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orion Kittim, follow-up
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 13:23:17 -0400
To: orion@mscc.huji.ac.il
From: David Goldman <davic@pop.erols.com>
Subject: KITTIM, follow-up
I thank everyone for the clarification, but I am left somewhat confused.
Does the "chronology" of the use of the word KITTIM begin as a generic word
referring to "foreigners" in general, which was subsequently applied to the
Greeks and Romans? If this is true, does this identification exist only in
the scrolls, and if so, why? Also, how does the identification with Cyprus
as the base of the Kittim become connected to the Greeks when the Greeks in
general were Yevanim. The only reference I found, which is quoted in
Tractate Taanis, is Jeremiah 2:10 which mentions "Iye Hakitiim". This
reference may mean to "out there"/overseas... Furthermore,why would it be
important for the Scrolls to characterize the foreign invaders who were
Yevanim or Romim as the inhabitants of one particular island, and if it is
a generic name, why would they refer to them generically? With Jeremiah in
mind it is possible the usage in the Scrolls is generic, but the
interesting question remains "why?".
I see now that the reference in the Midrash is not to this word, by virtue
of the clarification of spelling...
Thanks.