This presentation addresses the key question of whether biblical Hebrew is intrinsically linked to physical reality. Delivered at Bar-Ilan University, I explain in this lecture the methodology employed and demonstrate with some statistical results.
:”הרצאה בעברית שניתנה באוניברסיטת בר-אילן במסגרת יום עיון של ארגון “המטרה אמת
Is There Association Between Biblical Hebrew and Physical Reality? (Hebrew)
With English captions:
PowerPoint file used in the lecture (and some more) is linked below:
קובץ PP שנעשה בו שימוש בהרצאה (וקצת יותר) בקישורית שלהלן:
Prof Haim Shore Presentation at Bar-Ilan Univ_Hebrew-English_Nov 2015
Haim Shore Blog 
5 replies on “Is There Linkage between Biblical Hebrew and Physical Reality? (Video; Hebrew, English captions)”
Dr. Haim Shore,
In your book, “Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew”, you discussed the unity of time and space (pp. 113-115):
“Vav, an, olam, and “Jehovah ” all express the underlying notion of unity: that of time and space (geometrical dimensions), or that of time and the universe (space and all that it includes)—not unlike Einstein’s time-space universe, where time and the three spatial dimensions are united under a shared framework.”
In this regard, I would like to know your interpretation of the phrase “ends of the Earth,” “ketzot ha’aretz” in Isaiah 41:9 and the same phrase “ends of the Earth”, ketzeh ha’aretz” in Isaiah 43:6:
9 Thou whom I have taken hold of from the ketzot ha’aretz, and called thee from the farthest borders thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art Avdi; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. (Isaiah 41:9 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
6 I will say to the tzafon (north), Give them up; and to the teiman (south), hold not back; bring My banim from afar, and My banot from the ketzeh ha’aretz; (Isaiah 43:6 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
What does “ketzot ha’aretz” or “ketzeh ha’aretz” in those two verses refer to — time or place/space? Does it have temporal meaning? Or does it refer only to place? Or does it refer to both place and time?
Thank you so much for taking time to read and answer my questions.
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Reid, thank you for the comment. Katze in Hebrew means “end”, like Ketz, in: “Ketz Hayamim” (“end of days”). Eretz, in prophets time, related to the known land at the time (probably part of Europe, northern part of Africa, Middle East and Mesopotomia and Iran). However, I would not take these phrases in the prophets literally. We know exactly what they mean, and that is the most important. Finally, note the distinction I made in my book between “Earth” and “The Earth” (Genesis 1). In current everyday language in Israel, when we say “Ha-Aretz” we mean solely Eretz Israel. Hope I was helpful. Haim
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Thank you, Dr. Shore, for your reply.
However, may I clarify my questions, as I feel I was not able to make them clear enough:
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Isaiah 41:9 has plural “ends of the earth”,
מקצות הארץ
English translations of Isaiah 41:9 and Isaiah 43:6, including the King James Version and the NKJV, have the plural “ends of the earth”. Aside from the literal meaning of “ends of the Earth” as a place or space, can this phrase “ends of the Earth” in Isaiah 41:9 and Isaiah 43:6 be interpreted as a prophecy for a period of time in the future foretelling about an event or events that will occur in the last days before the actual end of “Ha-Erets”, considering that your proposition for the unity of time and space allows for the possibility of place or space being time and time being place or space?
Your expert opinion on this matter will be highly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.
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Throughout my life, I was always very careful to adhere to the apparent simple and obvious facts, and not load them with my own interpretations. The subject of the paragraphs you have quoted is obviously the future ingathering of the Jewish people back to their ancestral homeland. Therefore I take “ends of the earth” at their face value, namely, any place on Planet Earth known to humans. Not any meaning beyond that. Prophets talk in human language. Genesis and Torah are somewhat different in that regard.
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Dr. Haim Shore,
It’s a great pleasure and a privilege for me to communicate with you.
Thank you very much, Sir!
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