On the Dating of Hebrew Sound Changes (*H H and *G C) and Greek Translations (2 Esdras and Judith)‪.‬

Scholars have long recognized the importance of the Greek transcriptions of Hebrew made during the period extending from the Septuagint to the Hexapla. (1) Nevertheless, these transcriptions have yet to be fully exploited. In this article, I shall argue that they allow us to date both Hebrew sound changes (*h h and, to a lesser extent, *g c) and Greek translations of Hebrew books (2 Esdras and, to a lesser extent, Judith). I do not deny that linguistic dating of ancient literary material can be a perilous endeavor, particularly when it involves phonological change. Indeed, the example of such dating that springs to my mind is more of a cautionary tale than a model to be followed. (2) I shall, therefore, proceed with extreme caution and a healthy dose of data. (3) I. *Het and *Gayin before the First Millennium B.C.E.