Dialectology of Rabbinic Hebrew: Idiomatic Expressions of Death

Abstract This article investigates linguistic variation among the dialects of Rabbinic Hebrew, specifically, between the Hebrew of the Tannaitic period (ending ca. 300 Ce) and that of the Talmudic (Amoraic) period (ca. 300—600 Ce), including both Western (a.k.a. Palestinian) and Babylonian varieties. It identifies an isogloss centered on the idioms and (‘departed [from the world]’, and ‘at the time of his departure [from the world]’, respectively), used to denote death. Rabbinic sources exhibit dialectal variation in the use of these expressions. Through critical analysis of the textual evidence, the study disentangles cases of textual contamination and clarifies distinct usage patterns within each dialectal tradition. In addition to identifying a new isogloss, the article offers a case study demonstrating the importance of rigorous philological scrutiny in the dialectological study of Rabbinic Hebrew.