Bibliography

Kalmin, Richard. Sages, Stories, Authors, and Editors in Rabbinic Babylonia. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1994.

———. “The Post-Rav Ashi Amoraim: Transition or Continuity? A Study of the Role of the Final Generations of Amoraim in the Redaction of the Talmud.” Ph.D. Diss., Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1985.

Neusner, Jacob. “The Present State of Rabbinic Biography.” Pages 85–91 in Hommageá Georges Vajda. Edited by Gérard Nahon and Charles Touati. Leuven: Peeters, 1980.

Steinsaltz, Adin. The Essential Talmud. 13th ed. New York: Basic Books, 2006.

Jin H. Han

Amorites (אֱמֹרִי, emoriy; Αμορραίων, Amorraiōn). A Semitic people referred to as the descendants of Canaan.

The term “Amorites” in the Old Testament refers either to a specific people group in Palestine or generally to non-Israelite peoples living in the land before the Israelites. The origin of the Amorites goes back to 3000 bc. The biblical writers describe the Amorites as inhabitants of the northern part of Canaan, Syria, and the Transjordan area especially during the conquest and settlement of the Israelites in the land. They appear to have been weakened after the monarchy was established in Israel (2 Sam 21:2; 1 Kgs 9:20). The Amorites ruled most of the Transjordan during the time of the conquest, and were a major obstacle for the Israelites in their endeavor to settle the promised land.

Etymology

The Old Testament term for “Amorite” (אֱמֹרִי, emoriy) is likely a loan word from other East Semitic texts. For example Akkadian cuneiform inscriptions from the third and second millennium bc mention an uncivilized, tribal people to their west called Amurru (Sumerian Mar-tu). The etymology of amurru comes from a meaning of “west” or “westward” and refers to area west of Mesopotamia. Texts from Ebla use Mar-tu to indicate a foreign ethnic group and language. Some texts from Mesopotamia preserve Amorite personal names, many of which are related to names found in the early biblical tradition.