Pop Quiz

When I am on the road like this, I don’t have time to write, and I was very lucky this morning to find that one of the most knowledgable bloggers among all of my links, Michael McNeil, has sent me the following Pop Quiz.
Here it is — and remember, this will be on the final exam!
Q. 1. What language did the Carthaginians speak?
Q. 2. What did they call themselves?
(Click on “continue reading” to view the answers.)
But no peeking until you have at least managed a guess!!!


ANSWER to Carthaginian pop quiz:
Q. 1. What language did the Carthaginians speak?
Hebrew (i.e., “Canaanite”; same diff.).
Q. 2. What did they call themselves?
“Canaanites” (Kena’ani).
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica.
(I guess the Romans were not alone among ancient peoples who didn’t get along with the Canaanites….)


Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

5 responses to “Pop Quiz”

  1. Solomon Avatar

    Interesting!
    (I was gonna guess “Punic” and “Punises!” but I’m a silly fellow.)

  2. Ghost of a flea Avatar

    I guessed Phonecian which, if I am not mistaken, is the same thing as Punic. I think Solomon and I are both right on this one as, if I am not further mistaken, I think Punic is as closely related to Hebrew as Aramaic. Hmm. Need to do some poking around on this one as I do not know this stuff.

  3. Solomon Avatar

    You mean my juvenile guess might actually have some validity? Good lord.

  4. Ghost of a flea Avatar

    Again guessing here but I would imagine Punic would be a later form of Phonecian making your guess the best. Those “Sea People” were kicking around for a long time before founding Carthage.

  5. Eric Avatar

    Everyone is right in a way, as the Phoenicians and Carthaginians were both Canaanite. An interesting analysis of their religions can be found here:
    http://www.faqs.org/faqs/mythology/canaanite-faq/
    By the way, GOF, you are right in your assertion that silly archaeology news does not break for summer. Right here in downtown Deadwood — in the middle of all the biker chaos and in blistering heat — they are excavating a pioneer-era Chinese worker settlement.