The Jubilee Quiz

Answer: Dermot

Numerous given names, most of them biblical, were introduced to English from Hebrew. Abigail is derived from Avigail ("father shall rejoice"). Jack is a short form of Jacob which is derived from Ya'akov ("'akev" is the Hebrew word for heel, and the name is thought to signify the scenario that occurred when twins Jacob and Esau were born). Mary is derived from Miriam, the sister of Moses (its etymology probably lies in ancient Egyptian). Dermot is derived from the Irish name Diarmaid ("free man"), a hero of Irish mythology.

Answer: Macabre

In Yiddish "shmu'es" mean "idle talk", which comes from the Hebrew "shemu'oth" meaning "rumors". Chutzpah came through "khutspe" where the Hebrew original is "'hutspah". Maven came from Yiddish "meyvn" which is derived from the Hebrew "mevin" (literally meaning "he who understands").

Macabre is thought to originate from the Hebrew Maccabees, the Jewish sect who founded the Hasmonean dynasty (164-63 BC) confronting the ruling Seleucid Empire till their bitter and cruel end, basically by the Roman Empire. One of their victories is celebrated to date - the Hanukkah. Many modern Israeli sports clubs belong to the Maccabi association.

Answer: Messiah

Messiah comes from the Hebrew word "mashia'h" which stems from the root m.s.'h. meaning "to anoint". In the times of the Jewish temples, the high priest was called "Cohen haMashia'h". The Bible depicts the anointment of major kings such as Saul, David and Solomon. From there developed the notion of the redeemer which later migrated to Christianity and Islam.

Cherub (proto-semitic, means "one who blesses") and Seraph (Hebrew, means "the burning one") are names belonging to angelic entities. Satan is also a Hebrew word, where the root s.t.n. is used to describe opposition of an extremely adversarial nature.

Answer: Sack

This is essentially the same word and meaning in both languages. It's interesting to note that the Hebrew name for a sleeping bag is actually "sleeping sack", quite reminiscent of the English slang "hit the sack". This one probably ricocheted back from English to modern Hebrew.

Answer: Drunkard

In Hebrew "shekhar" can refer to a variety of alcoholic beverages (most commonly ales and beers), but cider is not one of them. To make things yet stranger, modern Hebrew borrowed the word "cider" as is to refer to the fermented apple drink.

Answer: Hippopotamus

The Behemoth is mentioned in the book of Job as a mighty grass-eater. As most interpretations point at the hippopotamus, the word was adopted into modern Hebrew. It is an abnormal name by the way, since it is in plural and literally means "cattle.". Another Hebrew name for the hippo is "horse of the Nile". The Hebrew name for the whale is "Leviathan" (also referred to in Job).

Answer: Ivrit

Hebrew is a simple transliteration of "Ivrit". The first vowel is actually the letter "'ain" which does not have an exact parallel in English as it is pronounced from the throat (like the Hebrew "'reish" versus the English R). The etymology of "Ivrim", an earlier form for Bnei Israel (sons of Israel, also known as Jacob), is disputed.

Answer: All three

Hyssop ("ezov" in Hebrew) is a plant of the Lamiaceae family, and myrrh ("mor" in Hebrew, related to "mar" which means bitter) is an aromatic liquid extracted from certain trees. Both were used in Jewish purification rites since biblical times. The spice cinnamon ("qinnamon" in Hebrew) is a dried tree bark.

Answer: In the north of Israel

Armageddon is a transliterated "har megido" ("har" means mountain, while "tel" is used for smaller elevations). Tel Megido is a strategic locale 35km southeast of Haifa, inhabited for around 6000 years, which experienced multiple battles in its history as a result. It is mentioned 20 times in the Old Testament, and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.

Answer: true

This of course was my reason for choosing the topic and name for my 50th quiz. Jubilee comes from "yovel" (the ram's horn, used to announce it). The jubilee year is one of the humanitarian customs of the Jewish faith where slaves were released and lands restored to their owners. As it completes the cycle of seven fallow years, land must not be cultivated during the jubilee either.