Q&A: trei asar – The Twelve Prophets
Another question from the About page:
The Twelve Prophets . I find it strange that the abbreviation for these books is given as תרי עשר
Why are the 12 called 10? Please could you say more about the grammar of this phrase. Thanks
The word תרי (trei) is actually Aramaic for “two,” so תרי עשר (trei asar) is “twelve.”
The prefix is most commonly known in Modern Hebrew from the word tresar, “dozen,” though unlike its English equivalent, tresar is formal.
One Response
brilliant – thank you. So my Sunday school class will learn some Aramaic too as I introduce them to the books of the Hebrew Bible (in the Hebrew Bible order of course)