ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (04/16/85)
Are either of the scripts similar to the standard characters used in Hebrew texts? If not are they radically different? And is there a name, or are there several names, that are applied to the standard heberew characters? Thanks -michael
mis@hou5h.UUCP (Meyer Steinberg) (04/18/85)
I am not sure what Nestorian and Jacobite characters are but I know of 2 types. There is K'tav Ivrit, an old form of characters. Some books show what they look like: the pocket dictionary of by Ahud Ben Yehuda (not sure if this is the correct name, its the small yellow and blue ones) show the characters. The modern Hebrew characters are called K'tav Ashurit and (according to what I learnt) where developed by Ezra. There is some dicussion on how the tranformation came about, I don't remember where, try encyclopedia Judaica. Meyer Steinberg
martillo@mit-athena.UUCP (Joaquim Martillo) (04/26/85)
Nestorian characters are a set of characters used to write modern Eastern Aramaic by Assyrian and Chaldean Christians in Iraq, Syria and Iran. Jacobite characters are a set of characters used to write modern Syriac (a.k.a Palestinian Christian Aramaic). Syrian (Jacobite) Christians and Maronite (Oriental Catholic) Christians use slightly different variants of the same alphabet. If you walk down Devon Street or Kedzie in Chicago, you will probably see variants of these alphabets. Otherwise, pick up a copy of An Aramaic Handbook (Part II/I) edited by Franz Rosenthal.
berger@aecom.UUCP (Mitchell Berger) (05/07/85)
> The modern Hebrew characters are called K'tav Ashurit and > (according to what I learnt) where developed by Ezra. > > Meyer Steinberg According to the Talmud Bavli (m. M'gilla 2b and M. Shabbos 100and something), the luchot (the 2 tablets) were written in k'tav ashurit. The Jerusalem Talmud on the same mishna in Shabbos says that it was written in someother writting in which the aleph and the 'ayin have totally unattached holes (similar to mem sofit and samech in ashurit). If the luchot were in ashurit Ezra couldn't have initialized the system. I beleive the early civilization in Ashur (hence the name) did. -- Micha Berger 2525 Amsterdam Ave. Suite M406 NY, NY 10033 (212) 781-0756 {philabs|cucard|pegasus|rocky2}!aecom!berger