The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament; - The Search For ...

90 THE CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS AND THE 0. T.
^non Hamdtli, in the inscriptions m§,t* Hamatti
(Ha-ma-(at) -ti, also Ha-am-ma-at-ti) and m4t
Amatti (A-ma-(at)-ti). The former pronunciation with
106 the harder aspirate is always to be found in the records of
Tiglath-Pileser, also in those of Asurnasirhabal and likewise
in the geographical lists (II Rawl. 53 no. 1 line 37). The
latter pronunciation already occurs in the inscriptions of Sal-
manassar II (Obelisk, Monolith &c.). Both forms are found
together in the records of Sargon who gives the pronuncia-
tion Ha-am-ma-ti in the NimrHd-inscription, and also in
the stele at Larnaka along with the other form ; in other
cases we find generally , if not exclusively , A
m a 1 1 u,
Amatu with unimportant variations (Khorsabad Bull-
inscription &c.).** After the time of Salmanassar II (860
— 825) Hamath seems to have become repeatedly if not
* la the case of Amatti we have only the determinative of country
(m^t). The same is true of Hamatti with the exception of the two
passages II Rawl. 53, I. 37 and III Eawl. 9, 31, where the determ. ir
"town" precedes.
** Perhaps the change from f] to {< in the same name within the
limits of the Assyrian language itself occurs also in the case of
Hami'di' (II Rawl. 53, 4) and Amidi i. e. Amid-DiSrbekr. The
series Tusban, Guzana, Amidi in the list of governments reminds
us, indeed, at once of the other series in the geographical list Tushan,
Guzana (Nazibina) , Hamidi' (the alternation between di and di' is
analogous to that between ti and ti inHatti = Hatti&c).—On the other
hand Delitzsch (Paradies pp. 276 foil.) regards Amattu and Hamattu
as entirely distinct from one another and understands the former to
refer to the toion, and the latter to the kingdom of Hamath,—the latter
especially on the strength of Sargon's Cyprus monolith I. 51 foil. 62.
Here however we find that both names equally exhibit the determina-
tive m&tu "land" and that the former does not appear with the
determinative of "town", and with this moreover tallies the addendum :
ana pad gimrisu "in its entire range". Delitzsch's further combina-
tion of this Hammath as Havvath with the Hebr. i^n = Hivite
appears me open to objection. See above footnote*; comp. Keilinsch.
u. Geschichtsforschuug pp. 122. 202 foil. 398. also 146. 167. 353.