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<pre>ZIFF
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''[[:Category:Lehite noun|Lehite noun]]'''
|1.
|Mentioned ca. 160 BC in a list of materials that were taxed by King [[NOAH|N<small>OAH</small>]] of the city of [[NEPHI|N<small>EPHI</small>]] ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/11.3,%208?lang=eng#2 Mosiah 11:3, 8]).
|}


Lehite noun Apparently a metal, for it is listed with silver, iron, brass and copper, in a text relating to ca. 160 BC and referring to materials used by King Noah
'''Etymology'''
                                of the city of Nephi to ornament buildings (Mosiah 11:3, 8).


Possibly Hebrew zîw, “splendor, brightness,” for zehiw (*???) from zhh, “shine, be proud, fair, bright, splendid.” Apparently related are Arabic zayyun, ziyyun, “ornament,”
Given that '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' is mentioned twice in the Book of Mormon, once in the middle of a list of metals that were taxed, “a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron” ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/11.3?lang=eng#2 Mosiah 11:3]), and the second time in a list  “of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper,” it is likely that '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' is a precious or semiprecious metal.  
and the roots zhy and zyy, “adorn, cause to shine, redden.” Cf. also Assyrian zimu, zivu (RFS). The name Zif (biblical Hebrew ziw), is that of a calendar month (1 Kings 6:1,
37).


From RFS: See the comments of Read H. Putnam, “Were the Plates of Mormon of Tumbaga?”, The 15th Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the Scriptures (Provo:
The fact that this Lehite word is not translated but rather transliterated, probably indicates that Joseph Smith did not have an English word for it. Two metals that are natively found in the Americas with which the Prophet might not have been acquainted are platinum and the gold alloy tumbaga.<ref>[[Robert F. Smith|RFS]] favors tumbaga due to the Arabic association with “redden;” tumbaga is particularly beautiful and has a definite redness because of its high copper content. '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' probably does not refer to zinc because Joseph Smith would have been familiar with this word.</ref>
University Archaeological Society, BYU, 16 May 1964), p. 106, citing Sperry, Problems of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1964), p. 147, and Mosiah 11:8.
Putnam speculates that ziff may have been zinc or tumbaga. RFS favors tumbaga due to the Arabic association with “redden;” tumbaga is particularly beautiful and has a  
definite redness.


Cf. Hebrew GN Ziph, zyf (2 Chronicles 11:8) and on a jar handle from RamatRahel (IDAM No. 62–40) (JAT; Nibley also mentions in SC 195, without making a connection to
The biblical [[Geographical Name|GN]] זיף Ziph in [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/15.24?lang=eng#23 Joshua 15:24] and the [[Personal Name|PN]]s in [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/1-chr/4.16?lang=eng#15 1 Chronicles 4:16] and [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/1-chr/2.42?lang=eng#41 2:42] (King James Bible has ''Ziph'' for both the [[Geographical Name|GN]] and the [[Personal Name|PN]] name; the masoretic text has זיף ''zîp'' for both)<ref>Also on a jar handle from Ramat Rahel ([[Israel Department Antiquities and Museums|IDAM]] No. 62–40) ([[John A. Tvedtnes|JAT]]).</ref> would seem to offer the closest analog to Book of Mormon '''Z<small>IFF</small>'''. However, no etymology is given for either the [[Geographical Name|GN]] or the [[Personal Name|PN]].  
this name).


The Book of Mormon element Ziff, used in King Noah’s construction, may be something other than a metal, in which case we should consider the possibility of Hebrew
If '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' were shiny, like many metals, it would be tempting to equate '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' with the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] vocable זיו ''ziw'', “glow, complexion.”<ref>''[[Koehler, Ludwig, and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 5 vols. revised by W. Baumgartner and Johann J. Stamm. Leiden: Brill, 1994. trans. of 5-volume 3rd German edition.|HALOT]]'' sub זו. This would seem to be the intent of the following two suggestions: “brightness”, “metallic brightness” ([[George Reynolds|Reynolds]], ''Dictionary of the Book of Mormon'', p. 360); “ziph, zeph = “metal,” ([[George Reynolds|Reynolds]], ''Commentary on the Book of Mormon'', VII, p. 373; and [[George Reynolds|Reynolds]], ''The Story of the Book of Mormon'', 5th ed., p.293).</ref> It is possible that this is the source of the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] month name Zif (King James Bible [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/1-kgs/6.1?lang=eng#primary 1 Kings 6:1] for the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] זיו ''ziw''), meaning, the month of blooming. It is probably related to Akkadian ''zīmu'', “appearance, luster, glow.” As tempting as this suggestion might be, it is not without its difficulties. Book of Mormon clearly ends in a consonant, /f/, and none of the Semitic cognates of [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] ''ziw'' end in a consonant, except possibly Punic ''zyb''. Furthermore, none of the translations of the [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/1-kgs/6.1?lang=eng#primary 1 Kings 6:1] transliterate the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] ''ziv'' with a final /f/ or a /p/, until the Matthew Bible, ''Zif'', the Geneva Bible, ''Zif'', and then the King James.<ref>The Septuagint does not contain this verse. The Vulgate and Wycliffe both have ''Zio''.</ref>
zepet, “pitch, bitumen, asphalt” (Exodus 2:3; Isaiah 34:9), which appears also in Samaritan (zefet) (Rosenthal, Aramaic Handbook II/2, 4) and in Arabic as dift. Cf. Egyptian
sft, name of one of the seven oils (= Coptic sife, “tar”), and perhaps Egyptian Demotic sfy, resin of coniferous trees (JAT).


Ziff. Hebrew, ziph, seph = a metal.
Less likely is that Book of Mormon '''Z<small>IFF</small>''' may be something other than a metal, in which case we should consider the possibility of [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] ''zepet'', “pitch, bitumen, asphalt” ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ex/2.3?lang=eng#2 Exodus 2:3]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/34.9?lang=eng#8 Isaiah 34:9]), which appears also in Samaritan (''zefet'') (Rosenthal, ''Aramaic Handbook'' II/2, 4) and in Arabic as ''dift''. Cf. [[EGYPT|E<small>GYPTIAN</small>]] ''sft'', name of one of the seven oils, Demotic ''syf''/''sfy'', resin of coniferous trees, and Coptic ''sife'', “tar” ([[John A. Tvedtnes|JAT]]).
Reynolds, The Story of the Book of Mormon, 5th ed., p.293.


Hebrew, “brightness”, “metallic brightness.”
'''Variants'''
Reynolds, Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p. 360.


Hebrew, ziph, zeph = “metal”. Ziff = “metallic brightness.”
'''[[Deseret Alphabet]]:''' 𐐞𐐆𐐙 (zɪf)
Reynolds, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, VII, p. 373.
 
</pre>
'''Notes'''
----
<references/>
 
[[Category:Names]][[Category:Lehite noun]]
 
<div style="text-align: center;"> [[ZERIN|<<]] Ziff [[ZION|>>]] </div>
 
==[[Name Index]]==
<big>
{|border="0" cellpadding="1" width="100%pt"
|-
|[[A]]
|[[B]]
|[[C]]
|[[D]]
|[[E]]
|<font color="lightgray">F</font>
|[[G]]
|[[H]]
|[[I]]
|[[J]]
|[[K]]
|[[L]]
|[[M]]
|[[N]]
|[[O]]
|[[P]]
|<font color="lightgray">Q</font>
|[[R]]
|[[S]]
|[[T]]
|[[U]]
|<font color="lightgray">V</font>
|<font color="lightgray">W</font>
|<font color="lightgray">X</font>
|<font color="lightgray">Y</font>
|[[Z]]
|}

Latest revision as of 00:32, 29 November 2023

Lehite noun 1. Mentioned ca. 160 BC in a list of materials that were taxed by King NOAH of the city of NEPHI (Mosiah 11:3, 8).

Etymology

Given that ZIFF is mentioned twice in the Book of Mormon, once in the middle of a list of metals that were taxed, “a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron” (Mosiah 11:3), and the second time in a list “of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper,” it is likely that ZIFF is a precious or semiprecious metal.

The fact that this Lehite word is not translated but rather transliterated, probably indicates that Joseph Smith did not have an English word for it. Two metals that are natively found in the Americas with which the Prophet might not have been acquainted are platinum and the gold alloy tumbaga.[1]

The biblical GN זיף Ziph in Joshua 15:24 and the PNs in 1 Chronicles 4:16 and 2:42 (King James Bible has Ziph for both the GN and the PN name; the masoretic text has זיף zîp for both)[2] would seem to offer the closest analog to Book of Mormon ZIFF. However, no etymology is given for either the GN or the PN.

If ZIFF were shiny, like many metals, it would be tempting to equate ZIFF with the HEBREW vocable זיו ziw, “glow, complexion.”[3] It is possible that this is the source of the HEBREW month name Zif (King James Bible 1 Kings 6:1 for the HEBREW זיו ziw), meaning, the month of blooming. It is probably related to Akkadian zīmu, “appearance, luster, glow.” As tempting as this suggestion might be, it is not without its difficulties. Book of Mormon clearly ends in a consonant, /f/, and none of the Semitic cognates of HEBREW ziw end in a consonant, except possibly Punic zyb. Furthermore, none of the translations of the 1 Kings 6:1 transliterate the HEBREW ziv with a final /f/ or a /p/, until the Matthew Bible, Zif, the Geneva Bible, Zif, and then the King James.[4]

Less likely is that Book of Mormon ZIFF may be something other than a metal, in which case we should consider the possibility of HEBREW zepet, “pitch, bitumen, asphalt” (Exodus 2:3; Isaiah 34:9), which appears also in Samaritan (zefet) (Rosenthal, Aramaic Handbook II/2, 4) and in Arabic as dift. Cf. EGYPTIAN sft, name of one of the seven oils, Demotic syf/sfy, resin of coniferous trees, and Coptic sife, “tar” (JAT).

Variants

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐞𐐆𐐙 (zɪf)

Notes

  1. ↑ RFS favors tumbaga due to the Arabic association with “redden;” tumbaga is particularly beautiful and has a definite redness because of its high copper content. ZIFF probably does not refer to zinc because Joseph Smith would have been familiar with this word.
  2. ↑ Also on a jar handle from Ramat Rahel (IDAM No. 62–40) (JAT).
  3. ↑ HALOT sub זו. This would seem to be the intent of the following two suggestions: “brightness”, “metallic brightness” (Reynolds, Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p. 360); “ziph, zeph = “metal,” (Reynolds, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, VII, p. 373; and Reynolds, The Story of the Book of Mormon, 5th ed., p.293).
  4. ↑ The Septuagint does not contain this verse. The Vulgate and Wycliffe both have Zio.
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