Recipientes bíblicos II. † *’Agartel/ ’Agartal

Abstract

As occurs with other terms used in the Hebrew Old Testament to name certain vessels, ’agarṭel/’agarṭal has been translated and analysed in ancient and modern versions and studies in many different ways. It is a well known fact that, due to its very nature, ancient realia raise man y problems for the researcher. In this and other cases there is the additional difficulty of the hápax legómenon. After examining the most characteristic versions in classical and modero languages and collecting the most important studies by commentators and exegetes, the authors reject the com­pound etymology of the word and suggest the vocalization ’agarṭel and the adaptation into Hebrew through the Greek крαtήр of the theme /krat- / kerat- / karat-/ which occurs in many words in Indo-European languages. With regard to the type it may be, the Persian bowl, variable in size and widely spread in the Near East, is suggested.