2182: Hebrew Cardinal Directions Dec 5, 2020

While the terms in English for cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—all may seem fairly arbitrary today, though some did have semantic significance in the distant past to the Sun. Modern Hebrew not only has generally meaningful cardinal directions but also some distinct Biblical counterparts. For instance, 'west' is מערב (mayrev) related to ערב (arev) meaning 'evening', when the Sun would be setting. Likewise, contrast ים (yam) seen in the Bible meaning 'sea' but also as a reference for 'west' and Israel's geography along the Mediterranean and it should make sense. Along those lines, צפון‎ (tzafon) for 'North' related to צָפוּן (tsafún) meaning 'hidden' as a reference to Israel's mountainous northern region, or נגב (negev) for 'South' also the name of a desert to the south. 'East' is מזרח (mizrach) related to זָרַח (zarach) meaning 'rise', a reference to the Sun.