Brit-Am Research Sources (7 April, 2014, 7 Nisan, 5774)
Contents:
1. Did the Phoenicians Introduce Linen to Ireland?
2. Nachmanides: The Commandment to Conquer all the Land of Israel.
3. More English Words of Evident Hebrew Origin: Thane, Anon, On, Chute.
4. Elysian Fields and the British Isles and Ireland as the Place of the Dead?
5. The Edge of the World: Life in the Phoenician Colony of Gadir
by Christopher Jones
================================
================================
1. Did the Phoenicians Introduce Linen to Ireland?
http://www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com/linen-fabric-info.html
Quote:
Evidence of linen's durability is shown in its use in ancient Egyptian mummification; the linen wrappings of King Rameses II were nearly perfectly preserved after more than 3,000 years. Today, Western Europe, Ireland in particular, dominates flax and linen production in both quantity and quality.
Quote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linen
The Phoenicians, who, with their merchant fleet, opened up new channels of commerce to the peoples of the Mediterranean, and developed the tin mines of Cornwall, introduced flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland before the common era.
Quote:
When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, in 1685, many of the Huguenots who fled France settled in the British Isles, and amongst them was Louis Crommelin, who was born and brought up as a weaver of fine linen, in the town of Cambrai. He fled to Ulster, and eventually settled down in the small town of Lisburn, about ten miles from Belfast. Belfast itself is perhaps the most famous linen producing center throughout history; during the Victorian era the majority of the world's linen was produced in the city which gained it the name Linenopolis.
Quote:
Linen fabrics have a high natural luster; their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen typically has a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it, but it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp.
Quote:
It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibers do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion. However, because linen fibers have a very low elasticity, the fabric will eventually break if it is folded and ironed at the same place repeatedly.
Quote:
In the Jewish faith, the only law concerning which fabrics may be interwoven together in clothing is one which concerns the mixture of linen and wool. This mixture is called shaatnez and is clearly restricted in Deuteronomy 22:11 "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" and Leviticus 19:19, "'...neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.'"
================================
================================
2. Nachmanides: The Commandment to Conquer all the Land of Israel.
Nachmanides (Ramban, Hosefa 4, [Commentary to] Sefer HaMitsvot of Maimonides):
We are commanded to conquer all of this Land [of Israel], and not to leave any part of it to any other of the nations.
================================
================================
3. More English Words of Evident Hebrew Origin: Thane, Anon, On, Chute.
================================
thane
thane (n.) http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=thane
Old English thegn "military follower, one who holds lands in exchange for military service," ..Specific sense of "man who ranks between an earl and a freeman" is late 15c.
The modern spelling is from Scottish, where early 13c. it came to mean "chief of a clan, king's baron," and it has predominated in English probably due to the influence of "Macbeth;" normal orthographic changes from Old English thegn would have produced Modern English *thain.
Hebrew: Nathin meaning serf, subject, given over to servitude, from the root NThN, or TayN (Thain) connoting give.
================================
Anon
late Old English anon, earlier on an, literally "into one," thus "continuously; straightway (in one course), at once;" see one. By gradual misuse, "soon, in a little while" (1520s).
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=anon
Hebrew an, le-an, anah, meaning where to, where, there.
Also NA meaning now, at once.
================================
on (prep.)
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=on&searchmode=none
Old English on, unstressed variant of an "in, on, into," ... cf. Dutch aan, German an, Gothic ana "on, upon", ...Also used in Old English in many places where we would now use in. From 16c.-18c. (and still in northern England dialect) often reduced to o'.
Hebrew an, le-an, anah, meaning where to, where, there.
================================
Chute, Shute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUJpaRbFbxwshute (n.)
1790, "channel, trough," dialectal combination of chute and shoot (n.1).
Talmudic Hebrew : shat meaning chute.
================================
================================
4. Elysian Fields and the British Isles and Ireland as the Place of the Dead?
http://forumi.shqiperia.com/threads/is-the-name-illyria-phoenician.3784/
Elysian Fields, Elysium (Greek) Originally in Greek mythology, beautiful meadows or plains, or islands of the blest, located in the far west by the banks of Ocean. There certain heroes of the fourth race who never experienced death were said to dwell in perfect happiness ruled by Rhadamanthus. The titans after being reconciled with Zeus also lived there under the rule of Kronos. Pindar holds that all who have passed blamelessly through life three times live there in bliss. Later, Elysium was located in the underworld as the abode of those whom the judges of the dead found worthy. The river Lethe (forgetfulness) flowed by the Elysian Fields.
================================
================================
5. The Edge of the World: Life in the Phoenician Colony of Gadir
by Christopher Jones
http://riversfromeden.wordpress.com/tag/phoenician-spain/
Extracts:
The Tyrian colonists founded Gadir on what was then three small islands at the mouth of the Guadalete River. In today's city of Cadiz, the islands have since filled in with sediment and connected to the mainland to form a narrow peninsula. The city of Gadir was built on the northern end of the islands, farthest away from the mainland. There was a temple to Ba'al Hemmon in the city proper, but on the tip of the south side was situated a temple to the god Melqart, which would grow to great size and become world famous by time of the Roman Empire. The nearby Guadalquivir River allowed easy access to the interior of Spain for communications and trade
The economic benefits of the site were enormous. The island was just offshore of the Spanish kingdom of Tartessos. The Tartessans appear to have been on friendly terms with the Phoenicians at Gadir and traded heavily with them. Tartessos was rich with mines that produced lead, tin, silver, copper and gold. The most valuable of these minerals was tin. Tin is required for the manufacture of bronze, yet it is a very rare mineral. On the other hand, bronze was used to make almost everything in the ancient world, even after the introduction of iron. Tin was only found in significant amounts in a few locations known to the ancient Mediterranean world, notably Britain, Spain and Germany.[6]
...Gadir became wealthy. Strabo reported that the men of Gadir 'fit out the most and largest merchant-vessels, both for Our Sea and the Outer Sea.'[i.e. the Atlantic Ocean]
... Gadir's location at the edge of the Pillars of Herakles made it a jumping-off point for those seeking to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Pliny reports that the Carthaginian explorer Hanno the Navigator used Gadir as a base for his expeditions down the African coast. Gadir was likely also a departure point for Himilco in his expeditions to the north coast of France and Ireland. Later, at around 100 BC, the Greek explorer Eudoxos became convinced that a shipwreck he found in the Indian Ocean was from Gadir. Seeking to circumnavigated Africa and find a better way to trade with India, he recruited a crew in Gadier for his attempt to circumnavigate Africa (Greek geographers at the time believed Africa to be much smaller than it actually is). He sailed as far as Mauretania before discontent amongst his crew forced him to turn back. He outfitted a second expedition and set out to try again. There is no record of him ever being seen again, and he likely perished in the attempt.