How to make Palestine out of the Philistines - a crash course in Greek and Hebrew.


In the Bible, Philistia was the home of the Philistines, the eternal enemies of the Jews.

PHILISTIA

Step 1: Classical Hebrew is a consonant language which doesn't write vowels. So, let's remove the vowels.

PH L S T

Step 2: Substitute Hebrew consonants for English, remembering that the consonant sounds 'f/ph' and 'p' are represented in Hebrew by the same letter.

ת ש ל פ

Step 3: Reverse the consonants because Hebrew is written from right to left, not left to right like English.

פ ל ש ת

Step 4: Check your work with an interlinear Bible.


פ ל ש ת
 
Psalm 87:4, I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me — Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’


Step 5: Arrange a visit from the famous Greek historian Herodotus who notices that the Hebrew consonants for Philistia are the same as the Greek word for 'wrestler'.


παλαιστης


P a L ai S T es

Step 6: reverse the consonants again because Greek is written from left to right.


Π λ Σ Τ

P L S T

Step 7: Upon hearing that Israel traditionally meant 'one who wrestles with God', Herodotus notes the word 'wrestle' and decides to make Israel mean Palestine in Greek. He replaces the vowels and adds the Greek suffix - inos/ine to form an adjective relating to material, time or place. 

For example: crystal/crystalline, aqua(water)/aqualine, equus (Latin for horse)/equine

Step 8: 'Eureka!' shouts Herodotus, who like the Greek intellectual he is, thinks his word pun is terribly clever. 'Israel is the land of the wrestlers. Let's call it Palestine.'

P L S T - ine


Sources:  

Pocket Oxford Classical Greek dictionary. Oxford university Press 2002

Sydney Ulpan Hebrew, Classical Hebrew course

-ινος - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Psalm 87:4 Interlinear: I mention Rahab and Babel to those knowing Me, Lo, Philistia, and Tyre, with Cush! This one was born there.


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