1891.] " [Morris. 



In some instances, two or three consonants are found together, tmt these 

 may be icgarded as familiar abbreviations for well-known words, just as 

 D. L. W. means for us Delaware, Lackawanna and Western R. R., etc. 

 In this way we may find that the Hebrew is really no exception as regards 

 the presence of characters indicating pure vowel sounds ; and, indeed, we 

 have the authority of Josephus for the statement that it does. Chief 

 among the words whose pronunciation was to be hidden was the name of 

 the Deity — it was forbidden — and many, long, and bitter have been the 

 controversies as to the true pronunciation of j""fin*> V ^ h a !/> vnu > ^"V- 

 Josephus says it was composed of four vowels.* He was a priest, and also 

 well versed in Greek and Roman literature, and we may well accept his 

 statement as reflecting the best learning of his times on Jewish matters. 

 It seems to me that this ought to settle the question. 



As to the consequences which would follow from such a view, I must 

 leave them to those more competent to follow them out. It seems, how- 

 ever, to me that we would thus have better opportunities of comparing the 

 Hebrew sacred records with those of all other ancient nations, and of 

 clearing up much obscurity in ancient history and geography. 



I would therefore suggest the following phonetic values : 



N = a = a 



!1 = /? = b 



3 = r = g 



1 = d = d 



H = e = e 



1 =F= f or vow or ou 



or u 



r = r = z 



n =3? = eor£ = ch? 



•j = ,v = th 



♦ = i = i 



ml = k = k 



y *| fina 



And illustrate by 



AN ATTEMPTED TRANSLITERATION OF GENESIS X. 

 ch ch ch 



1. vale tuldt bni-ne xm em v ipt v iuldu lem bnim aer embul 



Noah Shem Ham Japheth 

 v 



2. bni ipt jrmr v mgug v mdi v ran v tbl v mxk v tirs 



Japheth Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Meschech Tiras 



*See Josephus, "Wars of the Jews," Book v, Ch. v, 7. 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XXIX. 135. B. PRINTED APRIL 10, 1891. 



