Sefarad

[Lori Cahan-Simon <L_Cahan...>]

 I'm reading a fascinating book called The Cross and the Pear Tree:  A
sephardic Journey by Vector Perera.  London:  Andre Deutsch, 1995.  ISBN 0 233
98887 4

He says that, according to tradition, the first Jews came to Spain after the
6th c. B.C.E. when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the 2nd temple and exiled the Jews,
and that many Spanish place names are from the Hebrew, according to a number of
Sephardic historians.  For example, Barcelona was Bar-Shelanu ("our
countryside", in Hebrew), and its origins are linked with the Sephardic family
Barchilon.  Sevilla was Shevil-Yah, "line of G-d", and Toledo was either from
Hebrew for generations (toledot) or exile (toltel).  My question is about the
term "Ibero" itself (as in Iberian Peninsula).  Doesn't that sound suspiciously
like "Ivri", Hebrew?  I haven't heard enyone ever mention that.

Whaddya think?

Lorele

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