Mukhan: The rise and fall of a halakic term

The term {Hebrew language presented} 'prepared' plays a central role in Tannaitic Sab-bath law. This article reviews the development of this term from linguistic, exegetical, and normative points of view. In Mishnaic Hebrew, {Hebrew language presented} and its negative form {Hebrew language presented} are archaic forms derived through nominaliza-tion from Exod 16:5. This linguistic legacy, shared with the Damascus Document, went through a process of reconceptualization in Tannaitic law. While the term remained fixed, its normative consequences were further developed and {Hebrew language presented} became a pivotal concept in the Tannaitic laws of con-sumption and handling. Although it would seem that the rise and decline of the term {Hebrew language presented} could be explained through the conceptual transformations of the Tannaitic and Amoraic eras, I argue that the conceptual and linguis-tic changes do not coincide and suggest alternative explanations for the emergence and eventual marginalization of {Hebrew language presented} .