Monday, April 13, 2009

new meaning to the term "aliya la'regel"

This report in science daily gives new meaning to the term "aliya la'regel".

"Foot-shaped" structures have been revealed in the Jordan valley and are among the earliest sites that archeologists believe were built by the ancient people of Israel. The structures are thought to be symbolic of the biblical concept of ownership....

"The discovery of these 'foot' structures opens an entirely new system of linguistic and historical perceptions," Prof. Zertal emphasizes. He explains that the meaning of the biblical Hebrew word for "foot" -- "regel" -- is also a "festival" or "holiday". As such, the source of the Hebrew term "aliya la-regel", literally translated as "ascending to the foot" (and now known in English as a pilgrimage), is attributed to the "foot" sites in the Jordan valley. "Now, following these discoveries, the meanings of the terms become clear. Identifying the 'foot' enclosures as ancient Israeli ceremonial sites leads us to a series of new possibilities to explain the beginnings of Israel, of the People of Israel's festivals and holidays," he stated.
More in the article -- follow the link.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:16 PM

    In at least two cases, paved circuits, some two meters wide, were found around the structures. These were probably used to encircle the sites in a ceremony. "Ceremonial encirclement of an area in procession is an important element in the ancient Near East," Prof. Zertal says, aND THE hAKOFS IN THE bEIS hAMIKDASH ?

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  2. After reading this article doesn't the command given to Avraham of kum his'halech ba'aretz and the debate whether there is a kinyan halicha make more sense? And what about the idea of shalaf na'alo by kinyan chalilin in sefer Rus?

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