I invite the reader's critique. By way of a disclaimer, just let me say that I'm not a degreed scholar. I'm simply an earnest student who is attempting to relay some interesting information. The following is a very, very brief overview of the history of the Hebrew alphabet and my own "whacked-out" theory as to how we can better understand the etymology of various Hebrew words.
Regarding the Hebrew alphabet, . . . There are several books that I can recommend which are very interesting, but they fall short of a "historical" (i.e., developmental/etymological) understanding of the Hebrew language and alphabet.
The modern Hebrew script has come to us from the post-Exilic square Aramaic script. The square script evolved from the pre-Exilic Old Hebrew - as seen on the Acharim sarcophagus (c. 1000 C.E.), the Gezer Calender (late tenth century B.C.E.) and the Mesha stele (mid-ninth century B.C.E.). The Old Hebrew enjoyed a sort of renaissance, during periods of "national pride" in the post-Exilic era. This use and further evolution of the Old Hebrew alphabet is called "archaizing," or "paleo-Hebrew."
Now, this is just my own theory, but I suspect the paleo-Hebrew was first(?) employed by those authors of the pseudepigraphic literature (i.e., the writings of the "inter-testamental" period, which were falsely attributed to "Old Testament" figures) to bolster their claims that "their" books had originally been written by - or at least the information contained in them had been handed down from - the prophets, or Moshe, or the patriarches, etc. An analogy to this use of ancient script forms is our own modern use of various Gothic and Old English calligraphy, which we - not unlike the Safarim (scribes) - use to convey a sense of "continuity" and "authority" to IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, such as university degrees, etc.
The Old Hebrew script evolved from the proto-Sinaic (late 16th thru early 15th century B.C.E.). The proto-Sinaic is "an alphabetic script probably invented under hieroglyphic influence" and is based on the pictographic alphabet of the Canaanites (late 18th thru early 17th century B.C.E.). These alphabets are comprised of pictographic drawings, or hieroglyphic-like pictures, which were combined to express an ideographic concept.
The modern names of many Hebrew letters harken back to these ancient pictographs. For example, the letter R in Hebrew is called, "resh." "Resh" means "head," which is exactly what the ancient pictograph was - the picture of a "head."
What does all this mean? Well, to better understand the etymology of a given (Biblical) Hebrew word, one can take each letter of that word and return it to its pictographic form. By reviewing the pictographs, and there relation to one another, we can arrive at an understanding of the ideographic concept being conveyed; however, we must read these pictographs in their historical, linguistic and cultural context, via the customs and mind set of the ancient, nomadic, tent dwelling herdsmen and the ancient (urban?) agriculturalists of the Middle East. Here is an example:
The Hebrew word for "peace" is ShaLOM (shin-lamed-vav-mem). "Shin" means "teeth." "Lamed" means an "ox goad." "Vav" is said to mean a "hook," or a "nail." "Mem" means "water." The ancient pictograph for the letter L is an "ox goad" (shepherd's crook) and that for the letter M is a horizontal (squiggly/zig-zagging) line, which indicates - just as it does today - "water." The modern Hebrew names for these letters (L and M) exactly reflect their ancient pictographic form.
The ancient pictograph for the letter SH is an archer's "bow." Nowadays, SH (shin) means "teeth." Bite into an apple, or a piece of bread. What shape is left by the mark of your "teeth?" That's right! The impression left by your "teeth" is "bow" shaped, that is, a sort of "half-circle." So, we can see that even though the name of the letter SH (shin) doesn't exactly match the ancient pictograph, the concept of a "bow" shape has remained. (Further, it should be noted that SH may very well allude to anything that has the characteristic of being "bowed," like the "vaulted roof" of the heavens, or the "curving trajectories" of the Sun and the Moon, as they roll across the sky, etc.).
The ancient pictograph for the letter V is a "rod." The "rod" (a tapered stick about three feet long with a knob at one end) was used by the ancient herdsmen as a weapon to defend the flock. As Brother Clif says, "it was used to beat the crap out of wolves." It was also used sort of like a javelin, or throwing stick, to strike the strays and alert them that they'd better not wander off and that they'd better get their tails back to the flock PDQ. In short, the "rod" was a tool used to keep the flock "intact" and "together." In Hebrew, "vav" is said to mean a "hook," or a "nail." So, again we can see that even though the name of the letter V (vav) doesn't exactly match the ancient pictograph, the concept of "togetherness" and being in "conjunction" with and being "hooked" to (collected) and being "nailed" to (joined) has remained.
With this understanding we can now examine the etymology of the Hebrew word for "peace" - SHaLOM (shin-lamed-vav-mem) :
SH-L-V-M essentially means "bow-goad-rod-water." In English to "goad" means "to drive with or as with a goad; to prick, spur, stimulate; to rouse or incite." So, to "goad" means "to drive something forward, or cause it to advance through some type of stimulation." What ancient ideographic concept might the ancient ones have been trying to convey by combining the pictographs "bow-goad-rod-water?"
We're looking for something "bow" shaped, that is "goaded" by and "joined" to "water." Could it possibly be a rainbow? A rainbow is "bow" shaped and is "goaded" to appear in the sky only in "conjunction" with "water." Yes, today we know that light being refracted through "water" particles is responsible for rainbows, but the ancient ones would only have known that the rainbow was "bow" shaped and was "roused" to appear after (i.e., in "conjunction" with) a "rain."
So, what does any of this have to do with "peace" (SHaLOM)? Well, we all know the saying, "the calm before the storm," right? How much more so after the storm? The rainbow usually appears after a storm, signifying its end. No more pelting rain, no more hail, no more thunder, no more lighting, no more dark and menacing clouds. In short, a rainbow would seem pretty "peaceful" when compared to the various manifestations of a storm, right?
Many (Biblical) Hebrew words can be understood in this fashion. I shall refrain from alluding to the primordial battle between Marduk and Tiamat, HaShem's taming of the various agents of chaos (i.e., the deep, Leviathan, etc.) and the story of the Deluge; however, might not the ancient ones have believed that the manifestation of "peace" came about only after the "ruach" (spirit, wind) had chased away the Canaanite storm god Ba'al? I exhort everyone to begin viewing their faith in light of its historical, linguistic and cultural context. Viewing HaShem's dealings with mankind as developmental need not be seen as a threat. We need not fear the "pagan" elements which have influenced our faith. We need only exorcise these Dragons of myth and superstition and decipher the basic principles and general concepts being conveyed by and in them. In so doing, we need not invert or re-invent the mythos at hand, or engage in any undue and outlandish syncretism. Those who have ears to hear, let them "listen."
Anybody wishing to know my "whacked-out" take on the etymology of a certain Hebrew word, you need only ask. I am here to serve. Thank you in advance for your critique and for your thoughtful consideration.
SHaLOM,
Steven