βαίτυλον αν κατέπιες

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: kind of (magical) stone (Sotakos of Karystos apud Plin. N. H. 37, 135), which fell from heaven (Dam. Isid. 94, 203). Acc. to Hesychius the stone given to Kronos instead of Zeus. Also name of a god ( Διὶ Βετύλῳ, Dura iii AD). βαίτυλον αν κατέπιες Apostol. 9.24, of a greedy person.

Other forms: ῡ (but how do we know?).

Derivatives: βαιτύλιον (Dam. etc.).

Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin] Sem.

Etymology: The discussion is very unclear, also because archeologists use the term in a very wide sense, without caring for the name. Zuntz Class. et Mediaeval. 8, 169ff. (who discusses the sources) thought it was a Mediterranean word, from which also Sem. bethel, interpreted as `House of God'. Unwisely, Zuntz postulates a pan-Mediterranan substrate to explain his facts, which nobody will accept. Hemmerdinger, Glotta 48 (1970) 99f. thinks it is Sem.; thus Röllig, Dict. Deities Demons (s.v. Bethel). The fact that the word appears very late, and in the context of northern Syria, makes it most probable that the word is Semitic, Bayt-el `House of El'; an old Pre-Gr. word is therefore improbable; cf. also Ribichini ib. s.v. Baetyl. (West, East Face 294f., makes the mistake (pointed out in the laterature) that in Gen. 28. 10-22 the place, not the stone, is called 'House of God'; see Wests concluding remark. Comparable stones are called abaddir in Punic, but what conclusion can be drawn from it (I think none), is unclear; the meaning of the term is unknown). Not helpful Davidson Hermes 123 (1995) 363-9.

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