Thanks for starting this thread MannyBoy. This subject is very worthy of study and clear understanding.
"Most fascinating to me is Benet seems to suggest that these Hebrew editors then went back and edited older Hebrew texts of the Old Testament to reflect this change!" -- MannyBoy
Yes, I find that fascinating as well! As far as I've been able to tell, the "calamus" translation was applied because, at least by definition, they didn't know specifically what
qaneh bosem was (or perhaps did but chose to hide it). Originally, "Calamus" is neither a Hebrew, Greek or English word, but is
Latin, from Greek
Kalamos,meaning
a reed (the plant or its stem, or that of a similar plant). Per Strong's,
Kalamos is a word of uncertain affinity, translated as "reed" and "pen" in the New Testament (KJV).
So English
Calamus is from Latin
Calamus which is from Greek
Kalamos, is a reed of some sort, but specifically unidentified. This understanding, or presumption, of a non-specific "balmy reed" was applied to Hebrew
qaneh bosem in the Old Testament, thus we have the "Calamus" translation. (this is my personal hypothesis regarding how/why "calamus" was applied)
Interesting articles:
Etymology of Kalamos
Etymology of Cannabis
Cannabis at entheology.org.
The
strong objection by those who find the concept of a psychoactive/intoxicating plant being used by God's people
unthinkable
is also curious. Even if we accept "Calamus" (
Acorus calamus or "Sweet Flag"),
it too is a psychoactive/visionary plant that has history as an entheogen.
Calamus at MAYA Enthbotanicals (no citations)
Calamus at amazing-nature.com (with citations)
Calamus at drugsafetysite.com (one commenter there thinks "calamus" is the correct biblical translation).
Calamus at shamansgarden.com
Calamus at entheology.org
Does anyone have copies or links to reprints of either of these articles?
- Sula Benet, Early Diffusions and Folk Uses of Hemp. (Reprinted in Cannabis and Culture, Vera Rubin, Ed. The Hague: Moutan, 1975.)
- Sara Benetowa (Sula Benet), Tracing One Word Through Different Languages. (1936). (Reprinted in The Book of Grass, 1967.)