Talk:Hyrcania (fortress)

Marda as common noun or proper name
Can't access the chapter of the Keel book (p. 588), only the index, but a) the previous formulation seemed to be self-contradictory, and b) the index shows marda as lower-case noun for both sites, but as proper name (upper-case, Marda) only for Masada - although it can be argued that Keel used lower-case for all transliterations from Greek. Did he?

My main worry is that the distinction is even more sophisticated: Marda as the Syriac name of the Kastellion monastery, but not of its hill/location; and also of Marda as the Syriac name of the geographic place or location of Masada (the cliff, the Herodian fortress), but not of the monastery there. So the opposite use, and a very fine distinction.

If anyone has full access to the Keel source, please double-check and amend if needed. Don't forget to copy the relevant quote, to help avoid such questions in the future. Thanks. Arminden (talk) 12:28, 2 October 2023 (UTC)


 * See Masada art. Conclusion: it's good as it is now (here). At Masada the wording looks logical, more detailed, and undisturbed; here it was either not formulated as well to start with, or it was and somebody messed it up later on. Arminden (talk) 12:59, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

Tunnels
BibleWalks, who's only to be used with caution, mentions a total of four tunnels. Rotem obviously got her guided tour from Mr. Hyrcania himself, Gutfeld, so she must be generally trusted here, and offers lots of details. Arminden (talk) 13:58, 2 October 2023 (UTC)