A Reevaluation of the Akkadian Influence on Ezekiel’s Vocabulary

Akkadian influences on the language in the book of Ezekiel has been identified by modern scholars from the very beginning of cuneiform studies. Given the Babylonian settings of the book combined with its distinct vocabulary (including no less than 126 hapax legomena), it was but natural to look for Akkadian loanwords and calques in Ezekiel’s Hebrew. It resulted in about 150 words and expressions that have been mentioned in the context of Akkadian influence on Ezekiel. However, a methodology for their identification is notoriously lacking. This paper aims to reassess the Akkadian influence on Ezekiel based on a clear methodology and an up-to-date understanding of the Neo-Babylonian dialect.