[lit-ideas] Tribalism: A Roman Thing
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:25:45 EDT
Beware the references to the 'twelve tribes' of the Ancient Israelites. If
'tribe' means 'three-beings', how can they be twelve? Easy. The Hebrews did
NOT use the word 'tribe' which is Roman in origin. They used 'shevet' --
plural 'sh'vatim' -- which has no numerical reference to them. (I owe the
point to Lisa Maurice).
On the other hand, Helmut Rix has, in "Ramnes, Tites, Luceres: etruscan or
latin names?, MEFRA 118 pp. 167-175 (2006) debunks the "Latin, Sabine,
Etruscan" theory as currently argued. He shhows through linguistic analysis
that the three tribal names are Latin formations that refer to specific
places in early Roman topography (the specific points being alas
unrecoverable). Of course, the names may still refer to the three
"political/ethnic
divisions of the original Roman state." (I owe the point and ref. to Lisa
Holland).
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Cheers,
JL Speranza
---- Bordighera
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