Koine and Biblical and Medieval Greek • What is a βᾶρις?

I came across the word βᾶρις while reading Ezra and Josephus, and its meaning is unclear. In the translations of Ezra, it is citadel or fortress, and in Josephus, it is tower. In Strabo, it is used as a proper noun. βᾶρις primarily means a flat-bottomed boat or raft (of Odysseus).

Josephus 10.264
Δανίηλος ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐν Ἐκβατάνοις τῆς Μηδικῆς βάριν
"Daniel built in Ecbatana of Media a tower?"

Josephus 10.265
εὑρέθη ἐν Ἐκβατάνοις τῇ βάρει τῇ ἐν Μηδίᾳ βιβλίον
"There was found in Ecbatana in the tower of Media a book"

Ezra 6.2
εὑρέθη ἐν πόλει ἐν τῇ βάρει τῆς Μήδων πόλεως κεφαλὶς μία
"There was found in the city in the tower of Media country one scroll

Strabo, Geography 11.14.15
ὁ Ἄβος ἐγγύς ἐστι τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς εἰς Ἐκβάτανα φερούσης παρὰ τὸν τῆς Βάριδος νεών
The Abos is near the road leading towards Ecbatana beside the temple of Baris

Statistics: Posted by Saboi — Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:20 pm

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