SOME LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE REGARDING ITS DATE. 225 



It should be noted that the Avesta contains no Semitic 

 words at all, except the single term Tanura, an oven for baking, 

 in Vendidad VIII, 91. This is an additional proof of its 

 antiquity. 



It is evident from the study of the Assouan-Elephantine 

 Aramaic papyri that they contain a larger Persian element than 

 does Daniel. This must show that they were composed when 

 a longer time had elapsed between their composition and the 

 establishment of the Persian dominion in Western Asia. But 

 as the papyri are dated, we are thereby taught that Daniel must 

 have been written at a date earlier than they. We must now, 

 however, proceed to produce evidence of the existence of this 

 large Persian element in the papyri, as we have done in reference 

 to Daniel, taking nothing for granted. 



Beginning with the papyri given by Ungnad, and taking the 

 words generally in the order in which they occur in his little 

 book, we instance the following, including the Greek vocables : — 



(1) Aram. pi. of Pers. harsha, a certain weight 

 (= Kepaa KopcrLov, Hesych.), root karsh, to draw, pour out, etc. ; 

 equivalent to 10 shekels. 



(2) nn*^!DWl : Avestic Dushkeret,Si.d]., evildoing, from dush-, 

 prefix, ill, and kar-, to do, make (Skt. root kri-) ; here the Aram, 

 word is a noun, = an evil deed. 



(3) ^^mD, would he frataraka in Ach., from Fratara, comp. 

 adj. from root fra (Eng. /ore), with noun-termination -ka : hence 

 = " one more to the fore," a foreman, hence a military com- 

 mander of some important grade. The superlative is Fratama, 

 Ach., fratema, Av., found in the pi. in the word □"^^n^D in 

 Daniel, meaning nobles. 



(4) : from Av. han- (often ham, cf. Skt. sam-) together, 

 and root daez- to heap up, to dam up ; hence in Aram, handez 

 must mean " surrounded, besieged." 



(5) "Tti^ : the word occurs in Daniel as azdd and is rendered 

 " certain." (See der. given on p. 212.) 



(6) t^^'JlD*'!! : occurs in Dan. iii, 2, 3, the defective form, 

 omitting the first yod, being there adopted, as it very often is in 

 other words in the papyri also. (See explanation of the word 

 in p. 217 above.) 



(7) : from Ach. gausha, Av. gaosha, the ear, with afiix 

 -ka. Here title of some Persian ofiicial ; in the Aram, in the 

 pi. definite. With this title cf. what we are told about the 



Q 



