The cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament - The Search For ...

320 THE CVNEIFOBM INSCRIPTIONS AND TEE 0. T.
pare the Assyrian dagalu 'to gaze upon' (with interest, affection or awe).
From the same root we have d i g 1 u 'banner' (an object of contempla-
tion), comp. Ps. XX. 6, see Glossary sub voce ^y\- This appears to
be a more satisfactory interpretation than that which is based on the
comparison of the Arabic |J>^0 'to cover' — the noun ^jr| banner be-
ing explained as that which covers up the pole upon which it is car-
ried. — The truth appears to be that the original sense of the verb
^JT] is 'to gaze at' from which the subst. ^'yr\ designates 'banner' as
being the object gazed at. In this primary sense the passive partic.
^>\yT\ is to be understood in the above quoted passage (Song of Songs
T
V. 10). But ^yT\ is also to be taken as a denommative from the subst.
^JT] meaning 'bear a banner'. Thus in Song of Songs VI. 4. 10 the
Niphal ni^illi signifies 'bannered hosts' and in Ps. XX. 6 the Kal
^j|"l^ should be rendered 'bear our banner'. Fried. Delitzsch's inter-
pretation of this last passage is very forced. Possibly we ought to
read ^Tjj;3 (LXX).
Vol. II p. 161 foil. On the subject of Biblical chronology during
the regal period the reader may also consult Geo. Smith, Assyi-.
Eponym Canon, chaps I and VII ; Samuel Sharpe, Hebrew Nation and
Literature pp. 381 foil. 389 foil.; Wellhausen, Einleitung in das A. T.
p. 264 foil., Prolegg. zur Gesch. Isr. (1883) p. 285 foil.; Robertson
Smith, Journal of Philology X. p. 209 foil. Prophets of Israel p. 146
foil. 413 foil, and Stade, Geschichte p. 88 foil. 558 foil. As mention
has been made on several occasions of Prof. Kamphausen's scheme of
chronology for the Hebrew royal period, it will not be inappropriate if
I subjoin it here (see Chronologie der Hebr. Konige p. 32). The
bracketed dates are my own proposed alterations. I have also , con-
sistently with ordinary usage, sometimes modified Kamphausen's dates
by a year so as to make the date of the initial year of a king's reign
identical with that of the final year of his predecessor.
Saul 1037—1018
David 1018—1011 (Judah), 1010—978 (over Israel and Judah)
Solomon 978—938
Rehoboam
Jeroboam I 938—916