The Basic Meaning of the Term [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] 'Darkness' (Essay‪)‬

The purpose of the present study is to justify translating the term [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] according to the basic meaning 'darkness' rather than the usual translations 'cloud', 'heavycloud' (1) or 'Wolkendunkel' (2) The method used is the "Held method" for comparative Semitic philology, according to which the internal biblical semantic evidence is fully evaluated first and only then is an attempt made to locate an appropriate etymology (in biblical Hebrew or in the other Semitic languages) in accordance with the results of the semantic investigation. (3) I. THE THREE MAJOR U SAGES OF THE FIRST FOURTEEN