Two terms in Ezra

Abstract

Abstract It is suggested that trply originates from trmly' 'Lycians', which is recorded in official Aramaic at the end of the Achaemenid period. Trmly → trply underwent two phonological shifts. The historical problem arising from the suggested identification is addressed. 'ptm is recorded as apputumu (or apputammu) in two Late-Babylonian deeds from 503–502 BCE about the baker's prebend of the Borsippan temple in Babylonia. Although the Old-Iranian source of this term cannot be identified so far, there is no need to emend the OT form to 'pts, and 'ptm is a substantive rather than an adverb.