SeraphimSir, – Susan Weingarten, in noting (Letters, September 11) that the first appearance of “seraphim” is in the Book of Isaiah, is quite correct if she is referring solely to angels. The Hebrew word “seraph”, from the root to burn or scorch, however, appears in Deuteronomy 8:15, as being one of the elements faced by the Children of Israel in their forty-year trek through the Desert: “who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents \[seraph\], and scorpions”. This recalls the incident when, while encompassing the land of Edom, the Children of Israel once again murmured against God’s plan and “the Lord sent seraph serpents against the people. They bit the people and many died”, as recorded in Numbers 21:6.
YISRAEL MEDAD
Shiloh, Mobile Post Efraim 44830, Israel.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
My Letter in the Times Literary Supplement
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5 comments:
Shilo, ISRAEL?
This is not your father's timesonline...
Yes, Jeremy - Shilo - Israel - Michael
Jeremy,
First of all, ShiloH, H, to follow through with the sound of the Hebre 'hei' at the end of a word.
Second, that's they way the mail comes, to Israel.
Third, you don't expect me to write "West Bank" or "Palestine", do you? A) They don't exist; B) I hope they never will.
Fourth, at least I ddin't write Samaria or Benjamin.
I'm not at all surprised that you wrote it- only that you printed it.
I have a fried who lives in Hashmonaim, and had a letter printed in a newspaper. They refused to print Hashmonaim, Israel, and wanted instead to print West Bank. I think they compromised on putting his place of residence as Modiin, Israel.
you mean that "they" printed it.
slipped through.
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