'על הלשון ב'חזון גבריאל

The article examines various linguistic aspects of the Vision of Gabriel inscription, which was probably written in the first century B.C.E. It offers a detailed discussion of some of its orthographic features, such as the tendency to use scripta defectiva of long vowels, for example צבאת (alongside צבאות), and the extensive use of the plural form ין- as in השבין 'the elderly'. The article also treats some phonological and morphological issues, such as the weakening of the gutturals, as is apparently the case in the spelling אלי (eloe > eloye) instead of אלהי (elohe). The article offers a detailed discussion of two words: the interchange of מושב (moshab) / מקום (maqom) and the usage of מושב meaning 'place', 'location', and of קיטוט (qittūt) which is the equivalent of the biblical word קט (qat), meaning 'only' or 'small'. The linguistic analysis supports the suggested dating of the inscription to the late Second Temple period by Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elizur, and by Israel Knohl.