Hebrew Language in a Time of War

As a tour guide and teacher prior to the war, the Nameless One partnered with a Hebrew learning institution a few years ago to explain the value in learning Hebrew. 

He said that ‘Egypt’ is literally the Hebrew word for ‘narrow,’ which further explains Israel’s history with Egypt (especially in light of the recent holiday of Passover). Egypt was known for its restrictiveness and narrowmindedness in biblical history.

Names encompass the very essence of the named, as well as place-named; that’s why it means so much in the bible to name and know the meaning of names.

The name of Gaza is derived from the verb עזז ('azaz) in Hebrew, which translates as strong, or to be strong. Further breaking this down, Gaza is the noun עז ('oz) made feminine with the letter he. Hebrew is intricate, and every stroke has meaning.

Not only does the letter zayin (Z) in azaz resemble a sword, but it also means weapon.

Gaza is “the southern gate of the land of Israel between two superpowers, Egypt and Mesopotamia,” says the Nameless One, “exposed to raids of Nomadic tribes.” 

The epicenter of numerous battles, Gaza was destroyed by many different foreign powers, among them Alexander the Great.

When Gaza is mentioned in the Bible, strength is being referenced, as Gaza was a Philistine stronghold. Further, it may reference a forceful strength, or an imposing strength, as the prophet Amos warned the inhabitants of Gaza of impending doom: "I send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof" (Amos 1:7).

Significantly, whereas Gaza translates as strength in Hebrew, it is also the place where Samson brought a Philistine temple down upon himself in all his strength.

Samson is of the tribe of Dan, from which symbols for guerilla warfare arise (such as a snake), the Nameless One taught a year before October 7. He says that all the tribes of Israel are between the tribes of Dan and Judah. Notably, the tribe of Dan is “mixed with others.”

Philistine, quite similar to Palestinian, is actually taken from a Hebrew word for ‘land of the Philistines.’

An Aegean people, the Philistines were more closely related to the Greeks than the Arabians (Arabia conquered Israel and Gaza in the 12th Century BCE).

In the 5th Century BCE, the historian Herodotus used the word ‘Palaistine’ when speaking of the coastal strip of land where the Philistines dwelled.

When the Crusaders and the Middle Ages came along, Palestine was commonly used in Early Modern English, but it gained even wider use with the onset of the Renaissance. By the time of the Ottoman Empire, Palestine was a general term which encompassed the land south of Syria, and not an official place name of a land.

I also used resources from the University of Iowa when researching this article: https://clcl.uiowa.edu/language-resources/hebrew-language-and-culture-resources - which made me wonder, in light of such divisiveness, how Jewish college students are doing now…given college campus protests are still in the news.

The University of Iowa’s Hillel was established in 1926, and antisemitic training is inclusive. They note that, “56% of Jewish college students say their lives have been directly impacted by antisemitism on campus since October 7.

“Antisemitic incidents on college campuses have increased by over 700% since last year.”

For my answer, I turn to Zevi Slavin, who has had recent videos of random interviews with people on the street, asking them to ask him anything in relation to Judaism. Often funny, the questions also draw thought provoking, time relevant, and meaningful answers - such as when Slavin interviewed a college professor.

Slavin told me, “I believe that Jewish students today must focus on being sources of light rather than deflecting or combatting hatred and bigotry. By embracing one's heritage with confidence and authenticity, we create spaces where ignorance and hatred has no air to thrive. Instead of reacting defensively, we must foster understanding and inclusion through our actions, leading by example and making prejudice irrelevant. Their strength lies in living our truth so fully that the darkness naturally fades away.”

Slavin’s beautiful answer reminds me of what it is to be proactive in nature, such as is the Hebrew language itself.