The contribution of Qumran to historical Hebrew linguistics: Evidence from the syntax of participial negation

In this article we examine how Qumran Hebrew can contribute to our knowledge of historical Hebrew linguistics. The premise of this paper is that Qumran Hebrew reflects a distinct stage in the development of Hebrew which sets it apart from Biblical Hebrew. It is further assumed that these unique features are able to assist us to understand the nature of the development of Biblical Hebrew in a more precise way. Evidence from the syntax of participial negation at Qumran as opposed to Biblical Hebrew provides evidence for this claim

Inaugural BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition: the winning images

The inaugural BMC Ecology and Evolution image competition attracted entries from talented ecologists and evolutionary biologists worldwide. Together, these photos beautifully capture biodiversity, how it arose and why we should conserve it. This editorial celebrates the winning images as selected by the Editor of BMC Ecology and Evolution and senior members of the journal’s editorial board

Cliff Retreat Contribution to the Littoral Sediment Budget along the Baltic Sea Coastline of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mobile coastal sediments, such as sand and gravel, build up and protect wave-dominated coastlines. In sediment-starved coastal environments, knowledge about the natural sources and transport pathways of those sediments is of utmost importance for the understanding and management of coastlines. Along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), the retreat of active cliffs—made of cohesive Pleistocene deposits—supplies a wide size range of sediments to the coastal system. The material is reworked and sorted by hydrodynamic forcing: the less mobile stones and boulders remain close to the source area; the finest sediments, mostly clay and silt, are transported offshore into areas of low energy; and the fractions of sand and fine gravels mostly remain in the nearshore zone, where they make up the littoral sediment budget. They contribute to the morphodynamic development of sandy coastlines and nearshore bar systems. Exemplarily for this coastal stretch and based on an extensive review of local studies we quantify the volume of the potential littoral sediment budget from cliff retreat. At an average retreat rate of 0.24 m yr−1 (<0.1–0.73 m yr−1), the assessment indicates a weighted average sediment volume of 1.5 m3 yr−1 m−1 (<0.1–9.5 m3 yr−1 m−1) per meter active cliff. For the whole area, this results in an absolute sediment budget Vs,total of 39,000–161,000 m3 yr−1. The accuracy of the results is limited by system understanding and data quality and coverage. The study discusses uncertainties in the calculation of littoral sediment budgets from cliff retreat and provides the first area-wide budget assessment along the sediment-starved Baltic Sea coastline of Schleswig-Holstein

Different carbon nanostructured materials obtained in catalytic chemical vapor deposition

Different carbon nanostructured materials, such as nanotubes, nanofibers, nanosprings and nanooctopus, were grown by changing the metal catalyst and experimental parameters of the thermal chemical vapor deposition process. These experiments were performed using a tubular furnace and methane or acetylene as carbon feedstock gases. Thin films of Ni or Cu were deposited onto a SiO2/Si substrate and employed as catalysts. The effect of the growth temperature, metal catalyst and carbon gas precursor (methane or acetylene) on the final carbon nanoestructured material was studied by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Growth of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was observed using both metal films and carbon precursor gases, whereas partially oxidized Ni films promoted formation of nanosprings. Experiments with reduced supply of methane resulted in octopus-like carbon nanostructures when a Cu film was used as a catalyst.Diferentes materiais nanoestruturados à base de carbono, tais como nanotubos, nanofibras, nanomolas e nanooctopus, foram obtidos através do processo de deposição química de vapor. Tais experimentos foram realizados em um forno tubular e variações nos parâmetros experimentais permitiram a obtenção das diferentes nanoestruturas de carbono. Filmes finos de Ni e Cu foram depositados sobre substratos de SiO2/Si e empregados como catalisadores. O efeito de diferentes gases precursores de carbono, da temperatura de crescimento e do metal catalítico sobre as características do material final foi investigado por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, espectroscopia Raman e difratometria de raios X com ângulo rasante. O uso dos gases metano e acetileno levaram à formação de nanotubos de carbono para ambos os filmes metálicos, enquanto Ni parcialmente oxidado promoveu o crescimento de nanomolas. Estruturas do tipo octopus foram obtidas a partir do uso de cobre associado a um fornecimento relativamente restrito de metano.11241132Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Editorial theory and the range of translations for ‘cedars of Lebanon’ in the Septuagint

Although the Hebrew source text term אֶרֶז [cedar] is translated in the majority of cases as κέδρος [cedar] or its adjective κέδρινος in the Septuagint, there are cases where the following translations and strategies are used: (1) κυπάρισσος [cypress] or the related adjective κυπαρίσσινος, (2) ξύλον [wood, tree] and (3) non-translation and deletion of the source text item. This article focuses on these range of translations. Using a complexity theoretical approach in the context of editorial theory (the new science of exploring texts in their manuscript contexts), this article seeks to provide explanations for the various translation choices (other than κέδρος and κέδρινος). It further aims to determine which cultural values of the translators have influenced those choices and how they shape the metaphorical and symbolic meaning of plants as determined by Biblical Plant Hermeneutics, which has placed the taxonomy of flora on a strong ethnological and ethnobotanical basis

Lexicography and the translation of ‘cedars of Lebanon’ in the Septuagint

Botanical terms in the Septuagint reveal a mass of uncertain and sometimes contradictory data, owing to the translators’ inadequate and inaccurate understanding of plants. To understand the metaphorical and symbolic meaning of plants, the new approach represented by Biblical Plant Hermeneutics places the taxonomy of flora on a strong ethnological and ethnobotanical basis by studying each plant in situ and gathering indigenous knowledge about the plant and its context in the biblical text. This article applies this methodology to the translation of the Hebrew source text term אֶרֶז [cedar] in the Septuagint as κέδρος [cedar] or κέδρινος (the adjectival form of κέδρος) and its interpretation in the light of lexicography, which lead to contradictory identifications. A complexity theoretical approach is proposed to provide a solution for the various identification choices in the light of lexicography to communicate the cultural values of the Hebrew source text and its Greek translation

Is the adjective distinct from the noun as a grammatical category in biblical Hebrew?

The adjective is a beleaguered category in biblical Hebrew grammar with many grammars of biblical Hebrew denying that the adjective is a category distinct from substantives. Within a variety of linguistic theories, the status of the adjective as a grammatical category is also debated. Cross-linguistically adjectives exhibit extraordinary variety: in some languages showing similarities to nouns, in others to verbs and in still others to both nouns and verbs. The debate concerning the status of the adjective is mirrored by the broader debate within contemporary linguistics concerning how the issue of grammatical categorisation ought to be approached. In this article, we re-examine the question of whether or not the adjective is a distinct grammatical category from the noun in biblical Hebrew. We approach the question of the status of the adjective as a grammatical category from two perspectives: morphology and syntax