Yo tamby dol dey... Weil! Weil!
Lagik... Weil! Weil!
The Actual Site of Baca/Bakkah
It is unanimously accepted that the original word in the Hebrew Bible is ‘Baca’. The context clearly indicates that it has been used as a proper noun and most of the versions and translations of the Bible have retained this status. Some of the translations and versions have misconceived its status and have taken it to be a common word. Then they tried to translate it whimsically as: weeping, tears, balsam tree, mulberry, some of the other trees, dry valley, etc. It does not seem to be a proper approach and is based on some misunderstanding.
The Hebrew word ‘Baca’ is composed of three alphabetical letters = בכא(b→k→a). According to the Strong’s Dic. of the Heb. Bible it means: ‘weeping’[1] or ‘the weeping tree (some gum-distilling tree, perhaps the balsam,):—mulberry tree.’. ‘Bakah’ is also composed of three alphabetical letters = בכה(b→k→h), meaning ‘to weep; gen. to bemoan, to bewail, complain, mourn, with tears, weep’.
The vowel symbols had not been introduced in the Hebrew writing system until the seventh/eighth century AD.[4] It was only after their introduction in the Qur’ān in the 7th century AD that some proper vocalization system for the Bible was developed somewhere in the beginning of the seventh century. Before the introduction of the vocalization system in Hebrew writing, the words ‘Baca’ and ‘Bacca’; or the words ‘Bakah’ and ‘Bakkah’ were to be written in the same way. King David had actually and naturally used the word ‘Bakkah’ in his Psalm. Because the words ‘Bakah’ and ‘Bakkah’ were written in the Hebrew script in the same way, it got the pronunciation of ‘Baca’ or ‘Bakah’ instead of the correct pronunciation of ‘Bakkah’ in the later Jewish ages. This ‘Bakkah’ was the ancient name of ‘Makkah’ and was given to it by Abraham. Originally the city was called by this name. Here are some of the Arab authorities to elaborate it:
‘Lisān al-‘Arab’ (the language of the ‘Arabs), a renowned Arabic Dictionary in 18 volumes, explains: Ya’qūb says, ‘Bakkah is what is situated in between the two mountains of Makkah, because the people crushed one another during the circumambulation or overcrowded there. (…). It is said that Bakkah is the name of the interior of Makkah and it was given this name due to the crowding and swarming of the people. The tradition of Mujāhid states, ‘Bakkah is among the names of Makkah.’ And it is said, ‘Bakkah is the site of the House of the Lord, and Makkah is the whole of the city.’ It is also said, ‘Both [Makkah and Bakkah] are the names of the city; and [the alphabetical letters] “B” and “M” succeed (can replace) one another.’
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