, indices, bibliography and a map along with all the features described in the notice on volume 3.

Collected in this volume are articles published over the last three decades, which deal with various aspects of Semitic languages in general, the structure of Hebrew, history of Arab grammatical tradition, Aramaic and Neo-Aramaic, Syriac syntax, and particularly with Ethiopian languages (Amharic and Old Amharic Gurage, Harari and Comparative Ethiopian). While discussing general, language-specific and comparative issues, special attention is devoted in these studies to syntax, to the examination of linguistic methodology and to the contribution of Semitics to the Science of language.

The Indian language of Sanskrit is one the of oldest Indo-European languages. The Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, religion and philosophy works, poetry, plays, mythology and legends were all written in this language. Sanskrit is the basis for any research on traditional Indian culture and Indo-European linguistics. This book presents the foundations of Sanskrit and all grammatical topics, accompanied by examples and poetry verses. The story of the עם Krishna is told along the book. The book is aimed at linguistics and students, who will be able to deal with literary, religious and philosophical texts upon completing the book. Illustrations by Dganit Greier.

Soviet camp speech is as old as the camps themselves. Examples of it began to appear in the writings of former prisoners as early as the 1920s. Prison camp speech is a substandard variety of Russian, used by Russian speakers of every geographical origin and social background who have been unfortunate enough to have learnt it at firsthand. The idiom comprises legal and administrative jargon, borrowings from non-Russian Soviet languages, criminal argot, proverbs, abbreviations, obscenities and elements of uneducated peasant speech. It is a jargon which expresses the unique and grim experience of its users.

Maps and charts for the book Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt Vol. 3 - Literature, Accounts and Lists .

This volume continues the series Textbook of Aramaic Documents (TAD) begun with vol. 1, Letters (1986), and vol. 2, Contracts (1989). The standard set by previous volumes is maintained here, and the authors are to be congratulated for producing an edition that, without exaggeration, deserves to be called definitive. A final vol. 4 is to appear, "to cover papyrus fragments and inscriptions on potsherds, stone, and wood." Like the preceding volumes, vol. 3 has these central features: first, beautiful new copies of the texts, made with consummate skill, in almost every case from prolonged or repeated consultation of the originals; second, printed transcriptions of the texts; third, accompanying translations into Modern Hebrew and English. Additional components assist the consultation and comprehension of the texts: bibliographies, a foreword and an introduction, excursuses, tables, and charts, including, for example, a foldout with a reconstruction of the original scroll of Ahiqar. There is an economical but extensive glossary (some twenty-four pages) with many of the features of a concordance of words (to be treated at greater length below). As the authors quietly assert (p. vi), there are new readings for almost every piece. The implication is that all previous editions now become outmoded in their most essential function, that of giving a reliable text; in view of the extraordinary care and skill with which Porten and Yardeni have examined and presented the texts, it is unlikely that any future advance in this regard is possible. This edition is in that sense definitive. This edition is elaborate, but one of its many virtues is that the user finds it economical. Each of the many features in this lavish series is directed to a well-defined purpose, and even the bilingual presentation of certain parts (Modern Hebrew and English) is not felt as something overloading the work.

Aramaic texts have been discovered in Egypt since the first decade of the nineteenth century. The first texts discovered were letters (now known as the Padua Papyri). Subsequently, documents of different sorts, literary and contractual, came to light; they were written not only on skin and papyrus but also on ostraca. During the last century and a half, such Aramaic documents have brought to light examples of so-called Imperial or Official Aramaic that provide an important background for the study of Biblical Aramaic. They have been published in many different places, in books, and in articles. Some were well published, others not so well, depending on the pioneering nature of such studies of texts that were only gradually coming to light. Almost seventy years ago A. Cowley collected the then-known texts in a convenient handbook, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1923). Subsequently, other important texts were published by E. G. Kraeling, G. R. Driver, and J. B. Segal. Now Bezalel Porten and Ada Yardeni have undertaken a massive restudy of these important documents. They have consulted the originals, restudied the fragments of texts (sometimes neglected by earlier scholars), made new and more appropriate joints, improved the readings, and translated and interpreted the texts anew. Most important of all, they have provided hand-drawn facsimiles of the documents restudied. In this Porten has been aided by the talented artist, A. Yardeni, who has furnished excellent copies of the texts. Gathered in this second volume are the Bauer-Meissner land lease, 24 documents of the Mibtahiah and Anani archives, 7 deeds of obligation, 6 conveyances, 4 marriage documents, 6 judicial oaths, and 12 court records, in all 58 contractual documents. Accompanying the texts are tables with cross-references to other collections, a general bibliography and another on topography and chronology, and a glossary (which includes names of gods, places, months, and persons in separate lists). Each text or group of texts is briefly introduced and accompanied by an English and Hebrew translation; brief notes call attention to variant readings of other editors. At the end of each text, short specific bibliographical references are supplied. In all, this is an ideal publication, bringing together all that is needed for the study of these contracts. P. and Y. have put scholars and students in their debt.

Maps and charts for the book Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt Vol. 2 - Contracts .